More Parents Turn to Social Media for Help Choosing Baby Names

Nashville, TN - According to a recent study near Vanderbilt, an increasing number of new parents are using social media for inspiration when it comes to choosing a name for their babies.

Two new parents, shown here lovingly gazing at their newborn son Mr. Beast, who later attempted to return the baby at a local GameStop

"These are younger parents who have grown up with the internet and social media as a big part of their lives," Mort Fishman MD, an obstetrician and Director of Millennial Engagement for Uber's Deliveries on Demand service, explained. "They understand that a baby's name is a important factor in driving up follower counts, impressions, reach, and ultimately that child's total engagement with their audience."

The new study, which involved leaving survey questions in the comments of more than 500 TikTok posts between January of 2023 and March of 2024, found that 15% of parents are turning to social media for help with choosing a baby name, a dramatic increase from a 1998 study using AOL chat rooms. According to Fishman, who had more than 11 followers on Post News before it was shut down in May, the study's main finding comes as a shock to the baby naming industry. "I couldn't believe it. 15% is just a huge number of babies with names like Hawk Tuah Jenkins. But mostly I'm worried about the lost revenue for professional baby naming services."