You hear a lot about how nobody wants to work today but consider the fact that some people are now getting paid to do things you didn’t even know could be considered work. For example, meet 33-year-old Taylor A. Humphrey. She’s an NYU grad who has, according to the New Yorker, worked as a matchmaker, fund-raiser and event planner, in addition to having a couple unpublished screenplays on her hard drive (no shade. Who doesn’t?). But now she is getting work as a “Professional Baby Namer.” What’s more, business is booming. Last year, she helped name more than 100 kids.
In 2015, she established “What’s In a Baby Name?” and started offering to meet with expectant parents to help them choose a name for their kid. Her business offers a range of services from a phone call to an in-depth genealogy deep dive to digging up old family names, customs and traditions. Her work can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000, which might sound like a lot but can you really put a price on your baby’s name? Their precious, precious name?
And she has some success stories! For example, one expectant couple told Humphrey they had their first kiss in a town called Parker. She told them to name their baby “Parks.”
But sometimes, her most valuable work is in what she chooses not to do. One mother fretted that she might need to change the name of her infant daughter Isla because people kept mispronouncing it. Humphrey told her not to change it, and was suitably compensated for her advice. Another satisfied customer.
A little strapped for cash? No worries. She runs a TikTok where you can get some general baby naming advice on the house. She recently advised one mom who already had two boys — Emmet and Miller — on what to name her third bun in the oven, suggesting Grady, Wilson, Waylon or Fletcher.
