I have to admit, I’m a bit late for June. But I wasn’t going to make all of you miss out on your monthly dose of celebaby news! Every month at the Name Warehouse, I go through some of the celebrity baby names that popped up in these last few weeks, tracing trends, dealing out opinions, and, of course, leaving the floor open for discussion if you wish to rate and review the names in the comments. Then, I take some expecting celebs and predict the names which they’ll choose for their little ones on the way. Whether you’re more interested in the likes of Adalyn or Zelda, celebrities certainly have plenty of names up their sleeves. Join me on the adventure that is Celebabies, and let’s get into some real-life baby names.
Daniella- Sister to Alma and Maya
Gal Gadot, star of the new Wonder Woman trilogy, announced that she was welcoming her third earlier this year. In February, I predicted the name she would choose for baby girl #3, but I have to say that I was miles off base. My guesses consisted of short but feminine names with a slight vintage twist, like Ida, Nora, Ada, and Lila. However, Gal and her husband Jaron chose a frillier, more lengthy choice for this little one. Daniella, a name that doesn’t feel quite as current as her sisters’, definitely sticks out in this sibset. With vintage Alma, modern Maya, and throwback Daniella, their names don’t really feel coordinated. And while this does irk the name obsessed part of me, I think that having three names like Julianna, Julietta, and Julia all in one sibset is far more problematic than sisters called Irene, Zeola, and Justina (or Alma, Maya, and Daniella). Even if the styles don’t necessarily blend well together, it does give each daughter a distinct name that doesn’t clump them together. So even though Daniella fails to really connect to the names of her older sisters, I wouldn’t say it’s all bad. Stylistically, the names clash, but their mutual -a ending pulls them together in a way that’s not obnoxious but that is noticeable. As an individual name, Daniella is a bit past her prime. Peaking at #280 in 2010, she’s a tad out of fashion. And her nearly identical sister name Danielle peaked in 1987, making the name sound even more out of style. But hey, the -ella ending is there, which gets her some bonus points for blending in with names today. And if the name has special significance, then that puts it even higher in my book. Regardless, congrats to the Gadot-Versano family on their new little one.
Wyatt Ragle- Brother to Delilah Ray
Reality TV stars of The Hills: New Beginnings Jason and Ashley Wahler welcomed their second little one, a baby brother to their four year old daughter Delilah. Contrary to my predictions, which lay in a soft but masculine crevice (Tobias, Maxwell, Noah), the name that the couple selected for their first son has a very southern feel to him. Wyatt Ragle has a common first name with some southern hints, and then an obscure and funky middle name that adds further to the cool cowboy appeal. The name Wyatt means “brave in war.” It’s a combo that I think feels very well balanced. As for the sibset, I think that Delilah and Wyatt fit together well without sounding too close. They’re both very clear on gender, current, cool, and share an “eye” sound, which ties the two together seamlessly. And their middle names, Ray and Ragle, both share a surname-style quality and of course, the same initial. Wyatt is a bit more popular than Delilah, at #29 in the most recent set of data, but she’s close behind at #69. Wyatt isn’t my personal first chocie of name, but I think it fits his sister’s name perfectly. Either way, this sibset is wonderfully balanced and Wyatt Ragle is such a dapper name for a little boy.
Thunder and Saint Leo- Brothers to Olympia Lightning
Usain Bolt and his partner Kasi Bennett welcomed two little boys recently, and I’m happy to cover my first set of twins ever on celebabies! I know, I probably should’ve hit that milestone sooner. Anyway, onto the names of these two delightful bundles of joy. Given their older sister Olympia Lightning Bolt’s name, I expected nothing but the wildest of pun names when I saw their birth announcement. And one of the twins' names certainly delivered. Thunder Bolt definitely tops Olympia Lightning Bolt in punniness. I’m not sure that I’m necessarily a fan, though. Lightning Bolt as a middle and last name is a cool Two Truths and A Lie fact, or a fun little touch on a simpler name. But having the name that will be used during your graduation, job, and wedding be a pun is a bit more of an invasive name, a joke and punchline that constantly follows you, whether you like it or not, rather than a cool brag on the playground or a fun fact that only your friends know. Thunder by itself is pushing it, although I do have to say, the name is quite cool. It’s got a familiar -er ending, but an intensity and ferocity behind it due to the strong imagery. It’d make a wonderful middle name that would match with Lightning well. For instance, Amadeus Thunder would go wonderfully with Olympia Lightning and spare some of the punny nature of the name from affecting Thunder in later life. As for his twin brother, I think their names are beautifully matched. Saint Leo doesn’t really play on the whole Bolt last name, but it does honor his father Usain, whose middle name is Saint Leo. I think that the name fits with his siblings without sounding outlandish, although it may be burdensome if Saint is a bit of a troublemaker. Even though the names aren’t my style, Usain and Kasi certainly know how to blend a sibset (and a twinset that isn’t too matchy) well.
