My daughter wants to have a baby naming for my new granddaughter. We would like to hold it in our own home and write the ceremony ourselves. We are not religious and would like to get some basic ideas from Judaism about the way to have such a ceremony. Do you have ideas for us?

First of all, Mazal Tov on the birth of your granddaughter!

The Torah tells us that Abraham was blessed with "everything" (Genesis 24:1). The Talmud says this refers to Abraham having a baby girl (Baba Batra 16b). when it says that God gave Abraham this big blessing, it was a baby girl. The daughter was singled out for this great praise.

Why is a baby girl considered "everything?"

With the blessing of a baby daughter comes a realization of the fullness of life. The song says: "thank heaven for little girls." The Jewish people have always 'thanked heaven' for Jewish women, because our survival as a nation has been primarily because of Jewish women. From the birth of our nation, as our Matriarchs guided us through familial challenges, to the slavery in Egypt when the women kept their faith, and the heroines of Esther in Purim and Yael in Chanukah. At every crucial juncture in our history, Jewish women have come to the forefront, steering the Jewish people in the right direction.

Celebrating the birth of a Jewish girl is therefore a celebration of Jewish survival, Jewish values, and Jewish destiny. 

The naming of a Jewish girl is a most profound spiritual moment. The Talmud tells us that an angel comes to the parents and whispers the Jewish name that the new daughter will embody. The parents get divine inspiration when they name the baby.

The angel represents the spirituality in a name. The naming of a baby girl is a statement of her character, her specialness, and her path in life. For at the beginning of life we give a name, and at the end of life the Torah teaches us that a "Good Name" is what we take with us. (see Talmud - Brachot 7b, and the Arizal - Sha'ar HaGilgulim 24b) 

Naming a Jewish baby is not only a statement of what we hope she will be, but also where she comes from. The Ashkenazi tradition is to name a new baby after a relative that has passed away. In this way, we acknowledge the strong roots that have produced the tree of the Jewish people, and of our own family's character. The Sephardic tradition is similar in philosophy, however the custom is to name after living relatives. (By the way, Sephardi Jews have a special ceremony for naming a baby girl, which appears in the Sephardi siddur immediately after the Torah reading.)

The naming ceremony is linked to the public reading of the Torah. During the Torah reading, the special "Mi Sheberach" blessing is said. The blessing begins with a prayer for the mother's health. It continues with the giving of the baby's name - and a prayer that this new Jewish daughter should grow to be a wise and understanding person of goodness. A Jewish woman of greatness.

The Sages say that a parent receive one-sixtieth of prophecy when picking a name. But that doesn't seem to help parents from agonizing over which name to pick! (see Sefer Ta'amei HaMinhagim 629)

Ashkenazi Jews have the custom to choose a name after a relative who has passed away. This keeps the name and memory alive, and in a metaphysical way forms a bond between the soul of the baby and the deceased relative. This is a great honor to the deceased, because its soul can achieve an elevation based on the good deeds of the namesake. The child, meanwhile, can be inspired by the good qualities of the deceased - and make a deep connection to the past. (see Noam Elimelech - Bamidbar)

When naming a child, it is important to pick a name that will have a positive effect, since every time the child hears it they will be reminded of its meaning (Midrash Tanchuma - Ha'Azinu 7). The child who is called Judah is constantly reminded of how much gratitude we should have toward G-d! Another example of a popular name is "Ari," which is Hebrew for lion. In Jewish literature, the lion is a symbol of a go-getter, someone who sees the opportunity to do a mitzvah, and pounces on it. (see Shulchan Aruch OC 1)

I think it's a good idea to give your child a Hebrew name that can be used in English also (e.g. Miriam, David, Sarah). This way, your child not only has a Hebrew name, but he'll use it, too! This can be an important hedge against assimilation; the Midrash (Bamidbar Raba 20:21) says that the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt, partly in the merit of having kept their Jewish names amidst the assimilationist society of Egypt. As a child, I had one uncle who always called me by my Jewish name ("Shraga" means candle). I believe that being reminded of my Jewish name all those years was instrumental in maintaining my Jewish identity.

Mazal Tov!