Baby Name Central

The birth of a child is certainly cause for celebration - and we're talking more than "push presents" here. All around the world, different cultures recognize such cherished events with baby naming traditions. Your family may even have its own tradition that has descended the lineage, like naming each firstborn after a grandparent. If you're looking to start a naming tradition with your newborn, look to these stories for inspiration, some of which have been in place for centuries.

Though a popular tradition among Americans and Europeans, naming a baby after a parent or grandparent almost never happens in Asian cultures. To call out a parent's first name is considered a sign of disrespect, which is why naming a child after an elder is considered inappropriate. Unlike other cultures, Asian traditions tend to be more low-key. For instance, the Japanese hold baby-naming ceremonies on the seventh day after a baby's birth. The simple tradition includes giving baby a first and last - but no middle - name.

With the Irish, it gets a little more complicated. Depending on how many children a couple has, the tradition is to name the oldest son after the father's father, the second son after the mother's father, the third son after the father and the fourth son after the father's oldest brother. Girls follow the same pattern: the oldest daughter is named after the mother's mother, the second daughter after the father's mother, the third daughter after the mother, and the fourth daughter after the mother's oldest sister.

Though the tradition is not as common today, Ukrainians once had priests select a child's name. During the ceremony, which took place eight days after the child's birth, parents could suggest a name, but the priest had the final say as they held spiritual approval. Most often, the name given was that of a patron saint.

Of course, some naming traditions are rooted in religion. Namkaran is the naming ceremony of Hindus, where the family holds a havan, or sacred fire, on the 12th day after the baby's birth. The father first whispers the name into the baby's ears and then announces it to surrounding friends and family.

In the Jewish faith, newborn girls undergo the Zebed Habat ceremony, while infant boys take part in the Berit Milah ceremony. During the Zebed Habat, a Rabbi leads the session in which a mother offers thanks and recites "The Song of Songs" from the Jewish prayer book. The Berit Milah, however, is more than just a baby naming ceremony - it's also when the circumcision takes place. Afterwards, a large feast follows.

In Pagan or Wiccan families, the baby is not named until after the umbilical cord has been cut. This is because until then, the baby is still considered connected to its mother.

Other traditions brewing today are not so much traditions as they are proposed laws. In late 2007, Venezuelan officials introduced a bill prohibiting parents from naming their children a select 100 names that included such monikers as Hengelberth, Maolenin, Githanjaly and Yurbiladyberth, The New York Times reported. The thinking behind the proposed bill is to prevent parents from giving babies names that are hard to pronounce, can cause ridicule or create doubt about the baby's gender. Parents, of course, are opposed to the restrictions.