The weird origins behind these celebrity baby names

Wednesday, May 12 min read

When having a baby, parents have the privilege of choosing any name they want. Often, it appears that celebrities take this right to the extreme and use it as an opportunity to express their creativity.

Here we take a look at some of the more unusual and unique names that celebrities have opted to bestow upon their children. We’ll leave it to you to be the judge of whether these kids got a good deal or not.

Dusty Rose

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and his wife, model Behati Prinsloo, named their daughter Dusty Rose. Far from being a flower in need of cleaning, dusty rose is actually a variable color – roughly in the light pinkish-grey area. Let’s hope Dusty is a fan!

Onyx Solace

Singer Alanis Morissette and her husband, rapper Mario “Souleye” Treadway, opted to name their daughter Onyx Solace. Onyx is a dark-colored mineral that often has white streaks, while solace is a state of peace — an escape from chaos. It seems the pair went for a name that they perceived to have a deeper meaning for their child.

Jonathan Rosebanks

Jonathan, we’re more familiar with. However, actress Anne Hathaway and husband Adam Shulman put their heads together to coin Rosebanks. Anne’s grandfather was named Roseline, while Adam’s mother’s maiden name was Banks. Put those together, and presto, you have a new middle name.

Blue Ivy

Blue Ivy was one of the most famous babies in the world from the moment she was born – a natural result of having Beyonce and Jay Z for parents. Although it’s not exactly clear where the Ivy came from, the Queen Bee herself posted an extract from a novel on her Tumblr that may explain the Blue. The extract from “A Field Guide to Getting Lost” by Rebecca Solnit dives into how scattered light from the sun colors our skies and oceans blue.

Luna Simone

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen decided to throw some Spanish into the mix by naming their daughter Luna, after the moon. It’s probably unlikely that the name is related to the Luna Simone hotel in London, although anything is possible!

Apple

This one doesn’t need an explanation for what as much as it does for why. When the question of why was posed to the mother, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, she simply pointed her finger at Apple’s father, Coldplay singer Chris Martin. What is Chris’ affinity for apples? We may never know.

Delta

The second daughter of actors Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell is named Delta. When asked to explain this, Shepard told the story. The couple’s first daughter is named Lincoln, and when pregnant with their second daughter, a friend texted asking what the name was going to be. Jokingly, in reference to their first daughter’s somewhat masculine name, the friend asked if the next child was going to be called Navy Seal or Delta Force. As it turned out, that joke actually inspired the couple to go with Delta. The moral of this story? Be careful what you wish for!

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