How I Named My Baby

Brooke and Jeshua — New Zealand natives, now New Yorkers — initially thought they wanted an S name for their baby girl, but fell in love with the name Clover for its lucky, lovely associations. We talk to Brooke about Kiwi naming style.

When Allo and Drew found out they were expecting two sets of twins — due one week apart — they needed to come up with combos quickly. Their "triplets" ended up as Rhodes Upton, Banks Hazard, and Ziggy Lake — distinctive and modern names that fit Allo and Drew's values.

Justin and Mark knew their daughter's name would be Larsen Jean even before she was a possibility. Larsen was inspired by a family story of friendship during WWII, and Jean a postwar love story. We speak with Justin about naming his daughter, as well as the characters in his new musical The Ladies Man.

For Lyjah and Davante, their daughter's name was fateful. Colibrí — meaning "hummingbird" in French — is a meaningful symbol to Lyjah. Meraki — Greek for “to do something with love, creativity, and soul” — fit their passionate, creative family values.

Jennie and Kristian wanted a short, punchy name with attitude for their baby — the son of two radio presenters. The final decision? Bear Anthony, chosen for its animal ties, flexibility, and memorability.

Saya and James needed a name for their American daughter that represented their Japanese and British nationalities. Millie Sakura was the perfect choice — easy to pronounce in Japanese, distinctly English, and connected to her birthday, Cherry Blossom Day.

Carly and John Paul Elias wanted to find the perfect bright and cheerful name for their sunny California girl. What better than Brighton Dove? We talk to Carly about naming her daughter, raising Cali kids, and the most interesting names from her family tree.

Ashley and Peyton needed a special name for their long-awaited son, and Dad was up to the task. Peyton searched high and low for a name with the right gravitas and shine for their little boy — we talked to him and Ashley about naming Hugo.

Single Mom by Choice Laurie Baker welcomed her daughter Penny Mae in March. While Penny's name was Laurie's decision alone, she enlisted opinions and advice from friends and family — and ultimately gleaned inspiration from them as well.

Author Georgia Clark and her wife, business advisor Lindsay Ratowsky had the perfect name nailed down before their daughter was even a possibility. Rozella Jayne is a magical combination of family and cultural significance via both of her moms. We talk to Georgia about Rozella's name story and character names in her new novel, Island Time.

Desiree and Eduardo put a modern spin on their mothers' names for their daughter's name, Yani Rose. It's a perfect blend of her Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage — carrying on the stories of her ancestors.

Artists Maxi and Austin wanted something a little different when looking for a name for their son. They ultimately decided on an uncommon spelling of a common name: Aden. For these aesthetes, the visual change gave Aden a new and unique style.

Jasmine and Kevin combined two family traditions with their daughter's name — Kinsley Arin Wiggins. Her KAW initials are passed down from her father, and Arin is based on a family name from Jasmine's side. We talk to Jasmine and Kevin about Kinsley's name story.

Chef and author Abra Berens and musician Erik Hall set up benchmarks for success in baby naming. They wanted a rare name, something androgynous, and ideally related to nature. Inspiration struck, and they landed on the perfect name for their son: Lark. Abra shares his name story with us.

Allison and Jacob honor loved ones through each of their children's names, but their top girl name, Salem, had no family connections. Until a fateful birthday, that is. We spoke to Allison about Salem's name story.

Kris and Noah Romero choose meaningful names for their children that reflect their family's values and love of hip hop. When they found out they were expecting their fifth child, it was clear his or her name would be Quest. We talk to Noah and Kris about their daughter's name story.

When they found out they were expecting triplets, Jennifer and Jason Edgar were up to the challenge of naming three babies at once. They ultimately landed on Elise Caroline, Jude Joseph, and Lillian Laine, with each baby having an honor name. Jennifer shares the triplets' name story with us.

Lauren and Amir chose the perfect name for their daughter, Jasper Julietta. How could they follow it up, especially when great boy names are so hard to come by? A nod to Dad's Persian heritage and their new hometown in Arizona led to the ideal name for their son: Cyrus Canyon. Lauren shares Cyrus's name story with us.

After three girls, Anna and Ian knew their first — and only — son's name had to be special. They named him Osric Theo Peregrine, a name with ties to history, heritage, and hobbies. Anna gave us all the details when we spoke about Osric's name story.

For North Dakota couple Anna and Mitchell, naming their second daughter was a breeze. They decided on Olive Rebecca — two family names — before they were even pregnant, and kept it secret from the honorees. But what happened when their older daughter, Mara spilled the beans? We talk to Anna about Olive's name story.

Chelle and Chris knew they wanted a word name for their third son, but went into his birth with 1000 names they didn't like very much — hardly a shortlist! After a lucky birth en caul, his name soon became clear — True Luck. Chelle tells us more about True's name story.

Young man with a common name (John) marries young woman with an uncommon name (Beau). She wants to give the children original, uncommon names. He wants conventional names that will fit in on the playground. She thinks that's boring. He won't budge. After 21 years of marriage and name compromises, she names the baby John, in honor of the love of her life, but doesn't know what she is actually going to call him.

The best baby name advice from our readers, including how to choose a name with your partner, looking for a name with meaning, and following your heart.

Mandy and Courtney have a special formula for naming their sons. A masculine name with a girly nickname + a classic name + a tree name = the perfect choice! For their third son, the formula gave them Hollis Benjamin Ash. We speak with Mandy about the process of finding his name.

Sammi and Danny had their daughter's name picked out nine years before they found out they were expecting. It was an unexpected honor name that was meant to be. We talked to Sammi about how she and Danny chose Aria Sloane and her Hebrew name, Amalia Tova.