The Name Consultation: a personal shortlist from the name nerd
By Julia, founder of Lucky Names
You have a surname, a feeling, and a hundred thousand names.
I have a decade of quietly obsessing over names, and a database built on real US records. Send me your world in one thoughtful form, and I will send you back a shortlist that actually fits: names chosen for your sound, your roots, your last name, and how rare you really want to be. Every pick comes with its honest popularity, its meaning, and why it is on your list.
If the swiping apps and endless lists feel like too much, this is the calm human alternative. You talk. I do the digging.
Every other consultation you will find sells a feeling. Mine is a feeling backed by real records.
Only a few founding consultations each week, so every one stays personal.
What you get
- A 25+ question intake that makes you think. Most parents say this alone was worth it.
- A written Name Consultation, delivered as a keepsake PDF: 12 to 18 names across three angles, each with real US rank, meaning, roots, and how it flows with your last name. Plus my top three, and why.
- Nickname ideas for every name, and a longer list of honorable mentions.
- One optional 15 minute follow-up, by call or WhatsApp.
- An optional voice note: me saying your shortlist out loud, because hearing a name is often what decides it.
- One round of tweaks after you read it.
How it works
- Book, and get your intake link.
- Fill it in. I read it, and message you if I need one thing to get it right.
- Within three to five days, your written consultation lands in your inbox.
- One follow-up and one revision, then it is yours to keep.
Why me
Dozens of consultations
I have read names for more than twenty families over the years, the friend people come to for this. Now I am opening it up.
Data-driven, not vibes
Every pick is grounded in official US Social Security Administration records and real birth registries, then checked against your actual last name.
I built the engine
Lucky Names is my own database and method, not a borrowed list. You get a consultant's checks, plus the human who made them.
What the intake looks like
The form is the secret. Nine short sections, more than twenty-five questions:
- The basics: your stage, your last name, siblings, who is deciding.
- What you are optimizing for: meaning, sound, rarity, heritage, gut.
- Taste: five names you love, five you cannot stand, and why.
- Popularity comfort: how rare you actually want it.
- Roots and language: heritage to honor, languages it must work in.
- Meaning and honoring: virtues you love, anyone you want to remember.
- The real constraints: names you cannot use, initials, nicknames.
- Together: your partner's must-haves and vetoes.
- Practical and open: middle name, how many options, anything else.
Honest, always
Popularity comes from official US Social Security Administration records, not vibes. I can find you a genuinely rare name, but no one can promise a name no other child will ever have. This is a keepsake, made carefully, not a guarantee.
A first choice, and a backup you already love
Second-guessing a name is normal. A 2024 BabyCenter survey found about 1 in 10 mothers feel some name regret, most of it in the first weeks, and a UK Mumsnet poll put it closer to 1 in 5. That is not a warning. It is a reason to take this seriously now, calmly, while you have time.
A consultation gives you the two things the last-minute panic steals: a first choice you have actually thought through, and a backup you already love. A shortlist in hand beats a scramble under the hospital lights.
Frequently asked
What do I actually get?▾
A written Name Consultation: 12 to 18 names across three angles, each with its real US popularity, meaning, roots, and how it flows with your last name, plus my top three and why. One optional 15 minute follow-up, and one round of tweaks.
How long does it take?▾
Three to five days from when your intake comes in. If I need one thing to get it right, I will message you.
What if I do not love the names?▾
You get one revision round built in. Tell me what missed, and I will re-read and send a fresh set.
Can you guarantee a name no other child will have?▾
No, and anyone who promises that is not being honest. I can find you a genuinely rare name using official records, and tell you exactly how rare it is. That is real. A guarantee is not.
Do you work with any culture or language?▾
Yes. Roots are cross-checked against real birth registries from more than ten countries, and I check that a name works across the languages your family speaks.
I have Lucky Names Premium. Is there a discount?▾
Yes. If you own Lucky Names Premium, your $19.99 comes back as credit toward a consultation, so it is $79.99.
Ready when you are
One choice. A lifetime of meaning.
Prefer to do it yourself? The app is free to browse. Or meet the name nerd.