A mum is paying a complete stranger to help choose the name of her newborn baby. Natassia, 34, and her husband, Peter, 37, couldn’t agree on a name for their child.
The mum from Knightsbridge wanted something fresh and original, while the dad wanted to name their child after someone they know. To avoid any arguments, the couple decided to outsource the job.
Natassia put out a request on Airtasker – a community marketplace where you can hire others to do your tasks – and offered £150 to whoever comes up with the best name for their baby. The tot is due to arrive in mid-December and the family have chosen not to know the gender until then.
So far, there have been 54 name suggestions, such as Demi or Xanthi, if the baby is a girl. Suggestions for boy names include Antonio or Tonino.
“The responses have made me laugh and I’ve actually enjoyed reading them,” Natassia said. “It’s taken my mind off the stress. I’m more excited than nervous, to be honest.
“[This] seemed like an easy, stress-free way to solve the debate. We have a lot of friends and family willing to help, but I wanted someone who is not emotionally connected to us.”
The married couple have used Airtasker in the past for simple tasks around their home. Peter was reluctant to get a stranger to choose his child’s name at first – so the pair added a twist to make it more personal. They already share a daughter, two-year-old Yianna, who is going to help with the process.
Natassia said: “We’re going to shortlist three boy and three girl names, write them down and put them in a hat. We’ll then let our daughter pick out a piece of paper and see what the lucky name is!
“We’ve used Airtasker for so many things around the house like furniture assembly to set up our nursery and moving house, so we thought why not give this a shot.”
Natassia and Peter are very open to ideas but have banned one name – George – for personal reasons. In her Airtasker post, the mum wrote: “If you’ve got a flair for picking baby names that make grandparents smile, but still have a touch of cool – please help us out!
“Bonus points if you also have experience in naming pets, plants, or other small beings.”
Many people have shared their ‘qualifications’ for the job. Aakarsha wrote: “I hold a Bachelor’s with honours in Psychology and am currently pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. I’ve worked in a clinical setting as well. I have two dogs and 5 birds – so I know quite a bit about naming pets. And I have a knack for identifying unique names as both myself and my partner have them”.
Dan added: “I’d love to help you and your husband settle on the perfect name, and I believe I’d be a great fit for this task for a few reasons. 1. I’m in the same boat! I’m just eight weeks away from welcoming our second child, so baby names are a big topic in my household. We’ve been through similar challenges, which gives me a good perspective on finding a name that works for both parents.
“2. Personal experience in finding the right compromise. When our daughter was born, my partner wanted to name her Charlotte – a name she had loved for years. I vetoed it because my brother’s wife shares the name. Although it was tough, we found a solution.”
Uzoma said: “I studied Psychology and I understand what’s going on with you and your husband in your bid to name your baby perfectly. I will help you and your husband come to a compromise with a lovely and sweet name for your child, which the grandparents and extended family would fall in love with.”