Your child's name may be one of the most important parts of her life because the decision you make will stick with her forever. Consider what you've already got to work with: The last name.  Read on for tips on picking the baby name that goes perfectly well with your last name. 

Here are five tips from experts and parents who've been in your shoes to help you find the right baby name that flows with your last name.

1. Clap the Syllables - If there are a lot of syllables in the last name, you may want to choose a first name with fewer syllables. Some like to clap it out to see if the names flow together properly. Others have rules when it comes to the number of syllables. "If the last name is one syllable, the first name should be at least two," recommends Shannon Choe, founder of Premier Baby Concierge.

Additionally, syllables help with the rhythm of a full name. When sounding out the syllables and choosing a name, you may want to listen to how it sounds syllable-wise.

"Look for cadence in a name by mixing up the syllables," says Lisa Coffey, lifestyle designer and relationship expert. "A one-syllable first name goes with a more multi-syllable last name. If you have two one syllable names together there isn't the cadence. For example: Pam Bell doesn't sound as good as Pamela Bell or Pam Ballantine."

2. No Doubles - When choosing a name, take into consideration the letter situation. "Ideally, you don't want the last letter of the first name and the first letter of the last name to be the same, because then the two names run together.  For example: Lynn Nelson sounds like Linelson.  What sounds better is Linda Nelson, because the 'da' comes between the two 'n' sounds and makes a distinction," says Coffey.

3. Spelling Counts - If the last name is long, perhaps consider giving your child a simple first name so when they learn to spell it in school, they won't have as much trouble with the entire name. Freelance writer Alisa Bonsignore speaks from experience: "When you have a last name like Bonsignore (pronounced BON-sig-nor), give the child a name that's short and easy to spell."

4. Talk Out Loud - Before deciding on a name, test a few of them out loud. This way you can hear what others do when your child introduces themselves one day. "Always test the full name two ways," says Kristy Hall, blogger. "Say it out loud in full and then say it out loud using just the first letter of the middle initial. For example, our last name is Hall so when we named our son we knew we didn't want a middle name that began with "A" because he would be an A Hall -- which sounds too close to a-hole for our taste."

5. Test the Initials - It is important to see what your child's initials will be, so as to ensure that you're not setting them up for abuse on the playground! "Consider initials as well," says Choe. "Even if full first and last names 'go together,' if the initials are undesirable in some way, it won't work."

Coffey agrees. "Be aware of initials, and make sure the initials don't spell out something negative. For example: Susan Irene Nelson: SIN. Or Iris Claire Kennedy: ICK."

Read More:

Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Nicknames

10 Ways to Find the Perfect Baby Name

The Guide to Choosing a Middle Name

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