Personally having named one kid and naming another in a couple of weeks we simply choose names we like. Nothing more and nothing less. It might be a popular name or it might not. Remember popular in Alberta doesn't mean it's popular in another area of North America or the world and who knows where you'll be when the kids enter school etc.
It might be a name of my ethnicity or my wifes or it might not be. Our daughter actually has a Welsh name (Rhiannon) even though neither one of us has any Welsh in the family...british grandmother on my wifes side but that isn't welsh. Odds are the next child is going to have a scottish/irish/british name of some sort (playing around with different combos right now).
I might spell a name differently than how someone else would spell it but who cares?
I may not like a name someone else picks but so what? It's not my child. It's their child and they have every right to name that child as they wish. They named the kid what they did for a reason and that's all that matters. It is so completely pointless to judge.
IN general these are the "rules" we followed:
1) we went through a baby name book or two and wrote down the names we thought we would like.
2) we compared lists and eliminated ones that did not appear on both lists. In that process you will undoubtedly say "hey I like that one" and add it to your list
3) we went through the names and discussed possible nicknames etc. Did we like or dislike the nickname? Some may want to go with meanings but to us the meaning is irrelevant.
4) we re-ranked the names giving points for nicknames, how it rolls off the tongue, whether it was more a first or middle name and whatever category you want to use. Total up the points and get both of your final lists. In all likelihood there will be a name or two that are the tops of both lists. If not one of you will say "what about X" and the other will say "yeah okay".
5) Don't let anyone rain on your parade when you've picked out that name. It's the name you want and that is all that matters. It's the name you chose because for whatever reason, and you may not even know the reason, it means something to you. It reflects you. It has become special to you. A name that a kid is easily teased over doesn't really matter...kids will find a way to tease and be cruel no matter what.
Now of course when it comes to completely brain dead names such as the one that started this thread I have to draw the line. There is a line. I just don't think it is with Jayden or Meaghan or some other so-called "weird" spelling.
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