Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 22

Sibsets with half-siblings can be tricky. Often there is the desire to create a completely cohesive sibset. But new partners can introduce new tastes and preferences for baby names, so a harmonious sibset isn’t always very possible.

When it does work out though, it is incredibly satisfying. Stanley Tucci has done a fantastic job blending the name his youngest child (with wife Felicity Blunt) with the names of his children from his first marriage. This is especially impressive considering there is a twelve year age gap between the two youngest. He and Felicity are set to welcome another little one later this year, and I can’t wait to hear his or her name.

Many other celebrities this month have to deal with this half-sibling sibset conundrum. Kate Hudson is going to be naming a half-sister to Ryder and Bingham, Tyrese Gibson’s wife Samantha is expecting a baby girl who will be a half-sister to Shayla, and Cardi B. will be adding a half-sibling to Offset’s brood of Jordan, Kody, and Kalea.

Whether or not these stars choose to create cohesive sibsets for half-siblings doesn’t really matter (there are no rules when it comes to baby naming, at least, not in the US). The most important thing is that they choose names they are excited about. So if that means that Stanley Tucci goes rogue and names his baby Caiomhe, or Cardi B. picks something totally off base from Jordan, Kody, and Kalea, then I’m cool with it.

Felicity Blunt and Stanley Tucci

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Nicolo Robert, Isabel Concetta, Camilla (previous relationship), Matteo Oliver

When it comes to his children's names, Stanley Tucci has wholeheartedly embraced his Italian heritage. All four of his kids have Italian (or Italian adjacent, a la Isabel) names that work perfectly in an American context. His youngest son was given the very haute name Matteo, so I think for this next baby we will see something similarly en vogue (or, I should say, alla moda).

Girl: Alessia, Allegra, Bianca, Emilia, Fabiana, Lucia, Luna, Viola

Boy: Elio, Enzo, Leandro, Luca, Samuele, Sandro, Santino, Silvio
*Update* A little girl (and correct prediction)--welcome, Emilia Giovanna!

Erin Burnett and David Rubulotta

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Nyle Thomas Burnett, Colby Isabelle

With children named Nyle and Colby, CNN anchor Erin Burnett seems to have a penchant for familiar-but-unusual names with a hint of androgyny. Lucky for her, there is no shortage of options for baby number three’s name. For a girl, I am crossing my fingers for Darcy—a drastically underused name that is super sweet (and how cute is it paired with Colby for a sister-set?). If the baby is a boy, my vote is for Teague. Like Darcy, it doesn’t break the top 1000, but Teague has a modern sound and is ripe for discovery.

Girl: Blair, Bree, Bryn, Darcy, Fifer, Harper, James, Logan, Neve, Rory, Tierney

Boy: Alistair, Brogan, Cian, Errol, Fintan, Gregor, Jett, Lachlan, Quinlan, Teague
*Update* A boy--Owen Thomas!

Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Milo

British ex-pats Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty chose the name Milo for their son—a fashionable choice in both their native and adoptive homes. I’d love to see them choose something that’s hasn’t hit the American mainstream for their second baby—something like Elodie or Kit, perhaps—but I have a feeling they’ll go with a name that is both well-liked and well-used in both the United States and the United Kingdom, just like they did with Milo.

Girl: Annika, Edie, Elodie, Esme, Flora, Freya, Marnie, Matilda, Olive, Poppy, Wren

Boy: Asher, Axel, Eli, Felix, Frankie, Jasper, Kit, Leon, Oskar, Otto, Remy, Rex, Rhys
*Update* Another boy--James Patrick!

Samantha and Tyrese Gibson

Gender: girl

Siblings: Shayla Somer (previous relationship)

Although the name Shayla has almost fallen out of the top 1000, back when Tyrese Gibson gave it to his daughter ten years ago, it was still well-used. I expect he and wife Samantha will choose something a little bit more modern for their new baby daughter—there are plenty of contemporary choices that still work well with half-sister Shayla's name. 

Girl: Ashlyn, Chiara, Keeley, Kenzie, Laney, Nola, Olivia, Rylee, Savannah, Sierra
*Update* Baby girl is Soraya Lee!

Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa

Gender: girl

Siblings: Ryder Russell and Bingham Hawn (previous relationships)

Kate Hudson's boys have names bursting with family significance. Ryder's middle name honors her stepdad Kurt Russell, Bingham is named after Kurt's father (who was called Bing), and Hawn is Kate's mother's surname. It's pretty clear that there will be an honor name somewhere in her baby girl's name—the question is what that name will be. I'd love to see Kate and Danny use a name that means "gold" to honor Kate's mom Goldie. But considering each of her kids have alliterative first and last names (Ryder Robinson and Bingham Bellamy), it could be fun to find an F name for baby Fujikawa. 

Girl: Aurelia, Fable, Fia, Fleur, Fuchsia, Koko, Mika, Suki, Xanthe
*Update* Hello, Rani Rose!

Cardi B and Offset

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Jordan, Kody, Kalea Marie (previous relationships)

Cardi B and Offset (given names: Belcalis and Kiari Kendrell) are expecting their first child together! Offset already has three kids--his sons are named Jordan and Kody, which have a definite '90s vibe to them. However, his daughter is named Kalea, a beautiful Hawaiian name that feels fresh in this era of Leilani and the like. But Cardi B has Dominican and Trinidadian ancestry, so it's possible we'll see a name with Hispanic roots. I'm curious to see how she will influence this sibset—will Cardi's baby's name match up with Offset's other children's, or be totally incongruent? 

Girl: Angeles, Bonita, Carissa, Dominica, India, Kallista, Kiara, Sabrina, Solana

Boy: Baez, Bronx, Chase, Dylan, Justus, Kade, Quinn, Tevin, Tigre, Tristan
*Update* It's a girl--Kulture Kiari!

Arielle Goldrath and Kevin McKidd

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Joseph, Iona (previous relationship)

Scottish actor Kevin McKidd chose Iona for his daughter back in the early aughts--a Scottish name that remains undiscovered in the US. Considering there will be a fifteen year age difference between his two youngest children, I would love for him and wife Arielle Goldrath to use another Scottish name to cohere the sibset (and as a nod to Dad's roots). 

Girl: Bonnie, Blair, Eilidh, Greer, Isobel, Lileas, Maisie, Nessa, Tamsin, Vaila

Boy: Alistair, Callum, Dashiell, Graham, Ian, Keir, Lachlan, Malcolm, Ross
*Update* It's a boy--Aiden!

Christine Lakin and Brandon Breault

Gender: boy

Siblings: Georgia James

‘90s sitcom star Christine Lakin named her daughter Georgia after her home state. Now she and husband Brandon Breault are expecting a baby boy—I think a Southern gentlemanly name might be the perfect thing to pair with Georgia, and would definitely match this couple’s style.

Boy: August, Beau, Brooks, Clayton, Dean, Heath, Tucker, Walker, Wyatt
*Update* Welcome Baylor B.!

Names with "an"

I recently got an email from a reader asking for some naming inspiration.

Fiona writes:

My first 2 children both have a theme of "an" - Marianne and Kassandra. It happened accidentally, but the more we think about future names, the more we seem attracted to this sound. It would be great to have some help and inspiration please! 
Our second child was only born this year, so we are jumping the gun a little but we do plan a 3rd child (hopefully, as obviously thanks to mother nature's blips, having a child is not in our complete control!) and our experience is that it is never too early to start thinking about names.

With many thanks,
Fiona 

Past the page break I have put together an exhaustive list of names with -an in them. I've italicised the ones I think work best with Marianne and Kassandra. Feel free to leave your thoughts or suggestions for Fiona in the comments. If you have a naming question that you would like me to post on the blog, feel free to email me at skihm (at) hotmail (dot) com. 

Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 21

Patterns in sibsets can be very cute and add cohesion when done right. But sometimes it can get you into trouble. Take Ayesha and Steph Curry. They have two daughters named Riley and Ryan, and now Ayesha is pregnant with their third child. Ryker or Ryder seems like the obvious choice for a boy, but if they have another daughter, this could be the end of the Ry- pattern.

Kimberly and James Van Der Beek are also in a predicament if they have another baby girl. Each of their children has a 3+ syllable name, and their daughters names all start with different vowels—O, A, and E, which leaves I and U. My top choice for them is Isla, which follows the different vowel pattern, but not the syllable count one. 

All this to say—patterns can be great, but if they're too restrictive, be prepared to give up some of the requirements as more children are added to the mix. I'm excited to see how these celebrities handle the challenge, and I've weighed in with my advice below. 

Laina Rose Thyfault and Chris Klein

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Frederick Easton "Easton"

Laina Rose Thyfault and Chris Klein's son Frederick is named for Chris's dad, Fred. The kiddo actually goes by his middle name, Easton, which gives us a better sense of his mom and dad's naming style. However, I'd love to see them follow a similar pattern of using the honor names first. Chris's mother's name offers some great possibilities—her maiden name, Bergen, would be darling on a son, and while slightly dated, her first name, Therese, lends itself to the sweet (and not at all dated) nickname Tess.

