Different Baby Names and Revelations: Should I Tell in Advance or Not?

You have bought baby name books, looked up the online lists of baby names, made a lengthy list of baby name possibilities, and put together a family tree. After months of lists and long considerations, you and your partner have finally decided on the perfect name for your baby. Now it is time to decide when you want to reveal the name to your friends and family. Some parents-to-be wait until the baby is born, while others tell their friends, family, and anyone who asks the name they have chosen for their baby as soon as they know themselves.

For some couples, thinking about baby names is the first thing that enters their mind when they receive the pregnancy news. Others, on the contrary, wait until the ultrasound before they rack their brains about possible baby name choices. This way, instead of needing to choose male and female sets of names, you can narrow it down to only one. If you decide to find out the name of your baby before birth, you may want to start calling your baby by his or her chosen name while you are still pregnant. By saying your baby’s name over and over again, you and your partner will come to realize if the name will really fit your baby.

Telling your friends and family the name you have chosen allows you to prepare them with your and your partner’s decision as well as giving them the opportunity to adjust to the name. The disadvantage of sharing your baby’s name with others is that it is inevitable that some will not like the name and thus make unwelcome comments about it.

On the other hand, if you are certain of your decision and convinced that it is the perfect choice of name for your baby, then do not be afraid to share your delight. However, if you are not completely sure about your choice, it is probably a better idea to keep the name to yourself until your baby is born. Once the baby is born and formally named, people are less likely to criticize your and your and your partner’s baby name choice.

Some couples decide not to reveal the chosen baby name to their friends and family because they want to keep them surprised. In this case, it is best that you and your partner not officially refer to your baby by his or her name until after the birth. Nevertheless, you may choose to tell your family and friends the sex of the baby or even his or her initials. This way, you reveal some details, but still make sure that they cannot intervene in your decision.

Finding the perfect baby name is definitely not an easy choice. While some names seem unsuitable, others are not original enough, or they are too unique, in some cases not traditional enough, or associated with something negative. So, once expecting parents have managed to come up with the perfect baby name, it is of little surprise that they prefer to keep it to themselves, not only because they do not want people to interfere in their decision, but also out of fear that someone might steal it.