Welcome back to the Name Warehouse, dear readers, and happy happy Friday! Today, we’re talking celebabies once more. Celebaby names are wonderful indicators of real life naming trends, lovely windows into what parents are naming their children if you aren’t in a window of life where plenty of people around you are expanding their families, and, of course, just plain fun! That’s why I take a look at four new celebaby names every month and predict a couple potential celebrity choices for expecting stars. Celebabies is certainly my favorite series to write, so I hope that you love these articles as well. Okay, let’s get this show on the road and take a peek at a few new celebabies, sibsets, and first-middle name combinations!
Sylvester Apollo- First up is the new little boy of actress Emily Ratajkowski and her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard (a stunning name for the moment as well), Sylvester Apollo Bear. Sylvester is a tragically overlooked baby boy name, at least in my opinion, given to only 74 little boys last year. With Sylvie getting showered with attention in the naming community (with real life results coming soon, I’m sure), it’s a wonder that Sylvester has managed to dodge the attention. Not only is his Sylv- beginning distinctly cool, he has a -er ending similarly to Carter, Parker, Harper, and dozens more plastered all over today’s top 100 for boys and girls. However, despite these hot and trendy sounds, Sylvester is still doomed to be a nerdy name. He even skipped his comeback, as he peaked in 1901 at #139 and has yet to resurge. However, the charmingly dorky Sylvester is paired with the undeniably current and on trend Apollo, who ranks at #487 at the moment, which adds this zingy coolness. Together, and when put with the surname Bear, you really have a masterpiece. Sylvester Apollo Bear is stunning, a wonderful mesh of the past and present, and I’m a huge fan.
Jupiter Iris- Actress and singer Ashley Tinsdale welcomed a baby girl two days ago with her musician husband Christopher French, whom they named with the celestial naming trends in mind. However, they put a bit of a creative twist on this space-y style by using the name Jupiter, a name that takes the trendy sounds of Juniper and adds a good dose of the sought-after celestial imagery. Although Jupiter is far from my own style, I don’t quite understand how little use this name gets at #1855 for girls, given her ability to morph into trends today yet stand apart from the crowd. And the spelling is guaranteed, given the planet name! The exoticity of Jupiter is slightly tamed by the sweet vintage Iris. While I do enjoy the balance of cuteness and wildness in this combo, I’m not the largest fan of the two word names together. It’s no Violet Iris or Stormi Iris, but the wordiness is noticeable. All in all, I would say that Jupiter Iris is quite a lovely name. Congratulations to Ashley and Christopher on their little girl!
Grace Elizabeth Jane-Sister to Arthur Michael William
Kate Middleton’s little sister Pippa (how cute is that?) Middleton added a second little bundle of joy to their family a week and a half ago. A sister to Arthur Michael William, Middleton and her husband James Matthews named their little one Grace Elizabeth Jane Matthews. I CALLED IT! Ok, I may be a bit too excited. But I did predict the name that Pippa and James may choose for a little girl in my December of 2020 Celebabies Article, and I suggested that perhaps they would call their baby daughter “Florence, Clara, Grace.” Aside from my intense excitement over my second correct celebaby prediction (and first on record at the Warehouse instead of just with my family), I do think that Grace Elizabeth Jane is a beautifully classic name. Grace is striking, a name that has been overused in some cases, but I do still swoon at this little one’s name. It’s a name that connotes virtue and elegance, or in some cases, devoted faith. As for Elizabeth, this traditionally English name connects to baby Grace’s Aunt, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, a very sweet honor and a name that flows wonderfully with Grace. Finally, there’s Jane, another addition to the string of evergreen names that little Grace possesses. The syllable count is heavenly, the names are classics without being dull or boring, and Grace and Arthur are lovely together. While those names feel off together for me in the US, I think that there’s a reason I put them together back in December. They are really a nice match. Michael and William fit seamlessly with Elizabeth and Jane, all traditional and evergreen to a T.
