Did you know that choosing a name for your baby could be a lot easier?

Shakespeare wrote, “a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.” If only it were that easy. You might call a rose whatever you like, but the rose’s grandmother isn’t likely to be offended that you didn’t name the new flower after her.

Names are a significant part of culture, family and personal identity, so choosing the right one for a new baby can seem like a daunting task. There are some great Internet resources to help make naming little Vashti, Kirsten, Jafaar or Connor an exciting adventure. Check it out:

• Pregnancy and Parenting at iVillage – Here you will find a fun and easy to use index that allows you to choose the number of syllables and the beginning letter of the names you think you might like and to see the name with the baby’s last name for comparison. Look for meanings and origins, scan lists of famous names and fill your “baby name basket” with your favorites.

• iParenting – 10 helpful tips for naming your baby – little ideas that may not occur to you when you have fallen in love with a name, such as how your child may have to continually correct the pronunciation of his/her unusual name or how the initials of your child’s names will spell something that his/her playground acquaintances can exploit.

• BabyCenter – a comprehensive listing, with many options and a good, multicultural mix of names.