How Baby Name Consultants are Taking the Pressure Off the Naming Process

Whether it's their first or fifth child, expectant parents have a lot on their plates. To help alleviate one aspect of this overwhelming experience, some people might hire a baby name consultant: a professional who picks potential baby names based on parents’ preferences.

You might've seen baby name consultants on social media, such as Colleen Slagen of Boston, Massachusetts. Growing up, Slagen was obsessed with baby names, and her diary was full of lists she'd brainstormed of future options. This lifelong interest became a career path in 2021 when Slagen became a baby name consultant.

Now Slagen has a TikTok account, and she's suggested thousands of names to expectant parents She says baby names are one of "the biggest aesthetic choices you can make because you’re bestowing it on someone else."

Interested in learning more about the people who professionally assist parents in naming their children? Here's what to know about baby name consultants.

What Does Baby Name Consultant Do?

Every consultation looks different based on the parent’s situation, but Slagen says the goal is always to work through a naming problem. She says some of the most common requests she gets as a baby name consultant include:

• Recommending baby names: Many people know something about the name they want—whether it's the first letter, the length, the level of popularity, or the aesthetic—but have difficulty coming up with a moniker that actually fits those parameters. A baby name consultant will use these types of preferences to suggest a list of names that may work for a client’s baby.
• Suggesting names to pair with already-born siblings: Some names just don’t pair well together. Baby name consultants can source monikers that pair nicely with a client’s other children, or find names that fit a stylistic or first-letter theme that a parent may want to follow. 
• Finding new ways to use family names: If a parent wants to honor a family member without using their exact name, a baby name consultant can help choose alternative versions of a potentially vintage name that are more modern or fit certain preferences. Grandma Mary's name can indirectly be passed down to a baby named Marin, Marie, or plenty of other options.
• Validating existing name options: Baby name consulting isn’t all about name creation. Slagen says many clients simply want feedback on names they’re already considering. “A good number of people I work with do end up going with their top contender, and getting the baby name consultation is sort of an exercise in either validating that name and making sure there’s not another fish in the sea that you think is better,” she says.
• Dealing with name regret: Slagen says she occasionally receives bookings from parents who are experiencing name regret and considering changing their baby’s name. “Even when I am full with consultations, I tend to take those on because I just feel bad for these moms that are postpartum and having so much anxiety about their child’s name,” she says.

Why Are Expectant Parents Hiring Baby Name Consultants?

For many parents, choosing a baby’s name can be a stressful process. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the seemingly endless options out there, especially while balancing the work of preparing for a new baby. Speaking with a baby name consultant who narrows down that list can lift a huge weight off of a client’s shoulders.

Slagen says that hiring a baby name consultant is absolutely not a necessity, but it can be useful and even fun. “Aside from it being helpful, I think it can add a lot of fun to the process for people who might find it stressful,” she says. “Seeing how a name consultant would categorize your taste and what names they would suggest based on that...it's a sort of fun look in the mirror at yourself.”

Most people only choose baby names a handful of times, so Slagen suggests making the most out of it by exploring all of your options. Parents spend thousands of dollars on their children each year, and while they’ll quickly grow out of new clothes, Slagen says it can be even more valuable to invest in a name that will fit them throughout their life.

How to Find a Baby Name Consultant

Slagen says no two baby name consultants are exactly the same. Each one has their own brand and is influenced slightly by their personal style. 

The profession seems to be rapidly growing an online presence on TikTok, so if you're looking for a baby name consultant, the social media platform might be a good place to start.

Naming Tips from a Baby Name Consultant

Having researched and suggested thousands of baby names, Slagen has some tips for parents who are currently in the middle of the naming process.

Know the harmful stereotypes around names

Slagen has many clients requesting names that pass the “Supreme Court justice test.” This is a naming strategy that suggests testing if your baby’s name would make them sound official if they became a Supreme Court judge one day. While she says this test is part of an outdated notion that hopefully will not still exist when today’s babies enter the professional sphere, she acknowledges that some names are surrounded by negative stereotypes that can unfairly lead to your child being seen as unprofessional.

Consider popularity, but know it's subject to change

Slagen recommends that parents think about how common they want their child’s name to be. Names might be more popular in some geographic areas than others, so keep in mind that country-wide data doesn’t account for local popularity. For example, she says Violet was the 16th most popular name in the U.S. in 2023, but she has yet to meet one because it's not a popular name in her area. Additionally, many names change popularity rapidly, and parents need to prepare for this potential shift.

It's OK to disagree with your partner

“One of the hardest things that I see with clients is agreeing with their partner,” says Slagen. “There's always a way to find common ground because names carry such dynamic aesthetics. There's preppy names, there’s vintage names, but you can find something that's a little preppy and a little vintage.” She says it's important to not rule out anyone's choices and to keep all names on the table while you reach common ground.

Not everyone has a lightbulb moment, so plan ahead

Picking a name can be hard, so some people leave it to the last minute, hoping to have a name immediately come to mind when they first see their baby. However, Slagen says this moment often doesn’t happen, and then you're left with the stress of choosing a name while taking home a newborn. Because of this, she suggests choosing before your baby is born.