Unless you are half of one of those very special couples who are always on the same page, you can probably relate to Brittany and Jason Aldean’s baby name struggle: As the Night Train singer recently told Field and Stream Shop, they’ve had trouble agreeing on a name for their baby boy.


“We found out picking a name for our son has been tougher than we thought,” Jason said in the interview. “Names that I liked, she didn’t like and names that she liked, I didn’t like.”

Linda Rosenkrantz of Nameberry.com tells Motherly that the Aldeans are far from alone in their dispute.

A baby-naming expert and co-author of 10 books on the subject, Rosenkrantz shared with Motherly some tips for couples who just can’t seem to agree on what to call their child:

Allow for eliminations

Rosenkrantz: “In general, when couples can’t come to an agreement, it’s best to take off the table any name one of them is strongly against for any reason, including belonging to an ex-partner or someone they have negative associations with.”

Split it down the middle

Rosenkrantz: “If you absolutely can’t find a name you both love, agree that one of you will choose the first name, the other one the middle. Or one will name this child and the other will name the next.”


Play favorites

Rosenkrantz: “Each can draw up a list of favorites, switch them, and have the ability to cross out the no-nos.”


Find common ground

Rosenkrantz: “Talk about your feelings about gender identity: Do you agree on whether you like ultra-feminine or masculine names or prefer more unisex choices? Also think about popularity: Do you like mainstream or more unusual names?”


Consider family trends

Rosenkrantz notes that the Aldeans already have some limits when choosing their prospective names after stating publicly that they want a unique and unusual one—that also must fit alongside the names of Jason’s older kids, Kendyl and Keeley.

Rosenkrantz: “If you already have children, consider how the new baby’s name would blend with the others. I can’t imagine Kendyl and Keeley with a brother named Ezekiel.”

The good news for the Aldeans is they still have time to decided on their son’s name, as Brittany isn’t due until Christmas time—and they are making headway with a final few names on the list. Unfortunately for us, whatever they decide, Brittany said fans will have to wait to hear the name until the baby is born.