Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Fun Ways to Find Baby Names

Names all come from a meaning and they come from somewhere. Not everyone remembers the meanings though, or really cares. We tend to just think of the names nowadays. That doesn't mean naming can't be fun. Almost anything can be a the perfect name if used correctly. Sometimes a little tweaking with a few letter changes and syllable alterations may enhance it. This article will help point out some sources of names to consider when trying to be creative for your future baby.

Flowers and Plants

While names like Rose and Lily may be common, and Holly and Daisy not too far off, there are thousands of other flowers out there just waiting to be picked. Flowers like Aster, Hawthorn, Gladiolas, Jonquil and Orchid.

Along with flowers, many plants have been used as names in the past. Some examples include Willow, Sequoia, Oakley, and Ash. Though they are all wonderful names, none of the three are really common names. Other beautiful trees and plants that are worth considering and playing around with are Azaleas, Birch, Cypress, Zelkova, and Vibernum. There are also fruit trees such as Apple, Cherry, and Peach, which have on occasion inspired a few names.

Gemstones

Gemstones have a beauty both in their look and in their name. One of the most obvious ways of helping them be associated with a name is choosing the birthstone of the baby's month as a name. Garnet for a January baby, Amethyst for a February baby, and so on. Because they are very common and already known words, they'll be unique but not too strange that it might be confusing for some to pronounce or spell, as is how some newly created names can be.

There are also many other gemstones out there besides the birthstones, and any gem can be used for a baby's name in any month. There is no rule to limit only babies in the month of October can have the name Opal.

Mythology

Mythology has a great and diverse range of words and names to play around with. Most obvious is the names of gods and heroes to choose from. Looking at Greek mythology as an example, anything from Zeus and Hera, to Apollo and Rhea, to Argos and Pandora can be a refreshing revival of the classical names.

Along with actual names of gods and heroes, there are the different types of beings to be inspired by. For example, there are the nymphs and their many types like Auloniads, Oreads, Naiads, Dryads, Nereids and Lampades. There were also Satyrs, Elves, Giants, Gnomes, Amazons, etc. These creatures were sometimes even monsters, like the Leviathan, or Chimera, or Typhon, or Cerberus. While these might not be ideal names at first glance, they may grow in liking, and by playing around with syllables and spelling can become original and respectable names to have.

Locations

A trend in naming that dates back before most can recall is being inspired by different locations around the world. The possibilities are endless, including everything from continents to countries to cities and even regions. Specific geographical locations, like names of mountains, seas, rivers and lakes, can also be unique and fun to play around with.

Sometimes these places have a deeper meaning for the parents. It could be where they first met, where they proposed, where they got married, their favorite vacation spot, their dream location, their homeland, where they were born, etc. Using these places as names or inspiration for names for their children add a nice personal touch.

Colors

Colors are some of the most used ways of expression in the world, from writing to art to everyday use. Why should names be any different? Not only do the words of color paint a visual image, they give a feeling, an expression, a meaning.

Simple examples like Red, Orange, Blue and green may not have quite the effect and may be a bit lackluster for some. There are still plenty of other descriptive and poetic words for colors, though. Reds can be Carmine, Cerise, Scarlet, or Vermilion. Orange as Coral and Ginger. Yellow can be Amber or Ivory. Green can be Jade, Sage, Viridian or Willow. Blue can be Azure and Beryl, Cobalt or Teal. Purple can be Lavendar, Violet, Orchid. Even white and black can be interesting, with names like Pearl, Ash, Sable, Onyx and Ebony.

There are many other inspirations and word groups out there to draw from and help name your child. Whether it be an animal, a star, a zodiac sign, a favorite food or song, a movie character or novel character, a color, gem or flower, there is a whole world of creativity out there. Common names are fine and can be quite beautiful, but naming your child something unique can say a lot more than the actual word

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.BabyNameVote.Com/ which is a site for Baby Names.

About the author

Jake Rose is an artist and an author from Massachusetts.

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