Choosing a baby’s name can be challenging. For $500, Colleen Slagen can help simplify the process. Slagen, a 36-year-old name advisor from Austin, Texas, provides high-end consultations to her clients, which involve a video call, feedback on your list of names, a carefully selected list of 10 names with explanations and details about their popularity, and an extended list of notable alternatives. (Slagen also has an $85 service for those needing assistance in selecting between names.) On TikTok, Slagen shares her expertise with her audience. 73,000 followers.
Her name consultations require her several hours to finish, she says in an interview with Yahoo. “I ask clients numerous questions to pinpoint what they’re seeking, their preferences. After that, I prepare a consultation document for them containing suggestions and details. We discuss trends, fashion, and then proceed from there.”
Recently, several of Slagen’s clients have shared that they initially used ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence service, before deciding to book a consultation. For instance, if a user asks ChatGPT for a list of baby names, the app can provide suggestions in a matter of seconds — and at no cost, unlike Slagen’s more expensive sessions. However, when her clients mention ChatGPT, it’s often because it didn’t meet their needs. “It’s an entertaining tool,” she says, “but it’s not personal.” She adds, “ChatGPT lacks reliability, and people prefer working with someone they can trust. While some individuals seek creative ideas from me, many simply want feedback and a direct conversation with someone.”
For today’s parents, the task of choosing a child’s name can seem overwhelming. There is a need to be creative but not overly unconventional. You wanta title that is well-knownbut not one that’s extremely common. And the lasting nature of the decision affects parents, Slagen says, which ChatGPT can’t assist with. “Receiving feedback from a computer doesn’t necessarily ease that feeling,” she explains. “You desire a genuine person’s perspective.” Slagen acknowledges that not everyone is interested in scheduling an $85 or $500 name consultation; for those seeking an alternative approach to finding their ideal baby name, she recommends traditional baby name books.
To evaluate ChatGPT’s naming skills, I provided a prompt requesting girl names that aren’t overly common. It quickly generated 24 names divided into four distinct categories. There were “nature-inspired” names such as Marigold and Clover, “literary or vintage style” names like Isolde and Odette, “whimsical and gentle” names including Seren and Elowen, and “international treasures” such as Anouk and Saskia. I then asked for names that specifically begin withAand received 25 names, such as Alma, Ayla, and Ariadne. For what it’s worth: None of the names recommended by ChatGPT were ones I would truly consider using.
When Phoebee Linford, a 30-year-old mother from Utah, was expecting a child, she and her husband had already chosen the first name Matthew for their son but were unsure about a middle name. At one point, Linford considered not giving the baby a middle name at all. The couple went on one final date before her labor induction and talked about the middle name dilemma. Her husband then asked ChatGPT to suggest 10 possible middle names to pair with the first name Matthew. One of the suggestions was Matthew Benjamin.
“We chose that one,” Linford says. “I think it’s a strong, reliable name. It’s not too different from his first name, but it also offers him other possibilities if he doesn’t want to use Matthew or Matt. He could go by Benjamin, Ben, or Benji.” Linford never expected to use AI to name her child, but that’s exactly what happened. “It’s an amusing story I share often,” she says. “It just feels like an unusual way to pick a name.” If they hadn’t asked ChatGPT, Linford believes she and her husband would have eventually come up with a middle name, but AI made the process quicker.
“Selecting a baby’s name involves both logic and emotion,” says Em Kim, a name consultant based in Minneapolis who has 352,000 followerson TikTok. “Each individual has a unique combination of those traits. I can see how ChatGPT could assist with the logical aspect.”
As a name advisor, Kim creates videos for her clients featuring potential baby names. She generates her suggestions by reviewing her clients’ social media accounts, inquiring about their preferences, and discovering the names of their other children, if relevant. From this process, she develops a tailored list of possible names for their child. Occasionally, she notes, individuals wait for that moment of happiness or sense of connection.this is itwhen it comes to choosing a name for a baby.
If you’re simply browsing a list on ChatGPT, you’ll find it more challenging to experience the sense of selecting the perfect name,” Kim explains. “Feeling understood is a crucial part of the process. It’s similar to a bride picking out a wedding dress, and it’s much harder to achieve that emotional connection when your community is interacting with a machine.
