Have you ever wondered about the meaning of names given to babies? A having a new born baby is the most wonderful and amazing thing that can happen to you. Parents across the United States welcome in new members to their families every single day in the year in 2006. With these joyous celebrations, parents are faced with many challenges to make in regards to how they raise their child; Protestant, or Catholic? Choosing between public or private school?

But before any of these are decided upon, another decision has to be made. Perhaps even the most important one of all. This decision will be for life, and only legal action and a lot of paper work will be able to reverse it. This decision may cause your child to be bullied in school or be given a cool nickname to carve into his desk. This decision may be seen in lights one day or even go down in history books. So what, you may ask, am I referring to? The answer is, a name, or really, The name you are going to grace your child with. The name that he/she will be known as for the rest of the days. The name that will inevitably become his/her identity; and therefore the meaning of names plays a role.

There are unique names to consider as well as commonplace. There are names from deceased family members, favorite authors and college mentors that all will be taken into account. And yet even for those who are the least superstitious of us all, more often than naught, the meaning of a name plays a great role in choosing the name for your child. You may be considering the name of a beloved Great Uncle that passed on when you were a child, but when it is discovered that his name in fact means 'empty space', suddenly it is not so appealing.

When searching for the meaning of names, we find ourselves often leaning towards names that mean something that is important to us. Perhaps you hope your daughter to be ladylike, and feminine. Thus, you are drawn to the meaning of names that represent flowers, seasons, or pleasant feelings. If independence is a trait you value, something more along the lines of high mountains, and constellations might be more your style. If it is your son you are choosing a name for, one that represents brain over brawn might be your preference, or vice versa.

Choosing a name based on the background meaning has become so popular these days that there are entire books and websites devoted to the topic. Articles in parenting magazines discuss the importance of selecting the 'right' name, as well as parents hope that hey have indeed chosen the perfect name. Whatever name is chosen for a child, it may help to lessen the pressure on the parents to keep in mind that in the end, it is not the name that lends credence to the individual, but rather the individual that empowers their name.