Deciding on the perfect name for your baby has become a task for influencers. Many influencers on TikTok are mentoring expectant parents and racking up record views.
Alba, Gabrielle, Louise, Raphael, Jade… the most given first names in France in 2024 have remained unchanged for several years. However, parents-to-be today are spoiled for choice; short, long, original, rare, vintage name… Gone are the days when you had to decide between Christian calendar or regional names, today the registry is (almost) bound to confirm one you like. When the field of possibilities is very wide, sometimes it is difficult to make a choice. And in recent years, expectant parents have shown great originality by creating names or suggesting complex spellings to make their child unique. So, to find a rare pearl in the United States, often for a fee, “experts” have taken to social networks and, in particular, Tik Tok, as noted: HuffPost: .
Name consultants
Most of the videos found with the #namingbebe hashtag on TikTok come from faceless pages that only post topical lists, but tipsters also do well when browsing the web, Colleen Slagen’s @namingbebe account quickly pops up. In addition to a presence on Instagram and Tik Tok, this American mom, who calls herself a “name expert,” offers paid personalized services on her dedicated website.
For 75 dollars (about 68 euros) you can ask a question, which he will answer in a video posted on his social networks. The $350 (€315) package consists of comments on your list, analysis of your personal data, sending of name lists, monitoring during pregnancy and a 4-page PDF. Colin Slagen can only take two clients a week because he has another job, but he’s booked through the end of August, according to his website namingbebe.com.
Another influencer, Taylor Humphrey, also offers her services and by New Yorkerswho gave him a portrait in 2022, his services range from 1,500 to 10,000 dollars (9,000 euros)… However, many parents seem willing to spend a lot of money to find the perfect name. And in fact, “experts” on social networks do not hesitate to say that this name can affect the personality of your little one. Some, for example, see themselves as associated with rather negative character traits, while others often carry “model children”. For example, one teacher revealed the names of the most disobedient students in the class on a Reddit forum. Kayla, Heaven, Stephanie, Tiffany, Travis, Logan and even Christian are some of the first names to avoid, according to her…
Ideas from your favorite personalities
In line with this trend, netizens don’t hesitate to ask the person they follow for nickname ideas. Still on TikTok, many people poll their favorite influencers about their favorite names. Marie Martinat, a school teacher with a following of more than 155,000 people on Tik Tok, got in on the game in two videos where she presents her future baby name ideas, and she’s been viewed more than 614,000 times. And his ideas are quite original: Georgia, Athena, Antalya, Ange or even Stella. In the comments, expectant parents respond to her list and also admit that they want to be inspired by it.
Large families who are present on TikTok are often asked to reveal their children’s names and often the story behind them. Posted a video on his @oceane_twins_and_baby3 where he reveals the names of his 6 children (at the request of a netizen): Amalja, Naelja, Noeljan, Tinael, Mateo, Maelis. And it has 1 million views. And many people also participated in the game, there are no less than 118,000 posts under #firstname, and more than 746,000 #names. The trend remains largely English-speaking, but it shouldn’t take long for it to reach France. Favorite series, actors, movies, foods, songs, animals, influencers, colors, flowers, all sources of inspiration are good to use to find a unique and perfect name for your generation.
Source: Le Figaro
