Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 26

Do you find it easier to name girls or boys? Traditionally the name pool for girls has been larger (although the options for boys are ever increasing). For some, the plethora of choices for girls makes it easier to find a name they love, while for others the number of options can be overwhelming.

For Jessica Simpson, the girls name pool wasn't big enough. She borrowed from the boys when naming her daughter Maxwell in 2012. Now that she has another daughter on the way, will we see a similar situation?

This month, many other celebrities announced they are expecting girls. Kehlani, Teresa Palmer, and Egypt Sherrod are all going to be having daughters next year. And the biggest celebrity pregnancy news of the month—Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are having a baby (although no news yet on whether it'll be a prince or a princess).

We've got a lot of star-babies to look forward to in the coming year, and many of them are sure to have interesting names. I've made my prognostications, but I'd love to know—what do you think these celebrities are going to name their babies?

Alejandra Silva and Richard Gere
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Homer James Jigme, Albert (previous relationships)
It can be hard to find a name that merges the styles of blended families, but with sons named Homer and Albert, it shouldn't be too difficult for Alejandra Silva and Richard Gere. Another old-fashioned, clunky-cool name seems to be in order whether it's a girl or a boy. Either way, I'm hoping he or she will have a Tibetan middle name like Richard's son Homer. Richard Gere is a human rights advocate with a strong focus on Tibet, so it's nice to see his love of the culture spill over into his choice of baby names.
Girl: Adelaide, Augusta, Cleo, Etta, Frances, Harriet, Josephine, Martha, Matilda
Boy: Archie, Bernard, Chester, Conrad, Forrest, Otto, Walter, Watson, Winston
*Update* Welcome, Alexander!

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson
Gender: girl
Siblings: Maxwell Drew (g), Ace Knute
Back in 2012, Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson defied expectations by naming their daughter Maxwell. Now that they're expecting another girl, everyone is wondering if Jessica and Eric will surprise us again. What do you name a sister to Maxwell? I'm thinking they might go with another gender-bending choice, but perhaps she'll choose something traditionally unisex.
Girl: Everett, Finn, Jameson, Lennox, Phoenix, Quinn, Remington, Sawyer
*Update* Hello, Birdie Mae!

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Christopher "Kit" Carlton, Hal Auden
With sons named Kit and Hal, Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch are obviously big fans of succinct nicknames with a hint of British flair. There are plenty of quirky-cute British nicknames that haven't yet made the leap over the pond. I'd love to see them use another one-syllable name, especially if it's a boy, and perhaps get a bit more playful if it's a girl.
Girl: Dolly, Dot, Ginny, Lucy, Lula, Maude, Millie, Penny, Pippa, Rose, Tess
Boy: Billy, Bram, Finn, Jack, Jay, Jem, Len, Lou, Mac, Ned, Robbie, Seb, Theo

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
One of the biggest celebrity babies of 2019 is undoubtedly going to be that of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The world's favorite couple is expecting their son or daughter in the Spring, and already the bettors are taking their guesses as to what his or her name will be. It's likely they'll choose a classic name with some history of use in the monarchy, but that's not a guarantee. Harry and Meghan have a bit more leeway than Will and Kate, since their child will be further down the line of succession. If it's a boy, I'm holding out for Spencer. It's a strong and handsome name that would beautifully honor Diana.
Girl: Alexandra, Alice, Dorothea, Elizabeth, Isabelle, Louisa, Sophia, Victoria
Boy: Albert, Arthur, Charles, Edward, Frederick, James, Jasper, Philip, Spencer
*Update* Archie Harrison!

Kehlani Parrish and Javie Young-White
Gender: girl
Siblings: none
Mononymic singer Kehlani is expecting her first child with Javie Young-White. The couple is spiritual and artistic, so I'd be very curious to see their short list for baby girl's name. Odds of a word name are high—I'm getting a lot of night sky and astrological vibes from Kehlani and Javie, so I wouldn't be surprised if they uses any of the following:
Girl: Celestial, Dream, Frida, Indigo, Lavender, Lotus, Mystery, Nova, Soleil
*Update* Baby girl is Adeya Nomi!

Teresa Palmer and Mark Webber
Gender: girl
Siblings: Isaac (previous relationship), Bodhi Rain, Forrest Sage
Teresa Palmer and Mark Webber are going to be having a girl! They have two sons together, and each has a name ripe with natural significance. It's almost a given that baby girl will have a combination of nature names—the question is, which ones?
Girl: Aspen, Clover, Haven, Iris, Juniper, Lark, Laurel, Prairie, Willow, Wren
*Update* Welcome, Poet Lake!

Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
What kind of baby name will Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer choose? Considering one of them is not a celebrity, I'd imagine this name is going to be more "normal" than one might hope. A possible clue—Amy's dog is named Tatiana (after actress Tatiana Maslany), but goes by Tati. Keeping that in mind, I choose some more names for the couple with strong consonant sounds and nickname options.
Girl: Edith, Genevieve, Josephine, Juliet, Marlowe, Miranda, Olivia, Romilly
Boy: August, Beckett, Benjamin, Dashiell, Harrison, Jacob, Maxwell, Nathaniel
*Update* It's a boy—Gene Attell!

Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson
Gender: girl
Siblings: Simone (previous relationship), Kendall
It'll be a houseful of girls for Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson, as they are set to welcome daughter number three into their family in 2019. She'll be closest in age to their six-year-old Kendall, so it's likely her name will fall closer to the modern and unisex part of the spectrum, rather than be French and feminine like Simone.
Girl: Addison, Ashlyn, Aubrey, Brooklyn, Emerson, Jordan, Olivia, Waverly
*Update* Welcome, Harper Skye!

Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 8

Brent Blossom via Dribbble

This month of celebrity pregnancy announcements was quite eclectic. We have some celebrities who go all out with their baby name choices--yes Geri Halliwell, I'm talking about you. Others lead more private lives, and choose less outrageous names to match. Neither way is better than the other--great names come out of each (Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch is an A+ name). Although I have to admit, it's pretty fun to predict the name of Bluebell Madonna's future sibling.

Christina and David Arquette
Gender: boy
Siblings: Coco (previous marriage), Charlie West
It's another boy for David Arquette and his wife Christina. They chose the friendly, likeable name Charlie West for thier first son, so I expect something along the same lines for his brother.
Boy: Alex, August, Eli, Henry, Jack, Liam, Milo, Oliver, Owen, Parker, Theo
*Update* Very close--Augustus Alexis!

Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Bluebell Madonna (previous marriage)
Bluebell Madonna frequents the lists of Craziest Celebrity Baby Names. Will Geri Halliwell choose another wild name for baby number two? I hope so!
Girl: Blossom, Coco, Juniper, Moxie, Poppy, Romy, Tigerlily, Trixie, Velvet
Boy: Caspian, Huckleberry, Loyal, Peregrine, Phoenix, River, Valentine, Zeppelin
*Update--Bluebell's brother is Montague George Hector!

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Jack (previous marriage), Liam, Stella, Hattie, Finn
The McDermotts are often considered to have the best sibset in Hollywood. Stylistically the names work really well together, and they're all perfectly on trend. Whatever they choose for baby number five, I know it's going to be great.
Girl: Dolly, Elsie, Evie, Georgia, Ivy, Lucy, Minnie, Nellie, Ruthie, Tilly, Violet
Boy: Charlie, Dashiell, Everett, Felix, Gus, Jude, Milo, Otto, Rudy, Toby, Wyatt
*Update* It's a boy! Beau Dean McDermott

Rochelle and A.J. McLean
Gender: girl
Siblings: Ava Jaymes
Ava Jaymes is a sweet and sassy name that's full of spunk. I expect the McLeans to use a similar formula to name their second daughter as they did with Ava--a well-liked first name with a spunky middle.
Girl: Chloe, Grace, Hazel, Leah, Lila, Kira, Maddie, Mia, Olivia, Ruby, Sofia
*Update* Welcome Lyric Dean!

Lea Seydoux and Andre Meyer
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Lea Seydoux is having her first child, and I can't wait to hear what she names him or her. Lea is a French actress, so I have a feeling she'll choose a name that shares her European roots.
Girl: Amelie, Beatrice, Camille, Elinor, Emmeline, Madeleine, Silvie, Veronique
Boy: Adrien, Auguste, Charles, Henri, Julien, Luc, Quincy, Remy, Romain
*Update* A baby boy--George!

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Christopher Carlton
Christopher Carlton is the appropriately British, classic name Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch chose for their first child. I suspect his sibling will get an equally sophisticated and stylish name--maybe one of the ones below.
Girl: Abigail, Amelia, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Emma, Olivia, Philippa, Samantha, Victoria
Boy: Andrew, Jonathan, Matthew, Nicholas, Samuel, Sebastian, Timothy, William, Zachary
*Update* Another boy--Hal Auden!

Amber Tamblyn and David Cross
Gender: girl
Siblings: none
It's a girl for Amber Tamblyn and David Cross! They could go in any direction with her name, but I'm guessing we'll see something sweet, cute, and upbeat from this comedy couple.
Girl: Elsie, Frankie, Georgia, Gracie, Lola, Lulu, Phoebe, Poppy, Ruby, Stella, Susanna
*Update* Hello, Marlowe Alice!

Ciara and Russell Wilson
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Future Zahir (previous relationship)
Ciara's oldest son Future is named after his father. I wonder if this means a possible son will be called Russell, like his dad. For a daughter, I doubt Ciara is on the list, but maybe a fun musical or word name to match the boldness of Future.
Girl: Aurora, Bliss, Cadence, Eden, Emerald, Love, Sable, Sienna, Story, Xara
Boy: Ace, Austin, Carlton, Cassius, Chance, Justice, Maverick, Reign, Russell
*Update* I was right--baby girl is Sienna Princess!

