Name Guru to the Stars: Predicting Names for Babies Bloom and Bynes
It might be the quarantine that has me feeling nostalgic for better days, but this group of celebrity pregnancy announcements is taking me back to my childhood.
I remember listening to Destiny’s Child on the family CD player in elementary school; as a pre-teen I watched all of Amanda Bynes’s movies with my siblings (She’s the Man, anyone?), and Katy Perry’s “Firework” was the number one jam at all the bat mitzvahs I attended.
Now we’ve all grown up. These stars of my childhood — LaToya Luckett, Katy Perry, and Amanda Bynes — are having babies, and I’m here to predict what they might name them.
My forecast for these women and more (Camilla Luddington is pregnant!) in this month’s batch of celebrity baby name predictions:
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Flynn Christopher (previous relationship)
In what was undoubtedly the biggest celebrity pregnancy announcement of the month, Katy Perry revealed her baby bump in her new music video, “Never Worn White.” She’s expecting her first child with Orlando Bloom, who is already father to nine-year-old
Flynn. Normally I might predict names that match Flynn for this baby’s name, but we’re talking about Katy Perry — she’s going to do her own thing. I’m expecting something bright, loud, and punchy (and for a girl, feminine), just like her style. These are my top picks:
Girl: Coco,
Cleo,
Fuchsia,
Goldie,
Maxima,
Roxie,
Soleil,
Trixie,
Winter,
Zadie
Boy:
Beck,
Dash,
Evander,
Onyx,
Ozzy,
Rocco,
Rockwell,
Slater,
Wolf,
Zeppelin
Amanda Bynes and Paul Michael
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Amanda Bynes has been trying to keep a low profile in recent years, so it would seem counterintuitive to choose an outrageous, attention-grabbing name for her child. That said, Amanda Bynes is nothing if not unpredictable. I think the name could have some shock value — maybe a creative spelling or unexpected gender-bend. Truly, I’m not sure what to expect from Amanda and Paul. They could go in a number of directions for their baby name, be it basic or hipster or completely original. I’ve tried to cover all the bases:
Girl:
Billi,
Ella,
Frankie,
Graysen,
Jaxon,
Lucky,
Mia,
Nyla,
Rainy,
Zelda
Boy:
Apollo,
Duke,
Gage,
Ludo,
Luke,
Magnus,
Maximus,
Ryder,
Xander,
Zeke
Camilla Luddington and Matthew Alan
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Hayden (g)
Grey’s Anatomy star Camilla Luddington is British but chose a very American name for her daughter —
Hayden. Unisex names have only risen in popularity since she and husband Matthew Alan named their daughter three years ago, so another one is likely in the cards if this baby is a girl. For a boy, I’m sensing something handsome and established, but with a modern edge — think
Clark,
Grant, or
Pierce.
Girl:
Delaney,
Ember,
Everly,
Finley,
Harlow,
Parker,
Piper,
Reese,
Rowan,
Teagan
Boy:
Bentley,
Blake,
Clark,
Cole,
Dawson,
Garrett,
Grant,
Pierce,
Porter,
Walker
LeToya Luckett and Tommicus Walker
Gender: unknown
Siblings:
Madison (previous relationship), Gianna
Iman
Destiny’s Child alum LeToya Luckett is expecting her second child with entrepreneur Tommicus Walker. The couple are parents to
Gianna, often called
Gigi, and
Madison, from Tommicus’s previous relationship. If this baby is a girl, I suspect we’ll see a stylish and girly name, much like
Gianna.
Audrey and
Stella would be very appropriate. I’d love another Italian name for a boy —
Enzo is suave and super-cool, and
Romeo is extremely dashing. My long shot pick is
Renzo, a rad short form of
Lorenzo that is just waiting to be discovered.
Girl:
Aria,
Audrey,
Bella,
Jade,
Layla,
Luna,
Maya,
Sienna,
Stella,
Zoey
Boy:
Atticus,
Cairo,
Callan,
Enzo,
Koa,
Luka,
Mateo,
Renzo,
Romeo,
Zion
Hayley and Tyler Hubbard
Gender: boy
Siblings: Olivia “
Liv” Rose, Luca Reed
Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard is about to be a dad to three under three. His wife Hayley is pregnant with their third child, a brother for
Liv and
Luca. Should they stick with the L theme, my top pick for them is
Leo. It’s an on-trend international favorite, just like
Liv and
Luca. If Hayley and Tyler break their pattern,
Jude and
Miles are my favorite options.
Boy:
Elliot,
Ezra,
Jack,
Jude,
Leo,
Logan,
Miles,
Nolan,
Owen, Sawyer
Joy–Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth
Gender: girl
In recent years we’ve seen the Duggar family move away from solely Biblical names (although many still have spiritual relevance), as evidenced by the most recent births of
Gracie,
Bella, and
Addison. Last July, Joy–Anna Duggar tragically miscarried at twenty-weeks. She was carrying a girl, whom she and husband Austin Forsyth named
Annabell
Elise. They’re going to welcome a daughter this summer, and if she has a name along the lines of
Annabell, it’s going to be feminine with a hint of romance. I love the idea of
Genevieve, but it seems as if this generation of Duggars is staying away from letter themes with their own kids. My next best guess:
Evangeline.
Girl:
Caroline,
Cecilia,
Eliana,
Evangeline,
Genevieve, Julianna,
Liliana,
Madelyn,
Samantha,
Savannah
Amy and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Gender: unknown
Amy and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are expecting another little one, and I’m trying to calculate the likelihood that we’re going to see a Dale Earnhardt III. Dale is pretty dated, and I’d be surprised to meet an infant with the name (only 126 baby boys received it in 2018). However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is actually Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr., and
Ralph is a name that’s ready for revival.
Isla and
Ralphie? I’m all for it. If they don’t want to go for a III, I’ve got plenty of other options for them to consider. Including girl names — because that’s also a possibility.
Girl:
Arya,
Aurora,
Callie,
Evie,
Gracie,
Lily,
Mila,
Olivia,
Ruby,
Scarlett
Boy:
Axel,
Beau,
Brooks,
Jude,
Lincoln,
Maddox,
Maverick,
Micah,
Parker,
Ralph
Patti Murin and Colin Donnell
Gender: girl
Siblings: none
It’s a girl for Patti Murin and Colin Donnell — their first child. The acting couple met while performing in the play Love’s Labour’s Lost, which would make a Shakespearean name particularly apt for their little girl. The couple also has Irish roots, so a name like
Maeve or
Rory — familiar to American ears, yet distinctively Irish — may be in order. Or combine the two and go with
Regan, an Irish name featured in King Lear.
Girl:
Alice,
Aria,
Beatrice,
Cordelia,
Flannery,
Jane,
Maeve,
Nora,
Regan,
Rory
What are your top picks? Tell me your predictions!