How do you choose a name for a baby?
Choosing a name seems like an easy and pleasant concern. Until you start doing it directly.
– Maybe Sofia?
– You want her to be the fourth Sophia in the class?
-Then I suggest Angela.
-Yeah … And you don’t have to come up with a pseudonym.
-Something foreign … Jessica, for example.
-Jessica? Jessie? So that people who know her can ask if it’s a baby or a dog?
-Everything. I’ve decided. She’s going to be Masha.
-We’re not naming the baby after your mother!
This argument could go on forever. Or nine months, which would seem like an eternity. Fortunately, you can turn to the KOLORO agency and get – no, not a ready-made answer – but a comprehensive analysis of the issue.
Developing a baby name has a number of advantages:
- over 100 name options;
- a name that you and your loved ones will like;
- A test of semantic and linguistic meaning;
- short timeframe for completing the assignment.
Choosing a name for a child is like creating a brand: you need a “market” analysis and a strategy. The following factors are considered when choosing a name :
- where the prospective parents are from and where they live;
- which cultural environment is closest to the family;
- statistics and projections;
- your wishes: a unique name that cannot be found in dictionaries or a name with a thousand-year history;
- semantic meaning: whether the name has a double meaning or a negative meaning.
Statistics of the most popular names in Ukraine in 2016
The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine provides data on the most used names of newborns. In 2016, the leaders among boys were Artem and Alexander, and among girls – Sofia and Anastasia.
In the capital this year the fair sex was most often called Anastasia, Sofia, Maria, Veronica, Anna, Zlata, Polina, and representatives of the stronger sex – Artem, Bogdan, Maxim, Ivan, Alexander, Timofey and Andrei.
What you shouldn’t call your children
Sometimes bigotry and a sense of humor override common sense.
Some young parents found their own way to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory, and named their daughters Melania – in honor of the first lady of the United States. In Kiev, there are history buffs who gave their newborns the names Caesar and Atlantic.
Also in 2016, newborns Sky and Ocean (“sky” and “ocean” in English translation) were registered. A patriotic Kiev woman gave her daughter the name Ukraine.
Many parents decided to immediately write down in the documents shortened names: now in Chernivtsi region lives Nelya, in Kharkiv – Lyalya, in Zhitomir – the girl Alyosha, and in colorful Odessa – no less colorful Fani.
Trends in choosing a name
Cabinet market research is important both in the brand market and when choosing a baby name.
For the past 20 years, parents have been guided in choosing a name:
- with the church calendar;
- with astrological interpretations of names;
- named the baby after loved ones and celebrities.
Now in Ukraine there are three new trends in choosing a name.
What celebrities call their children
Ukrainian and Russian celebrities keep up with modern trends and choose Old Slavic names.
Some celebrities prefer international names.
Classic names are also still on trend.
Popular names with western colleagues
Many parents in western Europe and the US have increasingly begun to shun traditional options like Michael or Emma.
Celebrities are the first to react to trends. TV personality Kim Kardashian gave her daughter the name North. Gwyneth Paltrow named her children Apple (Apple) and Moses (Moses).
And Victoria and David Beckham’s long-awaited daughter is named Harper Seven. The name “Harper” fell into Victoria’s soul after reading the immortal bestseller “To Kill a Mockingbird”. And “Seven” is directly related to the baby – she was born on the seventh day of the week of the seventh month at seven in the morning.
The Swiss company Erfolgswelle provides services to those who want to give their child an extraordinary name, but are not brave enough to come up with one on their own.
CEO Mark Hauser has formed a team of 13 naming experts who create unique names over a 4-week period. The process consists of several stages.
As a result, clients receive a list of names from which they can choose 5 favorites. The company also provides a focus group of 780 volunteers who help form public opinion on a particular name.
The main problem with a “name” business service is that once a name becomes a household name, it is no longer unique.
“We don’t look for baby names. We create them,” states Mark Hauser. – A name should be easy to pronounce and spell. If a person says a name over the phone four times and no one understands it, it’s a failure.”
The cost of the service of selecting a unique name in Switzerland is 28 thousand dollars.
America has a website to help you find the perfect name. On the Nameberry page, users can:
- to find statistics on popular names;
- to recognize the trends of the last few years;
- share opinions on the forum;
- choose a name for your child using the search tools.
We, the branding agency KOLORO, took a short break from creating a brand strategy and tried to pick a name using this service. Here’s what came out of it.
Let’s say we have a girl. Choose “Girls’ names.”
“Where do we draw inspiration from?”, the Nameberry service asks us. Dear site, we would love to be inspired by a sunset in the Seychelles, but there is no such option. So we choose “Pick at Random.”
Let’s see the results … What do we have here?
Lizette? – At day care, she’ll be “Lisa the licker.” That can be tolerated. But in middle school, there’s no escaping the ambiguous banter.
Egypt? – Can I not comment?
Yolanda? – Will Hochland Cheese pay us to advertise?
Zephyr? – That’s a great name. Just right for my sister.
Thanks, we’re better off on our own.
How we choose a baby name at KOLORO
What points are important when choosing.
- Does the name match the middle name? Alexander Vsevolodovich? It would take his subordinates half a day to address him. It is desirable that the accent in the name and patronymic fall on the same syllable. It is also bad to sound a jumble of consonants or vowels at the junction of two words.
- How do the initials look together? Chikolovets Marina Olegovna always embarrasses herself when it comes to PHI. And Zoshchenko Leonid Olegovich really does not radiate goodness.
- Will it work to create a weasel form? Miroslav, Vsevolod, Jan … Of course, the richness of the Russian language allows you to declension any words, but these variants are not always euphonious.
- How sonorous will the middle name be? Yes, it’s hard to believe, but one day your son will be a father too. And if you care about the fate of your grandchildren, you should worry about their patronymic in advance. Leontievich, Veniaminovich, Izzatovich – not the best examples of euphony.
Selection of a name for a child in the branding agency “KOLORO” consists of 4 stages:
- Briefing. Determine your wishes for the child’s future name. To avoid repetition, we find out the names of close relatives.
- Formation of Terms of Reference. Create a detailed document listing all the requirements. Prioritize them by priority.
- Desk research and first presentation. A team of creatives researches statistics and trends of a given issue, selects a hundred variants that meet the criteria of the terms of reference, checks their semantic, phonetic, and psycholinguistic meaning. A collective discussion of all variants takes place. Naming specialists select the 10 best names and make a presentation for you describing the associative characteristics of each variant. Each name chosen by KOLORO specialists will have its own story and create an image.
- Generation of final options. After a second phase of research and discussion, the creatives select the top 5 names and give you a final presentation.
Examples of completed work
Advantages of choosing a baby name by KOLORO
- high speed of order fulfillment;
- individual approach and attention to each client;
- availability of two presentations, which give you the opportunity to express your wishes already after the formation of the terms of reference;
- A name that will emphasize your child’s uniqueness.
P.S. And if you are not ready for a global addition to your family – you can start with a semi-global one. Pet naming – let’s make your Barbos an individuality.
