Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 9

Dennis Cortes via Dribbble

It's been said that 2016 was a terrible year, so let's look ahead to 2017. Many stars and starlets announced their pregnancies at the end of this year--which means babies born in 2017! High profile celebrities like Jesse Eisenberg, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Payne and Bradley Cooper are all going to become parents for the first time in 2017. There are also quite a few future big sisters out there. Pink is giving her daughter Willow a younger sibling, Jane Kimmel will soon have a little brother or sister, and Gal Gadot's daughter Alma won't be an only child for long. I'm sure there will be some more exciting pregnancies announced before the end of the year, but I can already tell--we can expect some great birth announcements from 2017.

Megan Hilty and Brian Gallagher
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Viola Philomena
Viola Philomena is a name full of romance. I would love to see Megan Hilty and Brian Gallagher choose another romantic, Shakespearean name for their second child, and the odds aren't bad--as a Broadway star, Megan Hilty knows a thing or two about theatrics.
Girl: Agatha, Alice, Cordelia, Flora, Gloria, Helena, Lilia, Louise, Matilda, Zelda
Boy: Ansel, Arthur, Benedict, Edmund, George, Lawrence, Lester, Louis, Oliver
*Update* It's a boy--Ronan Laine!

Pink and Carey Hart
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Willow
Hardcore couple Pink and Carey Hart chose a name that's anything but for their daughter. I expect them to go the ethereal, perhaps nature-related route again for baby number two, but who knows? Maybe they'll surprise us.
Girl: Anya, Clover, Fiona, Georgia, Ivy, Lark, Olive, Piper, Sage, Sloane, Wren
Boy: Asher, Atticus, Bay, Jude, Kai, Levi, Noah, River, Rowan, Sawyer, Skye
*Update* Welcome, Jameson Moon!

Anna Strout and Jesse Eisenberg
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
It's hard to say what direction Anna Strout and Jesse Eisenberg will go in for their first baby's name, but given the current climate of celebrity baby names, my best guess is short and vintage. Names like Mabel, Sybil, Frederick, and Daisy have been popping up all over the place, and it seems like that might be a good stylistic fit for baby Eisenberg.
Girl: Agnes, Claire, Eloise, Esme, Frances, Greta, Maisie, Nora, Rory, Tess
Boy: Arthur, Edwin, Henry, Matthew, Otis, Peter, Roscoe, Rudy, Theo

Gal Gadot and Yaron Varsano
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Alma
Israeli couple Gal Gadot and Yaron Varsano chose the gorgeous name Alma for their oldest daughter. Many Americans consider Alma a strictly Latin name, but she's actually a global choice with roots in Spanish, Italian, and Hebrew--although it's currently most popular in Scandinavia. I predict Alma's sister or brother will have a similarly striking moniker, perhaps one that translates around the world as well as Alma.
Girl: Aziza, Clara, Clea, Este, Marnie, Nadia, Leandra, Paloma, Pella, Sylvie
Boy: Bram, Emil, Gael, Isaac, Lior, Louis, Noam, Ori, Rex, Tal, Walter
*Update* Hello, Maya!

Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
It can be tricky to predict celebrity baby names with no siblings to refer to, but that's when I turn to pet names. Amanda has a beloved dog named Finn--might she choose another friendly and casual name for her baby?
Girl: Emmy, Isla, Laney, Lucy, Maeve, Poppy, Romy, Rosie, Ruby, Scarlett
Boy: Archer, Beckett, Charlie, Graham, Gus, Hank, Jack, Milo, Owen, Reid, Sam

Irina Shayk and Bradley Cooper
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Bradley Cooper and his girlfriend Irina Shayk are going to be parents! Irina is Russian, so I would not be surprised if the couple chose a name with Russian usage that is familiar to Americans.
Girl: Anastasia, Evva, Isidora, Kira, Lilia, Mika, Natalia, Odessa, Sarka
Boy: Alexei, Anton, Edmon, Leonti, Lev, Luka, Maksim, Nikolai, Sasha
*Update* Hello, Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper!

Cheryl and Liam Payne
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
This baby is going to be the first child for Cheryl and Liam Payne, but if Liam is anything like his One Direction bandmates, this little one is going to have a spunky British name.
Girl: Alice, Daisy, Darcy, Elodie, Hattie, Indie, Libby, Lottie, Millie, Poppy
Boy: Arlo, Aston, Finley, Hugo, Julian, Max, Ollie, Remy, Sebastian, Theo
*Update* A boy, Bear!

