The growing trend of bespoke baby names: Would you buy a name?

HONOLULU (KHON2) — How long did it take you to settle on your keiki’s name? Did family and friends help you decide?

A new trend is seeking to take the weight off of parents and ʻohana in choosing the perfect baby name. So, KHON2.com decided to explore that emerging new world.

There are no agencies in Hawaiʻi that specialize in creating new baby names, but that is only because the trend has not made its way to the islands… yet.

Along with receiving a unique name for your baby that no one else in the world will have, some of the names come with copyrights so that your keiki will own his/her/their name(s).

The top bespoke baby name creator is Taylor A. Humphrey. Her agency is What’s in a Baby Name, and she navigates a world of high-end baby names and caters both to the world’s elite and to those parents who are at their whit’s end in finding the perfect baby name.

“So, it’s for parents who need a little bit of help,” explained Humphrey. “They’ve been swiping through various apps; they’ve been looking online. They have been, you know, going through their baby name books; and they just can’t quite home in on what their actual name aesthetic is.”

While she does have celebrity clients who pay thousands of dollars for that perfect and unique baby name, her bread and butter are everyday parents who simply need a bit of help navigating the sometimes-overwhelming task of choosing the perfect name for their wee, new human.

Humphrey said she has one client, so far, in Hawaiʻi who has embarked on this journey.

“The prices range up from $200 to I would say about $5,000,” said Humphrey. “That’s like the top range of my normal bread and butter packages. And again, that’s based on how long we’re working together.”

With her expertise that she has been cultivating since the ripe of seven, Humphrey’s fills a gap in our structure that has long been vacated in western cultures. The cost of these services is on a case-by-case basis which considers the amount of work Humphrey has to do to Suss out what the baby’s name should be.

“I have three main packages,” explained Humphrey. “One is called the inspiration package. I have another one; the next tier up is a guidance package. So, that’s a little bit more hands on. That’s coupling with a much more in-depth questionnaire plus a phone consultation where we’re really getting to know each other. And then support package: that’s like the best package to use for working through larger name conflicts. This one allows us to work together much more closely and for a much longer period of time because some of these things are really sticky and really difficult to work through. Sometimes, it just takes a little bit longer to kind of heal some of the wounds that may be being triggered at this time that someone’s trying to name a baby.”

As Humphrey explained, the parents she works with desire a unique baby name that carries with it a specific set of requirements that the parents believe will set them up for success throughout their life. She said they are looking for names that are unique but that will not get the keiki bullied in school or ostracized by peers.

“One thing I was writing about was the numerology of baby names,” said Humphrey. “So, associating certain names with certain kinds of archetypes and personality traits and kind of diving into how our name kind of affects our personality in some way.”

Parents who embark on this journey receive a consultation and will fill out an online questionnaire.

The questionnaire is meant to stimulate a brainstorming session between the parents that will uncover their tastes and preferences and initiate inspiration.

It also provides the perfect way for Humphrey to gain insight into the history and intentions of a family. Humphrey said that the names she develops “speak to the essence of the family and reflect the totality of who this child is meant to be.”

Many of the parents Humphrey works with utilize the name to brand their keiki and the life they will lead, used as a marketing tool that will assist the keiki as they make their way through life.

Humphrey was keen to point out that these all-inclusive packages that result in a totally unique name are a luxury and that not everyone will have the opportunity to take this journey.

So, while your neighbors are all naming their keiki Liam, Olivia, Noah and Emma, will you pay to have a bespoke baby name created for your wee keiki?

You can watch Humphrey’s full interview in the video above.