Celebrity Baby Names of 2014 - Review

This year I'm a bit late with my reviews, but they're here. There were so many interesting celeb baby names in 2014, that it was hard to keep the list short, so bear with me. Of course, I'll be including names that I don't like, names that are a bit plain to me, but the names who were just reported as, for example, "John" and no middle name just didn't make the cut - the first name is boring for me, plus no middle to comment just doesn't deserve a critique. Anyway, here we go!


BOYS

Genesis Ali - After singer Alicia Keys previously gave birth to a son named Egypt, we knew she was going to surprise us again. And she did. While Genesis is a very common name for girls, its extremely rare on boys, so it fits well with how unique his brother's name is.

Reign Aston - I think Kourtney did it much better this time. I'm sorry to go against the current, but to me Reign just sounds a lot more interesting (in a good way) than Mason. I'm not usually a fan of title names, but this is one of the few exceptions. The luxurious middle name is ok, but Reign is really the star here.

Zephyr Emerson - I've loving the name Zephyr so much lately, it's actually in my very own top 10. I love nature names, including ones like Zephyr where the connection is less obvious, and pairing it with Emerson makes the combo flow really well.

Name In Spotlight: Reign

After several days of speculation on what Kourtney Kardashian would name her second son, from Jeffrey, to something related to that name, it turns out we were all way off. She picked Reign. A lot of people were not pleased with this outlandish choice, but I dont think its as bad as North (West), or at least that name combo. And here's why: this name may seem crazy to us born in the 20th century, but for a newborn baby these days? It fits right in with other popular choices such as King or Major.

Name In Trend: Jace

Jace is a male name of english origin that means "the lord is my salvation". It is a diminutive of Jason, but like the name Jack departed from John as it's own name, Jace is heading that way it seems. If I had to pick a name that defined trendy as of right now, Jace would be it. This name, plus all of its spelling variants, are zooming up the charts at the speed of light. It is a Teen Mom baby name, a character name from the book series The Mortal Instrument, and also the name of one the guys on Duck Dynasty (who spells his name Jase).

But enough of me telling you how trendy it is, let me prove it:

Name In Spotlight: Ophelia

 
Ophelia is a female name of greek origin that means "help". Dave Grohl, front member of the band Foo Fighters, recently bestowed this name on her daughter, and I really like it. It might seem a bit out there, but if you think about, it isn't worlds away from some of the most common names of today, such as Olivia or Sophia.

 Ophelia has a pretty nice meaning, who doesn't need some help in their lives right? But in literary terms, she has a somber past.

Name In Trend: Sawyer

Sawyer is a name of english origin that means "wood worker", therefore making it an occupational name. However, thanks to Mark Twain naming his hero Tom Sawyer in the novel "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer", it also has a literary connection that most people are aware of.

Sawyer is a name that has been embraced by parents and celebrities alike. The Early Show presenter Erica Hill used it for her son back in 2010. Even though surnames have been adopted as first names for boys since the dawn of time, it wasn't always the case with Sawyer, who is relatively new to the "scene". Let's see how this name has performed on the SSA chart:

Name In Trend: Paisley

The unisex name Paisley is of scottish origin and it means "church". Paisley is actually a place name, of a scottish town near Glasgow. The paisley pattern, which involves a persian inspired design, originated in that town, famous for its weaving industry in the 19th century. Now of course everyone will immediately think of the fabric, rather than the town, but I guess it's not a terrible association. The name in recent years has been embraced by parents of little girls, maybe because the design is quite girly, and it has even been used by celebs like Jennie Finch.

Celebrity Baby Names of 2013 - Review

Another new year rolls in, and as usual, I start off with my review of the celeb baby names from the previous year. 2013 did brought an interesting mix of names, some trendy choices, some unexpected ones too, as well as the obligatory boy names on girls. Overall, I did like them more than the 2012 choices.

BOYS

Ellis James - Like I always say, if you have two names you wanna use, one of them is part of the unexpected underrated category, and one is part of the overused classics category, and you're unsure in which order to put each name, I'll tell you: keep the most interesting name first, the more common one second. It's such a waste when great underused names are wasted in the middle. I do love Ellis.

Milan - Often thought of as a place name, which it can be, but it is also a hebrew name, with a different pronunciation than that italian city: MEE-lan. I didn't know what to expect from Shakira, but I do approve of this choice.

Greyson James - Greyson seems to be the new rising star over the past years, and one I like quite a bit (preferably spelled Grayson). James is the typical filler middle (and first) name, so don't really care for it.

Knox Addison - Ever since the Jolie's used Knox, the name has spread like wildfire, but yet is not at a point where your hear it everywhere everytime. It's that familiar face you don't see too often, one that you enjoy encountering. Addison is a male name that has made a switch to the female side, so I'm always surprised yet thankful when they make the reswitch, even if it's as a middle name. I love the flow of the name too.

