The past few years have been crazy for most people, but celebrity’s baby names? Even crazier. Here are some of the most unique names top celebrities have chosen for their children, and why.
Many names have to do with nature. Artists Jay Z and Beyonce named their first daughter “Blue Ivy.” Jay Z’s favorite color is blue and they love the number four so “Ivy” comes from the Roman numeral IV. ‘Bear’ is a name that has strangely appeared twice, being the name of Alicia Silverstone, the actress who played Cher in Clueless, and the name of Gwyneth Paltrow’s child (“Bear Blaze Apple”). Nature names can sound rather pretty though, such as the four children of Jamie Oliver and Juliette Norton. Their names are Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela, Buddy Bear and Petal Blossom Rainbow.
While some celebrities opt for nature-related names, others go for a location. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West (now known as Ye) named their first three children using directions and locations. Their second daughter Chicago West, nicknamed “Chi,” is named this way because “Her first name is a tribute to where Kanye grew up with his late mother…” Kardashian said. on the Ellen Show. “That is a place that made him. And a place that he remembers his family from. He really wanted his mother’s name, and I love that name too, I just wasn’t sure…it’s so much to live up to. I just felt like Chicago was cool and different.”
Another baby named after a place is Tennessee, the child of Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth. People said, “Reese Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth paid tribute to the actress’s southern roots when they named their son Tennessee James.” When childhood memories in a certain place are fond, location-based baby names can apparently be the way to go.
By far one of the most unusual celebrity baby names is the son of Grimes and Elon Musk, ‘X Æ A-12’. CNN reports that Grimes explained, “X” stood for “the unknown variable,” while Æ (AI) was shorthand for artificial intelligence and translates to “love” in several languages,” she later goes on to explain that, “A-12 = precursor to SR-17 (our favorite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent, and “A” in the name also represents “Archangel,” which she described as her favorite song.”
Some people have worried about the effects of such unusual names on celebrities’ kids. “But for the main part, [Conley, a sociologist) says, the effect of a name on its bearer rarely amounts to more than the effect of being raised by parents who would choose such a name,” reports the BBC. Pilot Inspektor, child of Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf could be one of these kids who is affected by their birth name. Lee reportedly chose the name “Pilot” after hearing a song.
While more attention is brought to the interesting names of celebrities’ children, uncommon names are not uncommon. According to NBC, “In general, unusual names are becoming more and more common in the United States among the famous and nonfamous alike.”