Future Baby Names: Our Name Guru’s latest picks
by Sophie Kihm
As the Future Baby Name Guru to the Stars, celebrity baby names are always on my mind. I keep my eye on all the pregnancy rumors (can it please be true that Kate Middleton is having twins?), and I’ve been known to react to birth announcements at inopportune times (sorry, Professor)—because yeah, I have starbaby push notifications on my phone.
So which celebrities am I especially excited about this month? For starters, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin (shown) . Their supersized sibset is so chic and well-coordinated (not to mention artistic!)—they’re basically my prognostication dream. I’m also looking forward to Rachel Bloom. She’s having a baby girl—her first!—and I think she’ll choose something fun and playful for her name.
But that’s not all the celebrity pregnancies we have this month! Chris Noth is having a baby boy, as are Christina Milian and Matt Pokora. Siri and Carson Daly are expecting their fourth child, and Eva Amurri is going to welcome her third.
I’ve made my future baby name predictions, and I’d love to hear yours. Leave a comment below with your picks, or stop by our Instagram, where I post my predictions on Tuesdays.
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Ireland (previous relationship), Carmen Gabriela, Rafael Thomas, Leonardo Ángel Charles, Romeo Alejandro David
Predicting Baldwin baby names is always a treat—all of their children have very dramatic, romantic names with incredible style. Hilaria is a self-proclaimed lover of artist names—Leonardo and Rafael’s names were inspired by the painting masters Leonardo DaVinci and Raphael. I’ve included plenty of those here, along with some other Latin and Spanish names that would go well with the sibset.
Girl: Amada, Beatriz, Esmeralda, Estella, Inez, Lucia, Luisa, Olimpia, Paloma, Pilar
Boy: Antonio, Diego, Domenico, Francisco, Joaquin, Pasqual, Santiago, Teodoro, Valencio, Valentino
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Jackson James, Etta Jones, London Rose
Siri and Carson Daly are due with their fourth child this Spring, and I’m very curious to see what they name him or her! Their three older children are Jackson, Etta, and London, which makes for an eclectic sibset. Etta feels like the odd name out in this group—sweetly vintage compared to Jackson and London’s modern vibes. Which direction will they go with for baby number four? I’ve got choices on both sides of the divide, along with ones that bridge the gap.
Girl: Emmeline, Everly, Hadley, Harlow, Josie, Juliette, Madeleine, Margot, Sadie, Willa
Boy: Archer, Charlie, Emmett, Henry, Lucas, Miles, Owen, Parker, Theo, Weston
Gender: boy
Siblings: Orion Christopher
Tara Wilson and Chris Noth are parents to an eleven-year-old son who they named Orion back in 2008. Orion is a Greek mythological name and constellation name—it’s one of the brightest constellations in the night sky. Tara and Chris are expecting their second son, and they could go with another name from mythology—perhaps Atticus—but I could also see them choosing a name with deep history, such as Cassius or Cyrus.
Boy: Atticus, August, Cassius, Cyrus, Dexter, Hugo, Jude, Lucian, Rex, Royce
Gender: girl
Siblings: none
Actress Rachel Bloom is due in April with her first child—a daughter. She and husband Dan Gregor have a female dog named Wiley, which suggests they may choose something androgynous and/or nickname-y for their baby girl. I particularly like the idea of Rosie for them—the floral connection is a nice tie in to Rachel’s surname, Bloom.
Girl: Charlie, Billie, Libby, Lila, Marnie, Noa, Romy, Rosie, Sadie, Sophie
Christina Milian and Matt Pokora
Gender: boy
Siblings: Violet Madison (previous relationship)
Christina Milian and Matt Pokora are expecting their first child together—a brother for Christina’s daughter Violet. Matt—whose full name is Matthieu—was born and raised in France, so this baby will have to have a name that sounds good in both French and English. That doesn’t mean the name will necessarily be French in origin, but perhaps one that is stylish in France as well as the US. Taking that, along with Christina’s Afro-Cuban roots into account, I think one of the following could work for Christina and Matt’s baby:
Boy: Adrien, Beau, Beckett, Blaise, Kenzo, Leandre, Nolan, Oscar, Rafael, Theo
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Marlowe May, Major James
Will they or won’t they go with another M name? I can’t say I’m always a fan of same-letter sibsets, but in this case there are a lot of M names that would work really well, particularly for boys (I could really see them using Madden). But even if they don’t decide to do a theme, other modern, unisex names, such as Arden or Brecken would sound great with Marlowe and Major.
Girl: Anniston, Arden, Emerson, Everly, Madison, Maeve, Monroe, Sloane, Sutton, Tinley
Boy: Boden, Brecken, Bridger, Corbett, Decker, Drexel, Macsen, Madden, Maverick, Mercer
Tessa Gräfin von Walderdorff and Barron Hilton
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Tessa Gräfin von Walderdorff is a countess from a German noble family, and Barron Hilton is one of those Hiltons (he’s Paris and Nicky’s brother), arguably American royalty. The Hiltons are known for using family names—Barron is named after his grandfather, William Barron Hilton, who went by Barron, and there are a number of Conrads and Nicholases on the family tree. So chances are we’ll see an honor name in either the first or the middle position. My favorites are Adelaide, August, or Genevieve from Barron’s side, and June from Tessa’s.
Girl: Adelaide, Annabel, Anneliese, Caroline, Eva, Francesca, Frankie, Genevieve, June, Matilda
Boy: August, Barron, Fritz, Henry, Julian, Nicholson, Richard, Sebastian, Walter, William
Jessica Blair Herman and Allen Leech
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Irish actor Allen Leech, of Downton Abbey fame, is going to become a parent for the first time in 2020, along with his wife Jessica Blair Herman. If they do go with an Irish name, it will probably be one that is very American-friendly—think Grady, Maeve, or Rowan. I think it’s more likely they will choose a name that is popular in Ireland and well-received in the US, perhaps one of the following:
Girl: Abigail, Amelia, Eva, Hazel, Isabel, Lucy, Maeve, Rory, Rowan, Sadie
Boy: Adam, Ben, Callum, Grady, Jack, Jacob, Max, Nolan, Oliver, Samuel
Sophie Kihm has been writing for Nameberry since 2015. She has contributed stories on the top middle names of 2019, the top baby names in each state, and the hottest nickname names of 2018. Sophie is Nameberry’s resident Name Guru to the Stars, where she suggests names for celebrity babies. She also manages the Nameberry Instagram and Pinterest accounts. You can follow her personally on Instagram or Pinterest, or contact her at sophie@nameberry.com. Sophie lives in Chicago.