For celebrity parents, there is a good chance that their children will enjoy a lot of advantages that come with having a famous last name. But having a well-known last name doesn’t mean that they don’t still want to make a thoughtful and meaningful choice when it comes to the first and middle names for their baby. We think almost every parent wants to have a name that comes with a special meaning, story, or inspiration, even if they are famous.
While some celebs will opt for a name that honors a relative or a loved one who has died, some might find inspiration in their own work or even in honor of a former coworker. From singers to reality stars to major movie stars, we are intrigued by all the special places celebs found baby naming inspiration.
We’ve rounded up 15 stories of celebs who chose special names for their kids — and it turns out that they are just as sentimental when it comes to naming as any other parent. Stars really are just like the rest of us, even if sometimes the baby names they choose are awfully unique compared to what a regular couple might choose (yes, Elon Musk and Grimes, we are talking about you!)
Bindi Irwin
Bindi Irwin and her husband, Chandler Powell, are proud parents to daughter Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, whose name is inspired by Bindi’s great-grandmother and her late father, wildlife expert and TV star Steve Irwin. “Grace is named after my great-grandmother and relatives in Chandler’s family dating back to the 1700s. Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior,” Bindi explained in an Instagram post.
Jessa Duggar
Former reality TV star Jessa Duggar is the mother of four kids, including the uniquely named Spurgeon Elliot Seewald, who is now 6 years old. This uncommon name was chosen by Jessa and husband Ben Seewald to honor one of their favorite “heroes from the Christian faith,” as they told People. “One guy who has really impacted my life is a great preacher of the past, Charles Haddon Spurgeon,” Ben explained.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix and his partner, Rooney Mara, are one of the most low-key and under-the-radar celeb couples, so we don’t get a lot of glimpses into their life, especially now that they are parents of a toddler. But it’s pretty clear that a special family connection was the inspiration for their son’s name, River. River was, of course, the name of Joaquin’s brother who tragically died in 1993 at the age of 23.
Grimes & Elon Musk
Singer Grimes and tech-bro Elon Musk share two children together. Their first child is now named X AE A-XII, which is an update on the original name of X Æ A-12. When the original was announced to widespread reactions of “Huh?” Grimes shared the inspiration for the name on Twitter, and it was a whole weird mix of music, technology, and science fiction. Sounds about right.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin (her husband at the time) got a lot of flak for naming their daughter Apple. Since then, Gwyneth shared with Oprah Winfrey that the name was Chris’ idea — and he easily got her onboard. “It sounded so sweet, and it conjured such a lovely picture for me, you know. Apples are so sweet and they’re wholesome, and it’s biblical.”
Amy Schumer
Funny mama Amy Schumer was inspired by a fellow comic when she and her husband chose their son’s name. Their little boy, now 3, was originally named Gene Attell, with the middle name serving as a tribute to comic Dave Attell. Amy has since changed the name to Gene David after she realized that Gene Attell sounded like “genital.” (Oops!) She noted in the podcast 3 Girls, 1 Keith that David is also her father’s middle name, so she can honor another important man in her life with that choice.
Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Kardashian still hasn’t spilled the beans on what she named her son, but we know all about the inspiration for daughter True’s name. It’s actually a family name, as mom Kris Jenner shared on Twitter: “FUN FACT … my grandfather’s name on my dad’s side was True Otis Houghton … my real dad’s name was Robert True Houghton … so I am so excited Khloé named her daughter True!”
Kim Kardashian
It’s pretty obvious from the names of her four children that Kim Kardashian was never going to pick anything common or classic, but some people might be surprised to learn that eldest daughter North’s name actually started as a joke. “I got it from Jay Leno, who made that as a joke. I was like, ‘No way, I would never name my daughter that.’ Like, I said that on his show,” Kim told sister Kylie in a YouTube video. The joke eventually stopped seeming funny, and Kim realized she actually loved the name.
David Beckham
In 2011, The Guardian reported that soccer star David Beckham had confirmed that his daughter Harper’s name was inspired both by his wife, Victoria, and a literary icon. “Victoria’s favourite book is To Kill a Mockingbird — it’s a very strong, passionate book, and the author was Harper Lee, and that is where Harper came from,” David explained on Facebook.
Jay-Z & Beyoncé
Jay-Z and Beyoncé went way back in time for inspiration in naming their youngest daughter, Rumi. Jay-Z revealed on the podcast Rap Radar that the name is inspired by a 13th century poet. “Rumi is our favorite poet, so it was for our daughter,” he said.
John Legend
We’re eager to hear what John Legend and wife Chrissy Tiegen name the little bundle of joy they are expecting in 2022, partially because we love the musical inspiration behind the names of their first two children. Shortly after the birth of son Miles, John shared with E! News, “We named our first daughter Luna Simone Stephens, and every name we give to our kids will have a little bit of musical history to it. Miles is, of course, the same name as the great Miles Davis.”
Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have two daughters with striking names: Lincoln and Delta. According to Kristen, the inspiration for Delta’s name came from an unexpected source: a joking text message from a friend. “Dax’s friend texted, ‘Are you going to pick another badass name like Delta Force?’ Dax went, ‘Ooh! Delta!'” Kristen explained to Good Housekeeping.
Fergie
Singer Fergie might be best known for pop jams, both as a solo artist and with The Black Eyed Peas, but it turns out she loves metal, too. “Some of my biggest vocal idols are rock and roll. I mean Sebastian Bach, Vince Neil, Axl Rose, Robert Plant. These are people that I have emulated vocally,” she told Us Weekly. Looking at that list, it’s not hard to see where the inspiration for her son Axl’s name came from.
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chose a name for their daughter that is, to quote a classic song, easy like Sunday morning. The actress told Oprah that Sunday Rose’s name is inspired by that day of the week, explaining, “That’s our favorite day because if you’re happy and you’ve got your family and the things around you, then Sunday’s a beautiful day. So our baby’s called Sunday.”
Usher
Singer Usher is father to four kids, including son Usher Raymond V (whose name inspiration is pretty clear to guess, since Usher is Usher Raymond IV). His only daughter is named Sovereign Bo, which he told People is in recognition of the fact that she rules the roost. “So Sovereign, man, is such a beautiful word and name to me, you know, a supreme ruler is obviously the defined name. She’s definitely ruling the household, but Sovereign Bo — Bo is at the end of it, so she’s my little ‘reign-bo,'” he explained
