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Short notes on choosing a baby's name.

• How we sort the names in PortugalThe 10,000-plus names approved in Portugal, served by tiers of popularity: the most used first, the rare ones next, none hidden away.
• How we sort the names in the United StatesThe nearly 25,000 names on record in the US, served by tiers of popularity: the most used first, the rare ones next, none hidden away.
• The smart deck behind your matchesNearly 25,000 names in the US, 10,000-plus in Portugal. Nothing shows up at random: the order is deliberate, and the deck even learns from whoever swipes beside you.
• Approved baby names in Portugal: the official IRN listThe official rules for registering your baby's name in Portugal: the IRN list of approved names, the limits on how a name is built, and the exceptions for foreign names.
• Choosing your baby's name together, beyond the usual namesThe list in your head has twenty names. The real one has thousands. How to go through it together, without the choice turning into a negotiation.
• Are there illegal baby names in the US? The rules, state by stateThe US has no official list of approved names: each state sets its own rules on accents, symbols and length. What that means when you pick a name.