Growing on You--Baby Names to Grow With

Read about being a mother of 12 as our resident 'Supermom' shares her wise parenting advice.

In 2006, Britney Spears named her son Jayden. That year, a New York City census found that the name Jayden, along with its alternative spellings Jaden and Jaiden, edged out Michael for most popular boys' name. This shows the power of celebrity baby names.

Celebrity Babies

As the mother of 12 children, I've had lots of experience with naming kids, and I personally think that naming kids after pop culture is not ideal. Years from now, Britney will be old, wrinkled, gray, and most likely, forgotten. And all those boys name Jayden (and Jaden and Jaiden) in 2006 are going to be stuck with a name that no longer has any relationship to current culture.

But aside from the Jayden faux pas, parents should remember that the names they give their children belong to their CHILDREN and are not a kind of parental fashion statement or fun accessory. Other names, like Colby, are adorable, but not for a 46 year old Male.

Creative Spelling of Baby Names

Parents don't just get creative with the actual names, but also with the spellings of the names. They can and do take a perfectly normal name like Carson, for example, and spell it Karsyn. And how about Teighlor? A 30 year old mom is going to find it really irritating to have to explain/spell her name at the drop of a hat.

Do the President of the United States Baby Name Test

Okay, so now I'm going to give you the benefit of my vast experience. Do the President of the United States test before you name your child and imagine hearing the following: "During his State of the Union Address today, President Crystal Shanda Lear condemned Iraq for not returning 600 prisoners of war as demanded by UN resolutions 686 and 687."

 If the name you've set your heart on passes that test with flying colors, well, then go ahead, knock yourself out!