Baby Names: Cute Ideas to Make Your Choice Easier

There are several aspects of a pregnancy that generate commotion among family, friends and even strangers. From the congratulations brought about by the news to the preparations for a baby shower, the choice of the child's name is certainly one of the topics that most motivate the participation of people around the mother in formation.

As much as everyone spends their whole life knowing new names and poking their heads in the records of others, it is normal that naming one's own offspring brings with it many concerns, after all it is assumed that the child will be called that way by the rest. of life.

With so much responsibility at hand, couples who do not have specific names in mind come to know a new way to go during pregnancy. The search for meanings, the consideration of family traditions, the concern with possible nicknames and the elaboration of favorite lists end up being constant companions for the new dads.

To make sure you don't miss anything and find the best name for your child, check out some naming ideas, tips and considerations that can inspire you and prevent regrets!

Popular names for girls and boys

More common, compound or shorter names may be good options for your list of possibilities. Here are some lists of charming names that may end up in your baby's registry!

Classic Names: They are interesting because they remain beautiful for a long time, nevertheless being a cool option, because they are beyond the names of fashion and have been established for many years.

Short Names: They are ideal for anyone who wants the child to have more convenience and ease when using the name. It will be easy to read, write, memorize, finally, a nice and short name so as not to bother the child.

Compound Names: Bringing together two names that harmonize with each other is practically a tradition, and many compound names are classics that will never go out of style.

Names honoring loved ones

Whether it's a loved one, an admirable family member, or to maintain some tradition and carry on a name, honoring those close to you is a very common and even admirable decision. However, it is important that both the mother and father of the child are in agreement with the choice and, in the case of older honorees, it is also worth considering whether the name could not seem too anachronistic, which would imply the child becoming called by nicknames or suffixes, such as Junior or Grandson, for example.

In Brazil, the last names that refer to the honoree are usually male, but that does not mean that women cannot receive this type of honor either. Although not usual, it is possible to register the child also with suffixes such as Granddaughter or Second, besides the possibility of just using the honoree's name as middle name or to form a different composition.

In the case of homage to older people, one might have the impression that some names are not appropriate or match children. According to linguist expert on onomatic and anthroponymy Gleyce Ramos Bastos, this is due to cultural changes that are natural and also cause "changes in language and, consequently, the name system accompanies these transformations". That is why, "currently, in general, we do not give names typical of generations much earlier than children," he explains.

Famous names and historical figures

Historical figures, celebrities, musicians and sportsmen. A little distant from the tribute, the reference to public people is also a frequent option for dads who want to see in their children characteristics of their heroes or even reaffirm their admiration for the honoree.

However, this custom, which, as Bastos recalls, is quite old, brings with it a few caveats: Is there any chance that you will stop liking or being disappointed by the honoree's work? What if your child, when he is older, does not identify with your taste?

If even considering these factors you are still willing to pay this kind of tribute when naming your baby, some of the options below may interest you:

For girls:

• Anita: Santa Catarina revolutionary married to Giuseppe Garibaldi, one of the leaders of the War of Rags, and known as the "Heroine of two worlds"; or reference to Malfatti, Brazilian modernist painter;
• Elis: reference to Elis Regina, a leading MPB interpreter, who died in 1982;
• Isabel: Princess of Brazil responsible for signing the Golden Law, which abolished slavery in 1888;
• Leila: actress Leila Diniz became a reference for female liberation in the 1960s and died in 1972;
• Ligia: reference to Ligia Maria Moraes, pivot of the Brazilian women's basketball team, deceased in 2015.

For boys:

• Ayrton: reference to Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna, who died in 1994;
• Raul: reference to Brazilian singer-songwriter Raul Seixas, who died in 1989;
• Oscar: One of the biggest names in Brazilian architecture, Niemeyer passed away in 2012;
• Vinicius: poet, composer and important Brazilian diplomat, Vinicius de Moraes died in 1980.

Names referring to parental preferences

Contrary to what one might imagine, parents do not have the right to register their children with any name they wish. Lawyer Suelen Fernanda de Souza explains that "by law (6.015 / 73), notary officers intervene when the name given to the child by parents is embarrassing or vexing".

Therefore, although there are no defined criteria for a name to be rejected, the ideal is that the standard rule of the Portuguese language is respected and, in the case of foreign names, it is important to check its meaning, besides possibly proving that it really belongs to another culture, "distinguishing it from the shameful or strange name, in order to protect the rights of the bearer from being embarrassed in the future", details Souza.

With these details noted, it is also interesting to think of some other possibilities: names that are? Trendy? they can have the child have three other names in the school class and therefore be called by their last name only. Do you want your child to be known that way? Combining names, either to form a compound or to create a new one from the junction, can produce a strange sound or make the writing too long.

Names with striking meanings

Less and less remembered, the meanings of names can also be part of the choice process, but? Today, in practice, this has absolutely no relevance to anyone's life, except for the sake of curiosity, linked to what is commonly called book culture, says expert Gleyce.

It is interesting to know, however, that many of the common names of the Portuguese language? as well as your other words? they are derivations of Latin, in which it was customary for proper names to be inspired by other common words, thus bringing "a meaning that expressed some characteristic that parents saw or desired in the child," explains the linguist.

