Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Yukineko]

Hello, teachers.
I am not sure if I can ask a question like this here, but I would appreciate it if someone would help me with it.

How do you (or did you )decide the name of your newborn baby?

We Japanese usually choose our baby’s name by its sound and the meanings of kanjis ( Chinese character ) used in it. ( Each Chinese character has its own meaning. ) So, our first names usually have their own meanings. My name is “Yoshimi,” which means “good and beautiful.” My parents gave me this name with the hope of my becoming a “good and beautiful” child, but in vain.

When you have a baby, what will make you decide its name in your country? (Or when you had a baby, what made you decide the name?)

Thanks in advance.
Yukineko

[IanT]

Interesting question!

I'm English and my partner is Catalan and we live in Barcelona. So we had to choose Catalan names that English people could pronounce.

My preference was for names that didn't have an obvious meaning, began with a consonant, and didn't "sound funny".

For boy number one we could only agree on a short list of five and didn't decide until after he was born.

For number two we had no idea, but fortunately he somehow told his mother his name during the birth process.

It's one of the few things that really is up to you. So I'd say follow your heart and pick something you'll be happy to shout a million times!

Best wishes,
Ian
_________________
All my answers refer to British English.

www.EnglishSwearing.com - How to use all the bad words! ... and ... www.throdworld.com - Silly verses to make you happy.

You decide the price for both!

[Lorikeet]

My kids were named after their grandparents, but it's hard to do if the names are old fashioned.

[Yukineko]

Thank you for answering my question, Lorikeet and IanT!!

We sometimes name our babies after our names or our parents' name. But we don't give the same name to our children, like "... Jr."
So it seems sound ( starting with a consonant, avoding funny sound and so on) is the most important when you choose a name, doesn't it?
"Follow your heart and pick something you'll be happy to shout a million times" What you said is absolutely true!! I should remember this.

Thanks very, very much!

Yukineko