Argh, I’m so confused” “Do you like this name?” “No, I don’t like that name!” Does that sound like you? Choosing a name for your baby can be an exciting yet emotional experience for new parents. To start off with, there are thousands of beautiful names out there and yes it can be a little overwhelming. Secondly, you might be worried that your husband (or relatives) will not like your chosen name and therefore the process starts all over again…ahh how stressful can it be, right? In Islam, it is essential to name your child with a beautiful, nice meaningful name. This name will be used to address him/her in this life and also in the hereafter. Tips 1.Don’t rush! You have all the time to think about baby names until you have your little one in your arms. 2. Talk about prospective names with your husband. Include your mother, mother in law and other family members in the discussion. Make them feel part of it and it certainly would make them feel happy as they would have played a part in the decision making. 3. Make sure it goes well with his/her surname. So spell out the names and say it out loud (with the surname). Usually if the surname is short, it is nice to have a long first name. For example, “Safiyyah Saad” or “Abdurrahman Jaree”. Or if the surname is long, it is nice to have a short first name. For example, “Alia Abdullah” or “Khalid Abdul-Malik”. 4. Think about whether you’d like to name your child after someone significant, after a sahabah or a prophet. It is makrooh to deliberately name someone after immoral people such as singers and actors/actresses, etc. If they have good names, it is permissible to use those names, but it must be because of the meaning of the name and not because of the desire to imitate those people. 5. Short list the names you and your husband like. 6. Keep the list to a maximum of 5 names that you and your husband has agreed upon. 7. Choose a name that will not be used as an insult/tease later on when the child goes to school etc. 7. Pray istikarah. 8. Finally, be proud and grateful of the name that you and your husband has chosen