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Changing your baby's name

Gina Roberts-Grey

When Meg Ryan adopted her daughter from China, she named her Charlotte. Later Ryan changed the child's name to Daisy, telling TV-personality Oprah Winfrey it was because "she's not a Charlotte."

Regret is common after any big decision. But few decisions can be as auspicious as picking a child's name, as evidenced by the number of parents who change their baby's names in the first days or weeks of their child's life: about 10 percent, according to a 2008 poll of 1,219 mothers by BabyCenter.com.

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Baby Bertha? How to honor family members without scarring your kid for life

Michelle Bruns

As if there wasn't enough pressure when expecting a newborn, some awaiting parents also feel the pressure to carry on their family name. When the name is Michael or Sarah, the obligation may not seem like much of a compromise (not dismissing any strong feelings or bad memories associated with those names). But for parents with family names like Lambert III or Bertha, the pressure can be too much to handle.

Worried that your baby-to-be will be the butt of jokes in the sandbox? Is it possible to honor family tradition without scarring your kid for life? Good news: cutting family ties is not the only option. Nowadays, there are plenty of palatable alternatives that will honor your family name and appease anxious relatives.

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Strike a pose! En vogue names

Vicki Salemi

Forget Aidan and Emma. Move over Jacob and Hannah. If you want your baby's name to be the best on the block, the most unforgettable name du jour, it's time to think out of the baby carriage.

After all, trends in names are hip, they're happening, they're haute couture. According to the list below whether it's a last name gone first or a foreign destination of the day, as any en vogue parent knows, it's time to take a walk on stylish side.

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Baby, you've got rhythm

Mary Fetzer

Our language is a musical one. We learn about syllables in elementary school by clapping along with the teacher until the rhythms made sense. Giving your baby a name with the right mix of syllables may be your contribution to the overall family symphony.

As you compose a name based on syllables, there are rhythmic factors to take into consideration, but none are set in stone. Above all, you'll want to think about how your baby's name will sound as part of a full name. Look at the first and middle names individually, together, and then paired with your last name.

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Got twins?

Vicki Salemi

And babies make four. When it comes to naming your twins, congrats! You have the exciting and enviable task of creating not one but two sets of names. So what's the game plan? Do you want their names to rhyme or do you want them to be completely different? How about alliteration? Better yet, how do they sound with your last name and how do they sound when spoken out loud together?

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Ways to celebrate your baby's name

Gina Roberts-Grey

Want to tell the world you're tickled pink -- or blue -- about your baby's name? Looking for an alternative to acrostic poems to commemorate or celebrate the name you painstakingly chose for your bouncing bundle of joy?

Sterling silver baby rattles and monogrammed spoons are widely popular traditional ways to honor your baby and his or her name. Here are a few other creative ways to let the world - and your babe - know you're tickled about his or her name.

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Let's Rock 'n' Roll, Baby!

Mary Fetzer

Just about everyone has a favorite musician and whatever music genre you follow - jazz, rock, pop, country, hip-hop, classical - there are heroes galore. Musicians not only set music trends, they reign on the red carpet with the latest in hair, clothes, and fragrances. iPod aficionados scroll through hundreds of their favorite artists every day. They're so cool, we know them by a single name (or, at one point in Prince's case, a symbol). If your kid is named after a famous musician, will he or she enjoy the same popularity? While a cool name won't ensure fame, it will at least be memorable!

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Combining names

Mary Fetzer

Google "baby names" and you'll get more than 16 million web site results - not too helpful for desperate parents who can't pare down a list..

Making baby naming especially difficult is that parents want their kids to be special and stand out in an increasingly hyper-competitive world. Gone are the days when a child's moniker was simply picked from the family tree - when Barbara Ann was named after paternal grandmother Barbara and maternal grandmother-well, you know. While a unique first name is one way to make sure no teacher confuses your Alessandra with the four Ashleys in her class, it doesn't necessarily give credit where credit is due, namely, to you. "Me Generation" parents, after all, want to be reflected in their child's greatness. But how can these moms and dads make sure their child stands out while also leaving their mark?

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Would you name your baby Lourdes?

Mary Fetzer

If you try to follow celebrity styles-even thoughcarring a Prada bag, wearing Jimmy Choo shoes, or sporting Posh's latest hairstyle-why not continue the trend by giving your baby a celebrity name? For you are not at all shocked by the unconventional names bestowed on celebrity offspring; in fact, you are inspired by them.

Furthermore, so many of these Hollywood babies are born to unmarried parents, that even the surnames can be a surprise! Listed below are some of the all-time great celebrity baby names. Feel free to borrow, mix-and-match and just go crazy!

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