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!

10 O Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Oh boy, O names for boys! I couldn't resist. O names are the coolest. 

Oak- Tree names are on the up-and-up, and Oak is no exception. He still is below the top 1000 though, so you have time to snag him. 

Oberon- Oberon is a Shakespearean name with some serious style. Obie would be a cool nickname. 

Odin- Odin is our most popular name on this list, ranking at #573. I was surprised at first, because I have never heard this name before. But after considering how close he was to Aiden, it all made sense. 

Ogden- Ooh, I love Ogden. He's the name of a major street here in Chicago, which, of course makes me love him even more. 

Omer- Homer has been ruined (forever?). But Omer is up for grabs. But they are awfully close. 

Onyx- A color name with quite a few high point Scrabble letters. Could Onyx be the next baby of Robert Downing Jr.?

Oren- Oren is cute, simple, and musical. Anyone a fan of Oren Lavie? 

Oro- Oro means gold in Spanish, which is perfect for your little treasure. 

Oxford- He might sound a little pretentious and preppy to some, but I think Oxford is a winner. Plus, Ford makes for a rad nickname. 

Oz- You might get a few jokes about being "great and powerful," but that's not so bad. And calling him Ozzie will eliminate that problem. 

10 German Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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We're on to German names for boys today--a real favorite of mine. What are your favorite German names? Tell me below.

Alaric- For those of you looking for a robust, masculine name, put Alaric on your list. He means "all powerful ruler," and has ties to ancient kings.

Ansel- With teen heartthrob Ansel Elgort making his way into the mainsteam, are we going to see more baby Ansels? My guess is yes. People are loving softer names for boys lately, and Ansel is just that.

Arno- The strong, sophisticated Arno has never been that popular (he peaked in 1897 at #728), but could be become so? The generation of children who grew up watching Hey Arnold! are transitioning into parenthood--might they be inspired to drop off the last two letters?

Benno- Ooh, I adore Benno! He's a swankier version of the much overused Ben, and a great pan-European choice.

Fritz- Fritz is another one of my favorites--he goes on and off my short list constantly. He can be used as a nickname for Frederick or on his own (we all know which I prefer). Fritz is downright spunky--I predict we will be seeing more of him in the coming years.

Humphrey- The big question here: is Humphrey a dog name? The short answer is yes. Currently, you will meet a lot more dogs than humans with the name Humphrey. But I have a theory (and I know I've explained this before) that the dog names we choose are just ahead of the curve for humans. In a couple years, we'll all be on board with Humphrey. Trust me.

Ivo- I'm a big fan of the short, unique name, and Ivo definitely falls into that category. He's gentler than Ivor, and more modern than Ivan. Ivo's an all around great choice.

Rainer- Nowadays, Rain has gone completely to the girls. If you're disappointed by this, I suggest you take a look at Rainer. He blends nature and surname-style perfectly.

Romer- It'll take a few generations for Homer to be usable again, but in the mean time, how about Romer? He gets bonus points for the unisex nickname Romy.

Till- This contemporary nickname is all over the place in Germany. He's in the top 100 on his own, but was commonly used as a short form of Dietrich or Theodoric in the past.

Nickname Proof Names: Boys

Krystin via Sappy Apple

While many of us look for names that are nickname gold-mines, just as many parents want a name with absolutely no nicknames at all. If you're one of the latter, I've compiled a list of over 100 names for boys--none with any established nicknames. It's all after the jump. Check back on Friday for the girls list!

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!