Naming guides
The craft of choosing a name, together
Longer reads on the parts of naming that a tool can't decide for you — how couples actually agree, what popularity numbers really mean, and how to pick a name you'll still love in twenty years.
6 min read
How couples actually agree on a baby name
A practical guide to the baby-name negotiation: why couples get stuck, veto rules that work, independent shortlists, family pressure, and real tiebreakers.
6 min read
The pre-commitment checklist: avoiding name regret
The unglamorous checks that prevent baby-name regret: say it aloud, test the initials, tease-check honestly, and know when a late change is okay.
6 min read
How to read baby-name popularity data
What an SSA rank really means, how to read rising and falling names, and why a top-ten name today is far less common than it was a generation ago.
6 min read
Middle names: how to pair them well
Syllable rhythm, honor names, the initials check, one middle versus two — a practical guide to pairing a middle name that makes the whole name sing.
6 min read
Name styles, decoded: classic, vintage, modern and more
A working vocabulary of baby name styles — biblical, celtic, classic, vintage, modern and more — with example names and how the families combine.
6 min read
Choosing sibling names that fit together
Sibling names don't need to match — they need to not argue. Style families, initials, rhythm across the set, and when a mismatched pair is exactly right.
6 min read
Nicknames: choosing a name with room to grow
How to choose a baby name with room to grow: formal names and their nicknames, names that resist shortening, and why the best plans leave the child a say.
6 min read
Honor names: carrying family forward without copying
Six ways to honor a relative in your baby's name — from exact namesakes and juniors to quiet meaning-matches — and how to balance two families gracefully.
6 min read
A practical guide to unisex names
What makes a name read unisex, how names drift between genders over time, and how couples can pick one deliberately — paperwork, assumptions, and all.
6 min read
Names that travel: choosing for a bilingual world
How to choose a baby name that works in two languages — pronunciation tests, spelling stability, accent marks and paperwork, and how to road-test it with both families.