Celebrity Baby Names: Predicting what’s next
By Sophie Khim
2017 was a rock-star year for celebrity pregnancies and birth announcements. Mark Zuckerberg, Serena Williams, and Mindy Kaling all welcomed daughters this year. Beyoncé and Amal Clooney each had twins!
We have plenty more to look forward to in 2018. Jessica Alba and Hilaria Baldwin are having sons, there are three (yes, three!) Kardashian babies on the way, and, of course, Kate Middleton is currently pregnant with the newest prince or princess.
There are even some amazing announcements that happened in this month alone. Stars like Dwayne Johnson, Seth Meyers, and Lin–Manuel Miranda are all adding to their broods. John Stamos, Kirsten Dunst, and Eva Longoria are all going to become first-time parents in 2018.
So Happy (almost) New Year! If this month is predicative of the year to come, it’s going to be a good one—in the world of celebrity names at least.
Gender: boy
We all remember Seth Meyer‘s heartwarming explanation of his baby’s name—his son Ashe Olsen is named after “the two most important women” in his life—his wife and mother. Obviously family names are valued by Alexi and Seth, so I wouldn’t be surprised if their next son has one of the following names, inspired by their family trees:
Boy: Alistair, Beck, Laurence, Lorcan, Owen, Sasha, Thomas
*Update* Welcome, Axel Strahl!
Vanessa Nadal and Lin–Manuel Miranda
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Sebastian
Sebastian is one of those names that translates seamlessly through the English and Spanish-speaking worlds, and is considered stylish within each. It can be hard to capture both these qualities in a name, but I have a feeling that will be a priority for Vanessa and Lin–Manuel Miranda.
Girl: Cecilia, Emilia, Isabella, Juliette, Lucia, Maya, Olivia, Valentina
Boy: August, Benjamin, Caleb, Dominic, Gabriel, Julian, Luca, Oscar
*Update* Hello, Francisco!
Gail Simmons and Jeremy Abrams
Gender: unknown
Gail Simmons and husband Jeremy Abrams named their daughter Dahlia Rae back in 2014. Her name has special significance to the couple, as dahlias are Gail‘s favorite flower, and Rae honors a dear relative. Baby number two’s name will likely have a hidden meaning as well, and I can’t wait to hear what it is.
Girl: Agatha, Aviva, Bryony, Cordelia, Elodie, Felicity, Fiona, Harlow, Winter
Boy: Callum, Edmund, Emmett, Graham, Harris, Linus, Rafe, Roscoe, Theodore
*Update* Welcome, Kole Jack!
Lauren Hashian and Dwayne Johnson
Gender: girl
Siblings: Simone Alexandra (previous relationship), Jasmine Lia
Even though his daughters have different mothers, Dwayne Johnson has managed to create a very well-coordinated sibset—Simone and Jasmine. Now that the Rock‘s girlfriend Lauren Hashian is expecting his third girl, I’m anxiously waiting to see which name they add to the mix. I have high expectations for this little girl’s name, and would definitely approve of any of the following:
Girl: Emerald, Gabrielle, Genevieve, India, Jade, Portia, Scarlett, Sienna, Summer
*Update* Baby girl is Tiana Gia!
Kym Johnson and Robert Herjavec
Gender: unknown twins
Siblings: Skye, Caprice, Brendan (previous relationship)
Unlike the Rock, Robert Herjavec took a more eclectic route to his sibset, with children named Skye, Caprice, and Brendan. Now he’s expecting his fourth child with new wife Kym Johnson, and it’s hard to say what style name is in the cards for their latest arrival. Perhaps they’ll find a name that can bridge the style gap within the sibset, or maybe they’ll head in a totally new direction!
Girl: Ainsley, Aria, Bree, Harper, Piper, Tamsin, Victoria, Wynne
Boy: Alexander, Cameron, Connor, Jack, Logan, Nicolai, Weston
*Update* Boy/girl twins—Hudson Robert and Haven Mae!
Caitlin McHugh and John Stamos
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
John Stamos and fiancée Caitlin McHugh are major Disney fans–so much so that they recently got engaged at Disneyland. This makes me think a Disney-inspired name might be in order for their baby on the way. Nothing too obvious—we’re not talking about Mickey or Minnie here—but maybe a name with a bit more subtlety, like Bianca or Flynn.
Girl: Anastasia, Aurora, Belle, Bianca, Daisy, Ella, Jane, Marie, Penny, Ruby
Boy: Flynn, Max, Michael, Oliver, Peter, Percy, Phillip, Samson, Sebastian
*Update* It’s a boy—Billy, named after John’s father
Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons are set to welcome their first child in 2018. Germany is an important country to Kirsten—she has German heritage on her father’s side and is a German citizen. Might her love for Germany extend to German baby names? There are so many great options, so I’d love to see her and Jesse use a German name for their little babe.
Girl: Alice, Clarissa, Frieda, Greta, Ida, Ilse, Romy, Tilly, Zelda
Boy: Axel, Conrad, Fritz, Otto, Raymond, Rudy, Walter, Wolf
*Update* A little boy—Ennis Howard!
Gender: boy
Siblings: Natalia, Mariana, José Antonio, Sebastian (previous relationship)
Eva Longoria is pregnant with her first child—a boy!—who will be José Baston’s fifth. He’s already got an excellent sibset set up with his current children, so hopefully Eva and José will choose a complementary Spanish name for their newest son.
Boy: Alvaro, Bruno, Camilo, Emilio, Fernando, Hugo, Mateo, Marcos, Rafael
*Update* He’s here—Santiago Enrique!