Choosing a girl’s name for your baby

How to make a choice that feels right

Choosing a girl’s name for your baby can turn out to be harder than you expected. Maybe you suddenly start doubting yourself, maybe you and your partner have different tastes, or perhaps something that once felt right no longer does. That is not so strange: a name needs to be beautiful and to feel right. But how do you know whether you are choosing the right girl’s name? Honestly, you never know for certain. But if it feels right to both of you, then it is right. In this blog, we are happy to help point you in the right direction.

Choosing a baby name by instinct

Just as with choosing a boy’s name, picking a girl’s name is largely a matter of instinct. You need to find it beautiful and it needs to feel right. Sometimes a name reminds you of someone – in a positive or a negative way. Or you immediately form a certain image when you hear a name. A name can be very powerful, or wonderfully gentle. That is also what makes choosing so tricky: will it suit your baby when the time comes? So start by each making a list of names you personally love, or that give you a good feeling. From there, you go through them together – crossing some out, reconsidering others. A shared top three will naturally emerge, and you can sit with that for a little while.

Doubts when choosing a girl’s name

Are you having doubts at the moment you think you are making your final choice? That is completely normal. Fortunately, you can still change your mind plenty of times for now. What helps in that case is to make a list, as we described above, and then set it aside for a bit. Come back to it later and say the names out loud. You will naturally feel which ones truly resonate and which name keeps coming back. It may take a little time before you notice it, but eventually a favourite tends to emerge for you both.

The influence of those around you

There are few topics as popular as baby names. Others will be more than happy to weigh in. That can be wonderful, but when everyone shares their opinion, it can also become confusing. Feel free to draw inspiration from all the ideas, but make sure you also return to yourself in good time. What felt right to you before everyone else had their say? That is what matters in the end – everyone else will get used to the baby name you choose. Or they will not, and that is fine too.

Practical considerations for a girl’s name

Even though the girl’s name for your baby should above all feel right, it is also worth pausing to consider a few practical questions. Such as how the name is pronounced abroad. And whether the name might carry a completely different meaning in another language. What shortenings can you expect with that girl’s name, and how do you feel about people calling your daughter that? If you give your daughter more than one first name, how do the initials read when placed one after the other? And how does the girl’s name combine with the surname? Give this a quick check now – your daughter can only thank you for it later.

When you cannot agree on the name

Have you already made up your mind about what your daughter should be called? Then it would be lovely if your partner agreed. But sometimes that is not the case. And it gets really tricky when you have both settled on different “final” choices and you genuinely cannot stand the other’s preferred name. You can try to convince each other, but if you are both doing that at the same time, you will get nowhere. What works best in that situation? Start completely from scratch, forget the original names, and begin again with a blank list.

Choose what feels right

The name you choose will grow along with your baby. Perhaps you want to wait until your daughter is born before making the final decision. That is perfectly fine. But know that the name will truly become hers. She will grow into it, make it entirely her own. It does not need to be perfect – if it feels right to you, then it is right. And it does not matter how long it takes. You have until the 3rd working day after the birth to make a change. So take your time, and we would love to hear which girl’s name you end up choosing!