During the eclipse in April, influencer Nara Smith brought her third child into the world (from scratch). Soon after, Smith announced her name to her over 8 million followers on TikTok — Whimsy Lou. Fans of Smith didn’t bat an eye at the unique (and somewhat quaint) name; her other two children are called Rumble-Honey and Slim-Easy, after all. And Smith is not the only internet personality opting for whimsical baby names. In May, pregnant Francesca Farago listed some of her favorite baby names in a TikTok: Lovely, Baby Blue, Lyrics, and Afternoon. (We’re still waiting to see what she calls her expected twins). With creators like Haley Hodge, posting videos of her baby naming cemetery visits (taking the name ideas from the headstones) like it’s sponcon, we’ve officially entered the age of influencer baby names. 

Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow have been naming their children obscure names like Apple for years but the fact that anyone can be a content creator online is making the baby naming more obscure. On social media, baby naming recommendations are even pulling from hyper-online aesthetics, including “old money” and “catholic chic”. Professional baby name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey says social media plays a huge role in today’s baby naming process. “Some parents consider their name considerations' future potential for personal branding,” she says. “A memorable and distinctive name can be beneficial if the child chooses to become an influencer, entrepreneur, or public figure.”

Humphrey says her high-paying clients ask for unconventional names that stay true to their family “brand”. “People have more influence over their niche followings than in generations past, which inadvertently creates a sense that we are performing for an audience,” she says. “Whether consciously or not, I do think, from time to time, expectant parents wonder what type of names would delight and dazzle their audience.” Humphrey offers a range of naming packages, costing upward of $1,500 for in-depth consultations and, at the upper end of the spectrum, ‘Baby Name Branding’ packages tailored to influential parents. She says the baby naming space needs more creativity, not less, and is currently tracking a rise in “boomer Dad” names for little girls (think Stevie or Benny) and animal-inspired names for boys (like Wolf and Bear). 

Despite researchers finding that people with unique names find it more difficult to land a job interview, there are some proven benefits to having a unique name. One study in Harvard Business Review showed that people with unique names often choose unique strategies in business and beyond. (From baby influencer to baby CEO). Steph Coffield, another professional name consultant who’s done a session with Francesca Farago, says having an uncommon name will help your child “stand out”. “So many people reach out to me to proudly share their cool or unique name and I think that's pretty empowering,” she says. “We are all online all the time and exposed to so many different types of names and people, so the possibilities feel endless.”

As influencers set their firstborn up to have the most easily searchable Instagram handle, it begs the question: will “unique” names still stand out in a crowd once everyone is called Morning, Thunder-Nectar, or Giraffe? Philip Cohen, professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, says we’ve steered into the opposite direction of the past, where the goal was for your children’s name not to stand out. “In 1850 almost one-in-seven girls born were given the name Mary,” he says. “We have popular names nowadays, but nothing like the level of uniformity we used to see.” The urge to “be different”, he says, has risen in today’s era of personal branding, micromonetisation, and the gig economy. “We do a lot of public identity work these days, curating and presenting ourselves and our choices,” he says. “Every act can be sold as a paid performance.”

While influencers continue to out-whimsey each other on the naming front, Cohen says naming today, in general, trends toward more diversity. Popular names are out, and more faddish names are in. “Cool names today might not be cool tomorrow,” he says. “Fortunately, it's also acceptable to change your own name, so the kids getting awful names today — names meant to benefit or entertain adults, not the children themselves — can escape them as soon as they’re old enough.” Or perhaps they’ll carry on the influencer baby naming tradition. (Content creator sounds like a beautiful name for a baby girl.)