We Asked 5 Moms How They Chose Their Kids’ Names— Here’s What They Said

We are always fascinated by baby names and the process of choosing a Mini moniker that fits your babe, holds special meaning, and will stick with them for the rest of their lives. You might find yourself seeking inspiration from other parents, literature, and TV shows, or simply selecting a name that’s been in your family for generations. There are so many paths that can lead you to the best baby name for your little one and we make it a point to ask nearly every mom we interview for their take on the name game.

In our new summer issue, we asked five moms-including Daphne Oz and The Giving Keys’ Caitlin Crosby–how they chose their kids’ names. Here’s what they had to say:

Daphne Oz

“I don’t know how we became these people. My husband is an over-planner; I’m not at all, but he normally keeps me on track. We got to the delivery room and did not have a name. [Domenica’s] middle name is one that we thought about for Philomena, but we loved the initials PBJ so much that we went with a different name for her. We loved her name, it was one that stood out to us. [Domenica] means “blessed” and we loved the nickname Nica also. Domenica Celine felt very celestial, serene, and happy, and it went well with our other kids’ names.”

–Chef, Author, Mom of Four

Shelley Sanders

“Howl is part named after the Allen Ginsberg poem, Howl. The book was on our bookshelf and both my husband Teddy and I liked it. Additionally, Teddy is a Howlin’ Wolf fan, so that may have helped confirm our name choice. For Arrow, I met a little girl named Arrow and thought it was very cute and paired well with Howl. Goldie just had to be Goldie. In fact, her full name is Goldie Darling. When I was imagining her before she was born, I imagined her to be a Goldie, bright and sweet. I also like that it was a nostalgic name.”

-Founder, The Last Line

Hillary Kerr

“We both liked [Clark] and how it sounded with my husband’s last name, Leahy. It’s such a melodic name, so we knew we wanted something that would compliment it and Clark seemed like the right fit. Luckily we were on the same page about names, though it’s a good thing Clark was a boy as we’d never decided on a girl’s name.”

–Co-founder, Clique (Parent company to WhoWhatWear), Second Life podcast host

Caitlin Crosby

“I wanted to name [Brave] after one of the words on our key products and my husband mentioned that one and we were both like, “YES!”

–Founder, The Giving Keys

Priya Shukla

“It actually came to me in a dream. It’s a sad story with a very happy ending. I was really depressed after suffering a miscarriage. I had a dream where I believe I was visited by an angel who told me that I would be having a baby girl soon and her name is Belle. I woke up from that dream feeling positive and uplifted for the first time in ages and I just knew it to be true.”

–Senior Vice President of Global Communications, Vera Wang

How did you choose your baby’s name? Tell us below!

Find more inspiration with these 40 Old School Baby Names That Are Making a Comeback or the Most Popular Unisex Baby Names of All Time.