Girl: Addison, Delaney, Hadley, Harper, Piper, Quinn, Sydney, Tess, Therese

Boy: Beckett, Bergen, Carter, Clayton, Greyson, Landon, Lincoln, Tucker

*Update* It's a girl--welcome Isla Rose!

Ayesha and Steph Curry

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Riley, Ryan Carson (g)

Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha are expecting their third child, but after daughters named Riley and Ryan, which name comes next? There are only so many Ry- names left (and many of them rhyme with Ryan), so my best guess is that they might give up the Ry- sound pattern for the broader R initial one.

Girl: Raelyn, Raven. Reagan, Reese, Rhiannon, Ria, Ridley, Ripley, Rissa

Boy: Rayden, Raymond, Rico, Rigby, River, Roman, Rowan, Ryder, Ryker
*Update* They didn't go with another Ry- name--it's a boy named Canon W. Jack!

Luisana Lopilato and Michael Bublé

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Noah, Elias

Noah and Elias are both gentle names for boys that have a religious bent. They also work well in Luisana Lopilato's native Spanish, an important factor to consider when naming cross-cultural babies. Luisana and Michael obviously aren't afraid to use names higher up on the popularity charts, so I imagine they will use another well-liked moniker for Elias and Noah's baby brother or sister.
Girl: Amelia, Annabella, Eden, Grace, Hannah, Isabel, Lily, Mia, Olivia, Sofia

Boy: Asher, Benjamin, Caleb, Ezra, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Levi, Micah, Samuel
*Update* A little girl--Vida!

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent

Gender: boy

Siblings: Poppy

Interior design superstars Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are adding a baby boy to their brood! They named their daughter Poppy back in 2015—a stylish choice that's underused in America, but quite popular across the pond. In all likelihood, they'll choose a similarly friendly and fashionable name for her younger brother.

Boy: Graham, Felix, Jack, Jasper, Leland, Lyle, Milo, Oliver, Otis, Theo, Toby
*Update* Welcome, Oskar Michael!

Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Owen Isabelle (previous relationship)

Singer Michelle Branch gave her daughter the gender-bending name Owen over a decade ago. Now, twelve years later, she is expecting her second child. Have her tastes shifted over the years, or would she go for another masculine name for a daughter? Whatever she picks, I'm sure it will be modern and stylish.
Girl: Elliot, Finley, James, Jude, Kit, Mason, Noa, Parker, Rory, Sawyer

Boy: Beckett, Camden, Dashiell, Griffith, Jack, Magnus, Sullivan, Wyatt
*Update* Hello, Rhys James!

Rachel McAdams and Jamie Linden

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Rachel McAdams may be best known for her acting, but she's also an active environmentalist. That makes me wonder if she'll choose a nature name for her baby, although with a surname like Linden, it could become too much of a good thing. Perhaps a name with subtle nature ties, like Cyrus or Daphne, might be better for Rachel and Jamie's son or daughter. 

Girl: Clover, Daphne, Flora, Laurel, Magnolia, Mavis, Rose, Violet, Willow

Boy: Canyon, Cyrus, Danner, Dune, Field, Forest, Fox, Grove, Lachlan, River

Kimberly and James Van Der Beek

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel Leah, Emilia

After four children, the Van Der Beeks have clearly defined preferences when it comes to baby names. Long, soft names are a must for either gender, and for their daughters, they like names that start with different vowels. Some of these requirements are easier met than others, so I'm eager to see which ones Kimberly and James value the most when they name baby number five. 

Girl: Adeline, Audrey, Elena, Elodie, Camilla, Grace, Iris, Isla, Ivy, Lilia, Lucia

Boy: Adrian, Benjamin, Elijah, Elliott, Jameson, Noah, Samuel, Silas, Wesley
*Update* Another girl, but not another vowel name--baby girl is Gwendolyn!

Sophie Flack and Josh Charles

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Rocco

The friendly, charming name Rocco was chosen by Sophie Flack and Josh Charles for their son back in 2014. Although the name is Italian in origin, neither Sophie nor Josh have Italian heritage. That makes me think they chose Rocco more its style cred than its backstory, so I don't think we should expect another Italian name from Sophie and Josh. Although who knows? Rocco and Luca makes a pretty darn cute combination. 

Girl: Adele, Alma, Cleo, Della, Evie, Frieda, Gemma, Luella, Stella

Boy: Arlo, Benji, Cosmo, Duke, Hugo, Julius, Luca, Maxim, Nico, Otto