I'm pregnant, with my third child, and the ultrasound gods did not smile upon me. So whereas I was able to select my previous sons' names (Everett, a family name, and Truman, a presidential name that was distinguished by being both unusual and easily pronounceable) by the time I hit five months, with this baby, I'm lost in a sea of uncertainty -- and I only have a little more than two months to go. I have a girl's name, but for boys, what to do?

So, I've been Googling. A friend suggested "Miles" and "Lowell" and (when paired with my husband's name) I quickly eliminated "Miles Hanson" as far too popular, so much so that it appeared on an IRS publication. Ick. And this is the top result for "Lowell Hanson" ... hmmm. While I ultimately discarded "Lowell" for other reasons, the Google factor was definitely in there.

When other bloggers read the Wall Street Journal's report on baby name Googling, they showed a bit of skepticism; Brian White didn't really believe that brands are competing with baby names, while Marc Perton thought Googling for unique names was, most importantly, not a good SEO strategy.

Haha. When I saw the article I just Googled "Kohler Hanson." Hmm... not bad...

If you have any good ideas, by all means, send 'em my way. You might want to Google first.

Is American parenting culture coming to the point where baby names are selected for being "Googly?" That means, of course, how easy it would be to find a name using Google. While there are no doubt tech-obsessed parents who are probably planning the future Googlability of their kids, I'm quite sure the vast majority of the American public could care less about baby names that contain the best "Google" factor.

Newer names that seem to get more inventive (and complex) every year are a way for parents to try and differentiate their kids right from the start. This is great and is to be expected, as is the choice of more traditional names for parents' progeny. After that first step, intense parental competitiveness takes over in those conversations with neighbors and relatives. This is all nothing new, just the modes of delivering this message can sometimes be, as in the form of "honor student" stickers on cars and trucks recently.

I'm still unconvinced that even the 20-something digerati these days are considering a "Google" factor into new babies as part of some kind of slide into embracing the digital-ness of the new information world we all live in. The Wall Street Journal has a different take, as opinion there states that you may be a "nobody" without a name that Googles well. This sounds slightly absurd to me, not totally, but just slightly. Do you agree with a couple who wanted to name their child Kohler (an old family name) that was Google-shared with a line of plumbing items like faucets and toilets? So now brands are competing with family names? Sigh.