Is it wonderful? Is it unique? Is it a refreshing breath of fresh air amidst a cloud of overused names? Or is it just a little bit strange? These are the questions parents all find themselves asking when the next celebrity names a baby. If mom is on the A-list it seems to be difficult for her to name the child something simple like ‘Mark’ or ‘Emma’, or sometimes to even just use an established name. Celebrities seem to want to think completely outside the box when it comes to naming their babies.
Maybe that’s a good thing? Why should anyone comply with tradition? Why not just go for a word mom and dad love, or that has some significance to them? Besides, it gives the rest of the world the ok to go ahead and dare to try something a little quirkier too.
Unusual names that have been used just this year range from Stormi to Emori, from Chicago to Francesco. Celebs have also been inspired by more vintage choices such as Betsy and Minnie. Here is a list of the more unique choices made by beloved celebrities. Are these names easy to pull off? Do these even sound good with surnames? Dare to be different with a celebrity-inspired name this year.
25 Kulture
Everyone was keen to congratulate Cardi B and Offset on their beautiful daughter’s arrival earlier this year. But the name announcement met with a few puzzled faces. ‘Kulture’ may be a tribute to the first two albums made by her dad’s rap group ‘Migos’, as these were ‘Culture’ and ‘Culture II’, but with an all too trendy twist. Why use a ‘C’ when you can be a bit Kardashian and replace it with a ‘k’? Offset has two other children with ‘k’ names, so maybe they just wanted to keep that streak going.
24 Kiari
Staying with the Cardi B clan, Kulture’s middle name is the rather beautiful Kiari. Dad Offset’s real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, so taking his name as a middle name is a lovely tribute. Ranking as the 15,000th most popular girl’s name, Kiari is also a very unique moniker for any little girl. People with this name are creative and outgoing, and love to show off their talents in front of an audience. So a really appropriate name for the daughter of two singers then!
23 Santiago
Eva Longoria and José Antonio “Pepe” Bastón named their new son after the great Saint James, earlier this year. This couple chose to go with something a little more traditional, with a full traditional Spanish name of Santiago Enrique. The name comes from ‘Santa’ meaning ‘saint’ coupled with ‘yago’, a form of ‘James’ and is also the name of several Spanish speaking cities, including the capital of Chile. Now in the top 100 boys’ names, this couple has shown that you don’t have to choose an unusual name to be trendy.
22 Stormi
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott sound like they have just made up this rather cute name, but actually, it dates far back into English tradition. Now popular in America as an alternative spelling of ‘Stormy’, this name translates as ‘tempest’ and signifies someone who may be a powerful force of nature. People with this unisex name can be inspirational to those around them and have quite visionary ideas. They love to be surrounded by a loving family and are highly imaginative and creative people.
21 Hayes
Jessica Alba & Cash Warren chose this name for their baby, but they may just have been inspired by fellow celeb Kevin Costner’s choice 8 years ago. Hayes is more common as a surname but is creeping its way into popularity as a first name. It is derived from ‘Aed’, an Irish mythological god. The Irish surname ‘O hAodha’ literally means ‘son of Aed’ or ‘son of fire’ and has since been anglicized as ‘Hayes’. It is also an Anglo-Saxon locational name meaning ‘brushwood’.
20 Ennio
This stunning Italian name is the one chosen by Erin McNaught & Example. Dating back to Roman times as the surname ‘Ennius’, this name is already taken by some high profile famous folks including Quintus Ennius, one of the greatest Latin poets, and the composer Ennio Morricone. Pronounced as ‘EN-nee-oh’, any boy with this name is apparently ‘pre-destined’. Only just squeezing into the top 5000 boy’s names, Ennio is a lyrical and stylish name that should probably be used a little bit more.
19 Bodhi
This gorgeous Sanskrit name means ‘enlightenment’. Chosen by Megan Fox 3 years ago and now reappearing in celeb land thanks to Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder, Bodhi is actually an important Buddhist concept. It is a spiritual awakening and freedom from the cycle of life, and also the tree under which Lord Buddha sat when he became enlightened. These celebrity parents chose to couple Bodhi with Soleil, (pronounced ‘so-LAY’), meaning ‘sun’, giving this child a new age and carefree feel.
18 India
India is not just popular in the world of celebrities. It dates back to the Victorian era, when the British ruled India and became popular as a girl’s name then. Named after the country, which is named after the River Indus, it is currently just outside the top 1000 girls’ names. However, we are sure that the latest use of it in celeb land will give it a popularity boost. Used 5 years ago by Chris Hemsworth's and Elsa Pataky, the latest parents to pick it are Binky Felstead and Josh Patterson.
17 River
Jamie and Jools Oliver are renowned for choosing something a little quirky for their children. Already blessed with Daisy Boo, Petal Blossom, Poppy Honey and Buddy Bear, the latest addition to the Oliver clan is River Rocket. River actually comes from the Latin word ‘ripa’, meaning ‘riverbank’ and although it was once considered a little ‘hippyish’, it is now a fairly well known unisex name. Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green have also chosen this name as a middle name for their little Journey.