Best Unisex Names for Boys

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This list surprised me in many ways. The first is by some of the names. I never would have guessed that names like Dominique, Kimball, and Wynn are all more popular for boys (to be fair, they're all pretty close in terms of boy/girl usage). Second, this list is quite a bit longer than Monday's. I would have thought that there are more unisex names that are considered "for girls" rather than the other way around. Granted, I couldn't have thought of every unisex name, so there still could be more "girlish" ones, I suppose. Let me know what you think--are all of these better suited for the boys?

Abbott
Adrian
Aiden
Alex
Anchor
Angel
Ari
Ash
Ashton
Birch
Bo
Brady
Brighton
Cameron
Carlton
Casey
Cedar
Charlie
Chris
Christian
Cove
Dallas
Daryl
Devin
Dominique
Doran
Drew
Dylan
Elliot
Ellis
Evan
Gardner
Garland
Glenn
Gray
Finn
Flynn
Hart
Hayden
Jazz
Jordan
Jory
Joss
Justus
Keegan
Kimball
Kyle
Lake
Lane
Lincoln
Logan
Linden
Maguire
Mercer
Micah
Nico
Noel
North
Oak
Oakley
Parker
Paxton
Phoenix
Quincy
Ray
Reece
Reid
Ren
Rio
River
Rory
Rowan
Ryan
Sacha
Sam
Samar
Sawyer
Sean
Storm
Tate
Terry
Toby
Tony
True
Tyler
Wynn

Stylish Choices Outside the Top 1000: 2014 Boys

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Uninspired by the names in the top 1000? Looking for something particularly unusual? Consider one of the following names for your son--none of them were given to more than 204 boys last year (and some were only given to 5!) It's all after the jump.

Full Names for Charlie

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We recently discussed Full Names for Charley, which got me to thinking, "What are other options if you want to name your son Charlie?" Turns out, while there are less options for the male Charlie, there are still more than enough choices.

Expected:
Carl- He's mostly a dad name nowadays, but the nickname Charlie livens him up.
Carlos- Spanish speakers would normally call him Carlitos as a nickname, but Charlie works too.
Charles- The classic.

Unique:
Carlton- Don't worry about The Fresh Prince of Bel Air references, those will be long gone by the time he's in school.
Carlo- Hipper than Carlos, maybe it's that "O" ending.
Carlson- He sounds a little dowdy, but Charlie is a great nickname to change that.
Charleston- The dance, the city, so many great associations for your little Charlie!

Unheard of:
Carlisle- A little feminine, but if you're planning on calling him Charlie, I say go for it.
Carmichael- The obvious nicknames are Mike, Mikey, Mickey, etc., but Charlie is the freshest of them all.
Carroll- It's too bad he sounds like a middle aged woman, because Carroll would make a really nice choice for a son.
Charlton- Sounds like a butchered version of Carlton.

Full Names for Charley

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As of late, Charlie has been heading towards the girls. Charley, Charleigh, and Charliegh are the more common female spellings, and are often used as a nickname for Charlotte. I'm not a big fan of Charley on a girl (maybe I'm bias, I have a brother named Charlie), however she's rising fast. Love Charley but not Charlotte? Take a look at this list.

Expected:
Carlotta- The Spanish form of Charlotte would make a very nice way to get to Charley.
Carolina- Better pronounced CARE-oh-LEE-nuh than CARE-oh-LINE-uh.
Caroline- Classic and lovely.
Carolyn- Ready for a comeback? Maybe, with this spunky nickname.
Charity- She's a dated virtue name, but everyone's heard of her.
Charlize- A household name, thanks to Charlize Theron.
Charlotte- She's gaining popularity at lightning speed, so watch out.

Unique:
Carissa (Charissa)- She is pronounced without the "H" sound, and is a very feminine name for the tomboyish Charley.
Carla- Yes, she's a little old, but Charley freshens her up.
Carlton- Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Carlton makes this one available for the girls.
Carmela- The sweetest way to get to Charley.
Carmen- A recent celebrity baby name, and a great full name for Charley.
Charisse- A girly French name that means "grace."
Charlene- Very dated, but Charley makes her sound fresh.
Charmaine- An unexpected way to get to Charley.

Unheard of:
Chardon- A Native American unisex name that means "sand bar."
Charisma- A word name that might be a lot to live up to.
Charlette- Unfortunately, she will often be confused with Charlotte.
Charlot- She rhymes with Harlow, but seems like a miss-spelling of Charlotte.
Charnell- She could go by Charley or Nellie.
Charo- A Spanish name meaning "rosary." Perfect for families with Spanish heritage.