Appellation Mountain‘s Abby Sandel covers several bases in the Nameberry 9 this week, mostly centered on the complexities of  celebrity baby names. 

Jeremy Sisto is stumped.  He and wife Addie Lane are already parents to daughter Charlie Ballerina.  Now they’ve welcomed a baby boy, but apparently the right name has proved elusive.

Imagine the pressure.  Not only do you have the neighbors and grandparents and colleagues saying, “Congratulations!  What’s his name?” but then there’s People Magazine and US Weekly and probably your publicist, too.

Given all the talk of baby name regret that we’ve heard over the last few weeks, maybe waiting to decide isn’t such a bad idea.  James Van Der Beek and wife Kimberly also welcomed a son last week, a little brother for Olivia.  So far Baby Van Der Beek is also nameless – or at least, the proud parents aren’t sharing.

All babies do get names eventually, of course, and a few of the names in the news this week are the very opposite of the Sisto/Van Der Beek situation.  It looks like Jessica Simpson’s choice is now public knowledge, and Jersey Shore’s Snooki has shared her shortlist for a baby boy.  But if the reality star has a daughter, she could be in the same boat as Sisto – in an MTV special, she said she had no ideas for a girl’s name.

My kids’ names were picked ages before they were born, and my husband and I shared them without hesitation.  But it is an enduring question.  How far in advance can you decide?  Do you need to meet the baby first?  Even if your mind is made up, dare you share the name?

This week’s list is so interesting that you have to believe the parents put lots of thought into the names in advance:

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So you’ve scoured the Earth and still haven’t come up with the perfect name for your baby.  Maybe it’s time to look skyward to broaden your horizons.  There’s a whole galaxy of interesting and evocative celestial names to choose from, including those of planets and their satellites, constellations and single stars.  These range from simple human names like Faye and Helene to those carrying the romantic resonance of Greek and Roman myth.

Check out our list of celestial names and, for even more ideas, have a look at our Angel Names and Space Names.

First, some names of planets and their satellites:

AMALTHEA

ARAGO

ARIEL

ATLAS

BIANCA

CALLISTO—the second largest satellite of Jupiter, discovered by Galileo

CALYPSO

CORDELIA

CRESSIDA

DESDEMONA

DESPINA

DIONE

ELARA

GALATEA

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