Oh man, do I love naming names. My dream job was naming lipstick and nail polish colors, that was until I got pregnant. Then my all time favorite thing to do is name the babies. The only problem is that my dumb husband weighs his opinion. “What do you mean you don’t like that name?! That’s the best name on the planet!” Once you mix my hormones with my anger, you might think I’m about as pleasant as a cat in a bathtub.
I checked every book, and every site and cross referenced it with Google searches to make sure we didn’t name him after a serial killer, Rhymezone to make sure my baby’s name didn’t rhyme with “mucous” or “twat.” Domain registers to buy their name as a .com so someone doesn’t buy it and say horrible things about them when they are 17 (I read an article and went off the deep end).
It’s a science I tell you, and it’s a small miracle we ended up with any names, let alone two we really liked. So I thought I might as well share my uptight tendencies with you in case you need a good baby name too.
Here are some of my favorite baby name websites:
Most sites break it down by category. Some are divided in alphabetical order, and some let you choose between boy names and girl names, and many offer options for gender-neutral or unisex names if that the one you prefer. Let’s have fun with baby name generators, shall we?
One feature I like about this site is that if you search for a name, it also gives you all the forum board results. So, you get a feel for what people consider along with that name, middle name thoughts, variations, etc. I also like how they boost the more popular baby names in the search results. It’s well organized and makes clear lists of things like celebrity baby names, unisex names, trends and more.
This site is fun. More for the easy-going set and not for the high strung like me. There’s a great name generator at the beginning where you plug in your last name, switch between male, female or surprise me, and it comes up with a suggestion. There is an amazing middle and first name generator where you have decided on one name but need suggestions for another. You can create a poll for your name so people can vote on which one they like best. Although, the thing I like the most is the Test Drive feature. You plug in the name you are considering and it generates everyday situations where you would use that name “Hello, Wellington Inc. this is Jacob” or “Hey Jacob. how are you?” I love this.
On this neat site you pick 5 favorite names for your BellyBallot, then invite friends and family to vote for them. There is a wide list of names, and you can get inspiration from different categories, such as nature names, top baby names from different decades, or even rockstar names. It looks like you can win stuff on this site too which is pretty cool. If nothing else, you can put a name in there to poke the bear to make your family angry, like “Should we name the baby: Michael, Mitchell, Adolf or Atey-Eight?”
Namerology.com was created by the same person who founded (and sold) BabyNameWizard.com. Use the name grapher to see how popular a name has been over time and the Baby Name Atlas to see how popular names are around the world. This site seems to work best on a desktop versus mobile.
This site has some cool features, like a Random Name Generator where you can pick a letter, category, etc., and it will generate a name (I really love a couple of them). It also has all the popular names by year and country, along with a few other tools to help narrow down your name selection.
If I had found this site when I was pregnant, I would not have left my office and would have been bottling my urine like Howard Hughes. It has it all: popularity of names, origin, uniqueness, celebrity; you name it – all in an easily searchable format.
Each name has a breakdown that offers insight into historical origins, popularity, famous people and/or their children, and historical figures, to name a few. I think one of my favorites, though, is the cultural reference section. It lists all the characters in literature, songs and children’s books with a name. Even if you’ve already named your child, new parents can geek out and scrutinize every detail behind their perfect name. It’s also a great place for gift inspiration if you’re looking for something sentimental and meaningful.
And if you just need a little inspiration, it’s easy to search, even with just the first letter of your possible name.
What makes this site original is that it allows you to research bilingual names based on any two languages you want to combine. In addition to the usual mundane languages, it also offers some fun options including Klingon and Dothraki, which, to be honest, sometimes work! It also has a feature that lets you combine two names, if your genes aren’t mixed enough.
The basic option is free, and if you find the boxes blurry, you can upgrade for $10.
A quick note about websites – there used to be a really popular site called Baby Name Wizard that shut down, but now redirects to a similar site.
As for baby naming apps…
Basically the Tinder of the baby naming world, this app lets you and your partner swipe left or right on different names and then match the ones you both like in a list. It’s a fun and interactive way to explore names and may expose you both to someone you love.
And some ideas from readers to land on the perfect baby name
- Your favorite characters from a book, movie or TV show
- The social security administration website
- Maps (some readers specifically recommended maps of Texas and Scotland)
- Looking at your family tree or using something like Ancestry.com
- Significant historical figures, musicians, or residents of your local cemetery (hey, you never know what will stick!)
- Street sign
- Film credits
- Name of the Day (a fun website that assigns a name for each day of the year)
- Census name records from a specific time period
- And last but not least, from a reader: “I saw my middle boy’s name on the ‘winners’ wall at a dart bar.” Well played, lady. Well played.
Whether you’re looking for unique baby names, popular boy names, top girl names, rankings, or even expert advice, there are plenty of resources to help you come up with the perfect baby name. And if all else fails, walk down to your local dart bar, and see what’s left.
Are there any other incredible baby naming resources we’ve missed?
Drop them in the comments section below!
Our next recos: Best List of Names for Grandparents
