How to Choose Initials for Your Baby

As you choose a baby name, don't forget to make sure the baby's prospective initials are appropriate and not subject to mockery. Here's what to look for when choosing initials for your child.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Make sure the initials do not spell out a word that could be the subject of mockery. Avoid names like Duncan Oliver Green, Piper Isabelle Gordon, Holly Ann Garcia or Amy Sue Smith. As a precaution, type the initials into a search engine and make sure nothing ominous pops up.
2. Make sure the initials do not spell out an acronym of an unpopular organization. Avoid names like Keegan Kyle Kelly. In addition, avoid acronyms that could result in mockery, such as Keith Francis Carpenter. For help with finding acronyms, use an Internet acronym finder (see Additional Resources below).
3. Try to choose initials that do not spell something negative in another language, especially if it's a language that's spoken fairly commonly in your country or area. For example, if you want to name your child Zachary Isaac Brown, you might want to know what a "zib" is in Arabic.
4. Avoid initials that can combine in a negative way with other parts of the name. If your last name is Orr, don't name your kid Wendy Hannah. As you may remember from your playground days, kids pick up on things like this quickly.
5. Keep in mind that women (and sometimes men) often change their names when they get married. As much as possible, try to avoid first and middle initials that could be combined with a popular last initial to make an unpleasant word or acronym. If Faith Allison Andrews changes her name to Tucker or Green, she won't be too happy with her new initials. It may be a good idea to avoid vowels as middle initials.
6. Look for a middle initial that has a distinctive sound with the rest of the name. "J" and "A" often sound distinctive, and if you don't mind being a little different, "Q" has a nice ring to it as well.