Baby Names

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7 Baby Name Generators To Try

Baby names are tricky. Help is here.

by Sarah Bunton and Kelly Glass
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

What's in a name? Surprisingly, anything and everything, it seems. If you're drained from coming up with and vetoing choices all day long or you just want to give something new a try, you might want to consider using baby name generators that are actually helpful. As it turns out, not all baby name generators are created equally. With the worldwide web at your disposal, there are options that fit pretty much any style, preference, or even baby name theme you could imagine. Looking for a sibling name generator? We’ve got you covered. Or a baby name generator that factors in last name? Yup, you’ll find one here.

Naming a baby is a huge commitment, and there’s a lot to consider. What if the name you pick now isn’t cool in five years? Or worse, what if the name you pick is too cool, and all the kids in kindergarten have it? The fact is, trends change. Over the past decade, the world of baby-naming brought us quite a few trends — the “nickname” name, adventurous places as names, and dictionary-inspired names and, now “grandma” vintage baby names are on the rise.

From finding unique monikers to combining your name with your partner's, there are plenty of possibilities and fun to be had. Even if you don't end up sticking with one of the below, it could be just the spark of inspiration you needed to find the perfect name for your little bundle of joy.

And, since these baby name generators are online, you can easily share your findings to get input from your partner. Either way, hopefully they will help you come up with the perfect name for your little one.

1

Baby Name Genie

The thing that sets the Baby Name Genie name generator apart from the rest is that you have two options for generating a name. You can “make a wish” and get a baby name that goes with your last name. Or, if you’ve got the time, write to the Genie with your personal request and he will give you a first and middle baby name that goes with your last name tailored specifically to your wishes. You can even take the name for a “test drive” and see how it would look or sound in various situations. Try it out for yourself and see what you think.

2

Hipster Baby Name Generator

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Though several imitators have followed, the original Hipster Baby Name Generator is still the best. Whether you approach this as a bit of fun or take it more legitimately is up to you. The baby name generator asks about your “future little darling's” eating and sleeping habits and, most importantly, what their “mainstream” last name will be. I got Fannie Plum Petunia Johnson as my gender non-conforming baby's name. What's yours?

3

Best Little Baby

Name generator Best Little Baby will generate a baby name that combines yours with your partner's plus you can pick the origin you’re interested in (literary, Sanskrit, Hebrew, etc.) and the baby’s gender (boy, girl, unisex). There are loads of options and you can even search by first letter if you want to see things for yourself.

4

Baby Name Wizard

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Using their advanced finder, Baby Name Wizard is one of the more detailed baby name generators if you want to get really granular. Options for your preferences include: Must start and/or end with, can't start and/or end with, minimum and maximum length and syllables, and how popular or rare you'd like the name to be. Certainly a lot to digest, but perfect for the person who has very specific naming goals, or considerations, like a sibling name or particularly tough last name to pair with.

5

Baby Center's Baby Name Finder

The more classic type of generator, Baby Center gets down to business with this in-depth Baby Name Finder. You can input the gender (or unisex option), select how popular you'd like it to be, and choose the meaning, origin, and theme, just to name a few options. This generator is truly thorough.

6

The Bump’s Baby Name Finder

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The Bump’s baby name finder keeps it simple. Choose any gender, the first letter of the name you want, and an origin to generate baby name ideas. You can also search by how popular the names are, as well as their meanings. The site’s lists of unique, recently trending, and uncommon names can help spark a little inspiration for your bundle of joy.

7

Nameberry baby name tool

With more than 50,000 names in its roster, Nameberry is one of the world’s biggest baby name databases. Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, authors of The Baby Name Bible and several other baby name books, are widely considered the baby name experts. Their expertise and the community of expectant parents they’ve built make Nameberry an all-in-one place to generate name inspiration and then toss ideas around in one of the forums.

Baby naming can be tricky — particularly if you’ve got tight parameters, like you’re trying to match with your last name or a sibling name. But thankfully, these seven baby name generators can really help narrow your search. Happy naming!

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