The moment she came out of her mother's womb and saw the light of this world, she needed an identity. She needed a name. With her eyes wide open she looked around not knowing how many shining pairs looking at hers. Being tossed around from one lap to another she did not care about a name. She was busy yawning while those who stuffed the tiny hospital room inhaling all the oxygen, stirred up their brains evoking all the names they could think of. This little precious angel brought joy to the Bari family. She became a grandma's girl who named her Sneha.

Every family blessed with a newborn goes through this familiar scenario. Brainstorming goes on for months flipping through every baby name books available. The list of beautiful names grows longer with relatives and friends showering the couple with suggestions. Naming a baby is great fun but can be very daunting. There are so many things to consider, so many pitfalls to be aware of. It has to be meaningful, sound nice and it has to be a creative one. All this eventually makes the task a truly responsible one.

People go through certain experiences while searching for the perfect name for their bundle of joy. Sometimes people try to be too creative. But creative names can be confusing. For instance, if you name your baby Addhito Addoy Adhip (believe me this names exist) it can be very hard for other people to pronounce and can bring unwanted attention to your child. Or if you name your child Himadri Halim (also an existing name) it may remind people of the food halim and himadri will make it sound like halim straight out of the freezer. It's difficult to find a nice balance between a name that is unique but doesn't appear to be too weird. Having an unusual name has the advantage of making you stand out from the crowd. However, common names that are easily recognised and easy to spell will cause your child less problems

Some people try to be creative in spelling. It can also cause confusion. Your child may end up with the task of correcting the spelling or pronouncing his or her names every time people make mistake. An extra task they would rather do without, and you will get the blame for it afterwards. Your child will hear the name you chose over and over again throughout his/her lifetime and you will have to say it over and over again. Ask yourself if the name sounds pleasant when you say it aloud or whether if it breaks your teeth every time you pronounce it.

It is important for most people to choose a name with a positive meaning since it will sometimes be associated with the child. The general sound and rhythm of the name is very important. Especially make sure the last name sounds ok with the first name. However you might want to avoid the baggage attached to infamous people or places.

Always make sure that the first name, middle name and surname do not form an unfortunate set of initials. If you name your child Munem Afsar Dewan the initials will be MAD. Initials such as these can be very damaging for your child's future. Consider options carefully. You may name your child with all the love of your heart but it might bring bad experiences in the end. Do not mark your child with a name that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Many children are picked upon at school because of their names.

There are names these days used both for male and females. Make sure the name immediately clears the sex of the child. Otherwise children may also find themselves in embarrassing situation.

Make sure any cousin, nephew or other family member is not using the name. It can be very confusing for everyone if there are two people in a family with the exact same name.

Muslim names usually outweigh other names in Bangladesh, sometimes implying other names as inappropriate. Be proud of your heritage by using a name that is part of your ethnic history.

In Bangladesh most of the parents do not get a chance to name their baby. Grand parents sort of reserve the rights and other relatives come up with wide range of suggestions. We advise you to accept ideas graciously from relatives, discuss the names with friends. You will always get mixed reviews, it can be helpful or it can get frustrating. Someone might oppose the name totally. Resist announcing your choices until after your baby is born to avoid that situation.

Choosing the perfect name for your baby is one of the most important things you will ever do for your child. Your baby's name will be an expression of his/her character and identity. It is one of the most important, exciting and enjoyable things you will do during the pregnancy. You will spend hours romanticizing and fantasizing with names. Trying to decide which one has it all that you wanted. In your search for the perfect baby name, you'll find that only a few names will meet all the criteria. So take your time to make it a perfect one.

2005