Name In Spotlight: Rainbow

Everyone knew Holly Madison was naming her daughter "something unusual", but were we expecting a baby Rainbow Aurora? Probably not. Aurora is a legit name around the world, a beautiful name for sure, but the spotlight tonight goes to Rainbow. Obviously.

My parents told me that they named me Skye because they liked the sound of "sky", and also the image of peacefulness and tranquility a blue sky evoked to them. The added "e" was just an attempt to make it different (my parents loved alternative spellings...). I've always liked my name and always get positive feedback on it, especially for how "unique" it is to most people. It also made me fond of nature names, especially for boys, and I'll probably carry on that naming style with my kids.

Celebrity Baby Names of 2012 - Review

As usual during January, I do my review of several celeb baby names that were born the year before. 2012 wasn't a particularly exciting year for baby names, especially if you like outlandish choices, but if you do like old school female names, it was particularly intriguing to see which ones are making a comeback.


BOYS:

Edward Duke - Not a fan of either choice to be honest. Edward is a bit dated imo, and I'm not a fan of title names, so Duke gets a "no" from me too. Plus, if you're gonna call him Duke, just put Edward in the middle, makes no sense to me when middle names are the prefered choice to call someone.

Camden Jack - Camden has been making waves lately, with at least 2 celebrity couples naming their son Camden. I quite like this choice, it's popular without being too overused, plus like many classics that are now below the top100, it doesn't have the baggage that there are a million older men with the same name. I can't stand Jack, but at least it's hidden in the middle spot.

Zander Jace - I like Zander but I do prefer the "x" spelling better. It's one of those nicknames that to me just sound better than the formal name, in this case, Alexander, which is very overused. Jace is a newby name that apparently surfaced as a nickname to Jason, and again, it's a fresher choice than the formal name.

Name In Spotlight: Tennessee

So the latest celeb baby name making waves across the internet today is Reese Witherspoon's newborn son, named Tennessee James. With such a bold first name, people are either gonna love it or hate it. I'm actually on board with it, sounds like a fun strong name. State names have been used as human names for a very long time, we don't bat an eyelid anymore whenever we hear about someone named Montana or Dakota. However, most state names haven't transformed into popular human names, and when we hear about them being used, we are usually surprised.

Name In Spotlight: Scotland

So a new Kardashian baby is born, and of course everyone is talking about it. The name, of course, is the focus of this conversation. While Penelope is a perfectly normal and well used name, and is sure to have a boost in popularity next year, I decided to focus on the middle name, Scotland. Now usually middle names don't get a boost of popularity because they're often neglected whenever we discuss a baby's name, whether on TV or magazines. Therefore, people in general don't get enough exposure to it, hence it doesn't affect the name's popularity. However, I wouldn't underestimate the Kardashian effect. Could the name Scotland get a boost of popularity?

Name In Spotlight: Maxwell

Well it had to be posted really... For those of you unaware about celebrity baby names, you might be taken by surprise, but Maxwell is on the spotlight because of its usage as a girl name.

When Lindsay Sloane named her daughter Maxwell, I was ready to ignore it as one of those outrageous celebrity baby names. But now Jessica Simpson has also given her daughter the first name Maxwell (with Drew as a middle name believe it or not), so I thought I had to post something on this issue...

Maxwell is an old male name of English origin meaning "from the great well". Looking at the SSA lists, Maxwell has never ever charted in the top1000 for girls, so the "robbing" of this name to the pink side is definitely just a 2012 movement. We will have to wait and see if this will have an effect or not in the 2012 ranking, I personally think it won't become unisex - although there should be an increase in popularity, maybe even debuting for the first time for girls. As a boys name, Maxwell has charted since 1882, and it sits at #134 for 2010, pretty high up the ranking.

Name In Spotlight: Blue

Well, I had to post something. It's the name everyone is talking about this week, for one simple reason: it's the name pop singer Beyonce and her fiancé, rapper Jay-Z, bestowed upon their newborn daughter: Blue Ivy Carter. Surprisingly safe amongst all the wacky celeb baby names that we've learned about.

Colors as given names are very rare, however Blue has been picking up some steam as a name for a while, especially amongst celebrities. Last year we had Alicia Silverstone's son Bear Blu, which caused a lot of controversy, and the first one that I can think about was Cher's son Elijah Blue (who is now in his 30s).

Celebrity Baby Names of 2011 - Review

2011 was an interesting year for celeb baby names, although not as much as previous years. Maybe Hollywood is turning the crazy down, which might be positive for the babies themselves, but for us who like to see how far they can go, it certainly isn't as much fun.

Like last year, I'll review some celeb baby names given throughout the year, for sons and daughters, with my opinions on each name. I'll then give my picks on the best and worst names of the year.

