New Starbaby Name Predictions: What’s next?
by Sophie Kihm
Do you find it easier to name girls or boys? Traditionally, the name pool for girls has been larger (although options for boys are ever increasing). For some, the plethora of choices for girls makes it easier to find a name they love, while for others the number of options can be overwhelming.
For Jessica Simpson, the girls name pool wasn’t big enough. She borrowed from the boys when naming her daughter Maxwell in 2012. Now that she has another daughter on the way, will we see a similar situation?
This month, many other celebrities announced that they are expecting girls. Kehlani, Teresa Palmer, and Egypt Sherrod are all going to be having daughters next year. And of course the biggest celebrity pregnancy news of the month—Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting a baby (although no news yet on whether it’ll be a prince or a princess). Look for Eleanor Nickerson’s expert analysis of their name possibilities coming soon!
We’ve got a lot of other starbabies to look forward to in the coming year, and many of them are sure to have interesting names. I’ve made my prognostications for the next crop of celebrity baby names, but I’d love to know what you think these celebrities are going to name their babies.
Alejandra Silva and Richard Gere
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Homer James Jigme, Albert (previous relationships)
It can be hard to find a name that merges the styles of blended families, but with sons named Homer (after Gere‘s father) and Albert, it shouldn’t be too difficult for Alejandra Silva and Richard Gere. Another old-fashioned, clunky-cool name seems to be in order whether it’s a girl or a boy. Either way, I’m hoping he or she will have a Tibetan middle name like Richard‘s son Homer. Richard Gere is a human rights advocate with a strong focus on Tibet, so it’s nice to see his love of the culture spill over into his choice of baby names.
Girl: Adelaide, Augusta, Cleo, Etta, Frances, Harriet, Josephine, Martha, Matilda
Boy: Archie, Bernard, Chester, Conrad, Forrest, Otto, Walter, Watson, Winston
*Update* Welcome, Alexander!
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson
Gender: girl
Siblings: Maxwell Drew (g), Ace Knute
Back in 2012, Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson defied expectations by naming their daughter Maxwell. Now that they’re expecting another girl, everyone is wondering if they will surprise us again. What do you name a sister to Maxwell? I’m thinking they might go with another gender-bending choice, but perhaps she’ll choose something more traditionally unisex.
Girl: Everett, Finn, Jameson, Lennox, Phoenix, Quinn, Remington, Sawyer
*Update* Hello, Birdie Mae!
Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Christopher “Kit” Carlton, Hal Auden
With sons called Kit and Hal, Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch are obviously big fans of succinct nicknames with a hint of British flair. There are plenty of quirky-cute British nicknames that haven’t yet made the leap over the pond. I’d love to see them use another one-syllable name, especially if it’s a boy, and perhaps get a bit more playful if it’s a girl.
Girl: Dolly, Dot, Ginny, Lucy, Lula, Maude, Millie, Penny, Pippa, Rose, Tess
Boy: Billy, Bram, Finn, Jack, Jay, Jem, Len, Lou, Mac, Ned, Robbie, Seb, Theo
Kehlani Parrish and Javie Young-White
Gender: girl
Siblings: none
Mononymic singer Kehlani is expecting her first child with Javie Young-White. The couple is spiritual and artistic, so I’d be very curious to see their short list for baby girl’s name. Odds of a word name are high—I’m getting a lot of night sky and astrological vibes from Kehlani and Javie, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they uses any of the following:
Girl: Celestial, Dream, Frida, Indigo, Lavender, Lotus, Mystery, Nova, Soleil
*Update* Baby girl is Adeya Nomi!
Gender: girl
Siblings: Isaac (previous relationship), Bodhi Rain, Forrest Sage
Teresa Palmer and Mark Webber are going to be having a girl! They have two sons together, and each has a name ripe with natural significance. It’s almost a given that baby girl will have a combination of nature names—the question is, which ones?
Girl: Aspen, Clover, Haven, Iris, Juniper, Lark, Laurel, Prairie, Willow, Wren
Girl: Aspen, Clover, Haven, Iris, Juniper, Lark, Laurel, Prairie, Willow, Wren
*Update* Welcome, Poet Lake!
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
What kind of baby name will Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer choose? Considering that one of them is not a celebrity, I’d imagine this name is going to be more “normal” than one might suppose. A possible clue—Amy‘s dog is named Tatiana (after actress Tatiana Maslany), but goes by Tati. Keeping that in mind, I choose some other names for the couple with strong consonant sounds and nickname options.
Girl: Edith, Genevieve, Josephine, Juliet, Marlowe, Miranda, Olivia, Romilly
Boy: August, Beckett, Benjamin, Dashiell, Harrison, Jacob, Maxwell, Nathaniel
*Update* It’s a boy—Gene Attell!
Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson
Gender: girl
Siblings: Simone (previous relationship), Kendall
It’ll be a houseful of girls for Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson, as they are set to welcome daughter number three in 2019. She’ll be closest in age to their six-year-old Kendall, so it’s likely her name will fall closer to the modern and unisex part of the spectrum, rather than be French and feminine like Simone.
Girl: Addison, Ashlyn, Aubrey, Brooklyn, Emerson, Jordan, Olivia, Waverly
*Update* Welcome, Harper Skye!