Once upon a time, baby showers and nurseries were filled with pastel pinks and blues and yellows and greens; emblazoned with Mickey and Minnie and Winnie the Pooh; a distinct style for babies that no one would ever use anywhere else in their home or life.
Fortunately, most people have now figured out that babies don’t actually care about that particular aesthetic. And modern baby brands recognize that their products aren’t just for babies. They’re for adults who are taking care of babies. Strollers, wagons, car seats, bouncers, bottles, high chairs, wraps, cribs – all these and more can be designed in a way that works well for babes and fits into their parents’ modern lifestyle.
So, what do names look like in this unique baby-meets-adult space? A lot of them aim to sound modern and streamlined while still conveying a hint of playfulness.
Double letters are rampant in aesthetic baby brands. Uppababy, Bugaboo (and their Bugaboo Bee and Butterfly!), Veer, Ella, Keenz, Bokee, Stokke (and the Stokke Clikk!), Joovy (and, um, all of their dozens of products!). Albeebaby, Babyletto, Baby Brezza. MamaRoo. Solly. Doona. And so many more.
Some names use a lilting rhythm reminiscent of children’s rhymes: Mima Moon, MamaRoo and Comotomo feel like they could be found on a page next to Humpty Dumpty and The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Others have a bit of magic or joy baked into them: Wonderfold, Larktale, Bumbleride.
Repetitive sounds, reminiscent of baby talk, also sit well in this space. Nuna, Nanit and Mima all feel a bit like “goo-goo-ga-ga,” yet still feel appropriate for design-conscious parents.
Other brands aim to sound a bit more refined with Italian-sounding names, whether the companies are actually Italian (Agio) or not (Babyletto, Tutti Bambini, Baby Brezza).
We also see many names here that end in vowel sounds, which often makes a name feel soft and friendly — e.g. Ella, Solly, Doona, Bokee, Babyletto, Joovy. They’d feel quite different without those endings — Ell, Soll, Doon, Bok, Babylett, Joov.
While there’s plenty of variety in the names of aesthetic baby brands, almost all of them have clearly aimed to balance appeal to design-focused adults with a juvenile cue, whether that’s directly using a word like ‘baby,’ creating an image like Bumbleride, or using a nursery rhyme-inspired tone like Mima Moon.
After thinking about these fun trends and tactics, our creative juices are flowing. Got a baby brand to name? Get in touch.
Jill Stanewick is a director of naming & strategy at Tanj.