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!

If I Could Name 100 Girls: Volume Three

Rae Shoemaker via Dribbble

About one year ago, I posted my second round of "If I Could Name 100 Girls." It quickly became a popular post, so I thought we'd make it a yearly tradition. So, one year later, here are the names I would choose for 100 daughters. The names that are new to the list are italicized, and the ones that got bumped off are noted at the bottom. Tell me, what would you name 100 girls? (it's harder than it looks!)

Agatha
Aldine
Alouette
Amelie
Anais
Annika
Anouk
Avis
Bee
Birdie
Bonnie
Cameo
Celestine
Celia
Circe
Clea
Clementine
Clove
Coco
Darcy
Delphine
Dorothy
Dulcie
Edie
Eliza
Elsie
Esme
Fatima
Faye
Flannery
Frances
Freya
Frieda
Gemma
Georgia
Greta
Hero
Holiday
Ida
Irene
Isabeau
Ivy
Jane
Kalea
Lark
Leonie
Liddy
Lilou
Liv
Lotte
Lucinda
Margot
Martha
Millie
Minna
Moon
Nancy
Nell
Nettie
Noemi
Nona
Noor
Olive
Oona
Orla
Ottilie
Paloma
Penny
Peridot
Phoebe
Pia
Pimm
Pippa
Plum
Poet
Pomeline
Poppy
Posy
Prairie
Prune
Quebec
Quilla
Romy
Rosie
Ruthie
Season
Solange
Soleil
Sosie
Susanna
Tallulah
Tilda
Umbria
Umeko
Viola
Winnie
Xanthe
Zadie
Zanna
Zinnia


Who's New: Agatha, Bee, Cameo, Celia, Clove, Delphine, Dorothy, Dulcie, Eliza, Elsie, Fatima, Faye, Flannery, Freya, Irene, Kalea, Liv, Millie, Moon, Nettie, Noemi, Noor, Oona, Penny, Pia, Prairie, Prune, Rosie, Ruthie, Tallulah, Umbria, Umeko, Winnie, Zinnia

Who Left: Aine, Audrey, Bay, Citron, Dot, Elke, Elsa, Emmeline, Evie, Flora, Greer, Helena, Imogen, Ireland, Kit, Lillias, Lilo, Louisa, Marais, North, Oceane, Reverie, Romilly, Ruth, Scout, Silvie, Simone, Sloane, Suki, Tate, Tess, Vienna, Willa

First Lady Names

Laura Worthington via You Work for Them

Today is President's Day in the U.S., so to honor the holiday, I thought we'd take a look at some noteworthy names of First Ladies. I picked ten I wanted to talk about, but there are obviously so many more I didn't cover. What is your favorite first lady inspired name?

Bird: Lady Bird Johnson 
Lady Bird Johnson, born Claudia Alta, was the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She has perhaps the most unusual monikers out of all the First Ladies, a combination of her childhood nickname (Lady) and affectionate pet name (Bird). Bird makes quite a charming nature name, perfect for the middle position. Alternatively, make it the first name and use the nickname Birdie. 

Bess: Bess Truman
Bess Truman, wife of Harry S. Truman, was born Elizabeth Virginia. She was supposedly called Bessie during her childhood, as a nickname for Elizabeth. I can definitely see Bess coming back in style, especially when used as a short form for Elizabeth. Bessie, however, still reads "cow."

Dolley: Dolley Madison
James Madison's wife Dolley Madison has quite a mysterious name. Some have suggested that she was born Dorothea, others claim Dorothy, and some, just Dolley. The spelling of her name has also been the object of confusion, as documents vary between Dolley, Dolly, and even Dollie. Nowadays Dolley might hold too much baggage with the Dolly Parton association, but nevertheless, she's a sweet retro nickname.

Florence: Florence Harding
Florence Harding, wife of Warren G. Harding, was born Florence Mabel (what a combo!). She has a spectacular name that hasn't quite come into favor yet, despite similar -or- names like Cora and Nora rising in popularity.

Ida: Ida McKinley
Ida McKinley (no middle name) was the wife of President William McKinley. Her name, like many German names is very strong. With short, ends-in-a names being so in vogue, I'd like to see Ida back in the top 1000. 