For couples who carry the curiosity to know more about the name that will be given to the child, this research is much easier today. Several websites offer quite complete explanations for thousands of names, and in addition to the apps already mentioned, there are also several options that feature large lists of names and their meanings, such as My Baby's Name, free for Android.

Another possible way to prioritize the meaning of the baby's name is by choosing numerology, which assumes that each letter can be represented by a number from one to nine and their sum reveals a little of each person's personality. Numerologist Anah Maria Libório tells us that each number has countless qualities as well as difficulties. Are the missing letters in the name qualities that one does not have, or aspects in which one has difficulty?

In numerology, the date of birth also helps to mean, so ideally the name should be chosen only on the day the baby is born, because if the name matches the energy of the day, that child's life will be long. more harmonic and she will much more easily define her future career ?, explains Anah Maria.

If you are interested in numerology but do not want to wait until the day of birth to choose your child's name, the numerologist says one possibility is to talk to a professional and by matching the name you like best with the last name the child will have , study some possible spellings for each day of the month scheduled for the arrival of the baby.

Biblical or mythological names

Just as it was common in ancient times to give children names derived from common words, to honor deities, Catholic saints, and other biblical characters was also frequent.

As already explained by Gleyce, this practice is also due to the desire of parents to recognize in their children characteristics of these important figures and, as far as the Judeo-Christian tradition is concerned, these names are usually associated with attitudes of strength, love, perseverance, hope and, above all, faith.

If you like the idea of ​​naming your child with these symbologies, but do not identify with the Judeo-Christian culture, a good option might be to resort to mythologies that also contain important characters who have had stories that represent the same qualities. See some examples:

For girls:

• Ana: In the Christian Bible, after praying to God, Hannah gave birth to the prophet Samuel even though she was barren. The name means "graceful";
• Brigite: from Celtic mythology, a warrior goddess also known as the "Lady of Inspiration", for being related to the arts and fertility. The name also means "luminous";
• Aurora: Greek goddess of dawn brought sun and dew in a carriage.Can the name mean so much? Dawning the day? how much is it shining like gold;
• Cíntia: one of the names given to the Greek goddess Artemis, considered the birth protector and hunting goddess. The name Cynthia is derived from Mount Cinto, where Artemis and his twin brother Apollo were born;
• Diana: Roman equivalent of Artemis, Diana is the goddess of the moon, forests and hunting. The name means "divine";
• Ester: The title of one of the books of the Christian Bible comes from the queen of Persia Esther, who saved the Jewish people from extermination. The name means? Star? and is one of the possible variations for Estela;
• Gaia: from Greek mythology, Gaia was the earth goddess or mother goddess. The name means "Earth";
• Helena: daughter of the Greek god Zeus, Helena was married to the King of Sparta Menelaus and was kidnapped by Paris, which started the Trojan War. The name means "luminous";
• Isis: Egyptian goddess of motherhood and the moon, Isis was considered a friend of slaves, fishermen and oppressed. The name means "supreme goddess";
• Kali: One of the depictions of Parvati, wife of the Hindu god Shiva, Kali is considered powerful to end all evil. Also, the name can also mean? Pretty girl? for the Hawaiians.

For boys:

• Adonis: In Greek mythology, Adonis was a handsome boy who aroused the interest of the goddesses Persephone and Aphrodite, sparking the conflict that began the succession of the seasons. The name means "god of hunting";
• Achilles: Trojan war hero in Greek mythology, Achilles was bathed by his mother in the River Styx and became invincible, except for the only part that was not bathed: his heel. The meaning of the name is "suffering of the nation";
• David: In the Christian Bible, David is responsible for the death of the giant Goliath and subsequently became the most beloved king of Israel. The name means "beloved";
• Icarus: In Greek mythology, Icarus and his father Daedalus were arrested by King Minos and, to flee, created wings of wax to fly, but the boy died when he disobeyed his father and approached the sun, which melted the wings. The name means "follower";
• Helium: In Greek mythology, Helium was the god who rode across the sky in a chariot drawn by four horses to bring the sun. The meaning of the name is just "sun";
• Hector: prince of Troy and a great hero of the mythological Trojan War, Hector was defeated only by Achilles. The name means "the one who keeps";
• Lear: god of the sea in celtic mythology, the name Lear means "shelter";
• Thor: Odin's son in Norse mythology, Thor was the god of thunder, force, and war. The name means "thunder";
• Samuel: two books of the Christian Bible bear the name of Anna's son, who became a judge and anointed Saul as Israel's first king. Its meaning is "God hears";
• Ulysses: In addition to his participation in the Trojan War, Ulysses is considered a hero because of his journey home to Ithaca, where he found his wife Penelope being courted by several men, whom he killed with the help of his son Telemachus. The name means "annoy".

Unisex Names for Girls and Boys

For moms who choose not to know the sex of the child until birth but can't wait to pick the name, some unisex options are also valid.

