We’re welcoming the Celebabies series into 2021 with some January name reveals, predictions, and more fun! If you’re new or need a little refresher, every month, I compile a list of four celebabies that have been born during that month and offer some commentary on how they blend together with their sibsets, how close I got to guessing their names if I did, and a little on the middle, if one has been revealed. I even share my predictions for the chosen names’ popularity trajectory and how the family’s choice may affect parents choosing names for their own children. Not every celebrity baby has a name like Apple or Audio Science who offer a lot of shock factor but not too much modern day potential. Then, I predict some possibilities for celebrities who are expecting and explain why. Anyway, I love this series, so without any more chatter on my end, let’s get this party started!
Kevin Leo McAllister- Witney Carson, a professional dancer and winner of So You Think You Can Dance, and her husband Carson McAllister have recently welcomed their first child, a baby boy. Although I first thought of the young Kevin McCallister of Home Alone and thought perhaps they decided to name him for their favorite movie character, the couple actually has quite a personal and touching reason for choosing the name. Their son is named for his grandpa who passed away from cancer a few years ago. While they’ve given Kevin for their little boy’s first name, Witney has hinted toward her son going by his middle name, the white hot trendy Leo that might fit better with his 21t century counterparts. Regardless, Kevin Leo is a delightful combination of styles and sounds, and the honor factor is definitely a sweet idea. I personally think that the name Kevin won’t stir from his resting place, where he likely will remain until his revival. However, Leo is on such a roll right now that having more exposure from celebabies could only send him further up.
Rhodes Robert Hedlund- Sadly, although I did attempt to predict the baby name of choice for Emma Roberts and her partner Garrett Hedlund’s, I came up far too short. A sample of my predictions include Atticus and Atlas, but, as you’ve already seen, the couple has chosen Rhodes for their first baby. A modern surname style boy name that feels as if it aligns with the trends of today (think River and Banks, for instance), yet just the slightest bit offbeat and quirky. Rhodes doesn’t rank in the top 1000 anywhere, making him currently a very rare choice. However, I do think that Emma Roberts' baby boy could have an influence on the number of baby Rhodes we see in the next few years. Yes, he does have the initial sound and confusion of the word ‘roads’, but beyond that, he feels full of potential and ready to waltz on into today’s name scene. The more exotic and different Rhodes is paired with the more grounding and traditional Robert, a lovely and balanced combination, at least in my opinion. While I’m personally not a giant fan of Rhodes, I do think he could potentially offer some appeal to others.
Khai- Another unfortunately botched yet slightly closer prediction, Gigi Hadid’s baby girl finally has had her name revealed! While I did feel as if Gigi and her partner, Zayn Malik, might go for a more typically male name for their girl (I guessed Sawyer and Palmer, among other things,) I didn’t get it quite right. Anyway, the couple chose Khai, an alternative spelling of the baby name Kai that I actually profiled quite recently, for their daughter. No middle name or last name have been disclosed yet, and they may never be, but I will offer some information on Khai. Khai is actually a stylish and unisex update on Gigi’s grandmother’s name, Khairiah, which I find very sweet, especially given their more obvious nod to the honor with the spelling of their little girls name. I find this instance a particularly fantastic reason to go with an alternative spelling. This name means “sea,” and is one that while I’m not the biggest fan of myself due to the shortness and lack of nicknames, is a very meaningful and lovely choice for their little girl.
Phineas, brother to Silas Randall- Little Phineas really was welcomed into the world in July, but his parents Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel hadn’t even revealed his arrival until a couple days ago. Phineas is their second little boy, his older brother a 5-year old called Silas Randall. Silas, a very in vogue choice, feels fit with Phineas, who blends with the many trendy Finn- names, although Phineas as an individual is startlingly rare. Not only that, they’re linked through their very obvious twinning -s endings, which I don’t happen to like, but is also a cute connection. While Silas’s middle name has been revealed, Phineas either doesn’t have one or his parents have decided not to mention it. Either way, Phineas is a lovely name and a wonderful brother to Silas, and I think that a movement with as much momentum as the Finn- names will be heavily influenced by a prominent singer using Phineas, especially given his minimal popularity. I even put him on my New Names For 2021 list!
Upcoming Celebabies:
And now, for the soon-to-be-named celebabies, let’s get predicting. First up, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham of the Bachelor are expecting two little rainbow siblings to their daughter Alessi Ren. It’s difficult for me to pin down the style of Alessi, but I tried my best. Perhaps something equally nickname-y for a baby girl, or an option with the same spunk of Alessi but a more full form (Hallie, Poppy, Posey, Sierra). For their little boy, perhaps a name in a softer style or maybe even passing on the name Arie again (Beau, Oliver, Arie III, Cooper). Next up is Shawn Johnson, an Olympian, and her husband Andrew East. They’re expecting a sibling to their daughter Drew Hazel, who shares the same BNOG (boy name on girl) style of her mother’s name. For a girl, I would obviously expect a name that feels more masculine (Reese, Ashton, Devin, Parker), but for a boy, I’m struggling. Perhaps the same! And for our final guesses, I’m going to predict potential baby names for musician Nick Carter’s third. He has a daughter, Saoirse *swoon* and a son, Odin. If they welcome a daughter, I’m thinking they might go for another beautiful Irish name (Niamh, Aiofe, Aisling, Roisin). If their little one ends up a boy, I think a mythological name or another name containing O may be the way to go (Thor, Apollo, Onyx, Tiernan, Tadgh). Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day!
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon