Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 23

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!

Food Names

I had an interseting idea today. It was to compile a list of names after foods. There are actually a lot more than I thought.

Girls:
Ambrosia
Brie
Brandy
Candy
Coco
Dulce
Ginger
Eclair
(C)Hallah
Honey
Margarita
Olive
Peach
Rosemary
Sage
Sherry
Sugar

Boys:
Bacon
Basil
Chip
Dijon
Frank (furter)
Graham (Cracker)
Jack (Cheese)
Joe (Sloppy)
Napolean
Reuban
Sage
Shepard (Pie)

10 D Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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I have to admit, this post was a hard one. There aren't as many D names out there compared to the previous letters. I think I have a good list for you though. Take a look.

Darton- Part Dartmouth, part Dalton. Perfect for your genius baby.

Dax- With Dax Shepard and the popularity of -X names you'd think this one would be more popular. He is ranked at 642, so scoop him up while you can.

Dewey- This name has two very positive associations (Malcolm in the Middle and the Dewey Decimal System) yet isn't even ranked. What's wrong with people?

Donato- He's often used in European countries, but I bet you've never heard of this name before. Donato would make a great import, plus he ends in -o.

Doran- Doran is technically unisex, infact, the only Doran I know is a girl. However, the general public seems to think he's a boys name. He'd be a great pick if you were trying to honor two people (Daniel and Lauren perhaps?) or just liked his trendy -an ending.

Dover- Place names are always cool, yet no one's using Dover. Go ahead and take him for yourself, so long as your other son isn't named Ben.

Duke- He's a college and a celebrity baby name. What's not to love?

Dune- This might be the coolest nature name for boys. You could also spell it Doone, but I prefer to picture sandy beaches when I hear this name.

Dunn- Less frumpy than Duncan. He would also make a great middle name choice.

Durant- There are currently basketball associations with this name, but that will hopefully die down in the next couple of years. Unless you love basketball. Then use this one right away.

10 S Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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What's your favorite S name for boys? I've been loving Soren lately. At #652, he's a smidge too popular to put on this list, and I'd say he's fairly well known. Instead, I have 10 names that don't appear in the top 1000 at all, and maybe even a few names you've never heard of. Tell me what you think.

Salinger- What better way to pay tribute to your favorite author than by giving your child their name? Salinger is one of my favorite literary heroes, and with names like Sullivan and Sebastian so popular, he seems to fit.

Sander- Alexander is a great name, but do you really want your son to be another Alex? Sander is the perfect nickname (and your son won't be Sander H. in the classroom). If you're not a big fan of Alexander, you can use Sander on his own, or as a nickname for Lysander.

Sanford- Looking for a cool way to get to Ford? Take a look at Sanford. He ranks at #5247, and has never made it above the top 400. Sanford is pretty close to Stanford though, so be prepared for some confusion.

Sasha- The boys are taking Sasha back. He's been used by many a celebrity (the most recent one being Shakira). Sasha has been falling for girls, but I expect to see an even sharper decline now that we've seen him on so many boys.

Satchel- I think Satchel is adorable. He's technically a word name--I believe it's a type of backpack in Europe (?)--but most Americans won't have that association.

Shaw- All those '80s babies named Sean are starting families. It can be fun to honor yourself with your child's name, but Shawna isn't really your style. The best way to honor Dad (or Mom, possibly) is Shaw. He's a simple, modern, and unique pick for a son.

Shepherd- Occupation names are all the rage, but Shepherd hasn't garnered much attention. He has a very sweet sound (and how cute would a sheep themed nursery be?). You can also spell it Shepard, but Shepherd is the original occupation spelling.

Simeon- Sure, Simon is cute, but depending on where you live there are three on every block. Simeon is a similar Hebrew name that is only at #1064.

Sorrel- Are you worried about Soren becoming insanely popular overnight, too? Welcome to the club. I don't love Sorrel quite as much as Soren, but he is my favorite of the list.

Stellan- I talked about Stellan in one of my first posts (apologies for the bad spelling/grammar). He's a fantastic name, especially if you love Stella, but not her popularity.

Car Inspired Names

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Car names are having a bit of a moment. It is evident in many a celebrity baby name. Reign Aston Disick, Lincoln Bell Shepard, and Ford Wilson are just a few examples. Not all of these babies were named after cars (though it seems like Reign and Lincoln might be), but nevertheless, parents are inspired by them. Take a look.

Alfa- The Alfa Romeo (that's ro-MAY-oh) is a beautiful and expensive car. She's pure luxury--and a ravishing girl name.

Aston- As a name, he's a modern version of Austin. If he follows the trend of Kourtney Kardashian's other kids' names, we should be hearing a lot more of Aston in the coming years. As far as cars go, Aston Martins are fit for a king.

Bentley- My first association with Bentley used to be the car--but then Teen Mom happened. After the show premiered, the name went from being essentially unused to the top 100.

Dodge- Dodge may be the most obscure name on this list, but he definitely works. Now, I'm not suggesting you name your child after your minivan or Dodge Charger--instead, think of him as a word name. Dodge fits in with all the hyper-masculine names. Use him as a brother for Gunnar, Ryder, or Colt.

Ford- Short, powerful, and slightly preppy. It's easy to see the appeal of Ford. Henry Ford and the Model T are excellent historical namesakes.

Kia- She's not the first car name that comes to mind, but Kia is lovely underused name. I talked about her here a few months ago. The only major turnoff is the Kia gerbils (are they gerbils? Hamsters?), but that advertisement hasn't been played in a while.

Lexus- Lexus is a variant of Alexis--the spelling probably inspired by the car company. She peaked in 1996 at #449, around the same time as Alexis (although she made it up to #3). The spelling is a little too commercial for me, but she has a great sound.

Lincoln- Like many of the names on this list, Lincoln has a lot of different associations, and the first one is not necessarily a car. Lincoln is rising for both genders, and recently made the top 100 for boys. Car-wise, Lincolns are the cars used to make limousines. Not too shabby.

Lotus- Lotus is a gorgeous name and an incredibly fancy car. Along with being a car name, she's one of my favorite unexpected flower names.

Mercedes- Mercedes-Benz is a popular brand of German cars, and Mercedes is a popular '90s baby name. She is starting to sound a little dated, but the nickname Sadie freshens her up.

Porsche- Porsches may be extravagant cars, but the name Porsche is a pretty gaudy. I much prefer Portia--the beautiful Shakespearean name.

Royce- Royce has never been too popular--he peaked in 1935 at 284. He's been rising lately, but is still no where near his peak. If you like Rolls Royces, this could be a perfect pick for you.

Tesla- These new electric cars are named after the famous inventor Nikola Tesla, and are some of the hottest cars on the market. I've talked about Tesla as a nickname for Tess, and I still love the idea.


I'm taking off Monday for Presidents Day, so I'll see you all on Wednesday for S names for boys.

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!