Letitia: Letitia Tyler
Letitia Tyler was married to President John Tyler, who was first the Vice-President, and then the President of the United States. She vanished from the top 1000 in 1982, although she never broke the top 500. In this day and age, the similar Lettice or Lettie might be more favorable. 

Lou: Lou Hoover
Herbert Hoover's wife Lou was born simply Lou. Nowadays people assume a girl called Lou has a fuller name (Louisa, Lucy, maybe), but back in the late 1800s, this wasn't the case. I love the idea of using just Lou as a first name, but I know many of you won't agree with me. 

Lucretia: Lucretia Garfield
Lucretia Garfield, First Lady to James Garfield's President, was called Crete by those who were close to her. She dropped from the top 1000 in the late '70s, but like Letitia, never made it into the top 500. She might seem a little futsy to modern parents, but I think she's a fun way to get to Lu, Lulu, and the like.

Mamie: Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. She was named Mamie Geneva, after the song Lovely Lake Geneva. Normally Mamie is considered a nickname for Margaret or Mary, but it's not extremely uncommon to see her as a given name. Mamie fits in with all the retro revivals of today, but is not likely to crack the top 1000 anytime soon, so go ahead and use her. Fun fact: Mamie Eisenhower had a sister named Mabel Frances who was called Mike.

Martha: Martha Washington
Martha Washington was the very first of the First Ladies to ever serve the United States. She did not have a middle name--Martha was born in 1731, where it was common practice to not give daughters middle names, since their maiden name would move to that position once they got married. Martha has been on a steady decline ever since the mid-century, but never made it out of the top 1000. I'm hopeful such a timeless name will begin to pick up steam soon.

Nickname Proof Names: Girls

Brandon Beeks via Dribbble

On Monday we talked about nickname proof names for boys, so now it's the girls turn. Again, I've got over 100 names for you to look at--there's something for everyone in the world of nickname-less names. Check it out after the jump.

Puritan Names Worth Considering

Image Credit

We've all heard of those crazy Puritan names--Fear-God, Obedience, and what not--but that's not what I'm hear to talk about. Just in time for Thanksgiving, I've got a list of the more usable Puritan choices--many of them virtue or Biblical names. The Puritans had a big influence on the naming culture during the time of the Pilgrims, and thus, impacted early American (and even current) naming culture.

Adore
Alydea
Amity
Ashael
Azaliah
Charity
Clemency
Comfort
Concord
Constance
Dinah
Faith
Felicity
Fidel
Fidelia
Fidelity
Fortune
Gomer
Grace
Gracious
Honor
Hope
Hopewell
Jethro
Jolly
Joy
Justice
Kezia
Liberty
Lively
Love
Lovell
Loyal
Martha
Mercy
Moses
Nehemiah
Obadiah
Oceana
Oceanus
Patience
Peregrine
Priscilla
Promise
Prudence
Rejoice
Seraphim
Sincere
Tacita
Tacy
Thurgood
Trinity
True
Truth
Unity
Verity
Victory
Virtue
Winthrop
Zebedee

Catalog Names: Paper Source, June 2014

Image Credit

Hooray! Ever since I wrote this post I have been waiting for Paper Source to switch their invitation designs and incorporate new names into their catalog. It finally happened, so take a look at all the new names mentioned.

Girls
Aimee
Alanna
Alexandra
Alexis
Allie
Allison
Amelia (x2)
Amelia Caroline
Amy (x3)
Andrea
Angela
Anne (x2)
Anne Marie
Avery
Carrie
Cecilia Mae
Christina (x2)
Claudia
Dana
Danielle
Deborah Monique
Eileen
Elisa
Elizabeth (x4)
Elizabeth Marie
Ellie
Emily (x5)
Erin (x2)
Gertrude
Gabriella Marie
Heather (x3)
Heidi
Jennifer
Joanna Marie
Jocelyn
Julia
Kailey
Kara
Kara Anne
Karen
Kate
Katherine (x2)
Katie
Kerry
Kim
Leslie
Lindsay
Lindsey Claire
Liz
Lucia
Lucille Frances
Maggie (x2)
Marie
Marisa
Martha
Mary (x3)
Mathilda Marie
Melanie
Molly
Morgan
Nahlia Rae
Naomi (x2)
Nancy
Olivia
Rebecca (x2)
Rose Ellen
Roxanne
Sandra
Sarah
Selena
Stacey
Sylvia
Vanessa

