How to Keep a Baby’s Name a Secret

Before our firstborn was first born, we were unsure what the name should be.  We had decided to let “it’s” gender be a surprise and so didn’t want to assign a name just yet.  We wanted to hold the child for a little while to see what name fit them the best.  Other parents are also reluctant to assign or give out a name because they don’t want to overuse it or would like it to be a secret until the baby arrives.

Take a Lesson from Tech Companies

To keep secret projects secret tech companies generally assign a codename to them so that only those “in the know” stay in the know.  As well, it helps during the production phase to use a codename because it allows for changes to be made to the design without any marketing issues.  For example, “Longhorn” eventually became what we know as Windows Vista while the recent upgrade, Windows 7 was once referred to as Blackcomb.  I refer to it as a phenomenal operating system.

Parents can do the same thing.  By using a codename the next time you’re child is still in the production phase and only giving it out to those you want to, you don’t risk overusing it and wanting to change it.

Steps to Choosing a Codename

1. If you do not find out the baby’s gender, make sure to use a gender-neutral codename as well.  This way you become attached to “Ben” and then have a sweet, little “Sarah” and are disappointed.
2. It’s probably best to stick with human names, versus animal or objects.  Whispering, “How’s little Wolfsbane doing today?” while rubbing her belly probably isn’t going to go off too well.
3. Try to choose a codename that is an unlikely candidate for the real name.  You may want to use the name for a subsequent child.  Otherwise, you can go the opposite and choose a name that is a likely candidate for the real name and use it when the baby arrives. This post isn’t really for you then.

Our Codenames

1. Codename: Izzy

Our firstborn’s codename was Izzy.  At first it was because our top choices for a boy and a girl was Isaac and Isabel, respectively.  Both names lent themselves to the “Izzy” moniker.  However, since we didn’t find out the gender of our first baby, Izzy also became a running joke:

Izzy a boy or Izzy a girl?

Izzy eventually became Jeremiah Montgomery.  A little long, so we call him Miah or the Monkey.

2. Codename: Jackson

For child # 2 we did find out that gender.  We were having a beautiful baby boy.  Kind of picking a name out of the air, of course choosing one that we would not eventually want to use, I gave him the codename “Jackson”.

What was important about Jackson was that my wife wouldn’t use the codename.  However, both to get her to use it and to settle on a final name, we made an agreement that if we gave Jackson the real name of Silas (which I wasn’t too fond of at the time) then she would have to use all codenames for all future children.  She agreed.

Jackson eventually became Silas Edward.  The Monkey can’t say “Silas” very clearly.  He can’t pronounce his “S’s” so it always comes out “Ilas”.  We call him Ilas sometimes, too; though we haven’t come up with an animal moniker yet.  He’s still developing his personality.  Right now he acts as though he is riding a horse a lot.

3. Codename & Real Name: Charlie

Child #3 was never born.  In fact, it was in the miscarriage itself that we learned of the pregnancy.  Nonetheless, we trust that God’s plans for the child are different then what we thought.  We still wanted to give the child a name so that we could easily refer to them in prayer or conversation and eventually settled on “Charlie” – based on story I told my wife one time to cheer her up.

What Do You Use?

Have you used a codename before?  Or something else?  Give your story in the comments.

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4. Not A Baby Anymore
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