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Who's Done It: Plenty of
people have, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew
Broderick and their son, James Wilkie, Mary-Louise Parker
and Billy Crudup and their son, William Atticus.
The Latest Twist: Use a nickname properly;
ideally the shorter and friendlier the better. That's what
worked for Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' daughter,
Sam J., and one of news anchor Soledad O'Brien's twins,
Charlie.
Blast from the Past: Tom Hanks' son, Chester,
and Tracey Ullman's daughter, Mabel. Janet Leigh's daughter
is a screamer: Jamie Lee Curtis.
Twin Sets
Julia's picks brings us to our next category: twins.
Who's Done It: Some parents like their
twins' names to match -- and some don't. Geena Davis stuck
to the letter 'K' for sons, Kian and Kaiis, while actress
Peri Gilpin placed a common 'A' in back for daughters, Stella
and Ava.
The Latest Twist: If matching monikers
don't work for you, you can take a cue from Marcia Gay Harden,
who picked the intrepid Hudson for one twin, and the striking
Julitta for the other.
Blast from the Past: Jane Pauley and Jane
Seymour aren't twins, although they sound like they could
be. In 1983, Jane Pauley named her duo Ross and Rachel,
while Jane Seymour named hers Johnny and Kris, after friends
Johnny Cash and Christopher Reeves.
Keep It Simple
Primitive vowel sounds pack major ooh-la-la and mimic baby's
first words. What's the upside? Your future kindergartener
will thank you for picking a name that's easy to say, spell,
and write. In addition to all the Lolas, other bisyllabic
babes include Heidi Klum's picture-perfect Leni, Courteney
Cox-Arquette's chic Coco, and The Passion of the Christ
star Monica Bellucci's tempting Deva.
Who's Done It: Both John Travolta and
Ben Stiller elected Ella for the leading ladies in their
lives. Celebrity moms Heather Locklear and Reese Witherspoon
took the A train with Ava, and Kate Winslet named her daughter
Mia.
The Latest Twist: Other letters to consider
include 'O' (as in Oona and Oscar) and 'Z' (for Zahra, Chris
Rock's second daughter and Zen Scott, Corey Feldman's son).
Blast from the Past: Steven Tyler rocked
with daughters, Liv and Mia, and son, Taj.
Friends, Romans, Countrymen,
Lend Me Your Names
Rocco, Romeo, Roman. Latin names conquer like no other, especially
when your son is named Aurelius (Elle MacPherson's emperor)
or Magnus (Will Ferrell's tiny elf).
Who's Done It: Rocco may be Madonna's
boy-toy but both Jon Bon Jovi and Victoria Beckham fell
in love with Romeo for their sons.
The Latest Twist: Remember, you don't
have to be in Rome to do as Cate Blanchett, Debra Messing,
and Harvey Keitel have done -- just go ahead and name your
son Roman.
Blast from the Past: Dean Martin crooned
Dino for his son.
Get Back to Nature
Flowers, trees, and fruits are blossoming on celebrity lips,
thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's daughter, Apple
Blythe, and Claudia Schiffer's daughter, Clementine. Naked
chef Jamie Oliver cooked up Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo for
his daughters.
Who's Done It: The big boy of OutKast's
Big Boi is Bamboo. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith welcomed
Willow, Jude Law and Sadie Frost handpicked Iris, and Forest
Whitaker dove deep for Ocean.
The Latest Twist: Animals are finding
themselves at the head of pack with Erykah Badu's daughter
Puma and Scary Spice Melanie Brown's Phoenix Chi. Colors
are also boldly going where no Crayola has gone before.
U2's The Edge has a Blue Angel, and Sylvester Stallone has
a daughter named Scarlet.
Blast from the Past: John Mellencamp named
his son Speck Wildhorse. Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon's
daughters, Amber Rose, Saffron Sahara, and Tallulah Pine,
sound tame by comparison.