16 Onyx
If you name your first born ‘Ever Imre’, it’s always going to be tricky following it up with something at least equally out there. However, it didn’t seem to be a problem for parents Alanis Morrisette and Mario "Souleye" Treadway, who went for ‘Onyx Solace Morissette-Treadway’ for their baby daughter. Onyx is a deep jet-black gemstone that was sometimes called ‘claw’. This is because at times it resembles a fingernail, with pink and white streaks. A valuable stone and popular name in the Victorian era.
15 Lula
Lula Rose Gardner is the very cute and trendy name of the daughter of Liv Tyler and Dave Gardner. Whilst Rose is a beautiful vintage name meaning ‘flower’, Lula is a refreshing change to the increasingly popular Lola, Lila and Lily. It is known as a ‘nickname name’, as it is really short for Louise, Lucy or Talula, so using it as a standalone name is unusual. The name means ‘famous warrior’ and currently sits outside the top 2000 baby names.
14 Arlo
When celebrity parents Leighton Meester and Adam Brody were naming their new baby, they decided on Arlo. Although it sounds incredibly Italian, its strongest origins are as an Anglo-Saxon variation on Harlow. This, in turn, means ‘fortified hill’, from the words ‘here’ - army or troops - and ‘hlaw’ - hill or mound. It is also an Italian version of Charles and the Spanish word for ‘the barberry tree’. Actress Toni Collette and Happy Mondays star Bez have also chosen this name for their sons.
13 Briar Rose
If you are a Disney fan, why not name your child after a Disney character? Whilst this has the potential to go horribly wrong, new parents Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen chose a classic and might get away with it. Naming their daughter Briar Rose is clearly a call out to the 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty. Briar Rose is the alternative name given to Aurora by the three fairies and was the original title of the story. Whether or not little Briar Rose will appreciate her princess name as she grows up remains to be seen.
12 Silas
Silas is all about nature. In both Greek and Latin, it is a word that refers to trees, forests and woods. In the Bible Silas was a missionary and friend to Paul and Timothy. It seems to be a bit of a traditional name in the Timberlake household too, with the baby of Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake reportedly being the third male member of the family with the name. Boys with this name tend to be destined for leadership roles and enjoy peace, harmony and beautiful surroundings.
11 Titan
Titan has slowing been growing in popularity since the turn of this century and is gradually replacing similar names such as Tatum and Tyson. Meaning ‘big, powerful man’, or sometimes ‘defender’, it is a bold move to name your son Titan although this Greek name does certainly stand out from the crowd. When Kelly Rowland and Tim Witherspoon chose it they went one step further and teamed it with the middle name ‘Jewell’, which is usually more common for girls.
10 Huckleberry
Here is a name that will divide opinion. Is it cute and unique? Or is it just a little bit weird? British adventurer and Chief Scout Bear Grylls certainly went all out naming his third son as his full name reaches to Huckleberry Edward Jocelyne. He joins big brothers Marmaduke and Jesse and is reportedly going to be referred to as ‘Huck’. Edward is actually Bear’s real name. Jocelyne is an equally interesting choice as it was originally a male name meaning ‘member of the Gauts tribe’ but has since become a female moniker.
9 Coco
It might be considered a little bit risky to choose a name that is traditionally associated with clowns, but that didn’t put Courtney Cox and David Arquette off when they named their daughter. More inspiring namesakes include Coco Chanel, the fashion designer and the model Coco Rocha. Coco is a nickname for the Spanish name Socorro, which means ‘help or relief’. It is also a pet name in France. Girls with this name are generally compassionate and romantic, and love working with and for others.
8 Cosimo
Celebrity couple Marissa Ribisi and Beck were blessed with a little boy and went for the incredibly chic Italian name Cosimo. It is related to the Greek ‘Cosmo’ and translates as ‘order’ or ‘universe’. It is a name that has long been associated with nobility, as various members of the Medici family bore this name, along with three Grand Dukes of Tuscany. St Cosmas became the patron saint of Milan when he was martyred and therefore made the name well-known throughout Italy.
7 Denim
Toni Braxton and Keri Lewis both have unisex names, so they chose the same for their new son. Denim Cole was later joined by little brother Diezel Key, so continuing the theme of unusual and typically ‘celeb’ baby names. Denim is a name that has been used since the 19th century in America, although it refers to the French material. Nowadays denim is usually died an Indigo colour to make jeans, but originally it referred to a light coloured cotton.
6 Everest
This mountainous name is not really a name at all. It is one of those occasions where someone has decided that they need an enormously epic name and perhaps have some kind of link to the tallest mountain on the planet. Still, if your dad is George Lucas you can probably get away with it. The mountain was, in fact, named after Sir George Everest, so it is a name that was originally a surname, meaning ‘person from Evreux’, a Norman town.