Shopping for a name

Minnie Zhou / Unsplash

Most parents name their children after family members or famous people, or they simply find a name that just sounds nice coming off the tongue.  But now you can name your child after a lamp.

IKEA Norway has launched a baby name portal that includes 800 names that once were names of IKEA products.  Each name in the portal includes a picture of the furniture with which it was associated.

Although IKEA names many of its products after geographic features around Sweden, it appears that most of the names in the database are “normal” first names – although some are more familiar than others.  By American standards, Dora, Amanda and Paul are mainstream. But new parents also can broaden their horizons to include Scandinavian names like Oddrun and Ragnborg.

At first glance, it seems like a goofy idea, but probably not.  IKEA probably gets a lot of revenue from your parents on a budget. If you use IKEA as a source of naming inspiration, you’re probably going to retain a fondness for the brand forever. It would be hard to think about home furnishings without thinking about IKEA if you use their database to name your child.  

Plus, this gimmick has received news coverage from NPR and the Associated Press, among others, so the earned media alone surely has been worth it.