Choosing your baby's name is something all parents look forward to. You may have a favourite name in mind during or even before the pregnancy, or you may prefer to wait until after the birth to see what will suit your baby.

Here are a few things to consider before making your final choice:

  • Your child has to carry this name through his whole life, so it should suit an adult as well as a baby.
  • Does the name shorten to an unfortunate nickname?
  • What does it sound like with your surname? A long surname, for instance, can happily take a monosyllabic forename, and vice versa. More importantly, say it out loud. Mr and Mrs Thyme would be ill-advised to call their child Justin, for example.
  • If you are giving your child middle names, what will the initials spell out? Claire Olivia Williams, for instance, would give your child the initials COW!
  • Some names have interesting or particularly appropriate meanings. Natalie, for example, means 'born at Christmas', and Russell means 'little red-haired man'.