Oh Baby! New York Woman Turns Baby Names into Lucrative Business

William Shakespeare said it best when he asked the question: what's in a name?

It's a deep question, isn't it? Though Shakespeare would go on to imply that the naming of things was largely an irrelevant process, parents across the world still put a lot of thought into their childrens' names. Maybe, you want to remember a dear relative through the naming of your newborn. Or, perhaps, there was a name that you and your partner both simply adored.

For New York businesswoman Taylor Humphrey, however, the answer to the question "what's in a name" is approximately $10,000 a name.

But, why?

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Meet Taylor A. Humphrey, The Rich-Person-Baby-Naming Extraordinaire

The story that I am about to tell will seem entirely too good to be true, but in reality, is completely factual, and was reported in a story by The New York Post earlier this week. A graduate of NYU and resident of New York City, Humphrey has owned her own business, adeptly-named "What's in a Baby Name", since 2015. So, for seven years, the mother-of-none has acted as a baby whisperer for anxious expecting parents, helping guide them on their journey to name nirvana.

Some parents, according to the article, have paid as much anywhere between $1,500 and $10,000 for the "naming rights" of their own child. In total, Humphrey pulled in $150,000 in 2020 for her services, which, by my calculation, is more than the vast majority of New York residents make in a year.

Here's Ms. Humphrey on The Tamron Hall Show, explaining a bit more about herself and her career.

So, I know what you're thinking: in what situation could someone possible outsource their naming? Well, here's a few examples:

• Creating a name for a newborn based on where the couple shared their first kiss.
• Counseling the mother of a recently-born newborn who was considering changing the baby's oft-mispronounced name.
• Helping come up with a name that "flows" with the names of the two older siblings.

Humphrey describes her clients as "anxious perfectionists" in the article, and praises their decision to seek help in such a pivotal moment in their relationships.

On Baby Names in the State of New York in the 2020's

Apparently, baby name-related content is becoming a consistent thing for me, as I wrote about the most popular boys' names for New York-born babies back in 2020.

They were:

1. Liam
2. Noah
3. Lucas
4. Jacob
5. Ethan
6. Joseph
7. Michael
8. Benjamin
9. James
10. Alexander

As described by The Post, Humphrey likes to go with names that are a bit more unique, diving deep into the history of the couples' genealogical origins to find names that have meaning and purpose.

So, if you're in a bind with a kid on the way, and in need of some inspiration, Taylor A. Humphrey may be the person you'll want to call.