Weird Celebrity Baby Names

From LoveToKnow Baby

In Spring 2006, the world was introduced to a plethora of weird celebrity baby names. We met Gwyneth Paltrow’s son Moses, welcomed Katie Holmes’ daughter Suri, and said hello to Brooke Shields’ daughter Grier. And, who could forget Donald Trump’s new son, Barron William?

What’s the Logic behind Weird Celebrity Baby Names?

If you follow Hollywood’s latest entertainment news, you’ve probably asked yourself why stars insist on giving their children exotic and unusual names. Unfortunately, that’s a question without an easy answer.

One reason for weird celebrity baby names could be that it’s an easy way for a star to stay in the headlines. When actor Jason Lee named his son Pilot Inspektor in September 2003, he was the talk of the tabloids for months. Magician and comedian Penn Jillette attracted similar attention when he named his daughter Moxie Crimefighter last year. Even Demi Moore’s slightly quirky choices of Tullulah Belle, Scout LaRue, and Rumer Glenn gave her a huge publicity boost after each of her daughters was born.

If you’re into psychology, you might say that naming a child provides a celebrity with an opportunity for unscripted personal expression. In Hollywood, an entertainer has his/her every move managed by publicists and agents. But, even the most diligent public relations expert can’t tell a star what to name his/her child. In this way, weird celebrity baby names are a simple act of rebellion. If Helen Hunt wants to name her daughter Makena’lei Gordon, who’s going to stop her?

Taking Trendiness to the Next Level

As the people ordinary Americans aspire to emulate, celebrities feel pressured to push the envelope. Once middle-class parents starting naming their children names like Madison and Brennen, celebrities needed to stay ahead of the curve. So, name choices became more and more unusual. Consider the current celebrity baby-naming trends:

Names inspired by animals, plants, fruits, or other elements of nature
Names inspired by exotic places or foreign cultures
Names inspired by authors or famous literary characters

Of course, not all celebrities feel compelled to find the most exotic names for their children. While some stars search for the distinctive, others favor bringing back traditional names that have long disappeared in the general public. For example, when Reese Witherspoon and Heather Locklear both named their daughters Ava, they inspired thousands of American parents to do the same.

What About the Baby?

No matter how you feel about weird celebrity baby names, it’s only natural to wonder how an odd moniker will affect the child. Will he/she demand a name change at age 18?

Fortunately, most people believe there’s no real long-term damage caused when a celebrity decides to give his/her child an unusual name. Actors, artists, musicians, comedians, and other entertainers are known for their creative and distinctive personalities. In this culture, a quirky baby name is almost expected. When actress Shannyn Sossamon named her son Audio Science in 2003, she made a statement to the world about her family’s individuality.

Now, naming your own child after an unusual celebrity baby name is another matter entirely. Without the benefit of rich and famous parents, it’s likely that your child would be relentlessly teased by his/her peers if you followed Shannyn Sossamon’s lead. In this case, it’s best to err on the side of caution when choosing a name for your new bundle of joy.