Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 12

It's been a trend in recent years for celebrities to delay the release of their baby's name--usually for a few weeks, even months. However, actors Peter Dinklage and Josh Hartnett have never revealed the names of their children, and their daughters are five and two years old, respectively! Now they both have a second child on the way--will we find out the names of those babies, or continue to be left in the dark?

We also have some stars this month expecting Irish twins--two siblings born less than a year apart. Supermodel Bar Refaeli is pregnant for the second time, only months after giving birth to her daughter Liv. Lauren Gregory and Thomas Rhett were in the process of adopting a baby from Africa when they found out they were pregnant with a little girl. Now they have two babies on the way that should arrive around the same time. How will these celebrities go about naming their Irish twins? I have my predictions, but we'll have to wait and see.

Erica Schmidt and Peter Dinklage
Gender: unknown
Siblings: sister (name not released)
Peter Dinklage has managed to keep his daughter's name a secret for over five years, but rumors abound that her name is Zelig. According to Peter, this is not true, although it seems like a fitting name for the couple. Both of their surnames are of Germanic origin, and Zelig is a Yiddish derivation of the German name Selig. Keeping that in mind, I chose some similarly strong and quirky names for their next child.
Girl: Agnes, Editha, Elza, Francie. Frieda, Hettie, Hilda, Ilsa, Meret, Tresa
Boy: Alric, Anton, Bruno, Jannick, Kaiser, Rainier, Raymond, Roderick, Rollo

Tamsin Egerton and Josh Hartnett
Gender: unknown
Siblings: sister (name not released)
Like the Dinklages, Tamsin Egerton and Josh Hartnett have never released the name of their daughter. However, given Tamsin's British heritage, I'd wager that their little girl (and her upcoming sibling) has a name with some serious English style.
Girl: Edie, Elena, Eloise, Felicity, Iris, Libby, Lydia, Millie, Orla, Poppy
Boy: Arlo, Dashiell, Elias, Finlay, Harry, Jasper, Luca, Rory, Tobias, Theo

Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg
Gender: girl
Siblings: Maxima "Max"
Facebook mogul Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan chose the clunky-cool name Maxima for their daughter in 2015, but call her by the tomboyish nickname Max. Now they're expecting their second daughter--will we see another long Latin name with a sassy nickname?
Girl: Aurelia, Avalon, Cecily, Livia, Lucia, Minerva, Noa, Romilly, Rosette
*Update* Hello, August!

Xosha Roquemore and Lakeith Stanfield
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Xosha Roquemore was named after the Xhosa people--a tribe originally from South Africa. Her father got the idea after researching South African tribes for a play he directing, and Xosha herself went on to study abroad in Ghana during her college years. It's clear that African culture is important to Xosha and her family, which makes me think her baby will have a name with some African influence.
Girl: Amara, Kaia, Kessie, Lissa, Marjani, Nia, Nyala, Sekai, Shona, Zella
Boy: Ayo, Kayin, Kofi, Kwame, Lekan, Massai, Obi, Odion, Taye, Zaire

Casey Wilson and David Caspe
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Max Red
Comedian Casey Wilson and her producer husband David Caspe may have played it safe (by celebrity standards) with the first name Max for their son, but kicked it up a notch with the very bold Red for his middle name. I have a feeling they'll follow a similar pattern for their next son or daughter, so I chose some well-liked, somewhat trendy names for the baby's first name.
Girl: Clare, Daisy, Evie, Frankie, Ivy, Kate, Kit, Phoebe, Piper, Sadie, Tess
Boy: Charlie, Finn, Gray, Henry, Jack, Jude, Liam, Luke, Nate, Owen, Rhys
*Update* Welcome, Henry Bear!

Elvira Lind and Oscar Isaac
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Oscar Isaac is Guatemalan-American, while his girlfriend Elvira Lind is Danish. It may come as a surprise considering Denmark and Guatemala are halfway across the world from each other, but there are actually quite a few names that are used in both countries. I've listed some of them here, along with names I think have the potential to cross over.
Girl: Alba, Amada, Camila, Elena, Isla, Liv, Luna, Maya, Nessa, Signe, Sofia
Boy: Arlo, Bastien, Casper, Hugo, Jonathan, Marco, Otto, Soren, Teo, Viggo
*Update* Baby boy is Eugene, after Oscar's mother, Eugenia!

Bar Refaeli and Adi Ezra
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Liv
Just seven months after the birth of her daughter Liv, Bar Refaeli has announced that she's pregnant again! Bar and her husband Adi are Israeli, and even though Liv is a Scandinavian name, it works well with many Hebrew names. I'm guessing we'll see another short name (maybe also containing the "it" letter V) for Liv's Irish twin.
Girl: Alma, Alva, Avia, Evie, Maya, Mika, Naomi, Niva, Tali, Zadie
Boy: Ash, Bram, Eli, Micah, Nevo, Omri, Oren, Rom. Shai, Tal, Uri
*Update* Another girl--Elle!

