Check your baby’s initials before you decide

Where the initials will end up

On school bags and PE kit, on a drinks bottle, on a monogram, in an email address and eventually on a signature. Short and quiet at first, then everywhere.

What to look for

Say the three letters in a row and see whether they spell a word, a common abbreviation or something you would rather avoid. Check them in the order they will appear, and in the order people will say them, which can be different for a double-barrelled surname.

• Try the name with and without a middle name, because the initials change.
• If the surname might change in future, do not worry too much: the check is for the name your baby will start with.

It is only a check, not a rule

If the initials spell something, it does not mean you have to drop a name you love. Sometimes it is a funny story to tell later. But it is better to know before the name is on a birth certificate.

Do it with the whole name

It helps to see the whole name written and hear it said out loud at the same time. The free full name checker shows the initials, spots names that rhyme or run into each other, and says the name aloud.

A little game for two

Baby Name Jar is a free daily game for choosing your baby’s name together. You each drop a name in the jar, nobody sees the other’s until you have both added yours, and then the jar opens and you find the names you both love.