Frequently Asked Questions

What is a baby name bracket?

A knockout tournament for names. Instead of ranking a long list in one go, you compare two names at a time and pick a winner; winners advance until one name is left. It borrows the format from sports tournaments because the format is good at exactly this — turning many options into one, without needing anyone to hold the whole list in their head.

How many names do I need?

Two is the minimum. Somewhere between eight and twenty is the sweet spot: enough that the result tells you something you didn't already know, few enough that voting doesn't become a chore. Lists don't need to be a power of two — the bracket pads itself with byes and gives them to your top-ranked names.

Is it free?

Yes, entirely, with no account and no sign-up. The site is supported by advertising on its content pages.

Can I use it with my partner or family?

Yes. Create a shared session and you'll get a link; anyone with it can add names from their own device and the list syncs for everyone in real time. Note that voting is currently per-person — you each play your own game from the shared list, then compare results.

Can I upload a list instead of typing?

Yes — CSV, XLSX and XLS files are all accepted, and the names are read from the first column of the first sheet.

What is Name Dating?

The third game, and the only one that never compares two names. It deals your list one name at a time and asks a single question: do you like it? Swipe right to keep a name, left to set it aside, or star the ones you love. A left swipe does not delete anything — the name leaves the deck but stays on your list, and you can take it back at the end.

It is the fastest of the three: one swipe per name, against a knockout's one vote per name and Rank Match's vote on every pair. What it gives you is not an order but a shorter list, with the starred names on top — which is usually the right first pass over a long list, and leaves something short enough for the other two games to be worth playing.

What happens if I close the tab mid-game?

Nothing is lost. Your list of names is saved in your browser, and so is the game you were in the middle of: come back and it is offered to you to resume, and refreshing the page mid-game puts you straight back on the same matchup or the same card.

What do you do with the names I enter?

Names typed on your own device stay in your browser. Names added to a shared session are stored in our database so other people in that session can see them — anyone holding the session link can read them, so treat the link as the key it is. Full detail is in the privacy policy.

Why did my favourite name lose?

In a knockout, a name can only lose to one other name — and if that name is the eventual champion, your favourite may have gone out early despite being your clear second choice. That's a property of knockouts, not a judgement. If you want a trustworthy full ordering, use Rank Match instead — or, if you only want to know which names you like at all, Name Dating, which never eliminates anything.

Does the result mean I have to use that name?

No. It's a decision aid, and the most useful signal it produces is often your own reaction to the result rather than the result itself. If the winner appears and you're disappointed, you've learned something more valuable than the winner.