The last word.  
It's become fashionable in recent years to name a child after the mother's last or maiden name. My daughter has a friend named Miranda - a wonderful name. I knew the family for a full year before I learned that Miranda was her mother's maiden name. On the other hand, my maiden name was Ogle, so you can see that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Future Shock.  
Names like Sierra, Tuesday, Nevada, Dylan, Chardonney, Tawny, Montana, Fawn and Amber are certainly distinctive given names. While one of these choices might be right for you and your child, I like to ask the question, "How will the name weather the test of time?" It may seem original and trendy today, but will your child appreciate his or her name as an adult? How will it look on a business card? Does the name Dr. Bambi Montana Anderson really instill confidence?

Could you spell that please? 
Along the same line are exotic spellings and names that you invent just for your child. Remember that other children can be cruel, and a highly unusual name can be fodder for playground teasing. As an adult, just think how many times during an average week you have to "give your name." When you call to order pizza, leave a business message, order from a catalog....it's endless.

Say it don't spray it.  
Sometimes people do variations on common names, which makes the name difficult to pronounce. If you think your favorite name falls into this category, try showing it written on a card to 10 or 15 people. Listen to how they pronounce it. If they consistently make mistakes you can bet that it will create problems later.

What does it all mean?  
If it is important to you to find out the meaning of your child's given name, consult a baby name book or look online. Many resource books and sites list this information, but be aware that not all sources agree on definitions.

Hey Mikey!  
If you don't like a nickname commonly associated with a name, then think twice about selecting it. One of my friends named her son Daniel, even though she hates the nickname "Danny." The boy is now in grade school and his mother spends so much time and energy correcting kids, teachers and parents who refer to him by the dreaded moniker. It's just not worth it.

Initial here please.  
Remember that as an adult, we often are asked to initial documents or use our initials on business correspondence. Francesca Alleyse Thompson is lovely until you consider her initials -- FAT, which may or may not discourage you from choosing the name. Another example could be Victoria Carly Randolph -- VCR, while silly, it does give the person something amusing to talk about. Not so funny would be Anthony Scott Simpson -- don't make me spell it out!