First it was Apple, now it’s Clementine. Then it was Moses, now they give us Levi. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE WORLD OF CELEBRITY BABY NAMES? So many names of late have been utterly tasteful: Honor Marie, Vivienne Marcheline, Colette Zoe, Clementine Jane, Levi Alves (mother’s maiden name). Myriad lovely names are turning celebribaby. It’s really irritating. While yes, I’m happy for the child and it gives me a bit of insight into the parents’ philosophy, I’m a bit miffed. Particularly about the lovely Clementine, which works well on so many levels for us and has been on my long list for a while. Why must THEY use OUR names? Where are Rogue, Scout, Rebel and Moxie?
I never realized until now, that I actually take comfort in these outrageous names. I take comfort in them because not only are they far from the usual spectrum, but they are far from my own set of name ideals. When a celebrity uses a name, that name suddenly has a bright spotlight on it. Not only is there high risk a name will skyrocket in popularity, but if it doesn’t, the name is associated with a singular individual. I don’t know which is worse. We’ve witnessed the astronomic rise of Ava and Isabella due to the celebribaby effect (Heather Locklear & Richie Sambora have an Ava, as do Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Philippe; Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise’s Isabella seems to have launched that one). Clementine Hawk also far from the first in Hollywood: adult daughter of Cybill Shepherd and Claudia Schiffer’s three-year-old baby girl precede her. Yet when I hear “Poet”, I think solely of Soleil Moon Frye’s little girl. When I hear “Soleil”, I think of Poet’s mama. Rafferty distinctly brings to mind Jude Law’s son, and although I know a Shiloh in real life, I will now never be able to disassociate that name from the Jolie-Pitts. I think that’s what these celebrities were going for: a name that on its own presents one face to the world.
I see a lot of parents considering Hollywood-induced monikers for their little one. Among them:
Ava (Ava Elizabeth is the combo for Miss Sambora and Miss Philippe, and Martina McBride and Kevin Dillon also have Avas)
Brooklyn (Infamous conception of David and Victoria Beckham)
Camryn (Ms. Manheim was the unlikely forbearer for this spelling, but Cameron Diaz gave the name a boost as well)
Charlize (It’s hard to compare to Ms. Theron)
Cohen (A character from the O.C., who is called by his surname)
Delilah (A song by The Plain White Ts called “Hey There Delilah”, and the child of Risa Rinna and Harry Hamlin
Ella (daughter and third child of Annette Benning and Warren Beatty; also may be subconsciously transmitted through repetition in the lyrics of Rhianna’s “Umbrella.”
Grier (Brooke Shield’s baby girl)
Harlow (Patricia Arquette’s Harlow Olivia Calliope precedes Nicole Ritchie’s Harlow Winter Kate by five years)
Hayden (Hayden Panettiere is a famous female bearer, who rose to the scene right around the same time as male counterpart Hayden Christensen)
Heath (So sad about Heath Ledger. Would a tribute be sad or sweet?)
Jaden (Will Smith and Jada Pinkett derived this in honor of her)
Jagger (Surprising number of Jaggers in Hollywood: Lindsay Davenport, Tiffany Fallon, and Soleil Moon Frye all have little Jaggers; of course The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger was the first)
Jude (Jude Law made this name exude sex appeal)
Kingston (Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale may be influencing the birth of quite a few babies with this geographical appellation)
Lola (Lolas abound: Kelly Ripa, Annie Lennox, Jennie Garth, Lisa Bonet, Mary Jo Eustache, Carnie Wilson, Denise Richards, Madonna [born Lourdes], and Chris Rock all have little Lolas)
Maddox (The first Jolie baby spawned an interest in this name that hits all the right notes with its “mad” prefix and quixotic X ending)
Madison (Lest we forget, Daryl Hannah’s mermaid character in “Splash” chose this for herself after the Manhattan shopping avenue, which was named for the president)
Scout (Bruce Willis and Demi Moore have a daughter named Scout, now grown; Tom Berenger also has a Scout)
Tallulah (The Willis-Moore union also produced a Talullah; musician Simon Le Bon has a Tallulah)
Willow (Gabrielle Anwar has one, as do Will Smith and Jada Pinkett– like her brother, she was named after a parent)
Can you think of more?
Though some are lovely, these names will likely be tied to a particular time, place, and culture, à la Barbara, Jennifer, and Dylan. I hope this isn’t the case for my darling Clementine. At least I can still take comfort in newly born baby girl Jagger Joseph Blues and baby boy Peanuts. Now that’s entertainment. Much better fodder for the baby name blogger.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
No names to add for your list- just wanted to mention that the Smith’s didn’t invent Jaden. They popularized that particular spelling and brought the name into the limelight, but Jadon is a Biblical name that has been around much, much longer than Will & Jada.
Jadon is a Biblical name, yes. I think they took some pretty creative license with this name though, and had mommy in mind, not the Old Testament. Most name references I’m finding list Jaden as an invented name, with similarities to the Biblical Jadon/Yadon, meaning “God will judge.” As to whether Jaden is Biblical, I shall not judge, and have altered the post to allow for that. Though I have my suspicions.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the recent celebrity use of Clementine. The unique names from children of “power” celebrity couples such as the Jolie-Pitts or say the Martin-Paltrow children, will be more widely mentioned and reported on and therefore associated with exclusively, than say Ethan Hawke and his second wife’s child. And, as you pointed out, Patricia Arquette’s Harlow received a lot less attention than Nicole Ritchie and Joel Madden’s Harlow.
Also the fact that Clementine has been more commonly used as a name in the past than say Apple or Shiloh will help to dissociate it from just Ethan Hawke and his new wife. So I say, avoid stories on Ethan Hawke in the next month and keep it on your list!
The name Clementine, for me anyway, was first brought to light and is more closely associated with Kate Winslet’s character in Eternal Sunshine.
Thanks, Bellah. I love that film– yet another tie for Clementine to this time and place.
Clementine has been used throughout history. Winston Churchill’s wife a well known one, and there was the nineteenth century Belgian princess. But could see it becoming dated (again). Also just added to the original post, but Cybill Shepherd has a grown Clementine, and Claudia Schiffer’s Clementine is three. Maybe having the spotlight on her will just make her ‘acceptable’ to the general public, and help people get past the darn song.
For the time being I hope she weathers the tide, and I will keep her on my list! Thanks for your nod of encouragement.