Molly McNearney and Jimmy Kimmel
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Kevin, Katherine (from a previous relationship), Jane
Jimmy Kimmel is gearing up to be a dad for the fourth time. His youngest child's name is Jane--a sweet classic choice that has been creeping back into style lately. I bet he and his wife will choose something in the same vein for their latest son or daughter.
Girl: Anna, Audrey, Bridget, Cora, Eleanor, Eliza, Iris, Louisa, Rose, Sadie, Violet
Boy: Andrew, Henry, James, Matthew, Michael, Oliver, Paul, Samuel, William
*Update* Correct prediction! Welcome, William John, "Billy"!

10 Names R You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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The only two R names for boys in the top 100 are Ryan and Robert. Those are both great names, of course, but some parents are looking for something a little more unique. These 10 boys names I'm going to talk about today are just that--none of them are even in the top 1000.

Rafe- Rafe is sometimes used as a nickname for Rafferty or Ralph, but I think he's fine as is. I can picture a Rafe at any age--which is important when it comes to naming your child.

Rafferty- Rafferty is a great Irish boys name with tons of potential. He seems to be a hipster favorite right now, but I could see him gaining favor overall.

Ralph- Many people don't know this, but Ralph has two pronunciations. He can be said like Rafe, or you can pronounce the L. Most people use the latter. I was surprised to learn he wasn't in the top 1000, Ralph fits in with many of today's vintage picks like Theodore and Maxwell.

Reading- Reading is pronounced RED-ing, not like the verb. He's stylish pick with a rare -ing ending. He would be perfect for parents from Philadelphia, to honor the city's Reading Terminal Market.

Ren- Ren could be a nickname for so many boys names--Warren, Lawrence, Soren, etc. By himself he sounds effortlessly cool and masculine. His briskness makes him an excellent choice for people with long last names, or the middle position.

Reynold- Reynolds is quite a popular surname, but hasn't yet become a first name option. If Reynolds is a surname in the family, consider adding Reynold to your list of baby names. Plus, you can always call him Ren.

Rhodes- I've heard a lot of Rhodes among the hipster crowd, but nowhere else. He strikes a perfect balance between preppy and hipster--two trends Americans are fond of.

Ridge- Once society finds out about Rhodes, I suspect the hipsters will move on to Ridge. He's an Urban Nature Name--hippies won't use him, but hipsters will.

Rockwell- I've talked about Rockwell quite a few times before (here, here, here, and here). He's modern and chic--and you can call him Wells!

Rumo- Rumo is a very sweet name, best known in the context of these books. He may be a "made-up name," but I think he would work well on a baby.

Top Italian Names

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At the end of this week I will be jet-setting to Italy for two weeks! I am beyond excited, and to set the mood, I thought we would look at the top five names for each gender in Italy. The most recent data I could find was from 2012, but that shouldn't be too far off from this year's. Enjoy!

Girls:
1. Sofia- Same top name as the U.S., just with the Latin spelling as opposed to the Greek.
2. Giulia- The Italian Julia. I think this spelling is more pretty, though I wouldn't use it in the U.S.
3. Giorgia- What a gorgeous name. The English equivalent, Georgia is on the rise in America.
4. Martina- Martina is so lovely, yet she is not even ranked in our top 1000. What's up with that?
5. Emma- She's not very Italian, but it's easy to see why she is so popular in so many countries.

Boys:
1. Francesco- A romantic name that would work well on an American child. Also not in the top 1000.
2. Alessandro- You can't get more Italian than Alessandro.
3. Andrea- Considering this used to be a popular girl name in the U.S., I can't see this one working.
4. Lorenzo- A really cool way to honor a Lawrence. His popularity at 237 remains steady.
5. Matteo- A popular American celebrity baby name, often paired with Luca. Image Credit

Chicago Names: L Stops

As a Chicago teenager, I find myself taking the L more and more. Lately I've noticed some of the stops have great baby name potential. Whether you live in the city or not, these are some spunky choices for your baby.

Expected:
Addison
Archer
Austin
Clark
Davis
Harrison
Jackson
Lawrence
Madison
Morgan
Paulina
Quincy
Wilson

Unique:
Adams
Ashland
Berwyn
Clinton
Damen
Foster
Francisco
Garfield
Jarvis
Kimball
Linden
Monroe
Sedgwick
Sheridan
Washington
Wellington

Unheard of:
Argyle
Belmont
Bryn Mawr
Cicero
Kedzie
Laramie
LaSalle
Loyola
Morse
Racine
Rockwell