Andrea’s Weblog

Selecting a baby name is no longer as easy as thumbing through a baby
name book and finding one we like. Or so, the baby book writers would
have you believe…

According to some baby name books, there are additional steps.

First you must choose what you want the baby to be when he grows up.
This allows you to select a name that best fits someone in that field.
I have no idea how they come up with these lists of artist names,
doctor names, lawyer and even presidential names, because they’re not
just lists of famous artists or doctors. (Surprisingly, Andrea is first
on the list of presidential names for girls—I hope I haven’t
disappointed anyone.) This is a great way to let your baby know what
you expect of him early on.

So once you’ve selected some names, the next step should be to analyze
the initials. According to a University of California study, babies
with initials like WOW or JOY lived 4.48 years longer than babies with
neutral initials. As you may guess, babies with initials like UGH or
BUM lived an average of 2.8 years less than those with neutral
initials. One might wonder why it is only 2.8 years, considering the
genetic disadvantage the child is faced with having two parents who
didn’t think about their child’s initials.

Frank and I have developed our own checklist for naming the newest
McPherson. First we purchased a baby name book, not based on the photo
on the cover (we think it’s an alien baby) or how many names it
contains (only 10,000), but based on the definitions and anglo-roots of
the names. We discovered that “A Million and One Baby Names” and other
books like it draw their names from all over the world and throw in
every made up name ever used. I’m pretty sure the name we choose will
be among the 10,000 in this book.

Upon identifying a possible name, there are two tests imposed. First is
saying the name with McPherson. We were having trouble with names
ending in N until Frank discovered that if there is a long vowel sound
before the N, it’s ok. Short vowel sounds before the N aren’t.
Good example: Eileen
Bad: Kirsten, Branden

The second test imposed is the Top 100 test. Any name found near the
top of the Top 100 baby names list for the preceding years is
automatically nixed. Sorry we won’t be having a Madison, Emma, Aiden or
Ethan. (see babynames.com)

So, for those of you who keep asking us if we’ve thought of any names,
the answer is Yes. Now that you know our criteria, you’re welcome to
send in suggestions : )