2012 has officially arrived! Welcome to the annual You Can’t Call It “It”! Mitzi Awards, the best and worst in celebrity baby names. For the year 2011, no baby was left unturned. Georgia Geraldine, sister to Billie Beatrice (mentioned in last year’s awards) and child of Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane. They certainly have a penchant for alliteration. Wonder if they’ll call her Georgie?
Rumors of babies Ethel Mary Cooper, potential name of Lily Allen’s daughter, and of Tiana-May Carter, Beyonce and Jay-Z’s possible babe, remain unconfirmed, so they remain off the list. But if they are indeed true, this could spurn a new generation of extra dusty grandparent names as well as double-barrel firsts. Were these to receive a Mitzi, what do you think it should be?
Without further ado, the 2011 Mitzi Awards:
Best Boys’ Names:
Arlo Robert- son of Toni Colette. O endings are becoming increasingly popular among the hip crowd. Arlo is no exception.
Arthur Saint – son of Selma Blair. What was that we were just saying about dusting off antiquarian grandparent names? Arthur comes across as a distinguished, international choice, and the middle name “Saint” gives the name an added mystery.
Milo Thomas – son of Alyssa Milano. A sweet nod to mama’s surname, it manages to sound both modern and classic with family name, Bugliari.
Henry – winning because of his surname Hornsby, more alliterative love here.
Flynn Christopher Blanchard Copeland – son of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. His first name is a nod to grandmother Evelyn, and middles all have family meaning too. We’re big fans at YCCII of multiple middles, especially if they have personal meaning.
Other Trends Worth Mentioning:
MARCEL ET AL: Marcelo Alejandro, son of Ali Landry and Alejandro Monteverde, and Marcel, son of Marion Cotillard and Guillame Canet. Diablo Cody has a Marcello, born in 2010.
NAMESAKES, INTENTIONAL AND NOT:
Rex Harrison, son of Niki Taylor, would be on the “Best” list with a tweak of the middle. But the exact same name as “Sexy Rexy”? Too weird. Bingham Hawn was also a near miss from the best list for being slightly odd, but we love how the name has ties to both sides of the family. Bingham is Bellamy’s mother’s maiden name, and Kurt Russell’s father was called Bing.
Best Girls’ Names:
Clover Elizabeth - daughter of Neal McDonough. A rarified botanical, with all the makings of a big hit.
Agnes Lark – daughter of Jennifer Connolly and Paul Bettany. Another unusual nature name in the middle, buffered by an understated antique first.
Cleo Buckman Schwimmer - daughter of David Schwimmer and Zoe Buckman. Cleo is a great twist on mom’s popular modern day first name, and we love to see her maiden name in the middle!
Hattie Margaret – Tori Spelling (pleasantly) surprised the world with her choice of Hattie for her third child. Similar in sound to Addie but with the sweetness of Sadie, expect this to go huge in the next few years.
Arabella Rose – daughter of Ivanka Trump, Arabella makes the list because it highlights a brilliant alternative to the overplayed but equally gorgeous Isabella.
Other Trends Worth Mentioning:
GREEK NAMES: Cleo is in good company with other beauties Penelope Athena (Tina Fey) and Helen Grace (Robert DeNiro!).
NICKNAMES: Zuzu Audrey, daughter of pastry chef Tania Peterson, made many a “worst name” list, but with its vintage charm a la “It’s a Wonderful Life”, I think it belongs at the top. It’s actually quite similar to Hattie, and of course the beloved Lulu.
NATURE NAMES: Willow Sage (Pink) would make a great sister name to Clover Elizabeth.
ELLA, ELLA, ELLA, HEY, HEY: Mirabella Bunny (Bryan Adams), would make another great solution to the Isabella conundrum (at least the first would).
VINTAGE: The aforementioned Georgia Geraldine almost knocked Arabella clean off the list. Look for more alliteration in 2012.
Worst Boys’ Names:
Cree - son of Tamara Mowry (I just don’t “get” it).
Skyler Morrison- son of stylist Rachel Zoe and Rodger Berman could not have picked a less stylish choice, and the middle reeks of trying-to-hard.
Kase Townes- son of Jewel and Ty Murray. I grew up loyal to Jewel’s ingenious music, but her taste in names leaves much to be desired. If you didn’t know already how I feel about the letter K, you’re getting the picture now.
Colt – son of John Rich. Colt brings to mind images of guns and baby horses. His brother Cash (yes, Cash Rich), made the list last year.
Kannon Valentine – Now I adore Kevin James as much as the next gal, but like Colt, Kannon is just violent. And again people, WHAT is with this affection for the letter K where it has no business being?
Other Trends Worth Mentioning:
WE CALL HIM JUNIOR: Spike Myers may not have dad’s exact name, but he will never be able to escape from his shadow with a name that not only rhymes, but is somewhat comical (in a different way). Just one more krime to report: Kroy Jagger, son of Kroy Biermann and Kim Zolciak. They obviously loved it enough to use it again, but sheesh.
THE ALPHANUMERIC:
Harper Seven, daughter of David and Victoria Beckham, & Aleph (Hebrew letter “A”), son on Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied, burst onto the scene the same week. Numbers and letters as names are the wave of the future, I fear.
NATURAL: Alicia Silverstone’s Bear Blu also popped up on many a worst list, but for some reason I find this relatively inoffensive. I felt the same way about Buddy Bear Maurice. Thoughts?
UNNATURAL: Jennie Finch’s son Diesel. Just too cool for school.
Worst Girls’ Names:
Arlo- daughter of Johnny Knoxville. A first for the Mitzis when the same name appears on the Best of AND the Worst of lists in the same year.
Monroe – Mariah Carey named her baby girl after a temptress and a tart. Marilyn Monroe certainly had her charms, but is she a role model for young girls?
Jordan Kay – Like Skylar, a terribly unstylish choice. Unlike Zoe, we expected nothing more from Federline.
Mosley – Yes, it’s probably a family name for Peyton Manning. But as a twin, it’s hard to keep straight who’s the boy and who’s the girl, plus the most famous Mosley was also not one to emulate.
Haven – daughter of Jessica Alba and Cash Warren. We loved the story behind this choice, but independent of that it reads downmarket, especially next to big sister Honor‘s venerable name.
Worth Mentioning: Genesis. We would have loved to see Viola Davis bequeath an equally lovely name to her child. Like Haven, it does have lovely symbolism.
Best Twin Names:
Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda, Danish children of Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik. It was impossible not to go royal in this category.
Worth Mentioning: Children of Girl’s Gone Child’s Rebecca Woolf have received a lot of attention on this blog. Reverie Lux and Boheme Shalom will have many a namesake to be sure.
Worst Twin Names:
Moroccan Scott and Monroe. Nicknames Roc and Roe notwithstanding, I’d almost rather call them “dembabies.”
