How it all began…
The creators of CharliesNames – that’s us: a small family of four.
In 2015, we were like many other expecting parents: a baby was on the way – and with it, the big question: what should their name be? We lacked ideas – and an inspiring source for fitting first names. No baby name books, name lists, or movie credits helped. We thought: there has to be an easier way!
And that’s how the idea for a baby name app was born – one that lets you search for a name together: inspiring, playful, and purposeful. After a few months of development, we were able to test it ourselves and, with the help of our CharliesNames baby name app, we found a beautiful name for our first son. And a few years later, it helped us again when choosing a name for our second son.
Since then, it’s been our mission to inspire everyone searching for a name.
The team and writers behind CharliesNames
We’re no longer just four – our little team has grown!
In addition to the founding duo Jelka & Stephan, we’re now joined by André, Clarissa, Julia, and Juliane, who all share a love for names, languages, meanings, and origins. Together, we research and write content for you in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Jelka Batteiger
Jelka is part of the founding team of CharliesNames. For almost ten years, she’s been fascinated by names – their origin, meaning, and popularity. Today, she leads our creative writing team and is considered an expert in name research. When she’s not digging into exciting name stories or supporting families in her main job, she enjoys gardening with her three favorite guys.
Stephan Batteiger
Stephan is also one of the founders of CharliesNames. He loves web development, data analysis, and imagining the future of name searching. Professionally, he’s the co-founder of Peerigon and was a long-time volunteer as chair of the Dachau youth council. In his free time, you’ll find him with his little family.
André Gasteiger
André, originally from South Tyrol, is a language lover and one of our experts on name meanings and origins. Thanks to him, you can find information in German, English, French, Spanish, and Italian. When he’s not studying Romance languages, you’ll probably find him on the soccer field.
Clarissa Marinho da Rocha
Clarissa juggles languages like others juggle balls. She moved from Rio de Janeiro to Germany and makes sure you can read all about name meanings and origins in German, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Julia Raba
Julia is pursuing a master’s degree in history and loves writing and researching. She brings you interesting insights into your favorite names. When she’s not strolling along the Elbe river, she’s probably exploring the world with her analog camera and a deep curiosity for other cultures and cuisines.
Juliane Schmetzer
Juliane has a Master of Education and finds working on CharliesNames the perfect balance to motherhood and parental leave. She shares everything you need to know about your favorite names.
Selma Jepsen
Selma is well on her way to becoming a teacher and is actively involved in volunteer and social work, like helping refugees or assisting the blind. For several months during her studies, she was one of our Spanish and Portuguese writing talents.
