It's no mean feat naming your baby. You and your partner have to agree on it. Then there's the minor point that your child is saddled with it for life! Try these tips to ensure your success in the name finding game
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Sharp sounding boys' names beginning with 'J' are currently top of the league - Jack, Joshua, James, Jordan and Jake. Also currently popular are Celtic-style boys' names like Cameron, Ryan, Liam, Dylan and Connor. Pretty, Bronte-esque sounding names like Charlotte, Emily, Sophie and Olivia and Emma still rate very highly among today's girls. These are classic, pleasant and not too imposing, so your daughter won't look like a fashion victim. Shortened girls' names like Ellie, Ella and Mia may be trendy, but are in danger of sounding childish.
Watch out for the hidden joke. It may not jump out at you at first but will be all too evident to your child's classmates. Tess may sound romantic in a Thomas Hardy sort of way, but if your daughter veers towards the plump, she could instantly become known as Ten Ton Tess. And while Nessie and Nellie sound sweet enough, they could soon turn into Nellie the Elephant or Nessie the Loch Ness Monster.
3. Celebrity
Resist the temptation to live in your favourite celebrity's shadow. Names like Kylie and Gwyneth may sound like the epitome of cool now, but in five years time your child may be just one of a myriad little Gwynnies charging up and down the school corridors. If you name your offspring Dylan, Lourdes, Lila or Rocco, at best it will look like you're severely lacking in imagination, at worst you will come across like a quasi-stalker.
4. Too quirky
Don't saddle your baby with an overly wacky name. You may yearn for a Jupiter, Eagle Eye or Moon Unit, but look what happened to Zowie Bowie? He rebelled and morphed into plain old Joe. Some names are too hard to live up to. It's faintly ridiculous being called India, Atlanta or Summer and holding down a steady job as an accountant in Bognor Regis.
5. Think twice
You may think you're the most original parent in the universe, but rest-assured you are not the only person to think of Ruby, Lola or Elvis - those names which sounded supremely glam and otherworldly some years ago have now entered the public's consciousness and are now ten a penny.
6. Spelling Bee
Don't complicate your child's life before they've even made their entrance. Think of the trouble Liza Minnelli had ('I'm Liza with a Zee', etc). For example, there are some gorgeous Irish names out there but bear in mind that the lovely Cusack sisters Sinead (pronounced Shin-ayde), Niamh (Neeve) and Sorcha (Sur-a-kha) probably spend their entire life spelling out the blighters.
If you go for a very Mediterranean name like Pablo, Paulo, Carlos or Mario, be prepared for everyone asking you where you come from. If you hail from Basildon, this could pall after a while.
Biblical names have always been very popular across the board, but try to steer clear of dodgy connections. Cain, Judas - good names, not very nice men. Rachel sounds sexy, but actually means 'ewe'. And naming your child Jesus is just asking for trouble.
Think of those you have known and loved over the years (though not necessarily old boyfriends - that might raise a few eyebrows). For example, your childhood best friend who went to live in Australia, a beloved great aunt or a faraway, interesting sounding ancestor. Someone with gravitas. Not Fido after your dead dog, or Leonardo, after Titanic.
Don't be dead set on the name you've chosen. Firstly, your baby may turn out to be the wrong sex to sport it (Alfred never works that well on a girl). Secondly, when your baby makes his or her dramatic entrance into the world, you may simply find that the name does not suit the face. End of story. Just let it go - and enjoy your new baby!