Why parents are paying strangers to name their babies

Telegraph

29-04-2025

The rise of baby name consultants
In this landscape, a new type of professional has emerged: the baby name consultant. Surrey-based Strum began sharing name lists on YouTube, grouped by themes such as Vintage, Botanical or Literary. They gained millions of views, and the consultancy Baby Name Envy evolved. Strum's services now include YouTube videos, name polls on Instagram and one-to-one consultancy (£88 per session).
Strum says, 'There used to be a bit of a divide between celebrities and the rest of us, with celebs leading the way with picking unusual names; Apple, Bluebell, Phoenix, North. Now with the rise of social media, there's a much thinner line… you're just as likely to sit next to a Saint in Swindon as you are in San Diego.'
On the other side of the world, Sonya Prior, who runs New Zealand-based The BB Namer, previously used her own lifelong fascination with naming trends in her brand marketing roles. The news of an Australian journalist naming her child Methamphetamine Rules to test the country's naming restrictions (it was allowed) pushed Prior to start sharing her insights on TikTok, which quickly gained traction.
Her most popular service is her private consultation ($150 NZD, or £66). 'There's a lot more pressure around baby names these days, and that's part of why people turn to consultants,' Prior says. 'With so many opinions, trends, and social media discourse, naming can feel overwhelming, almost like a performance rather than a personal choice.'
Australian Michelle Casey, founder of Grow Little Wildflower, has an audience of nearly 200,000 on Instagram. Her most popular service is The Mini ($127 AUD/ £62), which provides clients with ten names, but she also offers bespoke packages ranging from $300+ AUD. Casey adds, 'This is a forever decision and the first gift you will give your child so it makes sense to dive deeper and really make sure the name you choose will last a lifetime!'
Changing names through the ages
While certain traditional names never go out of fashion, there is now a much wider variety of monikers than before. Gregory Clark, economic historian and author of The Son Also Rises, found that four names in 18th century births were used for 52% of boys: John, William, Thomas and James. By contrast, in the latest ONS data (2023), the top four boys' names (Muhammad, Noah, Oliver and George) cover less than 6% of all boys born.
Clark explains, 'One factor that kept the name choices limited before 1800 was that children were named after relatives.'
The University of Edinburgh study shows how influences have changed over the years. In the 19th century there was a strong Christian influence, with Christmas, Easter, Mercy and Charity all popular female names. In the 60s, there was a rise in Italian names, with a wave of immigration from Italy into the UK.
One concern I see online – and that I've certainly considered in my many name-based conversations with my husband – is around a name's popularity. No one wants their child to be one of several with the same name in the classroom.
Then, looking longer term, there is the awareness that certain names boom at certain periods of time, but there will come a tipping point when they rapidly fall out of favour. Hello, Nigel, Ian, Martin and Stuart, Sharon and Tracy: your time is most certainly up.
Globalisation and pop culture
The effect of globalisation on names is perhaps best represented by the meteoric rise of the name Kevin in western Europe in the early 90s. In 1990, a notable film came out: Home Alone, whose main character is called Kevin McCallister. The Kevin boom was helped by the popularity of actor Kevin Costner and – surprisingly for us – Kevin Keegan. By the end of 1991, it was the most popular name in France, Germany and the Netherlands – in France, 14,087 Kévins were born in one year. Now, those Kévins are the object of much derision.
Meanwhile Luca, Italian in origin, first entered the England and Wales top 100 boys' names in the early 2000s, and is now the seventh most popular name – the most popular name in Scotland last year. The National Records of Scotland attribute its top position to the eponymous Pixar film set in 2021.
The Office of National Statistics' latest data on names in England and Wales said, 'Pop culture continues to influence the popularity of baby names...' After 2023's summer blockbuster Barbie (starring Margot Robbie), there were 215 more baby girls named Margot compared to the year before. There's something cyclical about it: films, TV programmes, and social media aren't just shaping pop culture, they're shaping the names we give to the next generation.
Picking a name free of connotations
Another problem is names are extremely subjective, and it's almost impossible to find ones without personal connotations – whether that's former partners, colleagues, classmates or fictional uses.
Strum adds, 'One person's classic, elegant Edward is another person's idea of a boring uncle's name that does not look right on a baby.' So what advice would SJ give to someone concerned about others' opinions? 'I always encourage people to go with the name they love, despite what other people say.'
Meanwhile, Michelle Casey from Grow Little Wildflower, says, 'I'm noticing that parents are loving the idea of a timeless first name paired with a bold, edgy and quite unique middle name.' Examples she provides include: 'Eleanor Bloom, Ada Wilde, Miles Legend or Arlo Ocean.'
The name theft dilemma
Despite being 33, I'm still in the minority among my friends who've had children. It means I haven't ever faced the dilemma of someone using a name I'm attached to. Nor have I had to consider whether I'd be flattered, confused or neutral if a close friend used our first son's name (Robin).
Laura, 39, who lives in London, experienced this when her daughter, Dotty, was born. It was her husband's great grandma's middle name, and after the great grandma passed away during Laura's pregnancy, they decided to honour her.
Dotty arrived early, was introduced to the world, and then to Laura's surprise, in her baby group two months later, another mum 'announced she had used our same name as we inspired her'. 'We found it odd that she chose the same name, but ultimately it isn't our name,' Laura says.
Nine months later, a cousin also used Dotty, sharing the tribute with the same family who had heard it nearly a year before. Laura and her husband took it in good humour - and note (outside these two cases) they've yet to meet another girl with the same name.
What's in a name?
In the end, parents (and, by extension, grandparents) all want the same thing: a name that fits, that's meaningful, and that connects new life to a larger story. Whether parents are paying for increasingly popular expert advice or searching through a sea of online options, the end goal remains unchanged: to get the right fit for your child.