Q&A: When is the right time to choose a baby name?

Parents should take as long as they need to find a name. It's important you find a name that's comfortable and fitting. Timing varies from person to person, and birth to birth. I've spoken to parents who surfed online for names in the hospital just minutes before their son was born, and parents who had names picked out years in advance. Some dawdle and don't find a name until weeks after the delivery; others may opt to have the name on the birth certificate changed later.

There are practical considerations to naming a child early—it makes monogramming gifts a cinch—but rushing the results won't necessarily improve the income. Many a parent had their hearts and minds set on a singular sensation, only to meet their child and discover a new and better name on the way. Your focus should be on finding a super name for your child—and not obsessing or wondering about the timing. Good grief, there is enough to worry about without putting additional pressure on yourselves!

Generally, you'll have an easier time with the task the more relaxed you are. Worry less and think and dream more. Browse and play in our Baby Names area. If you open your mind and heart to all the possibilities, it will be easy to come up with more than just one perfect name.