Sterling Skye- NFL Quarterback for the Kansas City team, Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany recently announced the birth of their baby girl, Sterling Skye. Sterling is traditionally a male name, and while I prefer it on a baby boy, it is still a storied and historical name that has plenty of meaning for a little girl as well. I do also love the connection through Sterling’s name to her dogs, Steel and Silver, who link to her own. Sterling is a name that was given to 115 baby girls last year, enough to put her at #1769 for American families daughters, and sits at #409 for little boys, and the name has the incredibly sweet meaning of “little star,” which I find positively darling for either gender. However, the name tilts heavily male, so I would’ve preferred to see a more feminine middle for Sterling if it was up to me, because I had initially presumed that because Skye was a unisex name and Sterling was predominately male, that Sterling Skye was a baby boy. Despite the potential gender confusion, I do find the alliterative aspect of Sterling Skye to be unique and fun.
Lucas Phillip- Yes, there’s a reason this Celebaby article includes one more celebaby baby name than usual! I was just about ready to sign off with “Delphina Moon” when I remembered Zara Tindall, daughter of Princess Anne (who herself is daughter of the Queen). I checked back on Zara and Mike and was shocked to find another victory, although this one can just barely be counted. The couple, who already have two daughters, Mia Grace and Lena Elizabeth, have welcomed a son, whom they’ve named Lucas Phillip. When guessing which names the couple would potentially give a little boy, I said “Something just as fit in the 21st century but with roots... Luke,” which you can find in December Celebabies if you like. I’m not necessarily going to call this a win, but it’s closer than I’ve ever gotten for a boy celebaby. Anyway, moving onto the actual name! Lucas is a handsome modern classic, a boy name that while masculine and rugged, also feels at home painted on an adorable nursery or scrawled sloppily on a kindergarten craft. He’s very popular, at #8, but he also exudes a wide variety of vibes, whether it’s a studious little one, a musical teen, a high school football player, or a professional grown man. As for little Lucas’s middle name, Phillip, Zara and Mike have incorporated a double honor with this smooth classic. While nodding both to the obvious Prince Phillip, Zara’s grandfather and Lucas’s great-grandfather, and Mike’s father Phillip, Phillip also sounds wonderful with Lucas, making an excellent flow between the two. Finally, Mia, Lena, and Lucas sound perfect together. You would think that the two Ls present in Lena and Lucas would cut Mia out, but when saying them aloud, the two -a endings connect them again, making no pattern in particular stand out.
Upcoming Celebabies
Now that we’ve taken a look at some new babies and their names, it’s time for me to make a few predictions about what names expecting celebrities are going to be revealing in a couple of months when they welcome their little ones. First up is Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who are expecting a daughter, their second child after the birth of their little boy Archie Harrison in early 2019. Much of the speculation is around whether or not Diana will be incorporated into the name, and I’m going to have to join forces with the naysayers on that theory. Diana’s story is so recent and full of tragedy for this couple, and with Markle in particular experiencing some of the same stressors as Diana once did, I think such a direct honor would be too painful a reminder for the family. However, both Harry and Diana announced their pregnancies with their second children on Valentine’s day, so I’m thinking that some derivative of Valentine or Valentina may be a way to honor Diana’s legacy as Harry’s mother instead of the whole tragedy we know best today. As for first names, I’m thinking a cute and delicate girl name with a bit more of an American feel than Archie (Lilly/Lillian, Evelyn/Evie, Matilda/Millie/Tillie, Ivy). As for boy names, I’m tempted to go for a modern classic that’s all the rage in the UK and US (Jack, Felix, Tobias/Toby). Next up is reality TV star Christine Quinn, who is pregnant with her first child with Christian Richard. For a girl, I’m feeling like a really beautiful nature name may suit them (River, Azalea, Eira, Wren). As for a little boy, I’m planning for something dramatic (Raphael, Valentine, Emmett). That's all for today, everyone. Thanks for tuning in, and I hope you enjoyed! Have a wonderful rest of your day, readers.
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon