What Your Baby's Name Says About You

When I was young, I was sure that I would name my future daughters Denim and Lace. Fifteen years later, I shudder at the thought of doing that to my children. Your child's name is not only a huge part of his or her identity; It also says a heck of a lot about you as the parent. If today I actually had daughters named Denim and Lace, people would probably think I'm: A) an extremely young mother (like, the age I was when I seriously considered these names); B) white trash; or C) a D-list fashion designer with a penchant for classic 80s styles. I am none of these, which is why I will never name my children Denim or Lace.

Whether you like it or not, names, just like looks, are part of what people use to make an initial judgment of not just your kids, but you too. If you already have children, or if you plan to have children and already have a list of names, take a look at my little breakdown here and see if I've got you parents pegged.

If you name your son Daniel, James, John, Joseph, or Michael
Or your daughter Elizabeth, Emily, Anna, Sarah, or Catherine
Then you are boring. I'm only sort of kidding. After all, my brother's name is Michael, and while I love my parents, they are not the most exciting pair. They are dependable, no-nonsense people who, like you, are a bit introverted and aren't big on taking risks. Classic names like Michael are the least risky of them all. They are solid names that will always stand the test of time. Everyone knows how to say them and spell them, and they aren't good fodder for schoolyard taunts.

If you name your son Ethan, Landon, Braden, Caden, or Aiden (or anything else that ends in the "-aden" sound)
Or your daughter Ava, Emma, Peyton, Olivia, or Ella
Then you are a bit of a conformist, in that you like to stay up to speed on the current styles and trends. You tend to be more outgoing, charismatic, and open to change than your friends who named their kids John and Anna. Your child's furniture is most likely from Pottery Barn and he or she is always adorned in the latest styles from Baby Gap.

If you name your son Atticus, Banjo, Hudson, Quintin, or Zeno
Or your daughter Ambrosia, London, Poppy, Xanthe, or Zula
Then you don't give a crap about the trends. You expect your children to be just like you - utterly confident in who they are and unafraid to be themselves. You most likely work in a creative field, or at least have a creative hobby, and you are every inch the non-conformist. Whether you have a son or daughter, he or she has long hair that's never in pigtails or braids.