Frequently asked questions

Before you book

Can I just book a package?

Yes. If you know what you want, choose your package on the Services page and book it online. Within one business day I will email you the questionnaire, and for the Signature Consult and Heirloom Package, a link to choose a time for our call.

Do I have to buy a package to talk to you?

No. If you would rather talk first, every family is welcome to a free fifteen minute call. There is no preparation needed and no obligation at the end of it. Some families leave that call with everything they need and never buy anything, and that is a perfectly good outcome.

Which package should I choose?

Most families choose The Signature Consult at $497, because most people, once they start, want to talk it through with me rather than receive a report and decide alone. It is also the first tier that includes a revision round. The Discovery List at $197 suits families who want a researched shortlist without a conversation. The Heirloom Package at $997 is for complex heritage, a difficult surname, or wanting the whole thing handled with no loose ends. If you are unsure, the free call is designed to answer exactly this.

How far along should I be?

Anywhere from the first trimester onwards works. The most common time to start is the second trimester, once you know you want to take the decision seriously but before the deadline starts to feel close. That said, I have worked with families in week 38. It is never too late.

Do you work outside British Columbia?

Yes. I work with families in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and across Canada, and consultations are by video, so where you live makes no difference to the work. I can also work with families outside Canada.

The work itself

How long does it take?

Your name report arrives within seven days of your completed questionnaire. Consultations are booked at a time that suits you, usually within a week or two. If you are working to a tight deadline, tell me before you book and I will be honest about whether I can meet it.

What if we do not like any of the names?

It is rarer than you might expect, because the questionnaire is long and deliberately specific and the names you are shown are chosen against your answers rather than guessed at. But it happens, and what follows depends on which service you chose. I would rather be plain about this before you buy than after.

The Discovery List is one curated report, built from your questionnaire. It does not include a revision round, so it is not an open ended search that continues until a name lands. If none of your ten to fifteen names feels right, I will put the full $197 towards a Signature Consult if you upgrade within thirty days, so we can talk it through properly rather than guess again on paper.

The Signature Consult includes one revision round after our conversation, for exactly this situation.

The Heirloom Package includes two revision rounds. Each one refines the names we have built together rather than starting again from nothing with a new list.

If you think you are likely to want more than one round, choose The Signature Consult over The Discovery List from the start.

Do you just give us a list of names?

No. Every name comes with its etymology, its history, how it sounds against your surname, how it has moved through time, and the specific reason it was chosen for your family. The point is not to hand you options. It is to hand you a name you can explain.

We have a difficult surname. Can you help?

That is often exactly why families come to me. Sound and rhythm against the surname is assessed in every package, and a genuinely challenging surname is one of the clearest reasons to choose The Heirloom Package.

We are a multicultural family. Can you work with names from our heritage?

Yes, and this is some of the work I care about most. Cultural and heritage research is included from The Signature Consult upwards. The questions of pronunciation, family expectation, and how a name travels between two cultures are treated as the serious questions they are, not as obstacles.

Do you choose the name for us?

Never. I research, curate, and explain. The decision is yours, and it should be. What you are buying is the confidence that comes from having genuinely considered the options rather than guessed well.

Is any of this confidential?

Completely. Anything you tell me about your family, your surname, or why certain names are off the table stays between us. I may refer to my work in general, anonymised terms, never with identifying details.

Practical

How do I pay?

Online, in Canadian dollars, when you book your package. If you start with a free call instead, I will send you the booking link afterwards.

Can I reschedule a session?

Your first reschedule or missed session is free, with as much notice as you can give. After that a $75 CAD fee applies. Plans change in the final months of pregnancy and that is expected.

What is your refund policy?

You can cancel for a full refund within 48 hours, as long as you have not yet submitted your questionnaire. Once the questionnaire is in or a session has happened, the work is underway and built specifically for you, so it is no longer refundable. The Art of Naming, as an instant digital download, is a final sale. The full policy is on the refund policy page.

Do you help with legally registering the name?

No. I do naming guidance, not legal registration. Confirm the naming rules and registration requirements with the vital statistics office in your province or territory.

How do I get The Art of Naming?

It arrives in your inbox immediately after purchase as an 88 page PDF. The launch price is $39 CAD until 1 November, then $49. If you later book any package within sixty days of buying the book, the price of the book comes off. Your code arrives with your order confirmation. See the book.

Something else?

Email me at hello@thenamesakestudio.ca and I will reply within two business days, or book the free call and ask me directly.