Boys
Alexander (x2)
Anthony Joseph
Benjamin
Brandon Joseph
Brandt
Bryan
Carl
Charles
Clifford Louis
Damien
Daniel
Dave (x2)
David
Dean Weber
Douglas
Dylan
Frederick
Harold
Herbert
Humphrey
Hunter Aidan
James (x3)
Jeffrey David
Jeremy (x2)
Louis
Marcus
Martin
Matt
Michael
Mike
Milan Oscar
Oliver
Patrick
Peter Arthur
Phillip
Robert
Ryan
Theodore
Theodore Jackson
Todd
Tom (x2)
Tyler Horace
William (x2)
William John

Either
Adrian
Cameron
Jamie (x2)
Mischa

If I Could Name 100 Girls

Image Credit

One of my very first posts was called "If I Could Name 100 Girls." A lot has changed for me since 2012, and my taste has definitely shifted. I thought I'd bring it back today to show the evolution of my favorite names.

Aine
Aldine
Alouette
Amelie
Anais
Annika
Anouk
Audrey
Avis
Bay
Birdie
Bonnie
Celestine
Circe
Citron
Clea
Clementine
Coco
Darcy
Dot
Edie
Elke
Elsa
Emmeline
Esme
Evie
Flora
Frances
Frieda
Gemma
Georgia
Greer
Greta
Helena
Hero
Holliday
Imogen
Ida
Ireland
Isabeau
Ivy
Jane
Kit
Lark
Leonie
Liddy
Lillias
Lilo
Lilou
Lotte
Louisa
Lucinda
Marais
Margot
Martha
Minna
Nancy
Nell
Nona
North
Oceane
Olive
Orla
Ottilie
Paloma
Peridot
Phoebe
Pimm
Pippa
Plum
Poet
Pomeline
Poppy
Posy
Quebec
Quilla
Reverie
Romilly
Romy
Ruth
Scout
Season
Silvie
Simone
Sloane
Solange
Soleil
Sosie
Suki
Susanna
Tate
Tess
Tilda
Vienna
Viola
Willa
Xanthe
Zadie
Zanna

Catalog Names: Mini Boden, October 2014

Image Credit

Last week my monthly Boden catalogs came in the mail, and there was good news and bad news. The good news was that there are new models, which means new names to talk about. The bad news? They are no longer listing the names in the women's Boden catalog. Only Mini Boden. That kind of bummed me out, but there were so many great kids names that it made up for it (almost). Let me know what you think.

Girls

Expected:
Cecilia
Hope
Jessica
Julia
Kaia (x2)
Matilda
Molly
Regan
Sara
Sofia

Unique:
Aimee
Amelie
Martha
Poppy
Rebeka
Winona
Yasmin

Unheard of:
Bronte
Cai
Caprii
Kyja


Boys

Expected:
Cameron
Daniel
Ethan
Finn
Jackson
Noah

Unique:
Declan
Freddie
George
Markus
Teddy
Tristan (x2)

Unheard of:
Barnaby
Orlando
Soli

Share a Coke Names: Part Two

Might as well go with Nell ;) Make one here.

Okay, back for more. To do this post, I looked at all the names they sold in stores in the UK. Turns out it's a lot more. Like, almost five times as more. It took a long time to get all this data, but I've got some interesting observations for you guys. I'm going to list all 1,146 (!) names after the jump, then we can talk about them.

My hand hurt after writing seven pages of this.

Song Names: The Beatles

Image Credit

So many musicians have songs titled with (mostly female) names. The Beatles are no exception. Their songs offer great inspiration for baby names. And how fun would it be to have a special "name song?"

Girls:
Anna- Classic and elegant.
Bonnie- I have always thought Bonnie would be super sweet on a baby.
Clarabella- Pick one.
Eleanor- The song is sad, but there are other great songs with Eleanor in the title.
Heather- Too dated for a baby.
Julia- She will always be in style.
Lizzy- A cute nickname for Elizabeth
Lucille- Beautiful on her own or called Lucy.
Lucy- Always sweet.
Maggie Mae- I'm not usually a fan of alliterating names, but I really like Maggie Mae.
Martha- Super wearable. I am a Martha advocate. More people should use her.
Mary Jane- Not sure about the combo, but either on their own are nice.
Penny- Lovely, and now Penelope is back in style, so there's a perfect full name for her.
Prudence- Not quite ready for revival.
Rita- Ooh, I could see this one being cute on a young girl.
Sadie- I love Sadie, but prefer Zadie.
Sally- Why not?

