Why are we so obsessed with baby names?

Myself included!











I have 2 girls and I'm not planning anymore anytime soon, yet I always find myself drawn to the baby name section for ideas or to add my own!





Do you have children? Do you find yourself doing the same?





You don't have children? What draws you in?








Why is baby names so appealing and why can't we just say "No!". Lol

Why are we so obsessed with baby names?
lol that's so funny because I totally get what you are saying! I'm only a teen and I'm constantly telling my mom about a new baby name I just found out about and thinking how cute it is!! I even made myself a list of names I like for future reference. You are so right...the baby names section is sooo addicting lol! interesting question..hav a star!!








By the way, is that a pic of your children? They're cute! What are their NAMES? I must know!! lol see, I'm already starting in again! haha =)
Reply:I have two kids and yet I'm addicted to baby names, they're just a fun way to be inventive and opinionated without having to worry about huge amounts of confrontation.





Yeah, I always look to this section for new and old classics I can add to my ever growing collection, sooner or later the people on Y!A will have beat the number of names in the books, let's all unite and break a record!





:p
Reply:I'm just a teen but I seriously love baby names!I don't know why, I'm just drawn to it.! I think it's because I like planning my future and I love kids. The first thing I ask when I see a newborn baby is "what's it's name". My friends get so annoyed when I comment on how much or how I do or don't like a name. They think I'm weird! : )


I wish there were a job naming babies for parents that can't decide. Oh that would be great!
Reply:This is such a good question!





I don't have children, what draws me in is my fascination with names. I feel as though they can "make" who you are, and be what people judge you by. Names are what we are, in a sense... I don't know what it is! Ha ha but I love it. If I could have a job putting names together and naming people's babies, I'm pretty sure I'd do it. Ha ha
Reply:I have no kids yet. But I am planning on having them one day. And I want to make sure I get the perfect name. Will take me way longer than 9 months to find it. And I want to have time to think about it, make sure I don't get sick of it quickly.





I don't know why I am so obsessed though :P It is fun. Dreaming of the future is always fun.
Reply:Omg i know....my boyfriend always makes fun of me! Its just a girl thing I think....like we're planning ahead and trying to picture what our kids will look like. I dont even have any kids LOL dont even think i want any...but i love names. I love knowing the meanings and putting them together, etc. I wish i could have a job doing it!
Reply:I have three girls and I totally agree with you. I think its because everyone wants to find the perfect name for their kids. Also, everyone wants to know what ever one things.
Reply:I just love names and I can not see some of these kids getting the names their parents are wanting to use. I am done having kids and two of my kids are done having kids. I did help name one of my grand children
Reply:I love thinking about the future, and I'm also a writer, so I think that names spark my creative side.
Reply:I often find myself wondering the same thing. I don't have any children yet. I got married about nine months ago, and my husband and I decided we're going to wait until our one-year anniversary to discuss when we want to start trying for kids. But I've been interested in baby names since I was about twelve years old. I think our interest may stem from several factors:





-- It's a slightly more grown up version of playing house. Girls/women like thinking about the families they'll have someday. I'm sure we've all known girls/women who've seemingly "planned out" their entire weddings before they've even met their husbands. Likewise, some girls/women like to plan out their children's names.





-- Some of the people I've seen on here are writers, or at least very interested in literature. I think we enjoy exploring the ways a person's name expresses something about who that person is.





-- There's an aesthetic/poetic aspect that might draw some people in. I like trying to create first/middle combinations that are well balanced in sounds, length, style, and feel. Coming up with a fabulous combination is almost like writing a small piece of poetry.





-- There's a bit of a wordplay aspect as well. For example, trying to come up with a first name that will satisfy a mom who likes unisex names and a dad who likes classic feminine names is almost like trying to solve a little puzzle. So is trying to come up with twin combinations that subtly match in meaning or suggesting a middle name that will simultaneously honor both grandmothers. People who enjoy word games and brain teasers might be drawn to baby names for this reason.





-- I've noticed some people on here claim to have a mild form of OCD, and I'd probably put myself in that category. I like lists. There's something satisfying about coming up with a great list of underused one-syllable middle names or less common middle names that have the same rhythm as "Marie".





Very interesting question! You get a star.





EDIT: Have you seen articles about professional baby namers? Or websites where you can pay $25 to get a list of naming suggestions tailored specifically for you? I don't get it. I wonder how many people pay to have others name their kids. Because I'd totally do it for free! And I'd do a good job of it, too! Really.