Baby Name Generator

You’ve seen our many suggestions in the generator above, but how do you narrow down your options (or brainstorm for baby names yourself)? Take a look at the following tips to help you pick a baby name that you’ll adore!

Come up with specific criteria for the baby's name.
When you’re thinking about what you want in a baby name, it’s okay to get pretty specific with your requirements—it’ll help you narrow down the options. That could mean wanting a name with particular letters, sounds, spellings, or number of syllables; it’s all valid! Start by thinking about what types of names you like and what you want in the baby’s name, then apply those parameters to your name search.

Consider whether you’d prefer a popular or unique name.
Are you okay with having a super popular name for your baby? It’s not a big deal either way (considering there are so many babies born nowadays that even the most popular names only make up a tiny percentage of the population). Still, think about whether you want to look for a relatively common name or if you’d prefer something more unique!

If you want to avoid the most popular names, you can check resources like the Social Security Administration to see the top names and their popularity rankings (or even get some inspiration from the list if you’re looking for something popular).

Look at meaningful family names. Are there any family members you’d like to honor in the baby's name? You could use your favorite grandpa’s name or the name of a cousin who means a lot to you—it’s all fair game. And, if you’re unsure whether you want your baby’s first name to take after a family member, you could use a family name for the baby’s middle name instead.

Alternatively, use a family member’s name as inspiration (without using the name exactly). If you want to honor a grandmother named Mary, you could look for other names starting with “M” or variations of the name Mary (like Miryam, Marja, Mariel, Mari, or Mae).

Explore names from your culture or ethnicity.
This is a relatively simple tip, but it’s worth remembering! You could always do a deep dive into names related to your culture or ethnicity (modern, traditional, or all of the above) and draw inspiration from them. This can help your baby feel more connected to their roots, too.

Come up with possible nicknames or alternate spellings. Nicknames can also be a consideration once you’ve put together a list of names you like. What are the most common nicknames given to each of the baby names? Do you like the nicknames, too? Can you think of any nicknames that you’d want to call your baby by?

If you love a name but hate a nickname attached to it, that might be something to think about—but then again, if you don’t like a nickname, you can always just ask the baby’s family not to use it (at least until the baby is old enough to decide on a nickname for themselves).

Similarly, find out if there are variations or alternate spellings for any of the names. You might find one you like even better than the original name! Just remember that inventing a longer or more convoluted spelling for a baby’s name to make it look unique isn’t necessary; you want the baby to be able to spell and pronounce their name relatively easily as they grow up.

Look to pop culture, history, and mythology for inspiration.
There are a thousand and one places to look for naming inspiration, including your favorite books, movies, and shows. Maybe there’s a literary character with a name you’ve always loved, or you think the main character in your favorite show has a really pretty, unique name. There’s a reason the name “Arya” started rising in popularity during Game of Thrones ’ TV reign, after all!

You can also look into mythological figures and their names. You could give your baby a name inspired by one of the Greek muses, for example, or a character in Arthurian legends (although, to be fair, “Merlin” might be a little funky). Whatever source of inspiration speaks to you, feel free to explore it!

Factor in name meanings (and eliminate anything offensive).
Maybe you want a name with a particular meaning—so search for names and their meanings! For example, you might want a baby name that means “sun” or “stars”…or a name with some other poetic meaning. Go for it! There are names for just about any subject you can think of.

Write out the baby’s potential initials.
This is relatively minor—but something worth trying! When you have a name you love (or you’ve narrowed the options down to just a few names), try writing out the baby’s initials. Make sure you like how they look…and that they don’t spell out anything too silly if that’s a concern for you.

Practice saying the name(s) out loud to get used to them. Finally, give your name picks a practice run before the baby arrives. Call your baby’s name, or just say it out loud conversationally. If you’re still deciding between a few names, you might find that one feels more natural than the others when you say it out loud!