Celebabies, or babies born to parents in the spotlight, have a lot of power over the name community. They can spark outrages over some strange choices like Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson or Apple, plant names ready to take off in parents’ brains, starting roaring trends, or add to the pool of acceptable names for a child. They’re also a reflection (at least the relatively common ones) of what names parents today are into, which is part of why I enjoy reviewing them so much. And that is exactly what we’re doing today! If you’re not so familiar with this monthly series, we first review and give opinions on some of the most prominent names of the month on the red carpet and then predict some monikers that expecting stars might choose for their little ones. Let’s begin with a good ol’ Duggar baby!
Evangeline Jo-Sister to Felicity Nicole
One of the families (second only to the Kardashians) made famous in part by the monoletter naming scheme, the Duggar’s stuck only to the initial J for their whopping 19 children. Jinger Duggar and her husband Jeremy Vuolo have welcomed their second daughter, and stayed away from the single initial sibset she was a part of. They named their little girl Evangeline Jo, a long, lovely, fluid, and spiritual first name paired with a spunky and unisex middle. The balance between the combo is impeccable. But upon some further investigation into the name, it’s clear that the Duggar-Vuolo’s have started a naming tradition of their own. They have an older daughter called Felicity Nicole, who shares her middle name with her mother, and Evangeline’s middle name is a feminization of her father’s middle name, Joseph! And don’t get me started on how seamlessly Felicity and Evangeline fit together. Both are beautifully long and frilly with virtuous connections and a similar delicate vibe. Although Evangeline is a little too frilly to suit my tastes, I think it’s the perfect addition to Felicity and Jo is a cute nod to her parent’s names, a sweet but not blatantly obvious naming tradition.
Maybellene Alma Joy-Sister to Jordan Ezra, Penelope Anne, River Samuel, Viggo Moriah,
Wilhelmina Jane, and Claude Indiana Emmanuel
Taylor Hanson, a member of the boy band Hanson, and his wife Natalie Bryant have announced the arrival of their 7th child and 3rd daughter, Maybellene Alma Joy. The couple shares all 7 children, each boasting the most up to date and often far ahead of the curve names. Their oldest son, Jordan Ezra, has a name cool today, even though he’s currently 18. Same with their 15 year old daughter Penelope, whose name has very recently become current and cool. River, Viggo, and Wilhelmina, who’s called Willa, have also formed into cool or at least forum favorite names. Claude, however, has yet to see an uptick in use (although I believe that may soon change), but he goes by Indy, which sure has. With names teetering the line between modern and edgy with Jordan, River, and Viggo and vintage and sweet, like Claude, Wilhelmina, and Penelope, I think Maybellene perfectly blended these conflicting styles with her slightly old-timey energy thanks to Mabel yet feels modern due to the makeup brand. Alma and Joy as two middles work perfectly to summon a more vintage feel and offer a varied syllable count. A beautiful moniker for sure!
Luca Patrick-Brother to Mia Love and Lola Alain
Robin Thicke, a singer-songwriter and judge on the TV show The Masked Singer, and his fiancee, a model called April Love Geary, have welcomed their first son, a brother to their two daughters. Luca is an Italian name, though not reflective of their heritage, which means “man from Luciana”. A wonderful update to Luke or Lucas with a softer sound and approach, this up-to-date name paired with the classic Patrick is a lovely combo. Luca joins his two sisters, Mia Love, whom April shared her unique middle name with, and Lola Alain, a more tailored and cool variation of Alaina. Mia and Lola are both fairly popular, so their pairing with more distinct middle names really makes their names interesting and unique. With his two sisters bearing two-syllable monikers ending in -a, Luca fits right in with the sibset, an adorable pick. Robin Thicke also has a son from a previous marriage, called Julian Fuego, who I also think fits in the style realm of Luca while still maintaining enough difference to work as sibling names.
Mint
Victoria’s Secret model Romee Strijd and her husband Laurens Van Leeuwen have announced the arrival of a daughter, called Mint Van Leeuwen. No middle name has been announced, although perhaps they’ve decided to forgo a middle name because of their longer surname. Mint is a sweet word name that is normally used as a diminutive of the name Araminta. However, in this case, the couple has decided to use this food and word name as a full name for their baby girl, which I honestly almost prefer to the length and frilliness of the name Araminta. Brief but beautiful, Mint is strikingly unusual but familiar, and her short format and crisp sound are positively lovely. The perks of using an unpopular word name like Mint? Rare word names like Apple, Mint, or Gravity have the benefit of being easily spelled, given their prominence in the everyday world, yet a little girl or boy bearing the appellation Mint isn’t going to have to answer to their last initial. The clean and fresh scent of the herb paints Mint a positive association in my mind, and I have to say, while an eccentric choice, I quite like it, particularly as the always in demand one syllable middle name to spice up (literally) a more conventional choice.
Upcoming Celebabies:
Now that we’ve taken a look at some of the names that celebabies received this month, it’s time to look at some celebabies-to-be and guess some possible options for their parents! This month has been full of royal birth announcements, first with Pippa Middleton. Technically, she’s not a royal. But her sister married Prince William and tied her to the royal family and gave her a few nieces and nephews too. Pippa and her husband James Matthews already have a young son, called Arthur, which is a very popular name, #4 to be exact, in Britain. So, I assume that she’ll choose a name with the same mainstream British charm for a little boy (Theodore, Henry, Oliver, Oscar), and a sophisticated name for a girl (Florence, Clara, Grace, Isabelle, Harriett) to match the vibe of her son’s name. Another royal baby is being born to Queen Elizabeth’s daughter Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mike. I know, a little complicated. The couple has two little girls, Mia Grace and Lena Elizabeth, both with very feminine, short and sweet first names coupled with traditional middle names. For a third daughter, I would expect them to choose something equally girly but brief (Bella, Eva, Sophia, Emma, Kira), and for a son, something just as fit in the 21st century but with roots (Max, Jack, Henry, Felix, Luke). Finally, fashion blogger Arielle Charnas has announced that she’s expecting her third, a sibling to two daughters (there seems to be a two sisters pattern this month…) Ruby Lou and Esme Rae. If they find themselves with a little girl, I predict something slightly vintage and two syllables to fit with her sisters (Ivy, Iris, Isla, Freya, Lilly) and for a brother to Ruby and Esme, I want to go for something very retro (Arthur, Jasper, Emmett, Leo, Ivan). Thank you for joining me today, and make sure to comment your opinions of the names this month.
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
Which name chosen this month was your favorite? What are your predictions for the names Zara and Mike, Pippa and James, and Arielle and Brandon will choose? Let me know below!