• Ariel
• Darci
• Dominique
• Joseli
• Lucimar
• Honey
• Nair
• Sasha
• Yuri

Name Search Apps

For families who love technology, you can now count on the help of smartphone apps that help you name your child. Among the many options available are Baby Names for Android, which has a list of over 30,000 name options with their respective meanings and popularity rates around the world.

For the iOS system, Kick To Pick is the most striking alternative: its proposal is to let the baby himself, still in the belly, choose his name by kicking mommy's belly to eliminate items from a list, which can be filtered by sex or mounted by parents. However, neither app has a Brazilian version available.

Regardless of applications, lists or the certainty of a single name, the biggest truth about this selection process is that there are several factors that must be considered for the good of the child.

What you should consider when choosing a name

Falling in love with more than one option, harboring doubts and wanting the child to have a unique and striking name is absolutely normal. However, it is important to think about what your child will think of his or her name as he or she gets older, and often it is better to opt for the facility. Before you hit the hammer, do a brainstorming exercise and think about how many times in your life your child will perform, repeat his or her name, and need to tell him or her to sign up, for example. That done, rate:

1. Spelling: According to the expert in onomastics and anthroponymy Gleyce Ramos Bastos, the differentiated writings, which are beyond the standard norm of the Portuguese language, are generally a consequence of our economic and cultural dependence on the United States, the great western power whose language is above all. official is English. Everything that comes from outside, including the proper names, seems to Brazilians more sophisticated, better ?, explains. It is therefore worth considering how often your child will need to spell his or her name and if this will be a nuisance to him.

In this sense, it is also valid to think about the ease or difficulty that the child will have in learning to write his own name.

2. Initials: Related to vexing nicknames caused by foreign names or compromising pronunciations in Portuguese, the initials are often forgotten. However, the combination of the first letters of the child's full name may not go unnoticed by classmates, who may see in them a new word that is the subject of play.

This concern can also extend to your child's working life, which may work somewhere that makes use of document headings and even for emailing, which may need alternatives to the name if it is no longer available on the system.

3. Sound: From reconciling first name to last pronunciation, it is important to cherish the clarity and keep in mind that for many years you will need to call the child by name and sometimes scream for it. Can you do it easily without getting in the way?

In the case of foreign or compound names, caution should be exercised so that pronunciation does not give rise to ambiguous interpretations or the creation of unwanted words. "I once read a classic study on the question of proper names in Brazil, in which the author reported that a father of surname Silva wanted to pay tribute to two famous Hollywood actresses of the 1940s." Eva Gardner and Gina Lollobrigida? and gave her daughter the name of Eva Gina da Silva's weird and even immoral sound ?, says Gleyce Ramos Bastos, concluding that the key to avoiding such confusion is to bet on common sense.

4. Fever: As with clothing, names also live a trend stream. Influenced by characters from movies and soap operas, the birth of famous children and even the death of prominent public figures, the names are peaking at certain times, eventually forming a new generation of child names.

The great thing about fashion names, though, is that your child's chances of getting to know only their last name at school are very high, and if you're really in love with your chosen name, you may not like the idea of ​​hearing other people calling you. the other way. Another significant factor to take into account is that the child may also not like to always be treated by the name of the parents.

5. Cups: unlike name coughs generated by the name fever, in this category the tip is to search to see if there are other people registered with the name combination you intend to give your child. Is it not intended that the child be the only child in the world, but to prevent it from possible future annoyances, such as being joked or even harmed in job selection if there are negatively iconic individuals? criminals, for example? with the same name as the child.

How to register the child in the registry office

Once you have already chosen what your baby will be called, the next step is to make official the name by which everyone will refer to it from now on. To do this, you need to go to a Civil Registry Office of Natural Persons in the same region as your parents' residence or Maternity. As a rule, Law 6.016 / 1973 establishes 15 days after birth as the deadline for registration, but the deadline can be extended to up to three and a half months, and even after the due date, the procedure can be performed at the jurisdiction of your residence.

Unfortunately, there are still thousands of Brazilians who reach one year of age or older without being registered, especially in more precarious municipalities, often due to lack of information. It is important to remember that the first registration is free throughout Brazil and it is essential for the child to be registered as soon as possible, after all it is their right and a matter of citizenship, being a very simple procedure that can be performed by the child. father or mother.

In addition, the only documents required at first are the Live Birth Declaration (DNV) and parental identity documents? in addition to the marriage certificate in the case of married parents. If the mother is single, she can go to the notary herself and give her father's name, which is enough to start a paternity investigation.

Is it possible to rename?

Although it is easy and quick to register your child, remember: be careful with your choice, so as not to risk causing problems for your child for years! According to lawyer Suelen Fernanda de Souza, in order to be able to change the name later, it is necessary the authorization of the judiciary, which must first hear the prosecutor about the case. Moreover, requests must be well founded and will only be accepted if their vexatiousness is proved. "Legally, there are no general recommendations for parents to choose the first name of their children," explains Souza, "one should take care only so that the first name does not cause complications or embarrassment to the carrier." In the case of an error at the time of appointment, the procedure is less complex: it can be performed by the notary officer himself, after hearing the prosecutor.

Now that you have all the information you need to make this big decision, analyze the names very carefully and with good choice!

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