When it comes to naming their baby, people tend to fall into two broad categories: those who want a unique name for their child and those who feel fine selecting a common name. Naturally, there are pros and cons to both choices. Let's first look at unique names.

An uncommon baby name will give your child a unique stamp for the rest of his or her life. People will be certain to remember the moment they met your child. An unconventional name will make a wonderful conversation starter, especially if there is an interesting story behind it. Your child may even grow to take great pride in their unique and thoughtful name.

On the other hand, this unique name may be the cause of ridicule, especially as your baby goes through school. Not all people will appreciate the individuality of an uncommon name. Perhaps your child will rue the lifelong attention directed at them at every introduction. Your child may even chose to go by another name to blend in with their peers.

Now, a common name by no means results in a common child. Every John and Jane is a unique person and certainly very few would ever judge someone for having a conventional name. Think of your friends. Many of them have common first names, but have you ever considered them boring or average because of it? Of course not. We love people because of who they are, not because of their name.

Perhaps the best place for a fun, unique name is your child's middle name. You can feel free to be as creative and meaningful as possible with a middle name, for your child only has to reveal it when they feel comfortable. They may love their middle name and tell everyone about it or they may hate it, in which case they never have to use it.

When selecting your child's name, be sure to balance the desire for a creative name with the reality of actually living with the name. Feel free, however, to express your child's uniqueness with a meaningful middle name. And above all, it's just a name and people will quickly get used to it as they grow closer to your child's wonderful personality.

Ian Byrd has years of experience working with children and understands the immense impact a name has on their identity. For more from Ian on baby names, visit his website: Top 100 Baby Names.