Lilibet Diana- Sister to Archie Harrison
And the crown jewel (quite literally, I might say) is the long-awaited reveal of Meghan and Harry’s baby name. A little sister to Archie Harrison, it was slightly difficult to predict a name for the couple. Would they go for another nickname name? Would their withdrawal from the royal family completely alter their naming style from offbeat classics to cutting-edge modern options? Nevertheless, I had to predict. And I am proud to announce myself half correct. “Half correct?” You might find yourself saying. And to that, I’ll show you my predictions. I predicted this list of girl names: Lilly/Lillian, Evelyn/Evie, Matilda/Tillie, Ivy. When the family announced their new addition, they introduced her to the world as Lilibet Diana, called Lili. Lilly and Lili are similar enough for me to call it a win, but when you add my failure to predict the correct full form, you get a “half correct”. Of course, I’m thrilled that I at least approximated the name that Harry and Meghan chose for their daughter, but I’m also intrigued by the name itself. A callback to the Queen of England’s childhood nickname of Lilibet, it’s a family name. However, it doesn’t feel stiff or old, just perfect for a sister name to Archie Harrison. It provides a quirky spin on traditional Lillian and floral choice Lily while retaining the appeal of the two more popular options. Do I see it catching on? Oh, absolutely. Without a doubt. I quite like it myself. Her middle name, as I opposed the idea of, is Diana, another callback to Harry’s family, being, of course, after his mother, the late Princess Diana. Harrison and Diana may not fit stylistically, but they both serve the same purpose. Congrats to Harry and Meghan on little Lili!
Upcoming Celebabies:
First up to the plate is Cardi B and her husband Offset. The two rappers share a three year old little girl named Kulture Kiari, and Offset has three children from a previous relationship, Jordan, Kody, and Kalea. Even though three of Offset’s children have K names, I’m not going to necessarily focus on K names. Kody and Kalea are twins, making their K names a way to make the pair stick out, and Kulture could be just a coincidence. Definitely a statement word name for a son (Marquess, Azure, Kaiser, Heir), and something daring and equally word-like for a daughter (Slate, Silver, Ocean, Echo, Enigma). Next up is Scarlett Johansson, who is expecting her second child, and first with husband Colin. She has a 6 year old little girl named Rose Dorothy who she welcomed with her ex-husband, so I can immediately pick out a couple classics for choices. Dorothy is a name to honor her father’s grandmother, so Scarlett’s style isn’t necessarily vintage. I also noticed the pattern of names that correspond with shades of red between Scarlett and Rose, so I may incorporate that into my predictions for girls, bonus points for flower or nature names to match Rose (Ruby, Siena, Poppy, Maple) and boys (Jasper, Rory, Rowan, Adam). Finally, Ashley Graham, host of Pretty Big Deal, and her partner Justin are welcoming their second little one, a brother or sister to their 1 year old little boy, Isaac Menelik Giovanni. For a son, I’m betting on something similarly biblical, yet not too exotic (Elijah, Ezra, Noah, Lucas, Jacob, Ethan). As for their daughter, a soft and gentle name feels right (Lily, Isabel, Madelyn, Evelyn, Everly). That’s it for this article! I’ve mostly been taking a vacation this summer, but I definitely missed the fun of predicting and reviewing some celebaby names, so I decided to make an exception. I hope you’ve also been enjoying your summer, and this article as well.
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon