Help Jessica Alba Name Baby #3
By Sophie Kihm
Jessica Alba and Cash Warren are expecting their third child, and they have a strict set of requirements for this baby’s name. Jessica recently gave Jimmy Fallon the run-down, but I’ll summarize for you here:
First of all, the name has to be a word name that starts with H, to match their two daughters, Honor and Haven. Secondly, the name can only be one or two syllables (which means Holiday, the name I was originally pulling for, is off the list). Finally, and perhaps trickiest of all, the name has to be “unusual, but not too weird.” I took on the challenge and came up with ten names Jessica and Cash should consider for their baby.
Harbor: Like many of you, the first name I thought of when I heard Jessica Alba was pregnant with her third child was Harbor. It ticks all her boxes, and then some. Not only does Harbor sound good with Honor and Haven, its meaning—“to give shelter to”—is a fitting addition to the set.
Harvest: Harvest may seem like an odd word name choice, but with its similarity to the up-and-coming Harvey, I think it definitely works. Jessica hasn’t shared her due date with the press, but if she ends up having an autumn baby, Harvest would be especially appropriate.
Hawk: Avian names have been popular among celebrities over the past decade (think Nicole Richie‘s Sparrow, Busy Philipps’ Birdie), but no big stars have used Hawk. It’s a bit more intense than Honor and Haven, but it meets all of the couple’s criteria.
Haze: Although Hayes may be the more dominant spelling, it doesn’t cut it as a word name. Haze, however, is synonymous with fog (and less appealingly, confusion and daze). It has a clean, modern sound, much like Honor and Haven and it’s easy to picture them with a brother named Haze.
Helix: A helix is technically a spiral-like shape, but it’s most commonly associated with the double-helix form of a DNA strand. Helix has rarely–if ever–been used as a name, but being so similar to Felix, I think it would work just fine. It’s a bit more edgy than Honor or Haven, but still fits well within the sibset.
Henna: Henna is a reddish dye used for (among other things) hand-drawn tattoos popular in India and the Arabian Peninsula. It also has history of use as a name in Scandinavia. I like Henna with Honor and Haven because they each have a very distinctive sound, and all have five letters—at least one of which is an N. The three of them together make a very visually pleasing sibset.
Holland: Like Honor and Haven, Holland is a girl’s name that isn’t overtly feminine. Additionally, it meets the “unusual but not too weird” standard—Holland has been in the US Top 1000 for only three years, hovering around the low 800’s. There’s only one (potentially fatal) flaw—would Jessica and Cash consider place names to be word names? We’ll have to wait and see.
Hope: Hope seems like an obvious choice for Honor and Haven‘s sister, but is it too common? Hope peaked in 1999 at #144, and is now down to #241. That makes it much more prevalent than Honor and Haven were at the time of their births. If Jessica and Cash can get over that aspect, I’d say Hope has a significant chance of being baby #3’s name.
Hero: While Honor and Haven are rather subdued virtuous words, Hero is bold and brash. The stark difference in style makes me think it would be better for a brother, rather than a sister. Despite the disparities, I think Hero is a strong contender, and would be an excellent choice.
Heron: Although Heron may instantly conjure up images of the long-legged bird, it also is an ancient Greek name meaning “hero.” Heron is much more subtle than Hero, so I think it would be a better choice for Honor and Haven‘s brother. However, it may cross Jessica and Cash‘s threshold of obscurity.
I’m interested to hear what you all think! Tell us in the comments—what do you think Jessica Alba and Cash Warren should name their third baby?
What Name Should Jessica and Cash Give Baby #3?