Naming your baby is a real challenge, if you go for a popular name your child might not like it because it's too common, if you go for an unusual baby name it's hard to get a balance between unusual and weird. Then there's the unique baby names but what constitutes as unique when there are 100,000's of names to choose from.

Some say go for names of your ancestors but then you can struggle because names are like clothes in that fashions come and go. A name that was popular in years gone by can be seen as absolutely horrendous when associated with a young child. And then there are personal tastes, what one person likes another hates, even close families can often disagree so how on earth do you make a decision as to what name your child would like before your baby is even born.

Naming babies is a challenge that so many of us face and some get it right while others get it totally wrong. All's you can do is do your best, put time and effort into finding that perfect name, consider the pro's and con's of the extremely popular (perhaps one of the top 10 baby names), selecting from the top 100 baby names or going for the unusual or unique baby names and go for what you feel is right.

It's often useful to run your short list of names by close family and friends to gauge their reaction and get a feel as to how your favourite baby names are perceived by others. Also, seek the opinion of different age groups as the older generation may be inclined to go for traditional names while others might like the more unusual or unique baby names.

What is so important is that you do not choose an unusual or unique baby name that will be seen as a joke allowing your baby to be ridiculed from birth, through school and beyond. Do not select a name that is cute for a baby but a nightmare as your baby grows up and think carefully before choosing a name that is so popular that there will be three or more in every class and several in the office when they start work.

Once you have chosen your baby's name always say it out loud several times and write down the initials. The most perfect baby name might prove an embarrassment to your child if it doesn't fit well with your surname and if the initials stand for something it could result in your baby being ridiculed for life!