AI Baby Name Brainstorm My Surprising Experiment

I've kept a running list of baby names on my phone for years, a digital notebook for ideas I hoped I wouldn't forget by the time pregnancy arrived.

Every few months, I revisit this iPhone note, and often, a name I once adored gets deleted. Tastes change, or sometimes, an acquaintance with a particular name sours it for you. Regardless, having plenty of options is always a good strategy.

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AI as a Creative Partner in Baby Naming

While I'm generally sentimental and draw inspiration from the world around me rather than an AI chatbot, the idea of using AI as a brainstorming sidekick intrigued me. It's not just about discovering new names, but also about delving into the stories and unique meanings behind names already on our shortlist.

AI Atlas

AI has already proven to be a helpful tool during our fertility journey. I've used it to help plan the optimal diet leading up to IVF, get a glimpse of what our future baby might look like, and even craft a personalized baby book. These are enjoyable, lighthearted projects that keep me engaged and optimistic throughout the process.

If I can use AI to get book recommendations, could it do the same for baby names? I decided to find out.

Exploring Baby Name Ideas with ChatGPT

It's generally better to log in to the chatbot rather than using its main search function. This allows ChatGPT to access your past history (it shared some surprisingly insightful things about me recently). This way, it's not starting from a blank slate and has some context about your preferences.

You can begin with a broad prompt, such as: "Based on what you know about me, suggest 10 boy baby names I might like."

Immediately, it produced a list of 10 names, and impressively, two of them—Atlas and Finn—were already on my personal list.

ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET

Unfortunately, my wife isn't a fan of Finn, so that one was out.

I informed ChatGPT about the names I liked and requested similar suggestions. I was astonished when it generated a name that had been on our list for years, one I thought was relatively unknown. It’s the name of a church in our town. We're not religious, but we simply adore the name: Cassian, or Cash for short.

ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET

Could ChatGPT be reading my mind (or my iPhone notes)? It certainly felt like it. Here's my iPhone note for comparison:

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Curious, I asked ChatGPT where it sourced the name Cassian.

ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET

When AI Suggestions Miss the Mark

Next, I provided my entire list to ChatGPT and asked for more suggestions. It analyzed my list and identified common traits, describing the names as "poetic and adventurous," "gender-neutral or soft-masculine," having "nature, myth or celestial influences," being "global, modern and a bit mysterious," and "strong yet soulful."

It then offered a few more names from each of these categories, including:

ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET

I didn't care for any of these options. They felt a bit too unconventional, which I communicated to ChatGPT. The challenge with AI is that it generates responses based on its interpretation of your profile.

It knows I'm a writer, a traveler, and philosophical. However, this doesn't mean I'm seeking a literary-inspired name. It kept suggesting names from books it knew I'd read, like Dorian from The Picture of Dorian Gray.

From the subsequent list, I only found two appealing: Julian and Miles.

I continued with prompts like "more names like Phoenix" or "more names like Paxton," but without much success.

Paxton felt closer to my style than Cassian, which had a medieval or mythic feel. ChatGPT described Paxton as modern and strong. It did identify a few names I liked, such as Lennox and Emory, so I pursued that line of inquiry.

For every list of 10 names it generated, I typically liked about one.

AI's Contribution to My Baby Name Shortlist

It was fascinating to see many names from my personal shortlist pop up in ChatGPT's suggestions. It serves as a useful thought partner if you're feeling stuck for name ideas or if you're curious to learn more about the origins of your favorites.

Just for fun, I inquired about girl names it thought I might like, hoping to see one from my shortlist. It astoundingly picked our number one choice: Emerson.

ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET

At the very least, this was an affirming exercise. While it didn't fundamentally alter our list, it certainly helped to clarify it. To conclude, I asked ChatGPT if it had any suggestions for names that felt inspired by both Australia and New York City.

ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET

I ended up adding Flynn, Sonny, Willa, and Isla to my list.

This was a fun experiment!