Youre looking for that special name for your baby girl. This can be a fun adventure, but can also become difficult at times. A great question to ask yourself when times get tough is what are your criteria for a name? Do you want a popular name, or a unique name? There are advantages to going either way. Maybe youre looking for a name that honors your family's homeland or country of origin. Or perhaps something that covers both.
Choosing a popular name for your baby has some advantages. It is easy to recognize, say and often easy to spell too. People won't be butchering it when they say it, and your daughter won't have to correct people when they mispronounce her name for the rest of her life. However, it is very likely that she won't be the only Jessica, or Mia (yes, the name Mia has become very popular in recent years) that she knows over the years. The Social Security Administration releases a list of the most popular names registered each year. In 2006 (2007 wasn't up yet) the most popular name for a girl according to the SSA was Emily (Mia was 13). And, Emily has been the most popular since at least 1995, when it was just #3 on the list! This may be fine for you, or, it may cause you not to go with that name after all. To see the stats on your favorite name, check out the Social Security Administration's website at http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ .
The name Mary has been a popular name for a girl throughout history, but isn't all that popular anymore. In 1880 (the first year the SSA has records for online) it was number 1 and stayed within the top 10 well into the 1960s! In 2000 however, it was down to 47 and all the way down to 84 in 2006. Emma is a name that was very popular in the 1800s and into the very early 1900s but declined in popularity soon after that. Now, however, we have seen a resurgence of this name beginning in the late 90s and in 2006 it was second only to Emily! Then there is Elizabeth, which is a name that has been fairly popular throughout the entire period from 1880 - today.
In your search for a name, you may want to look at names that are popular in other countries. This is a great way to honor your family heritage, your ethnicity or, just one more way to find that perfect name! Popular names for girls born in 2005 in Japan were Hina and Yui, and in Tunisia (North Africa) it was Mariam and Shayma at the top of the list. In Italy the top 2 for 2006 were Giulia and Alessia. For the same year in Mexico Gabriela and Maria Carmen were at the top, while in Argentina it was Sophia and Camila. Grace and Ruby were the winners in England and Wales for 2007 while it was Milena and Ani in Armenia.
Maybe you want to avoid popular all together though. It isn't always possible of course, because trends change, just like we talked about with Emma. The more unique a name, the less likely it is to ever become something that anyone would define as "popular". There are very valid reasons for choosing a highly original name. One of which is that your child will not be confused by name with too many people. You may also just simply want to be different! For starters how about these: Abrianna (Italian - Noble, Virtuous), Samara (Hebrew - Protected by God), Reena (Arabic - One who is beautiful), Kaori (Japanese - Fragrant), or Alika (Nigerian - Beautiful).
Another way to trim that list of possibilities is to consider the meaning of each name you like. You can generally find the meanings to names on the majority of naming sites and in most baby name books. If you find a name you like but can't find the meaning with it, you can simply enter "Gabriela Meaning" into your search engine, and most likely the name's meaning will come up. A name's origin may also be a way to find that perfect name, or, a way to eliminate one from your list! The origin of a name is often included in the description of its meaning.
Which ever way you choose to go about finding a name, it is a fun and exciting journey. One that is important to undertake with great thoughtfulness. In the end, you aren't the one who will be answering to this moniker for at least the next 18 years, your daughter will!
