Old Testament Baby Names

Read about being a mom of 12. Our 'Supermom' shares her wise parenting advice.

Just like you have a style of clothing that suits you, it's also true that when it comes time for you to choose a name, and someone who wears Victorian style clothing is going to opt for an old fashioned, long and flowing name for their child. for your baby, certain names will appeal to you more than others. In fact, one could argue the fact that someone who wears preppy Lands End clothing is going to choose a no-nonsense, no-frills name.

A name that would cause her pain

As one mother put it, "I loved unusual, romantic names and had long hoped to name my first daughter Ariadne. However, it occurred to me that she might end up the butt of jokes, and it didn't seem fair to saddle her with a name that would cause her pain. I ended up calling her Abigail. This name still had the romantic length and sound I liked but I knew it wasn't a name that would get her laughed at."

No one is going to laugh at a child named Aaron

More and more often, parents turn to the Bible for inspiration when choosing a name for their new baby. The Bible is filled with wonderful, romantic names that are, well, normal. No one is going to laugh at a child named Aaron, or Adam.

The idea is to go for the more common Biblical names and not the unusual ones that will end up being a source of pain for your child forever. It's true that adults don't make fun of unusual names, but even as your child grows to adulthood, memories of being teased for his parent's choice of name will haunt him and shape his persona.

A classic

Here's how to go about choosing an appropriate Biblical name for your child. Take out the family Bible, and look for names of major players. You don't need to buy a fancy baby naming book. Save your money for other things, like disposable diapers. If you don't have a Bible at home, then it's reasonable to buy one, since the Old Testament is considered a classic.

Start leafing through the bible at random. Jeremiah is a bit unusual, but with a bit of adaptation can become: Jeremy. Moses is not much in use today, but David is always popular. You're not looking for an unusual name, but one that is nice and normal. You see, choosing a name is not only about names you adore, it's also about how you're child will feel as the bearer of the moniker you choose for him.