Steph Coffield of Apple Valley is the founder of Names With Steph, a name consulting company, and the author of two books about baby names.
Apple Valley resident is an expert at helping parents find the perfect name.
Steph Coffield is a gregarious creative with a unique talent: helping people choose a name for their baby. The Apple Valley resident, whose name consulting business has taken off thanks to social media, has a background in acting and theater. “It was really easy for me to start filming videos; it’s so fulfilling to me,” Coffield says. “Names are a craft, an art. It’s creative.”
With about four years of name consulting under her belt, Coffield has self-published two books, Names Don’t Have A Gender and Names Don’t Have An Age. For clients who want personalized help sorting through baby names, Coffield offers tiered consulting packages from the popular Name Bite to a more expansive Luxury Name Experience. “Being a creative person helps me think outside the box and helps me come up with name ideas that people would never consider,” Coffield says. “I view it very open mindedly.”
Coffield’s books tip the typical list-style on its head and organize names by theme, do away with gender-specific labels and offer popular and uncommon names for each category. “I purposely don’t put my books in girl and boy lists. It’s too limiting and binary,” Coffield says. “Some people see River and think it’s beautiful for a girl or beautiful for a boy.”
Coffield’s goal is to infuse the name brainstorm process with fun and enjoyment. “It’s important to be whimsical, because if you let the pressure get to you, it’s really scary to think that I’m giving this child a name they’ll use for their entire life,” Coffield says.
Steph Coffield. Photo: Annie Wiegers Photography
Advice she often repeats is to take the entire pregnancy to land on a name. In fact, you don’t even have to choose until after the baby is born.
“Then the big thing that I repeat a lot is: When you go to the place of birth, go there with a top three choices, and then don’t pick until you meet the baby,” she says. “Don’t be afraid—you don’t have to buy any monograms till after. Take three with you, so you don’t feel panicked if it doesn’t feel right.”
Coffield has her finger on the pulse of what’s trendy. Her videos often take a name that’s popular, identify the “vibe” and other qualities that match it and offer alternatives. People sometimes want a name that evokes a popular pick, like Henry or Charlotte, but is more unique. As for those old fashioned names, Coffield doesn’t see them going anywhere. “Vintage is always big. The old-fashioned grandpa names are ‘in’ constantly,” she says. “People love a gorgeous, old-fashioned name.”
Of course, the biggest factor is consensus with your partner. Coffield suggests casting a wide net, even if it feels uncomfortable. “Make a list with names you’re too scared to use, even,” Coffield says “It helps to keep the lightness about it because there is a lot of pressure on parents.”
Names Don’t Have A Gender and Names Don’t Have An Age can be purchased through Coffield’s website, nameswithsteph.com.
Instagram: @nameswithsteph
TikTok: @nameswithsteph
YouTube: Steph Coffield
