Baby name expert reveals her biggest ‘icks’ — from ‘overly-matchy’ monikers to ‘crazy’ spelling
Picking the right baby name isn’t child’s play — and for one consultant there are many monikers that give her the “ick.”
Colleen Slagen, a baby naming expert and mom-of-three, boldly dished on the naming conventions she finds cringy in a recent TikTok video that has drummed up debate online.
To start, she decried sibling names that sound “overly matchy” or when a new mom takes someone else’s prospective baby name.
“I’m not saying everyone can just stick their claim on a name,” she explained. “But if your partner’s sister says she loves the name Mila but she’s not having kids yet; if you get pregnant with a girl and name her Mila, an idea you got from her, with no acknowledgement [that’s an ‘ick’].”
Slagen also dislikes “crazy” spellings of common names.
“Changing the spelling of a super common name is not the way to be original,” she argued.
Speaking to Today, Slagen also said she doesn’t mind drawing inspiration from the family tree and reusing names of ancestors, adding that she also believes that the mother should have more say than the father.
“I think the person pushing out the baby has a bigger stake,” she told Today.
In the comments, hundreds of viewers offered up their own baby name “icks” — and how they chose their children’s monikers.
“As a twin mom I really hate when other twins have names that basically rhyme,” one parent wrote. “It’s so confusing! I don’t know why they do that to themselves.”
“When I was naming my kids, I always started with the yelling test,” someone else said. “If they can’t tell which one you’re yelling at, that’s a problem.”
“My ick is when people forget they’re naming future adults,” another chimed in. “I saw a video on here where the girls’ names were Trendy and Truly. Like, imagine applying for a job and your name is TRENDY.”
Slagen’s video comes amid criticism of influencers who give their children trendy or unique names that are slammed as bizarre online.
Model Nara Smith, for one, has three children — a daughter named Rumble Honey, a son named Slim Easy and their youngest daughter named Whimsy Lou — and has been widely criticized for her moniker choices.
Reality star and internet personality Francesca Farago was also subject to ridicule after sharing her list of potential baby names while pregnant. The new mom, however, just gave birth this month and revealed the names of her fraternal twins: Locket Romance and Poetry Lucia.
Despite backlash, unconventional names are on the rise.
Slagen, in partnership with Parents.com, analyzed data from the US Social Security Administration to predict which names will be the hottest in 2025.
“I think there is a lot more perceived pressure these days largely due to social media,” Slagen told Parents.
“Choosing a baby name feels comparable to having to establish a family brand. It is a lifelong decision you’re making for someone else, which also adds a bit of pressure.”
For baby girls, the hottest baby name of 2025 is set to be Margot.
That’s followed by Georgia and Miller. Then, there are a slew of “-ie” names: Scottie, Andie, Billie, Lottie, Goldie and Hallie.
For baby boys, the traditional name George came out on top, tailed by Cal, Beckham, Tate and Rocky. Also on the list was Hollis, Teddy, Boden, Casey and Crew.
Slagen noted an influx of gender-neutral and old-school names could indicate a trend for next year.
“Pop culture has definitely impacted the rise in gender-neutral names,” Slagen said. “They are versatile and often feel like a unique choice. Choosing a name typically used for one gender for the opposite gender.”
“Vintage names,” on the other hand, “feel timeless and established,” she added. Because the monikers haven’t been in vogue in recent years, naming a child an older name “feels like a very fresh choice.”
“In a way, choosing something old-timey feels like you’re escaping more modern trends,” she continued. “However, vintage choices are on-trend, and some have become quite popular.”