Translation Not Lost
Foreign names can be a way to add worldly allure to an otherwise
average Steve, Joe, or Sophie. Don't care for Ernest? Then
how about Ernesto? David and Victoria Beckham named their
latest kicker Cruz, and Mira Sorvino found grace with Mattea
Angel. Both Liv Tyler and Sherry Stringfield picked Milo
for their sons.
Who's Done It: Kelly Ripa opted for Joaquin
for her third child, and Crossing Jordan star Jill Hennessy
explored new territory with Marco.
The Latest Twist: You can also borrow
words from other languages. Catherine Zeta-Jones chose Carys,
from the Welsh word for "love." Rob Thomas feels
right at home with firstborn, Maison.
Blast from the Past: Jon Voight's daughter,
Angelina Jolie, became a future Tomb Raider.
The Reilly Factor
Last names can come first in the name game, as Angie Harmon
and Jason Sehorn found with daughters Finley Faith and Avery
Grace. Soledad O'Brien's other twin is named Jackson and
NYPD Blue's Charlotte Ross found Maxwell arresting.
Who's Done It: Patricia Arquette heralded
Harlow Jane and actress Thandie Newton picked the unusual
Ripley.
The Latest Twist: Celtic names like Finnigan,
Delaney, and Sullivan all sound cool riding in front and
work for both sexes. Maybe that's why Holly Marie Combs
(Piper from Charmed) also found Finley enchanting for her
son.
Blast from the Past: Sean Penn named his
son Hopper (after Dennis), and Lisa Marie Presley has daughter
Riley.
Pageturners
There's nothing like a good book, author, or character for
finding inspiration. Dixie Chick Natalie Maines embraced
Beckett Finn, while Brendan Fraser held out for Holden,
the beloved hero of Catcher in the Rye.
Who's Done It: Law & Order SVU star
Christopher Meloni's Dante, Australian-born actress Rachel
Griffiths' Banjo (named after the Down Under poet).
The Latest Twist: Some parents even turn
to the dictionary for common words and terms. Erykah Badu
picked lucky number, Seven, and former deejay turned actress
Shannyn Sossamon tuned into Audio Science. Actor Rob Morrow
looks forward to the day after with Tu Morrow.
Blast from the Past: Demi Moore was inspired
by British author, Rumer Godden, and the character of Scout,
from To Kill a Mockingbird, for two of her daughters. Her
own name was rumored to come from a beauty magazine.
Occupied by a Name?
Like the form says, state your name and occupation, or borrow
somebody else's. Davis and Jillette may have caused waves
with Pirate and Moxie Crimefighter but they are not alone.
Kate Hudson liked Ryder, Jason Lee flew solo with Pilot
Inspektor, and Reese Witherspoon found her calling in Deacon.
With names like these, can little Actors, Dancers, Teachers,
and Drivers be far behind?
Who's Done It: Christie Brinkley searched
far and wide for daughter, Sailor, and Spy Kids director
Robert Rodriguez launched sons, Racer, Rebel, and Rocket.
The Latest Twist: Take a cue from Jason
Lee and change a letter so the spelling isn't perfekt.
Blast from the Past: Most people have
heard about Moon Unit, Dweezil, and Ahmet Rodan, but did
you know Frank Zappa named his daughter Diva Muffin?
Gucci, Gucci, Goo
Pick an object. Any object. And don't forget to check the
label. Popular brands that have found their way onto birth
certificates in recent years include Lexus, Canon, and Porsche.
Sports fans can root for Espn at Little League ballgames.
Who's Done It: Toni Braxton tried on Denim
for her first son, Nelly has a daughter, Chanel, and Slash
has an heir named Cash.
Blast from the Past: Long before these
ordinary words found themselves turned into monikers, there
were John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son, Jett, and tennis
legend Arthur Ashe's daughter, Camera.
The Latest Twist: Just make sure to have
positive associations and memories to go along with whatever
word or object you choose.
Originally published on AmericanBaby.com, February
2005. Updated, July 2005.
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