Teen Earned Nearly £50,000 By Giving Baby Name Suggestions To Chinese Parents Online | HuffPost Life

Parents pay the equivalent of 60p for the service.

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

A teenager has earned nearly £50,000 simply by advising Chinese parents on English names for their babies.

Beau Jessup, 16, from Gloucestershire, started her website ‘Special Name’ six months ago, with the help of a £1,500 loan from her dad who owns a business.

She came up with the idea after visiting China, where she was asked by a woman to give an English name to her newborn baby.

“They explained an English name is vital because you can’t use a Chinese name on an email or a university application to the UK,” Jessup told the Evening Standard. “Your English name stays with you for life.”

SWNS.com

Beau Jessup with her website.

On Jessup’s website, parents are asked to provide their baby’s gender and choose five personality traits (from a list of 12) they want their child’s name to reflect.

The algorithm then associates the traits with three possible names for the parent to choose. The shortlist is given along with their meaning and a famous person who has the name, such as Grace Kelly or Catherine Middleton.

Once parents have made their selction, they are given a certificate with the child’s name and meaning.

The service costs the equivalent of 60p to get three name suggestions, and the process takes under five minutes from start to finish.

SpecialName

Special Name

Since launch, Jessup has helped more than 200,000 parents name their babies.

“It’s nice to be a part of such a happy experience and be a part of those young stages in a baby’s life,” she told BBC Newsbeat.

“I wanted to do it just to see if an idea could turn into more than just simply an idea.

“And I never expected it to become more than just a small project.”

Whether you’re looking for a name that is ‘cool’, ‘cute’, ‘pretty’, or ‘unique’, our Baby Name Generator is here to inspire you. Discover the meaning of your favourite name, browse the 100 most popular baby girl names and baby boy names in England and Wales, or let our Random Name Generator throw up an unusual suggestion.

Retro Baby Names Making A Comeback

Aurelia(01 of08)

Aurelia is the female form of the Roman classic Aurelius and was (unsurprisingly) most popular during the Roman Empire. The beautiful name is pronounced “Aw-REEL-ya” and means “the golden one.” According to Nameberry, Aurelia was one of the fastest-rising baby names in 2013 and in the following year, it broke the U.S. top 1,000 list to sit at number 832. (credit:Blend Images - Mike Kemp via Getty Images)

Emmett(02 of08)

While the name Emmett is on rise for both genders in 2016, it’s actually starting to gain more popularity among girls. Emma and Emily have always been longtime favourites among parents, Emmett is a rare alternative with a fresh sound. While the name does seem masculine, Nameberry points out that some parents have added an “e” to the end to give the moniker a more feminine look and feel.The name originally peaked in popularity in the 1880s, but has gained a lot of attention in recent years. In 2014, Emmett was number 156 for boys, likely due to the craze of the “Twilight” series which featured a character with the same name. (credit:Thomas Northcut via Getty Images)

Ruby(03 of08)

The name Ruby is very much a part of pop culture, which is likely why it’s experiencing a boost in popularity. Not only is the name found in music, such as the Rolling Stones’ song “Ruby Tuesday,” but also in film characters, such as Ruby (Renée Zellweger) in “Cold Mountain.” Ruby was highly popular between 1900 and 1936. During that time, the name was consistently in the top 50 list for girls. In 2013, Ruby finally cracked back into the top 100 list and the following year, sat at number 90. (credit:Tara Moore via Getty Images)

Felix(04 of08)

The name Felix can be dated back to the Bible, but the moniker didn’t hit its peak in popularity until 1910. Although the moniker has fallen off the charts since then, it’s quickly making a comeback thanks to its “x” ending, which gives it its cool factor. Felix, which means “happy and fortunate,” was number 267 for boys in 2014. (credit:Camille Tokerud via Getty Images)

June(05 of08)

June is one of those names that seem more popular than it really is. In the 1920s, this moniker was incredibly common, but its popularity has died down quite a bit since then. June only cracked the top 1,000 again in 2008 and in 2014, it was number 317 for girls. Today, the moniker is gaining popularity among boys as well, since it is a variation of the Latin name Junius, meaning “born in June.” (credit:Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)

August(06 of08)

Surprisingly, August was one of the top 100 U.S. baby names in the 1800s. Today, it’s gaining popularity among boys and girls because it’s unique without being too over-the-top. In 2014, the moniker sat at number 242 on the top U.S. baby name list for boys. Additionally, many celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Garth Brooks and Mariska Hargitay have kids with the name August, which only adds to the moniker’s recent popularity. (credit:Noah Clayton via Getty Images)

Hazel(07 of08)

This trendy, old school name is making a comeback thanks to celebrities and pop culture. Back in 2004, Julia Roberts named one of her twins Hazel and in 2014, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski chose the same name for their daughter. The moniker also gained even more traction in 2014 after the YA novel “The Fault in Our Stars” was turned into a movie, since Hazel is the name of the book’s heroine. Hazel was highly popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although it began to dip in the charts starting in the 1950s and onwards, the rise of nature names has also added to its sudden boost in popularity. (credit:Camille Tokerud via Getty Images)

Ava(08 of08)

Ava is a prime example of how retro baby names can make a successful comeback. Believe it or not, Ava is an ancient name. The moniker was actually first popularized back in 845 (yes, you read that right!) by St. Ava, a woman who was cured of blindness and became a nun. Since then, the moniker’s popularity has tapered off, only to begin rising again in the late '90s. In the past few years, Ava has managed to remain on the top 10 baby name list for girls. (credit:sot via Getty Images)

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