what’s in a name? Apparently a fortune. Recently, the case of a San Francisco consultant allegedly charging $30,000 (approximately Rs 26.6 lakh) for naming a child went viral. Over the years, Taylor A. Humphrey’s high-end service has garnered more than 100,000 followers on social media, highlighting a new demand for expert baby-naming assistance.
Although this is not a new practice, a similar market is emerging in India too. Consultants and agencies are now offering deals and packages to new parents across India and abroad. Here’s why it’s on the rise.
Name the consulting services in India
This growing demand has arisen due to new age Indian parents having very little free time while they want a special, well-researched name for their baby. “I’ve been in this space for seven years. Indian parents have only recently realized that this is an option. Couples are busy and want the best name for their baby,” says Shivangi Varshney, a Delhi-based baby naming run.
His method involves looking closely at the Sahasranama (1,000 names) in ancient texts to ensure that the names are exactly what the parents asked for. Their services, which take about a week, come in three packages, starting at Rs 11,000 and going up to Rs 51,000, which include 25 ideas and possibilities to make changes.
Amit N Bajaj, who runs Kolkata-based Dasbus Namkaran, confirms that business is booming. Their company focuses on a mix of modern and traditional names based on astrology and numerology. Dasbus offers different package levels – Diamond (Rs 10,999), Gold (Rs 6,000), and Silver (Rs 4,500) – and works with NRI customers who want names that ‘feel Indian’ but are easy to pronounce.
Less worries, more value
For customers, these services are an easy solution to the pressure of finding the perfect name. “It’s like hiring people to organize a baby shower or a birthday. Using a name consultant frees you from the stress,” new parents Sonam and Viren Ahuja from Noida tell us. They chose a package that gave them ten names to choose from.
Mumbai-based couple Himanshu and Vibha R Vargia say, “Our parents came up with our name after very little research, but we wanted a meaningful name for our baby girl, so we were at peace somewhere that someone was working diligently on it. We chose a Diamond package with 25 unique names from the Vedas.”
choosing the right name
Thirty-seven-year-old Taylor A. Humphrey turned her passion for baby names into a full-fledged business. She told the San Francisco Chronicle that she began sharing ideas online 10 years ago, calling herself a ‘name nerd.’ Their services help parents choose names that match their personality, tastes, and values ​​by going through detailed questionnaires and thousands of spreadsheets filled with potential baby names.
“I aim to include 15 names in my package,” says numerologist Jaya Verma, who runs Name It Right in Pune. Its highest cost is Rs 4,000 including taxes. Jaya says she receives more than forty orders a day, including rush jobs and requests to correct existing names. Each package comes with an explanation of the name options, their meanings, religious references and why it is best suited for the baby.
