给宝宝起名是不少做爸爸妈妈的生活命中非常重要的决定之一，由于一个人的名字一般会随着其一生。
New parents often spend a long time debating what to call their newborn. Should they name them after a relative, a famous person or just pick a name at random1? For many of us it can be quite the gruelling task, but its our children who need to live with our choice. So, how important is the name you choose?
Names usually stay with us for a lifetime, unless we decide to change them. They become part of our identity. Quite often we hear stories of celebrities2 giving their children unusual names, while other people give their children names which have special meanings, for example, the name Sarah comes from a Hebrew word meaning princess. Sadly, though, our parents dont always get it right.
So, what if you dont like your given name? A study led by psychologist Jean Twenge found that a person who hates the moniker given to them is more likely to have greater psychological adjustment issues possibly due to low self-esteem. This is because our title becomes a symbol of our self, and if we loathe3 our name, our confidence may be affected4.
And what if your name is no longer popular? While names like Ethel and Gladys were once in fashion, they now sound a bit out of date, which can be embarrassing. And when it comes to unpopular names which arent trending, they may even affect our love lives. Studies have shown that people with old-fashioned names are more likely to be rejected on dating apps.
However, if you choose an unusual name, its not all bad news. According to a study conducted by Professor David Zhu, people with uncommon5 names can develop a sense of uniqueness and can often become more creative and open-minded.
So, when choosing your offsprings name, there are a fair few things to consider but going for something too common or too old-fashioned may not be a great choice. And, if your children hate your choice, they can always select a nickname.
