When it
comes to naming babies, everyone has a different set of priorities and values.
One we talk about a lot is sibset coherence. Whether or not you're a name nerd,
it's easy to see the merits of a coordinated sibset. Oftentimes one has to
refer to their children as a group, and well-matched names makes it easy for
others to view them as a set.
But how much does this matter when the siblings
of a new baby are adults? My inclination is: not much. Adult children are off
living their own lives, and the amount of times they will be lumped into the
same group as their infant sibling is much less than if they had grown up
together. Therefore, I don't think anyone should stress over trying to find the
perfect name for their son who will be twenty years his sister's junior. Tastes
change over the years, and after a few decades, so do styles.
Many celebrities expecting babies this month are
going to be naming children with 20 or 30-plus age differences from some of
their siblings, and will have to determine the importance of this issue for
themselves. Daniel Craig's adult daughter Ella will have a little sister or
brother at the end of this year, as will Norman Reedus's grown son Mingus. Josh
Brolin's 29- and 24-year-old children are going to be the older siblings of a
baby girl, and Brigitte Nielsen's four adult sons (ranging in age from 23 to
34) will welcome another sibling into their brood.
For some, like Daniel Craig, creating a
harmonious sibset shouldn't be too much of a problem. For other, like Brigitte
Nielsen, it's already a lost cause. As for the rest, I'm curious to see how it
will play out--will these stars decide that a well-matched sibset is the way to
go, or give it up to choose the name that most speaks to their heart?
Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Cyrus
Michael Christopher
Five years ago, Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy gave
their son the historic, regal-adjacent name Cyrus. It strikes that elusive
unpopular-but-familiar balance that is so often coveted by parents-to-be. I've
got my fingers crossed for Claire and Hugh to do it again—any of my suggestions
below would fit the bill.
Girl: Cleo, Della, Fern, Greta, Isadora, Lucinda, Minna, Phoebe,
Romy
Boy: Boaz,
Bram, Edmund, Jasper, Lucian, Mercer, Oren, Royce, Simeon
Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Ella,
Henry (previous relationships)
Both Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig have children
from a previous relationship. Daniel's 25-year-old daughter is named Ella,
while Rachel's 11-year-old son is named Henry. The two names already work well
together in terms of style, so the pressure is off for the new baby's name to
cohere their blended family. As long as they stick with the modern classics,
this combined sibset will be perfectly coordinated.
Girl: Alice, Amelia, Clara, Ivy, Lily, Lucy, Mila, Nora, Sophie,
Ruby, Violet
Boy: August,
Charlie, Jack, Oliver, Owen, Russell, Spencer, Theo, William
Shenae Grimes-Beech and Josh Beech
Gender: girl
Siblings: none
90210 star Shenae Grimes-Beech is a hardcore
rock and roll fan. Lucky for her, rock and roll (and music more generally)
offers a wealth of baby name inspiration. From guitar-strumming surnames
to soulful ballads, Shenae and Josh should have no trouble finding the
perfect name for their little wild child--whether they prefer girly and sweet
or sassy and androgynous names.
Girl: Axelle,
Bowie, Dylan, Everly, Hendrix, Jagger, Jett, Layla, Presley, Rose
*Update* I was right—baby girl is Bowie Scarlett!
Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Model Chanel Iman and football player Sterling
Shepard are expecting their first child together later this year! Chanel's
style is unabashedly feminine, so I predict we will see something lovely and
romantic for her baby's name, no matter if it's a boy or girl. I'd like to see
her use a name with French origins like her own—Celeste or Sabine are my
favorites for girls, and I'm partial to Julien if baby is a boy.
Girl: Anastasia,
Camille, Celeste, Elle, Rose, Ruby, Sabine, Scarlett, Simone
Boy: Clark,
Dominic, Julien, Lucian, Marcel, Maxim, Quincy, Roman, Sebastian
*Update* It's a girl--Cali Clay!
Francesca Eastwood and Alexander Wraith
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Trajan (previous relationship)
Clint Eastwood's daughter Francesca's name is a
variant of her mother's: Frances. I would love to see her continue the
tradition and use another Franc- name if her baby is a girl—something like
Franny or Frankie, or even just France—a cheerful (and drastically underused)
place name. Even if Francesca does not want to be her child's namesake, I
expect something frilly and ladylike for a daughter, or handsome and classic
for a son.
Girl: Cecilia,
Eloise, France, Frankie, Franny, Genevieve, Juliette, Vivienne
Boy: August,
Charles, Elliott, Harrison, Henry, Jack, James, Jasper, Theodore
*Update* Welcome, Titan Wraith Eastwood!
Kathryn Boyd and Josh Brolin
Gender: girl
Siblings: Trevor,
Eden (previous relationship)
Back in the late eighties and early nineties,
Josh Brolin named his kids Trevor and Eden. Trevor was a well-used name during
his son's birth—sitting well within the top 100—although Eden was barely in the
top 700 when his daughter was born in 1994. Now, with an age gap of almost a
quarter century between his two youngest children, I'm curious to see if his
tastes have changed. For their newest daughter, will Josh and Kathryn choose
something well-established like Trevor, or an up-and-comer, like Eden once was?
Girl: Aurora, Briar, Emerald, Grace, Harper, Haven, Ivy, Lena,
Lyra, Piper, Willow
*Update* She's here—Westlyn Reign!
Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Mingus
Lucien (previous relationship)
Norman Reedus's adult son has the unusual
Scottish name Mingus. He is named for Charles Mingus, the jazz musician.
Perhaps Norman will be inspired by jazz again for his second child's name,
although expectant mother Diane Kruger is a native of Germany, so maybe a
Bavarian name is in order. No matter which direction they choose, there's a
plethora of good options.
Girl: Adelheid, Billie, Ella, Greta, Ilsa, Josephine, Lina, Lorelei, Matilda,
Zinnia
Boy: Axel,
Bix, Conrad, Ellington, Hugo, Kaiser, Kenton, Leon, Loudan, Till
Brigitte Nielsen and Mattia Dessi
Gender: unknown
Siblings:
Julian, Killian Marcus, Douglas Aaron, and Raoul Ayrton Jr. (previous relationships)
At 54 years old, Brigitte Nielsen is officially
the oldest celebrity mom-to-be I've ever profiled. She has four adult sons,
each with a name of different origin. Husband Mattia Dessi is Italian, so it's
likely we'll see an Italian name for baby number five. Although Brigitte
appears to have eclectic taste in baby names, so that's not a guarantee.
Girl: Amara,
Bianca, Brenna, Gia, Giuliana, Keira, Maeve, Tamsin, Wynne
Boy: Alonzo,
Dario, Declan, Conor, Marco, Matteo, Nolan, Orlando, Romeo
*Update* Wow, it's a girl--welcome Frida!