Lauren Gregory and Thomas Rhett Akins
Gender: girl and unknown
Siblings: none
Country singer Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren are expecting a baby girl, and meanwhile are adopting a baby (of unknown gender) from Africa. The couple has said they want to use family names, and are open to feminizations of male names for their daughter. Thomas is a junior himself, so if the adopted baby is a boy, could there be a Thomas Rhett Akins III?
Girl: Grace, Gracen, Greta, Kasey, Leah, Macy, Paige, Retta, Tamsin
Boy: Everett, Grayson, Gregor, Gregory, Lawrence, Lee, Rhett, Thomas
*Update* The Akins' adopted baby girl is Willa Gray!
*Second Update* Baby girl number two is Ada James!

Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 30

Creating a coordinated sibset can be hard enough, but when the siblings in question are half-siblings, it’s even harder. A new partner means a new set of opinions and ideas to account for, so frequently sibset cohesion is a preference that gets discarded in favor of an eclectic sibset (nothing wrong with that!).

Half of our celebrities this month will be naming half-siblings, so I’m curious to see where they fall along the sibset coordination continuum. It seems likely that Jamie Bell, Randy Houser, and Doug Reinhardt will all use names that pair well with their older sons’. Myleene Klass, on the other hand, has already embraced the eclectic sibset model with daughters named Ava and Hero. I’m looking forward to hearing what she chooses for their half-sister or brother.

Take a look at my predictions and let me know your suggestions in the comments. Also, let me know—have you named half-siblings? How did you feel about sibset cohesion?

Krysten Ritter and Adam Granduciel

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Krysten Ritter recently debuted her baby bump at the Oscar’s—her first child with War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel. People in hip bands often use hip baby names, and Krysten and Adam should be no exception to the rule. Any one of these hipster-chic baby names would be adorable on their son or daughter.

Girl: Clementine, Delilah, Eloise, Harriet, Juniper, Louisa, Lux, Mabel, Nova, Pearl

Boy: Alaric, Ansel, Calder, Hugo, Linus, Magnus, Milo, Rafferty, Thoren, Winston

Zinzi Evans and Ryan Coogler

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Director Ryan Coogler’s films have met much acclaim over the past few years—Fruitvale Station, Creed, and most recently, Black Panther. African American identity is a major theme throughout his works—I could definitely see him and wife Zinzi choosing a name inspired by a black historic or cultural icon for their son or daughter.

Girl: Clarissa, Ella, Eulalie, Ida, Natalie, Pearl, Ruby, Sadie, Simone, Zora

Boy: Alexander, August, Carver, Henry, Langston, Levi, Marshall, Miles, Quincy, Walker

Kate Mara and Jamie Bell

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Jack Matfin (previous relationship)

Actors Jamie Bell and Kate Mara are expecting their first child together later this year. Jamie’s five-year-old son is named Jack—the sort of every-boy name that can work in many a sibset. I chose names that paired well with Jack for Kate and Jamie—most of them with a slight British accent (since Jamie hails from the UK).
Girl: Cecilia, Clare, Esme, Frances, Maeve, Mia, Ruby, Sadie, Tessa, Zelda

Boy: Alistair, Camden, Graham, Grant, Henry, Jude, Louis, Owen, Rex, Wells

Myleene Klass and Simon Motson

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Ava Bailey and Hero Harper (previous relationship)

Singer Myleene Klass has taken to calling her baby bump “Snoop,” although I’d be surprised if that’s a hint about his or her name. Her older two daughter are Ava and Hero—two very different names stylistically. She could go in either direction for baby number three’s name—maybe even a completely new one (might his or her name actually be Snoop?)—but these are some names that could bridge the gap between Ava and Hero.

Girl: Bea, Della, Honor, Juno, Lula, Lux, Scout, Romy, Roxy, Zadie

Boy: Bram, Cosmo, Emrys, Felix, Jude, Phoenix, Rhys, Roscoe, Kit

Maryse Ouellet and Mike "The Miz" Mizanin

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Monroe Sky

Maryse and Mike Mizanin seem to have branded themselves the “M” family. With everyone having an M as both their first and last initial, the odds are in favor of baby number two having a name that follows suit. That narrows the pool significantly, but there are still so many M options to choose from! Maryse is from Montreal, so I would love to see she and Mike choose something with French influence—maybe Mardi or Maelle.

