Question: According to Judaism, does the mother or father get to choose the baby's name?
Answer: There are divergent customs among different Jewish communities.
I would point out that the greatest merit for your child is to create more harmony in the family. Whatever increases Shalom Bayit (peace of the family) is best, as long as the name is respectful to the child (i.e. no Meyer Meyers).
I'd like to mention that your child's name is your decision and not your parents. It is your priviledge. But again, making Shalom Bayit, especially upon your child's entry into the family and world, is the greatest merit.
I would recommend some good books on the general topic of having children. In general, there is a nice listing of Jewish books on Parenting and Education, and specifically there is Rabbi Frand’s short tape series on childbirth issues.
May your child grow up to Torah, good deeds, a wonderful spouse (it’s never to early to start praying) and to be a merit for the entire Jewish nation,
Rabbi A. Page
