As you may know, there’s a new baby niece on her way into our family this spring.

Her parents have chosen a name for their baby girl already, but that doesn’t stop the rest of us from talking about our favourite baby names — or the ones we just can’t stand! Not that we expect the expectant parents to change their minds, but there’s just something about debating a list of baby names…

I particularly enjoy going on the occasional rant about people who give their baby girls a name that’s more appropriate for a stripper than for a bank president. Don’t get me started!

Anyway, if you’re in the throes of picking out baby names, for whatever reason, here’s an online tool that might help:

Nymbler is the smart baby name guide that responds to your personal taste. Just choose a few names that appeal to you or let Nymbler offer ideas. Then press “Find Names” and Nymbler will start using its expert knowledge to brainstorm names tailored to fit your style.

Nymbler combines human expertise (Linda Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard) and artificial intelligence (software by Icosystem) to sort through a database of thousands of names to find the ones that fit your taste.

Each name is categorized based on not just the origin and meaning of the name but on a host of other factors — baby name popularity, history of the name, the ethnic, religious and literary associations, even pop-culture references. Choose to search for names for girls, names for boys, or search through both at once. As you mark the baby names that you like and don’t like, Nymbler “learns” about your preferences and suggests more baby names that are based on your personal taste.

(No, not Gertrude, thanks.)

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