I Asked ChatGPT To Name My Baby

Some names were better than others.

By Alexandra Blogier — Written on May 22, 2023

Photo: Jonathan Borba / Pexels, Ascannio / Shutterstock, Elsdesign via CanvaPro

There’s a lot to consider when planning for a baby. There are logistical concerns, like where and how to give birth, and what kind of stroller to buy. There are also major personal decisions to make, like what name to give the tiny, new person you’re welcoming earthside.

In the age of AI, a lot of things are made simpler but you may be surprised to know that the process naming a baby can be streamlined too. I certainly was when I saw a Twitter user discussing their interaction with a parent of a newborn who used ChatGPT to come up with the baby's moniker. The user didn't disclose what the name was but I was curious if I could get the chatbot to come up with some suggestions based on other names I like.

Now, I don't currently have a baby on the way but for parents-to-be, this could be a much quicker process than pouring over baby name books.

I asked ChatGPT to name my baby and this is what I found.

First, I gave ChatGPT a basic command to find “a unique baby name that’s not on the top 100 baby names lists in the last three years.” This prompt in itself already betrayed some of the chatbot's limitations — since the service only has knowledge up until 2021, it doesn't know what the most popular names are in recent years but I still managed to acquire some unique suggestions.

The names it offered included Aurelia, Elio, and Briar, which are more recognizable names than other suggestions it gave, including Fable, Garnet, and Haven. These names aren’t super common, yet they have an austere feel to them.

I then asked ChatGPT to give me unique baby names not on the top 100 list that are inspired by mythology.

Its responses focused mostly on Norse, Roman, and Greek mythological figures, such as Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow and a messenger of the gods, and Freya, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, inspired by Norse mythology. ChatGPT offered up one Celtic name, Morrigan, who was a goddess associated with battle, strife, and sovereignty — and not really the vibe I’m looking for in naming a child.

When given the directive to choose a name from mythology, ChatGPT issued its own version of a sensitivity warning, explaining to “Remember to consider the meanings and cultural backgrounds associated with each name before making a decision.” Good call ChatGPT.

When deciding what name to give a baby, there’s much to consider, including family traditions, cultural considerations, and how common a name is.

I wondered what kind of names ChatGPT would give me that pertain more to my own ethnic background.

I asked ChatGPT for unique Jewish baby names and the answers it provided were less traditional than I expected.

ChatGPT listed various well-established Hebrew names, like Aviva, which means “spring” or “rejuvenation,” and Tova, which is derived from the Hebrew word for “good,” along with names that felt like more modern choices. It suggested the name “Galia,” derived from the Hebrew word for “wave,” symbolizing “strength, resilience, and fluidity.”

Another Jewish name it gave was “Elior,” which it found by “combining elements of ‘God’ and ‘light, [to] signify divine illumination and guidance.”

I also want to consider names that fall outside the definition of a traditional name, so I asked ChatGPT for “unique baby names inspired by the natural world that aren’t the names of flowers.”

ChatGPT gave some interesting answers when I asked for nature-inspired names that weren’t specifically the names of flowers, which is a common baby-naming choice.

It suggested the name Cascade, a name “evoking the image of a flowing waterfall, Cascade represents the beauty and power of nature,” and also the name of a soap brand. It also gave the names Ember, Orion, and Flint, which are all fairly unique options that don’t make me think about doing dishes.