Honor Marie. Sunday Rose. Knox Leon. You aren’t familiar with these pint-sized celebrities from appearances on the silver screen (yet), but you’re sure to recognize their odd – and sometimes outlandish – names.
And, while we might never know the true meaning behind names like Pilot Inspektor (what were Jason Lee and Beth Reisgraf thinking?), author and baby name guru Bruce Lansky has been working overtime to keep up with the celebrity baby boom. In our exclusive interview, Lansky sheds some light on what’s really in a name by giving us his take on some recently named celebrity babies.
Honor Marie Warren, daughter to Cash Warren and Jessica Alba.
“Like all the virtue names for girls (such as Faith, Hope and Charity), Honor is a quality we need in the White House. But is it a good name? Neither Honor nor the more popular [name] Honora have ever been ranked in [my] Top 1000 girls’ names. … Virtue names for girls represent parents’ fond wishes that their daughters exemplify that particular virtue. As noble as this sentiment may be, most people would probably agree that some virtues don’t work well as names. … Honor is a stiff and awkward name. I’m guessing that Jessica, Cash and Honor’s playmates will be calling Honor by her middle name, Marie, before too long.” Lansky’s verdict: Two thumbs down.
Stella Doreen McDermott, daughter to Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling.
“With Latin and French origins, Stella means ‘star.’ It’s a variation of Estelle, a name that was ranked [high in popularity] in the ’60s. … Though it may surprise some people, Stella makes a very positive first impression. It’s conceivable that designer Stella McCartney may have played a role in sprucing up this name’s image. … The name is easy to spell and hard to mispronounce. And here’s another prediction: Tori and Dean can count on the fact that most people will call their daughter Stella – there aren’t any common nicknames or variations of the name.” Lansky’s verdict: Two thumbs up.
Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, daughter to Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman.
“When I read the news release announcing the arrival of Sunday Rose, I was struck by the fact that she wasn’t born on Sunday. Instead, she was born early Monday morning. The name Sunday has a Latin origin that means “born on Sunday.” Since Sunday wasn’t born on Sunday, we can surmise that Nicole and Keith picked the name because they liked it. (I briefly considered the possibility that she was named after a particular rose variety, but I was sorry to discover that no such rose exists among the 750 varieties.) Where does this leave us? Sunday is a unique name that celebrates the day on which Sunday Rose wasn’t born. … But because the gender identification is clear and the name is easy to spell and pronounce, there are no obvious problems from a practical standpoint.” Lansky’s verdict: One thumb down.
Levi Alves McConaughey, son to Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves.
“When I learned about the name that Matthew and Camila chose for their son … I gave it a quick positive review, connecting the name to Levi’s Jeans and commenting on its strong, masculine image. … Later, I learned of more background information from a statement Matthew made, saying that ‘Levi is another name for the apostle Matthew in the Bible. Levi’s middle name is Camila’s last name because we wanted to incorporate her family name.’ With that said, Levi is a Hebrew name and it means ‘joined in harmony.’ It creates a cool first impression – most people see Levi as a California surfer (fitting for Matthew, right?). The name is easy to spell and pronounce and it has a clear gender identity. … It’s definitely a cool name with a strong Biblical association, as well as the perennially trendy Levi’s Jeans brand behind it.” Lansky’s verdict: Two thumbs up.
Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt, twin daughter to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
“The name Vivienne reflects Jolie’s French-Canadian heritage on her mother’s side. (Vivienne’s middle name, Marcheline, was Jolie’s mother’s name – it’s a lovely way to memorialize her beloved mother, who died of cancer.) … The French form of Vivian, Vivienne, gives the name a French twist, but it also heightens the risk of misspelling and mispronunciation. Although, I think Vivienne sounds fresh, charming and sophisticated, most Americans will likely pronounce it like Vivian (VIV-ee-en, versus viv-YEN). If you are naming a child who may live in two countries, take some time to consider how the name will be perceived and pronounced in each country. Vivienne will likely run into problems as Americans stumble with the pronunciation and spelling of her name.” Lansky’s verdict: One thumb down.
Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt, twin brother to Vivienne and son to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
“The name Knox has an English origin and means ‘hill.’ The ‘x’ ending fits well with the couple’s two other boys’ names: Pax and Maddox. And like the other two boys’ names, Knox has never been popular enough to receive high rankings. … My biggest concern is that Knox sounds like Kocks – I fear that some people may have a negative association with the name. Knox may provide some teasing opportunities for his classmates at school. He’ll probably get tired of being called “Knock-Knox” or “Fort Knox.” Leon gives Knox a decent fallback position, however a decent middle name doesn’t eradicate the practical difficulty of dealing with ‘knock-knock’ jokes every day.” Lansky’s verdict: One thumb down.