Boys:
Johnny- I think it would work on a baby.
Jude- Great name, great song.
Lane- Preppy.
Robert- I like it. You can call him Bertie.
Rocky- Cute if he's short for Rockwell.
Teddy- A great nickname that works for so many names.

Catalog Names: Boden Spring 2014

via Boden

I'm starting to think Boden chooses their models solely on their names. I mean, really.

P.S. The kids names are mostly the same this time around, but I'm including them anyways. P.P.S. Why don't they include the names of the babies?!?

Girls 
Expected:

Anna

Elle

Emily

Grace

Julia

Nicole

Sarah

Veronica 

 

Unique:

Blake

Chanell

Filippa

Fiona

Freya

Lotte 

Martha

Olga

Selma

 

Unheard of:

Arlenis

Cintia

Egle

Giedre

Inguna

Lucca 

Thyra

Boys

Expected:

Adam

Caleb

Charlie

Matthew

Michael

Oliver

Theo

Ryan

Will

Unique:

Ellis

Harry

Hayden 

Tre

Unheard of:

Brando

Rafael

Ralf

Pictured above is the gorgeous named, and just straight up gorgeous Arlenis.

Catalog Names: Mini Boden, Winter 2013

When your my age, you aren't looking at the Mini Boden catalog for the clothes (though those are super cute, and I do enjoy looking at them). You look at the Mini Boden catalog for the names. Hands down the best catalog for name perusal is Mini Boden, and you can see why.

Girls:
Amaury
Amelie
Cai
Daisy
Eleanor
Emily
Felicity
Hattie
Ivy
Jessika
Julia
London
Lotte
Martha
Olivia
Sophie
Tiana
Willow
Yasmin
Ynez

Boys:
Alexander
Arthur
Caleb
Cameron
Charlie
Cody
Laik
Oliver
Rafferty
Sol
Tye

Catalog Names: Mini Boden Autumn 2013

This month's Mini Boden catalog has some of the same wonderful names as last time, but I spotted some new gems (and even twins!)

Girls:
Aimee
Bella
Chloe
Claudia
Daisy
Edie
Eleanor
Ella
Eve
Felicity
Florrie
Georgia
Grace
Harriet
Isabella
Izzy
Julia
Lotte
Lottie
Macy
Madalena
Marni
Margot
Martha
Megan
Minnie (twin to Nell)
Mollie
Molly
Nell (twin to Minnie)
Ottilie
Pippa
Rebecca
Rosa
Rose
Sally
Sammy
Sophie
Starr
Stella
Thea
Thyra
Tori Star
Willow
Zoe

Boys:
Barnaby
Bills
Billy
Cameron
Camron
Freddie
George
Iggy
Jackson
Marcus
Oliver
Rafferty
Solomon
Teddy
Theo
Toby

Contest: Funniest Movie Character Name

I have a contest for you guys. You guys are going to vote on the funniest movie character name, bracket style. I made a bracket with the funniest movie character names (in my opinion) from three movies: Napoleon Dynamite, Meet the Parents, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Here's what to do: in a comment, write who you think should win the first round. Check back to keep voting!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bracket wont load onto blogger, so I am going to tell you the match ups.

Side One:

1. Lafawnduh
4. Rico

2. Walker and Texas Ranger Bobby
3. Gaylord Focker


Side Two:

1. Ricky Bobby
4. Kip

2. Martha Focker
3. Napoleon Dynamite

In a comment, write your choices!

Fashionable Old Lady Names

Fashionable Old Lady Names: Edith, Elsa, Esther, Betty, Eve, Beatrice, Etta, Pearl, Theodora, Ruth, Iris, Mabel, Martha, Myrtle, Helen, Georgina, Mildred, Imogene, Peggy, Polly, Agnes, Addie, Gertrude, Leona, Murielle, Irene, Angela, Andrea, Donna