PICKING the perfect name for your little one isn’t always so easy.
Do you go the traditional route? Or opt for something a little more out there?
Then you also need to consider how that name will age with your child, making the choice even more difficult.
Chris Smith, Formuland operations manager and baby expert, has shared some of the names expecting parents might want to avoid next year.
“When a name becomes too trendy, it loses the very quality that attracted parents in the first place,” he explained.
JADEN
This popular moniker has been insanely popular for years now, but it’s started to “feel quite dated” according to the pro.
This goes for all variations and spellings of the name too, unfortunately.
MAGNUS
As unique and striking as this name might be, it could quickly become uncool because it’s tied to current trends.
AZLAN
No matter how much you might love and feel inspired by the classic Narnia books, you should avoid this name, Chris said.
He said: “Your child will spend years saying ‘Azlan with a Z’ every time they introduce themselves.
“It’s a burden that might seem small now, but it adds up over a lifetime of form-filling, coffee orders, and email introductions,” he joked.
RIVER
This name might seem pretty unique, but actually it’s very popular right now, which might not be what you want.
There are plenty of other earth-inspired names out there that give a similar feel.
BRONSON
A strong, masculine name might seem like a good idea, but according to the pro these types of names can cause problems down the line for little ones.
“Ultra-masculine names like Bronson can box children into certain expectations and may not age well across different life stages,” he explained.
OPHELIA
This Shakespearean name sounds lovely, but the truth is it’s everywhere at the moment, Chris revealed.
Not only that, but anyone who has read Hamlet will tell you the association with the moniker isn’t great, given the character’s tragic fate.
KHALEESI
“What seems cool today might make your child cringe tomorrow.
“We’ve seen this pattern repeat with names from popular shows and films. The cultural moment passes, but the name remains,” Chris told Express.co.uk.
Eloide
Elodie is a lovely name, and it has that French sound parents love at the moment, but it’s almost too popular.
In fact, the pro suggested it could be as big as Olivia by 2026.
AZURA
Chris warned parents to think about how sparkly names like Azura will sound and look in real life.
As glam as it might sound in theory, the name doesn’t translate into the real world very well.
DEIA
Names like Deia might be short, but that doesn’t stop pronunciation problems, Chris noted.
The pro warned that your little one could spend their “whole life correcting people.”
The struggle of choosing a baby name
CHLOE Morgan, a Senior Writer at Fabulous, has revealed her dilemma on choosing a baby name…
At 35 weeks pregnant, by far the trickiest part of pregnancy for me in the past few months (minus the insomnia and countless night-time wee breaks!) has been trying to decide on a baby name.
The dilemmas are endless…
My partner and I went for a private scan to find out the gender as early as we could – partly due to the fact we thought it would make baby naming so much easier because we’d only have to come up with a list of names for one gender rather than two.
How wrong we were…
I was absolutely thrilled to be told I was expecting the baby girl I’d already dreamed of, but being one of the last of my friends to fall pregnant, I’ve had countless conversations over the years with excited pals discussing their top baby names…something which I wish I could go back in time and un-hear.
With each friend mentioning at least 10 possible monikers, I can’t help but feel like several are now a no-go even though I know it’s something that none of them would mind in the slightest – it’s a total me problem!
The debate comes up time and time again on social media forums – can you choose the same name that was a “potential” for a friend’s baby?
It’s a very divisive topic and opinions are always mixed…and I don’t want to be THAT person.
While some will argue there’s thousands of other names out there to choose from, others will say you need to choose YOUR favourite…after all, there’s no guarantee that person will even have another baby.
Then there’s also the issue of finding a name you adore…only to research it online and read one negative comment amongst hundreds of positives that you just can’t shake off.
I made that very mistake when I fell in love with a certain name (I won’t reveal it because I don’t want to ruin it for others!) …only to see someone point out that it constantly gets autocorrected on a phone to something rather rude instead.
So, back to the drawing board we went..
Just five weeks to go and it looks like our little one is going to be known as ‘baby gal’ for a little while longer!
