Stargrandbabies: The names of celebrity grandkids
By Abby Sandel, Appellation Mountain
Susan Sarandon is a grandmother, and Mick Jagger? He’s already dandling his first great-grandchild on his knee.
Time marches on, and some of those actors and rock stars whose baby name choices made headlines back in the 1970s and 80s are now welcoming another generation of creatively-named children.
Many of the original starbabies have names that were obscure, even surprising, back in the day. Oliver and Miles, Stella and Liv are all quite stylish in 2014, even if they were unusual three decades or so back.
Will it be the same for the stargrandbabies? Some of these names seem likely to catch on.
Read on for some of the most interesting – and possibly influential – grandchildren names.
Amarah – Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Johnson, and took her stage name from a whoopee cushion. Really! But she went with the almost traditional Alexandrea for her firstborn daughter’s name back in 1973. Alexandrea – usually known as Alex – is the mother of Whoopi’s first grandchild, Amarah Skye. Amara is a traditional Igbo name meaning grace. It also shares sounds with all of the _amor-_inspired lovelies: Amy, Amice, and Amoret.
Assisi – Years before Madonna welcomed Lourdes, Mick Jagger’s daughter, Jade, gave the name Assisi to her firstborn. The spiritual place name, home to saints Francis and Clare, has never caught on. And yet, in our age of London and Brooklyn, Assisi no longer feels outlandish.
Beatrice – Bryce Dallas Howard is one of Ron and Cheryl Howard’s four nicely named children. (Her sisters are Paige and Jocelyn, and brother is Reed – talk about being ahead of the curve!) Ron transitioned from child star to director to Hollywood grandpa with the arrival of Bryce’s kids with Seth Gabel. The second-generation actress opted for classics, calling her son Theodore Norman and daughter Beatrice Jean. Jean honors Ron’s mom, also an actress.
Bingham – Goldie Hawn’s grandchildren are all over this list! Let’s start with Bing, a name that brings to mind the crooner Crosby. Goldie’s daughter, Kate Hudson, and her partner, Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy, reportedly chose Bing to honor her step-grandfather, Bing Russell, as well as Matthew’s mother’s maiden name, Bingham.
Charli – Mick’s not the only great-grandparent on this list. Whoopi Goldberg’s granddaughter Amarah is mom to Charli Rose. Charlie is a fast-rising choice for girls, and remains equally popular for boys. Charlee, Charley, Charleigh, and the single-i Charli are also in the US Top 1000 – and rising.
Delilah – Rod Stewart is still having babies. His eighth child was born in 2011. Just a few months later, daughter Kimberly welcomed Delilah Genoveva, making Rod a grandpa. Delilah’s dad is actor Benicio del Toro, so this birth announcement got an awful lot of ink. But the name had already been launched, thanks to 2007’s hit song “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s.
Harlow – Nicole Richie rose to fame as Paris Hilton’s BFF on reality series The Simple Life. Today, Lionel Richie’s daughter is better known for her design business, House of Harlow 1960. The business borrowed its name from Harlow Winter Kate, Nicole’s firstborn with rocker husband Joel Madden. The couple are also parents to son Sparrow James Midnight. Harlow – as in 1930s-era blonde bombshell Jean Harlow – is an edgier take on Hollywood-inspired names like Ava and Audrey. Both Harlow and Winter have taken off since her 2008 arrival.
Leandro – Robert De Niro is another mega-star with kids and grandkids the same ages. Leandro is his grandson, the daughter of Drena De Niro. Leandro makes for a nice Italian heritage choice. Other De Niro grandchildren have equally lovely, but more conventional names, including Nicholas and Alexandria.
Marlowe – Susan Sarandon suggested that her daughter, Eva Amurri, would choose something unusual for her baby-on-the-way. Susan’s granddaughter certainly has a stylish name, but Eva and husband Kyle Martino didn’t go too far when they chose Marlowe Mae for their firstborn.
Miller – Designer Stella McCartney is rock royalty, thanks to dad Paul. Miller is the humble working man name of her firstborn with husband Alasdhair Willis. Stella and Alasdhair are also parents to son Beckett and daughters Bailey and Reiley, making Sir Paul the grandfather of many. There’s also Arthur, Elliot, Sam, and Sid – his daughter Mary’s boys.
Milo – Liv Tyler has graduated from video vixen to serious actress and mom of one. Steven Tyler’s daughter and her ex-husband, musician Royston Langdon, named their son Milo in 2004. It’s a geek chic choice for a rocker’s grandson.
Olivia – Not every celebrity grandkid has an unusual appellation. Colin Hanks, son of Tom, played it safe when naming his daughters with wife Samantha Bryant. Tom’s granddaughters answer to the down-to-earth names Olivia and Charlotte.
Pablo – Maybe my favorite story on this list is Bob Dylan’s grandson, Pablo. The Spanish form of Paul seems more spirited circa 2014. Plus, Pablo Dylan is also an aspiring songwriter and musician, just like grandpa – only Pablo is a rapper.
Pearl – Vintage, lady-like Pearl is about the last thing I’d expect for a granddaughter of Ozzy Osbourne. But so it is. Daughter of Jack Osbourne and wife Lisa Stelly, Pearl Clementine is actually grandchild number five for the rocker.
Poppy – Second-generation actress Jessica Capshaw made Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg grandparents 2007, with the arrival of son Luke Hudson. Daughters Eve Augusta and Poppy James followed. Poppy is huge in the UK, but remains under-the-radar in the US, where the name has never cracked the US Top 1000.
Rio – The Spanish word for river, as in Rio Grande, has seen use for boys and girls. No Doubt’s Tom Dumont gave the name to a son in 2008. But Rio makes this list thanks to Rio Laura Hudson, Goldie Hawn’s only granddaughter, and daughter of Oliver Hudson and Erinn Bartlett.
Tatia – Trivia question: who was the first of the Beatles to become a grandpa? Ringo Starr. His son Zak welcomed Tatia Jayne in 1985. Tatia is now a rocker in her own right, a bass player for Belakiss. They’re big in Japan.
Wilder – Yet another Goldie grandkid! Wilder Brooks was born in 2007. With brother Bodhi Hawn and sister Rio Laura, it makes for a great sibset – daring and unexpected, but not outlandish.
Vivienne – The youngest Jolie–Pitt might have the most influential name of them all! Vivienne, Knox, Shiloh, Zahara, Pax, and Maddox have all seen their given names rise at least slightly since their high profile birth announcements. The six kids make this list thanks to their grandfather, Angelina Jolie’s dad, Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight.
Are there other celebrity grandchildren who belong on this list? What are your favorite celeb grandkids names?