"Few things in life are as meaningful as a good tradition. They often signify big changes or celebrations and are what we turn to at birthdays, holidays, and important milestones. Whether shared with family, friends, or even solo, traditions reconnect people and moments in time.
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Not only are traditions big between those closest to us, but our society often follows traditions as well. Some are as bold as fireworks on the Fourth of July or as exciting as hitting the stores for Black Friday sales. Perhaps less thought of are baby naming traditions people choose to follow when welcoming a newborn. Naming traditions vary throughout the world and go beyond passing on a paternal name or welcoming a Jr. (although that can be pretty great, too!).
Learning about baby naming traditions can be helpful for narrowing down your own baby name search. They can also help with family planning if you want to think ahead. No matter the reason, diving into the traditions people look to when selecting a baby name is something I knew I had to take on—and what I found is both fascinating and often heartwarming. Read on for eight baby naming traditions that are totally worth claiming as your own.
Using Mom’s Maiden Name
I’ll be the first to admit that I genuinely enjoy the naming tradition of taking my spouse’s last name after getting married. Though I know the practice isn’t for everyone. However, I’d be lying if I said having no one in my family to pass on my maiden name—as I only have a sister and all female cousins—breaks my heart a bit. Luckily for me, I have a maiden name that works very well as a first name: Hayden. And you better believe that when it comes time to bestow a baby name onto a sweet newborn, Hayden will certainly be on the list.
While not everyone has two first names, the tradition of using mom’s maiden name within baby’s moniker is alive and well. If it doesn’t work as a first name, be sure to consider your maiden name as a middle name if passing on your family title is important to you.
Using Grandma’s Maiden Name
On a similar note, perhaps you want to honor a grandmother (or great-grandmother) by using her maiden name in your little one’s name. My sister did this when she had my niece. She and her husband wanted to honor my brother-in-law’s grandma, whose maiden name was Rivera. So in 2016, they brought home a sweet bundle of joy named Reagan Rivera.
In cases like this where the maiden name may be uncommon, it may be helpful to follow some baby name “rules” to make the full name flow well. For example, my sister used alliteration in the form of two names beginning with “R.” Doing so makes the name flow even better than it might with a different first name.
Following the A, B, C’s
If you plan on having a full house one day, you have the possibility of getting extra creative while naming babies. Fans of Bridgerton may be especially familiar with the concept of selecting names in alphabetical order. Violet Bridgerton—or Julia Quinn, really—had the lovely idea of giving her eight children names in alphabetical order as she birthed them. We have Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth (yes, she made it all the way to “H!”).
While you may not be planning on feeding eight mouths for the next few decades, this can be a fun tradition to follow even if you’re only planning on having three kids. The best part about this tradition is that it helps parents narrow down the endless baby name options. Instead of scanning through the entire alphabet for your first kiddo, you can simply tackle the baby names that start with “A” to begin.
Picking Your Favorite Letter
Those of us who fancy ourselves more of a Kris Jenner than a Violet Bridgerton may be inclined to give all of our kids names starting with the same letter. While Kris may be the most well-known example of this—having Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Kendall, and Kylie—she’s certainly not the only one. Olivia Munn and John Mulaney seem to be fans of “M” names, perhaps as a homage to their own surnames, after welcoming daughter Mei and joining big brother Malcolm. While actress Jennifer Love Hewitt and her husband Brian Hallisay preferred names that start with “A” for their three kids: Autumn, Atticus, and Aiden.
Some parents of multiple kids will take a derivative of this and give all of the boys names with the same letter, and another for the girls. In this case, it’s not uncommon for the letter to correspond with the parents.
Matching Endings
Opposite of names that start the same is names that end the same way. Think of names that end in double “T’s” or names that end in “Er.” Consider something like Wyatt, Bennett, and Garrett for a masculine trio. Or, Harper, Tucker, Thatcher, Hunter, and Esther for gender variety.
What’s great about this practice is that it’s less obvious than names that all start with the same letter. Some people criticize the Kris Jenner concept because they don’t want their kids to all have the same initials. If this is a concern for you, or you want some variety but still uniformity, consider names that end the same.
Following a Theme
I’m not necessarily suggesting you go the route of naming your children after the cities where they were conceived, à la Vince Vaughn’s parents in the holiday movie Four Christmases (remember Denver, Dallas, and Orlando?). But many families look for special meanings to carry through their children’s names—whether it be a significant place, person, or theme. For example, Gwen Stefani has shared that her oldest sons, Kingston and Zuma, were named after favorite places: Kingston, Jamaica, and Zuma Beach in Malibu, California.
Going by a Nickname
A tradition that may be more common than we even realize is having your child go by a nickname. We see this in day-to-day life all the time. I once knew a William who went by his middle name, Heath. He was the third William in his family, so instead of going by William III, his parents gave him a middle name of their choice while still honoring the family tradition. There’s also a longstanding Catholic tradition of naming the first girl in the family Mary in honor of the Virgin Mary. Over time, parents still wanted to follow tradition but also wanted variety. From there, they started using nicknames like May and Maisie.
There are several reasons you might decide to have your little one go by a nickname. Maybe there is some pressure to use a family name for your little one that you’re not particularly in love with. Or, maybe there’s a name you love but think it might be hard to pronounce or difficult to spell. Or, maybe you just like the concept of a nickname! In any of these cases, having the option of calling baby something other than their given name may be just what you’re looking for.
Looking Back in the Family Tree
When all else fails during your baby name hunt, it’s always an option to turn to your family tree. Lots of people will go this route to find a family name from one of their ancestors to pass on to their little ones. Others don’t have to look back very far and will simply pass on their grandma or grandpa’s name. Perhaps the practice of family naming traditions is why we see so many “classic” names getting a revival in recent years. Names that were initially popular in modern history in the early and mid-1900s, like Evelyn and Oliver, are hitting the tops of the charts in recent years. Passing on a family name is a lovely tradition many of us can get behind.
Brett Nicole Hayden, Assistant Editor
As the Assistant Editor, Brett works with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and living. She’s also The Everymom’s resident baby names and family movies expert!