Probably the first thing to keep in mind when picking a name for your baby is that the act is really on a par with molding his or her identity. So treat it that way. He or she will be wearing that rascal for the rest of their life - so make it good.

Things to tread lightly around are the earnest suggestions of family members lobbying for the child to be named after grandpa or grandma or other relatives. Bear in mind that it's your child and your responsibility alone. Don't give in and saddle the child with an absurdly outdated or corny name just to keep people happy. It's the child's lifelong happiness that's the concern here, so be firm.

I read somewhere about another thing to watch out for, although I suppose it should be obvious. Beware of initial combinations that could prove embarrasing. For example, Francis Albert Torres - see the problem there? Or how about Denise Ursula Davids? There are many others, of course, but give thought to how initials could be interpreted. If a negative can be attached to them, you can bet your bottom dollar that schoolmates will find it.

Naming children after celebrities is probably also a bad idea. Although I'll admit that my oldest son was named after one of the lead characters on the 1960s TV show Route 66. But it wasn't because we thought Martin Milner was a role model, it was just that we like the name. To make it more unique, we added and extra 'd' to spell it 'Todd'.

Don't get too fancy and overly clever. You may be setting your child up for a lifetime of spelling out his or her name to people who are only familiar with the normal spelling.

Lastly, make it a team effort with both partners sharing in the quest for the best name for baby. May your baby be healthy and happy and nicely named.