Girl: Macyn, Madigan, Maelle, Mardi, Mariana, Marley, Marlowe, Marvel, Meilani, Mila

Boy: Madden, Maddox, Major, Matthias, Maverick, Maxx, Memphis, Mercer, Milan, Myles

Tatiana Starzynski and Randy Houser

Gender: unknown

Siblings: West (previous relationship)

With a dog named Hawk and a son named West, it’s clear country singer Randy Houser likes rugged word names for boys. I could especially see him and Tatiana going for something like Crew or Nash. If it’s a girl, I think we will see something similarly rough-and-tumble, modern, and not too feminine—I like the idea of Brynn or Marlowe.

Girl: Brynn, Emlyn, Frankie, Henley, Laurel, Leighton, Lou, Marlowe, True

Boy: Cord, Crew, Ever, Ford, Gray, Hayes, Jett, Lincoln, Maverick, Nash
*Update* Welcome, Huckleberry Randolph!

Hayley Stommel and Tyler Hubbard

Gender: boy

Siblings: Olivia Rose

Another country starbaby! Although this country star has different style. Hayley and Tyler Hubbard chose the name Olivia Rose for their daughter—a classic combo, and one that’s pretty easy to like. Now they’re expecting a son, but I have a feeling they’ll follow the same system. It’s likely they’ll go with another inoffensive choice, probably another name in the top 100.

Boy: Blake, Brady, Ethan, Jackson, Landon, Logan, Lucas, Mason, Nolan, Zachary

Mia Irons and Doug Reinhardt

Gender: boy/boy twins

Siblings: Koby (previous relationship)

It’s going to be identical twin boys for Mia Irons and Doug Reinhardt! Naming twins poses an extra challenge—the names should be matched as a pair, but also fit in within the larger sibset. Doug has a son named Koby, so I’m expecting something similarly short and punchy for his next two sons. He and Mia can mix and match any of the following options:

Boy: Ace, Beck, Bo, Chase, Dash, Drake, Hayden, Jake, Jax, Logan, Roman, Van

Food Names: Herbs and Spices

Image Credit

Happy Thanksgiving-week! In honor of the holiday we are going to talk about food names all week. Back in October I covered fruits and veggies, so today is all about herbs and spices. There are so many options here, and I adore almost all these names. Let me know what you think! Would you name your baby after a spice? (I totally would).

Expected:
Basil- Though as a name, he's mostly pronounce BAH-zull.
Bay- Lovely, especially for a girl, I think.
Dill- He works as a nickname for Dillon, but not so much on his own.
Ginger- A name more people should be using.
Jasmine- Jasmine is beautiful, and was popular in the past.
Juniper- Up and coming, she also comes with nicknames June, Junie, and Juno.
Pepper- Spicy and fun.
Rosemary- So sweet, the nickname Romy seals the deal.
Sage- Another name that is truly unisex. Sage has been used by a few celebrities.
Willow- Will- names have been popular lately, perhaps because of the Smith family?

Unique:
Angelica- A little outdated, but usable.
Anise- Don't confuse her with Anais, this one's pronounced ANN-iss.
Carraway- Too similar to carried away? I think she still works.
Cassia- Feminine choice brought into the light by the YA Matched series.
Cicely- She would often get confused with Cecily, but still is a lovely pick.
Lavender- One of the most girly nature names out there.
Rue- She should be gaining popularity soon, thanks to The Hunger Games books and movies.
Saffron- Fun choice, especially for a chef.
Tarragon- It works for either gender, but it's similarity to Tara makes me read girl on this one.

Unheard of:

Artemisia- An elaboration of Artemis. Does she need elaboration though?
Clary- Another name from a YA Dystopian novel. Cute nickname for Clare or Clara names.
Clove- What's with it with YA Dystopian books and spice names? Another one from The Hunger Games, Clove is a simple yet strong name for a girl.
Myrtle- She's so far gone, she might never come back.
Nigella- So closely associated with Nigella Lawson, but a pretty pick nonetheless.
Olida- A great choice for the underused letter "O".
Perilla- She sounds very name-y, I'm surprised she hasn't been used yet.
Quassia- The world could use more "Q" names. This is a great one.
Ramsons- A little close to Ransom, but hey, that's a name too.
Sorrel- This herb is a great pick for a baby boy.
Verbena- The -ena ending make her name-worthy. But the strong -rb- sound gives me pause.

Chicago Names: City Streets

I'm all about subtle honor names--names that honor someone in a way that isn't obvious or flashy. Using the name of the street such honoree grew up on definitely fits into the "subtle honor" category. In fact, I have the name of the street I was born on on my short list for potential middles. Today I'm featuring Chicago street name--this is the city I live in, after all. I would love to make this a series to compare street names of cities around the country. Let me know which city you'd like to be featured next!

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.