[shanecleveland]

I believe the biggest consideration is how readable, understandable and pronounceable the domain and extension will be. It's not something you want to be clever about, particularly if you will host your email there.

I've purchased and maintain .coms for all of my kids and nieces and nephews. I've gotten sites up with birth announcements for most of them within minutes of being born (didn't know sex/name until birth for all of them). I have had to purchase one .net domain, as the .com was unavailable.

It still seems like the .com is the best way to go, if available. I think .net is good. Best vanity extension for a name is .me, I believe, if preferable options are not available.