If the name lends itself to a very undesirable nickname, however, you may want to reconsider. Conversely, if the name lends itself to many positive nicknames, this is a definite plus. This does not necessarily mean that you should not choose a unique name that you love on the basis that it could be difficult to spell or pronounce, but when ranking names, it is a factor to consider. Similarly, creative spellings or pronunciations of popular names will have your child constantly correcting those that mistake it with its more popular counterpart. As you narrow your search, it is also a good idea to be sure that your baby's initials don't spell or represent anything undesirable.
Many names are ambiguous.
If you decide that it is important that your child have a name with a clear gender identification, you will probably want to rule out those names that are being used for both boys and girls. You can expect to get mixed reviews. Some people like to get feedback from others, but bear in mind that there will always be someone who opposes your choice and this can make finding a name very frustrating. You may even want to resist announcing your choices until after your baby is born to avoid that situation. But once you decide on your priorities for a name, it should be easy to find several that meet most of them.