I have always loved reading baby name lists. I’m the oldest of 6 children, so my parents were often on the hunt for good baby names while I was growing up. I distinctly remember reading through a book of baby names they had when I was younger. I loved thinking about the meanings, seeing different spellings, and imagining which ones I would use someday. It makes sense now considering I love all things words.
Dellan likes to make fun of me for having so many baby name rules. I think it surprised him how quickly I would cross one off the list because it didn’t comply. I like to think it helps narrow down names and makes it less likely that we’ll regret our choice later.
I thought it would be fun to share those rules here!
- The name must have a unique first initial.
I want each person in our family to have different initials. We ran into this rule when naming Elora. Our current favorite boy name starts with an A, but Dellan liked the spelling Alora better.
When we find a name we like, we basically have to decide if it beats out the current favorite name spelled with that letter. For example, I really like the names Everett and Ezra, but I decided I wanted the name Elora more, so it stayed in the top E spot.
Needless to say, somebody’s rules won the argument of Elora versus Alora. We named her with an E and are saving the A name for a boy.
2. The name can’t be too popular.
Much like the first initials rule, I want our kids to have a name that feels unique to them. I also am hesitant to use names that are popular because sometimes they can stay popular for years, and suddenly there are tons of children with the same name.
Basically, these first two rules really put my Enneagram 4 traits on display.
3. The name can’t start with the letter L.
Our last name, Llewellyn, not only begins with the an L but has 4 L’s in it. Dellan and I both also have 2 L’s in our first name. Basically, I don’t want to add any L names to the mix.
We’ve heard the joke a few times, though, that we should have named Elora something like Lulu Llewellyn instead. Maybe we’ll have to give a future pet a name with a lot of L’s someday.
4. The name can’t end with the letter N.
This rule is also because of our last name. I just feel like anything that ends with an N seems to make it sort of rhyme. I will say, though, that this is the rule I am least serious about. If I really liked a name ending with an N, I might break it.
5. The name has to have a meaning that we like.
The most important rule! I want to make sure we name our children with meaning in mind. I have crossed off names that I thought were very pretty because I did not like what they meant.
One of the reasons I love the name Elora is because it means “The Lord is my light.” I love that it speaks God’s guidance over her life. Her middle name, Ann, is after Dellan’s grandmother, so it is also a special name to us.
That’s all of them!
I’d love to hear if you have any baby name rules or if you don’t have any rules at all. Or if you want to share the names you’ve chosen in the comments, that sounds fun, too!
Gabrielle Ruth Writes 