BOYS:

Flynn - Probably the trendiest name around, although still uncommon (not for long I think). Regardless of whether it becomes uber trendy, I happen to adore this name, so I definitely encourage more parents to use it. It's fresh and has a certain edge that Finn simply doesn't. Another great choice would be Wynn.

Robert Ford - Dont like. At all. Robert has always been one of those names I've never liked, borderline hating it, and I still don't see it's appeal on baby boys these days, I think it's quite dated. Ford is trying too hard to be cool, but it's just ugly.

Morocco Elijah - I gues any country can be a name, but I'd rather be a country than a nationality (will get to that later...) Elijah is a name that I do like, even though it's uber popular. I'd probably go with Elisha, similar but not as overused.

Koa Thomas - Love the name Koa. So unexpected, and could be a great alternative to the saturated Noah. It's definitely a cool name, fresh, sticks in your head. It has the almost obligatory classic but ultimately boring middle name, in this case Thomas. As long as those are in the middle spot I don't mind, it's when the spunky unique names are wasted in the middle with a first name like Jacob, Michael or John that sets me off. Overall thumbs up.

Name In Trend: Jayden

The name Jayden is of hebrew origin and means "thankful". It can be a variant of the original hebrew name Jadon, or a varient of the american name Jaden. These days, I would think the latter is probably more likely, since parents never really warmed up to Jadon, but have been keen on Jaden for quite a while.

Jayden's performance in the boys chart definitely puts it on the "trendy" side of names, having climbed steadily ever since it's debut in 1994. At the time, Jaden was more popular, probably since it was used as a celebrity baby name by R&B superstar Will Smith for his son. Jayden soon followed as a variant spelling of that name, climbing every year, and would enjoy a boost of popularity when it was used for Britney Spears' son. It would eventually become the most popular spelling.

Here is a graph to make things clearer for you:

Name In Spotlight: Flynn

If there was ever a name that had an opportunity to make a big splash in the popularity charts, this would be in. The name has yet to crack the boys top1000, but after Disney using this name in their next movie, and celebrity superstars Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr naming their boy Flynn, I can see this name becoming the next big thing. Plus, it's always nice to have an alternative to the currently everywhere Finn.

Celebrity Baby Names of 2010 - Review

2010 was a great year for celebrity names, with a good balance of old fashioned and trendy modern names. Let's hope 2011 keeps us interested for another year of gossiping.

I'll post my opinion on several boy and girl names, and then give you my opinion on the best and worst of the year.


BOYS:

Theodore Hayes - I think Theodore is one old fashioned name that actually retains a natural spunk in it. It also helps that the nickname Theo is really adorable and fits right in with the -o ending names trend.

Crawford Marion - I have mixed feelings on this. Crawford I think sounds especially harsh, even on a boy, reminds me of crawling too. Marion is a name most people associate with old ladies, but it actually originated as a boys name first (quelle surprise!), and is one I can easily picture on a boy. Overall, decent choices.

Buddy Bear Maurice - Nah! Let's be serious, there are plenty of cute and soft boy names around, but Buddy is something I'd call a friend of mine, not my son. Bear, again, is an animal, not a name. Disappointed in the choices, but it could be a lot worse had they gone the "butch" way and tried to make it too masculine.

Name In Spotlight: Egypt

There are many country/state/city names that have become popular over time: Israel, Zaire, Jordan, Dakota, Montana, Paris, London, Milan... however never has the country Egypt become a popular choice for baby boys.

This might be about to change: the newest celebrity baby out there has been named Egypt Daoud, the son of superstar singer Alicia Keys and her husband Swizz Beatz, a well known music producer. Now a first look at the name Egypt is bound to make question it. It looks funny, it's very uncommon, doesn't really remind you of a kid. However the more I looked at it, the more I liked it, and I began to imagine it on a boy. There's always the advantage that everyone knows how to pronounce it, and spell it (hopefully!).

Egypt has never dented the top1000 before, but there have been testimonials by other people that have met other kids named Egypt over the years. If there was any moment it could finally break through: this is it! I give Egypt my blessing! Plus it's one of my favourite countries, I'd say Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz have good taste in their travelling preferences.

Name In Trend: Journey

The name Journey is of American origin, and means exactly that, a "journey from some place to another, or a trip". It is a modern invention, and has been a trendy name for girls in the past few years. I could only find one celebrity baby named Journey, and that is Jenna Jameson's son, proving that it has unisex potential, like most modern names.

Here is the popularity ranking of Journey for girls:

Name In Spotlight: Shiloh

Shiloh is of Hebrew origin and means "his gift". Associated as a male name in the past, Shiloh has gained attention as a female name in recent years since it's the name of Angelina Jolie's daughter. However, for me this is one of those names that I could see gaining popularity on boys, if the right opportunity came - like a big star with that name, or a tv character. For some reason, "oh" ending names just scream masculine to me, and that applies to Juno too.

There is one male celebrity that has this name, Shiloh Fernandez.