Cool New Celebrity Baby Names
By Abby Sandel
What a busy week! There’s been a royal birth – no, not that royal birth. A candy entrepreneur welcomed colorfully named twins. A reality star gave birth to a son, and so did a famously private Hollywood power couple.
Every celebrity baby name in the headlines this week was on trend – colors and surnames, Biblical boys and place names for girls.
Something else the names had in common? Most of them pushed the boundaries. While we’ve become accustomed to surnames as first names, no one expected the one Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher chose for their son. And we’re used to place names, but it’s a surprise to hear one from the royal family of Monaco.
And yet surprise names that can seem outlandish at first sometimes catch on. In many cases, a high-profile birth announcement is all it takes to go from only-in-Hollywood to mainstream favorite. Do you think any of these will be the next big thing?
Wolfe – Let’s start with Kimora Lee’s fourth baby! The model turned fashion mogul is also mom to daughters Ming and Aoki with ex-husband Russell Simmons, as well as son Kenzo from a relationship with Djimon Hounsou. Now she and new husband Tim Leissner are parents to son Wolfe. It’s an eclectic quartet, but one that works – global, stylish, and bold.
Montgomery – Actors Sasha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher are famously private, so we weren’t expecting a birth announcement when they welcomed their third child last month. But now the news is out. It’s a boy, a brother for Olive and Elula Lottie Miriam. Montgomery makes for a dashing name, a little bit old Hollywood, a little bit modern surname choice. No word on whether they’re calling him Monty or not, but I rather hope so!
Moses – Montgomery’s full name is Montgomery Moses Brian. Brian is probably after Isla’s dad. Moses has a much longer history of use, and you’ll find Old Testament patriarchs from Jacob to Levi to Noah on nearly any playground. Isla and Sacha’s choice of Olive for their eldest daughter proved influential. Could Moses spark a trend?
Cooper – American icon Ralph Lauren is a grandfather! He and wife Ricky are the parents of three grown children: sons Andrew and David, and daughter Dylan. Dylan is the founder of mega-candy store, Dylan’s Candy Bar. Now she’s also a new mom to twins with husband Paul Arrouet. The pair played it safe with their son’s first name, Cooper. Cooper currently ranks Number 84 in the US, and has been in the Top 100 since 2007.
Blue – If Cooper is a common first name, Blue is a bit surprising in the middle spot. Sure, Cher had Elijah Blue way back in the 1970s. But more recently, it’s made headlines as the first name of Beyonce’s baby girl. Still, it seems like Blue is making more and more parents’ shortlists for a possible middle name for both genders. Dylan’s son could be right on trend.
Kingsley – Let’s say you’re a woman named Dylan. And your mom? Her name is Ricky. No surprise that another baby girl in the Lauren line has been given a traditionally masculine name. Lots of -ley ending choices do end up popular for our daughters. Think Hailey, Paisley, Hadley, and Kinsley, plus former favorite Ashley. Despite that, Kingsley seems especially surprising on a girl – but maybe in our age of Royal and Reign, it’s bound to catch on.
Rainbow – Dylan and Paul’s son has one color for his middle name, but their daughter? She has them all. Her full name is Kingsley Rainbow. Rainbow made headlines in 2013 when reality television alum Holly Madison named her daughter Rainbow Aurora. It’s a bold choice, but with our affection for nature names, plus ‘o’ ending names for girls from Harlow to Margot catching on, maybe it isn’t so outlandish.
Milla – Did you choose your baby’s name in advance? If so, did you tell anyone? Fredrik Eklund of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing New York is expecting a daughter with his husband, Derek Kaplan. Fredrik recently shared the happy news, along with the name they’ve chosen: Milla. Single ‘l’ Mila has skyrocketed into the US Top 100 in recent years, but double ‘ll’ Milla remains rare – for now.
India – Andrea Casiraghi might not have a title, but his mom is Princess Caroline of Monaco, and he’s fourth in line to the Monegasque throne – it made him quite the eligible bachelor. The not-quite-prince settled down a few years ago, marrying heiress Tatiana Santo Domingo and welcoming a son, Alexandre. Now the family has added a daughter. Word is that they’ve named her India. Tatiana is a partner in Muzungu Sisters, a business that sources fair trend fashion from around the world – including, yes, India. We’re still waiting for an official announcement, but this well-travelled name seems to suit the international couple.
Do you think any of this week’s celebrity baby names in the news will catch on? I have my eye on Wolfe, Moses, India … and maybe even Rainbow!