Emma and Miley are down. Cullen and Sasha are up. The following of baby names practically requires its very own Wall Street. Popular factors influencing the fastest rising names this go-round include the “Twilight” series and President Barack Obama’s daughters (various forms of Malia clamored up the list as many as 153 spots). Granted, I’ve done stories on baby names before. The new list of 
popular names came out, and a fun article from Catchword Branding made me think that it may be time for a fresh look for any mommies-to-be in search of the perfect appellation.
In honor of Mother’s Day, Catchword Branding blogged on their “10 Rules for Branding Your Baby.” They cite the ways in which naming your baby shares a lot of rules with branding a product.
Check out a snapshot of these tips for naming your baby:
1. Know Your Product. It can be a good idea to have a few names picked out before your baby’s birth, but meet the mini-me before sticking that label on them. When our daughter was born, one of the first things my husband asked was “Is she a Peanut?” Yup. It fit. Personalities make a big appearance even with the littlest tykes. It’s ok to spend a few hours with your baby and see that personality emerge.
2. Differentiate from the Competition. We’ve talked about weird baby names. Like Frank Zappa’s offspring, Moon Unit, Dweezil, and Diva Thin Muffin. You don’t have to go off the deep-end with unique gooeyness. But it’s a good idea to take a look at the most popular baby names and “go against the grain.”
3. Go for Brand Longevity. Today’s phenomenon could be tomorrow’s punchline. Take the long view, and beware of names whose only virtue is a link to a celebrity or cultural trend.”
4. Consider Your Target Audience. My Chinese in-laws speak English very well. But we did have to keep in mind that some names would be harder for them to pronounce. Also, there are some names that just don’t fit in with our sphere of influence.
Interesting? Feel free to read more.
Image Source: flickr.com/photos/davidterrazas/2492905499
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