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Approximately 250,000 babies are born in Australia each year. All of them unique. Choosing a name for your bub can be a source of anguish and arguments - your partner doesn't like your chosen name and your mother-in-law thinks it's even worse!! Don't know where to start? Here's a handy checklist to work through.

Choosing Baby Names Step 1
Write the alphabet down on a piece of paper. Take each letter in turn and cross-out any that you don't want to use starting with these suggestions:

• think about the starting letter - do you want to use an initial that another family member already has - in years to come, if letters arrive addressed to T Jones, could they be for several family members?
• are there letters that combined with your surname make an undesirable word? - eg S Windler becomes Swindler

Choosing Baby Names Step 2
Work through the letters that are left with the following suggestions:

• start with a good baby names book or online list and write down names that you both like - with perhaps a secondary list of names that one of you likes and the other might be persuaded to like
• mark names as suitable first names, suitable second names or both
• look at the initials - take particular care when using middle names that start with a vowel - eg Simon Andrew Davies and his brother Bruce Anthony Davies
• say the name to yourself several times quickly, does the name sound like something else when put together? Theresa Green (trees are green), or Shiloh Pitt (shallow pit)
• is the spelling unusual - will you and your child get fed up of spelling that for people for years to come?
• do you like the shortened version of the name - don't call him William if you'd hate him to be called Will, Wills, Willie or Bill
• how will a shortened version sound with your surname, Matthew Latt is great, but Matt Latt is less good
• do you already know somebody, or somebody famous with that name or something very similar - eg Harold Potter, Greg Norman
• unusual and unique baby names can be great - but will your child really want to be called Apple or Zowie when they're 45 and chairing an executive board meeting?
• even if your scans have told you that you are having a boy, pick out girls names too because scans can be wrong
• is the name 'too' popular? Will there be 3 other Ella's in your daughter's school class? Check out the top 10 boys and girls names in your area:
  
  • act
  • nsw
  • nt
  • qld
  • sa
  • tas - no online data available
  • vic
  • wa
• want to discuss your name choice - but not with family? Discuss (anonymously if you wish!) on our forum, you can even start your own poll and get other viewers to vote on your choices!
• if you don't want your family and friends to disagree with your chosen names - don't tell them what names you are thinking of using!

Choosing Baby Names Step 3
After a few days, check your 'short' list again and cross out any of the names that don't appeal anymore. Keep doing that every few days until you have a shortlist of half a dozen or so.

Choosing Baby Names Step 4
Take a break from choosing baby names!

Choosing Baby Names Step 5
Keep repeating step 3 until your list is short enough.

Choosing Baby Names Step 6
If you've decided upon names - fabulous! If you still have a shortlist, take the list with you to the hospital - you may get the final inspiration on what name suits your bub best when you see their beautiful face!

Choosing Baby Names Step 7
Don't forget to register your baby's birth within 60 days of the birth with your local Birth Registry Office. Make sure that you get the correct spelling on that form as that will be your baby's official name forever!

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