Baby Name Apps—Our Top Picks

Having a baby is nothing short of a difficult feat; for many parents, choosing a name is no exception. With an infinite number of options but (typically) only one choice to make, naming your baby can be daunting.

Baby name apps are a wonderful creation that can alleviate some of the baby-naming stress from parents. Whether you use it as a source of inspiration or to help find a name that both you and your partner can agree on, a variety of apps can help you find the best name for your newborn.

Benefits of using baby name apps

Convenience and accessibility

For the nine-in-ten Americans who own a smartphone, access to these apps is right at their fingertips. A simple search of 'baby name apps' in the app store will present various options to choose from based on your preferences and intentions. Each app we recommend has a free version with options for in-app purchases.

Wide variety of name options

These apps are designed to ensure that everyone in search of the perfect name for their baby finds just that. With a combination of names you'd likely find on a 'most popular baby names list' and names that are more on the unique side, app users are bound to find a name that suits their tastes. There are plenty of names to choose from on these apps, too. The Babyname app, for instance, features over 30,000 names.

Collaborative features for couples

While meant as a naming tool for parents-to-be, baby name apps can double as a fun activity for couples. Apps like Kinder operate similarly to dating apps like Tinder - where users swipe left (to say no) or right (to say yes), but in this case, users are swiping on potential names for their baby and not potential suitors. When both partners swipe right on the same name, the app will notify each user that the name is a match. Couples can then add that name to their list of options.

Unique and modern app interfaces

Some baby name apps have distinctive, unique features that can elevate the baby naming experience for parents. For instance, the Baby Names Meaning & Origin app allows users to see where each name originates from and the meaning behind it. This can be useful for parents who hope their baby's name will reflect their culture or background in some way, shape, or form.

Top baby name apps

Below are some of the most popular baby naming apps available on the app store today. Based on the Apple App Store's Ratings and Reviews section, we've curated a list of pros and cons for each.

Babyname

Babyname utilizes the dating app-esq swipe left/right function to help expectant parents choose a name for their baby. It is currently the most popular and reviewed baby name app available for download, boasting a 3.8-star rating.

Pros:

• It is a fun way to see what names both you and your partner like
• A great mix of familiar and unique names

Cons:

• Left-swiped names may reappear in the deck
• A more diverse selection of names is shown only after an in-app purchase has been made

Kinder

Kinder—which ironically sounds a lot like Tinder—also (unsurprisingly) has the left/right swipe function and has a 4.2-star rating.

Pros:

• Helpful for narrowing down names with your partner
• The app has a nice layout

Cons:

• Issues with the app freezing have been reported
• Limited options in names

Baby Name Genuis by Nametrix

Baby Name Genius functions similarly to the previous two apps regarding the swipe approach. When a name is a match between you and your partner, both parties can see detailed information on the name—origin, meaning, popularity graph and rank. It also has gained an impressive 4.6-star rating.

Pros:

• You can see alternative spelling and check the pronunciation of names
• A lot of statistics for each name

Cons:

• Inaccurate information on name origins and meanings has been reported

Baby Names Meaning & Origin

Baby Names Meaning & Origin has an extensive database of names for expectant parents to sift through. The names are organized into categories based on origin, gender, and popularity. Users can also see the meaning of each name.

Pros:

This app has only 13 ratings—a minimal number—and there are currently no positive reviews to list. That said, the star rating is relatively high at 4.3 stars, which indicates that the app has decent functions.

Cons:

• The only review (from seven years ago) reports a poor selection of names without meanings

Baby Names

On the Baby Names app, names are organized into cool categories such as 'Ancient Names' and 'Colour Names,' as well as general categories based on gender and origin. This app has a 4.5-star rating.

Note: Each review for this app is more than three years old

Pros:

• Provides definitions and rankings for the names, as well as the famous people who share them
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Paid upgrades needed for multiple functions
• Lots of ads

How to use baby name apps effectively

There are a few tips to remember for expectant parents to reap the most benefits from using a baby name app.

First, the number of names featured on these apps could be overwhelming. For this reason, utilizing app features to organize and save favourites is essential to help narrow down name choices.

These features become even more critical when using the apps in collaboration with your partner. Since every individual has at least slightly differing tastes, saving your most-liked names as you browse through the app's selection will make it easier to consider options together.

After spending some time on the app, each partner can share their top picks - ideally along with their reasoning behind each choice (e.g., liking the sound, meaning or origin of the name) - and then together decide whether it should be added to the 'consider further' pile or discarded altogether.

From there, couples can use a process of elimination to gradually narrow down the remaining options until they find the one that best suits their baby.

Considerations when using baby name apps

It is important to remember that baby name apps are a tool, but the final decision is personal, to be made by none other than the parent(s)-to-be. There are also certain factors in choosing a name for your baby that an app just cant help you with. For instance, choosing a name that runs in/is significant to the family. If you or your partner value this sort of tradition, then this is a conversation that needs to be had outside of app usage.

It is also essential to recognize that using these apps does not guarantee you'll find a name you love for your little one. Spending significant time on the app - with or without your partner - is okay, but you may still be unsure. Sometimes, parents are only sure after their baby is born, and that's okay, too.

Parents, trust your instincts. Don't settle for a name just because you think you should or want to alleviate some of the stress associated with entering parenthood. Choose a meaningful name that you'll love for a lifetime, whether that is with the assistance of an app or not.