Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a new addition to the Carter family. On Saturday night (under the pseudonym Ingrid Jackson) in New York’s Lennox Hill Hospital, Beyoncé gave birth to a baby girl:
Blue Ivy Carter
First reports indicate that Ivy celebrates the roman numeral IV and the number 4. Though Blue was born on the seventh of January, her parents share the number four. Beyoncé was born on September 4 and Jay-Z on December 4. They were married on April 4, and her new album is called 4.
No word yet if there is any personal significance for Blue, though we do know this name is already popular in celebsville. Just a few months ago Alicia Silverstone gave birth to Bear Blu, John Travolta’s daughter is called Ella Bleu, Bret Michaels has a Jorja Bleu, Soleil Moon Frye’s second girl is dubbed Jagger Joseph Blue, and Cher may have spearheaded this whole thing years ago when she called her son Elijah Blue. Can you think of any other famous children who have Blue as a first name?
One commenter quipped: “Cerulean Algae was taken.”
I don’t know, I kind of like the image that Blue Ivy conjures up. A color name with a nature name is hopelessly descriptive, but right on trend. Considering Tiana-May or any of the other names they were said to be going with, this feels just right.
It must be even harder to choose the perfect name if you’re always in the spotlight. I think they done good. What say you, Itsies?
Image below: Peter Agrafiotis
{ 64 comments… read them below or add one }
I liked the name better when initial reports said her name was Ivy Blue, but that’s because Ivy is my favorite girls name right now.
I think Blue is a sweet name for a little girl however I am surprised that they left the spelling the same as the color.
Selfish question- do you think this is going to bring the name Ivy to people’s attention too much? I’m due in June and hate the thought of Beyonce ruining my girls name.
I don’t get it. How did Beyonce ruin the name?
I’m more afraid that it’s brought the name Ivy into everyones consciousness. Just worried Ivy will become the next Harper.
It does have a lot going for it: Short and spunky (like Zoe), nature name (like Lily), V in the middle (like Ava), long I sound (like Lila). Expect this one to soar, I’m afraid. Maybe if it’s tucked away in the middle it won’t get so bad? Hard to say.
Don’t say that! I’m due in July and Ivy is our girl name! Love Beyonce but damn it, I hope they only call her Blue.
I think it will get popular, but for the reasons Elisabeth mentioned, not because Beyonce used it.It’s a pretty well known name, it’s not like she’s giving exposure to a new, uncommon name, so that’s why I think she won’t have any influence on little Ivy’s born in the near future.
I wasn’t too exited as my 5 year-old is named Ivy. So far she’s been the only one around! I guess a five year gap isn’t too bad though!
I’m not a fan of names that double as descriptions. Also, ivy is green.
Regardless, congratulations to Beyonce and Jay-Z!
I’m not a fan of names that double as descriptions. Also, ivy is green.
^^ ditto.
And add to it that her surname is also a word! I don’t understand the celebrity fascination with Blue. Alas, I’m a mere mortal in hickville.
I agree. Total word overload for me.
Beyonce’s stolen my baby name (Ivy, not Blue)! Back to the drawing board…
Blue was actually on my boy name list, so I enjoy it. And I’ve also considered using the name Ivy as a middle name, after a grandmother named Iva. So, I think they did a nice job. (Better than Monroe and Moroccan, if I may.)
I was hoping it was Ivy Blue instead – and then I was wondering if that would upset people who were planning on using Ivy soon – seeing as it’s a lovely classic name that isn’t too popular yet.
I thought the same as Emily- “ivy is green, not blue!”
Personally I don’t really see the appeal of Blue as a name. I like the colour a lot, but then it just makes me think of “feeling blue” and “play the blues” and being depressed. But I guess it must have a more positive association for those that use it.
I have to say I was expecting something French, like Solange, or French-esque, like Beyoncé. Elodie (rhymes with Melody sort of), Iphigenie, or Orianne would have all be really pretty for them.
Or if the color Blue had to be, maybe Celeste, Celestine, or actually, even Cerulean!
This is funny! My daughter’s name is Ivy Celeste!
Ivy Celeste is lovely! So is Sylie
Blue Ivy shares the same birthday as Elvis – how cool!
Anyway, I like Blue Ivy a lot. I heard that her name was possibly Ivy Blue, but I would have been disappointed with that.
Blue reminds me of Bonnie Blue Butler from Gone With the Wind. I think Blue sounds really cute as a middle name, paired with a more traditional girl name. Eleanor Blue, Clara Blue, Alice Blue
And even Bonnie Blue was a nickname, for Eugenie Victoria
I agree that Blue is nice, I just don’t like it paired with Ivy.
I agree that Ivy Blue would have been much, much better. Azul – blue in Spanish – is starting to be used as a given first name for girls in some countries. That also would have been better than Blue.
I like the idea of Azul. Or Azure would have been appropriate.
Just saying, but Azul is pronounced “ASS-ool”…teasing central in my opinion, if you are living in an English speaking country.
Actually, the pronunciation is ah-SUL, with the stress on the second syllable.
right, the emphasis is on the second syllable, but that is not the point.
I don’t like Blue, not a bit. I wish Ivy was her first name.
They should have saved Ingrid for the baby.
i wish i could “like” this!
Right?
I don’t like Blue Ivy, it’s way too descriptive for me. Will her sister be called Red Marigold? And Ivy is never even blue, so her name is a descriptor that doesn’t even exist! I would have much preferred Ivy Blue or even Blue Josphine/Elodie/anything classic. All the same, congrats to the family!
I didn’t mean to imply that Ivy isn’t a classic name, it is and it’s gorgeous. I just wouldn’t use Ivy in the middle if Blue is the first name.
I have a mental image of a carter wheeling along a cart full of blue-painted ivy. I think that if I had a noun surname, I would not use two nouns for names.
This. So much!
Or a person who was slightly sad, with a cart full of ivy.
I don’t hate it…but would have preferred to see Ivy as the first name and/or Blue spelled Blu or Bleu to feminize it a bit.
I liked Ivy Blue better too. I don’t have a problem with a visual name (in fact I kinda like it) but this one just sounds like a second rate comic book character.
Blue Ivy brings to mind Poison Ivy. I think Ivy Blue was better, but to each their own.
http://www.thumbtack.com/ma/boston/party-planners/event-wedding-life-planner Blue Ivy is a wedding planner in Boston, btw.
It says Blue was born on January 6. Elvis’ birthday is today. I love the name regardless of the order. While most Ivy is green, certain ivy reflects tints of blue under certain light, but I don’t think they were being as literal about it. I agree, I expected something more exotic from these two, although I do kind of feel for those who’d planned to add Ivy to their family tree. As far as the numerical assimilation, that’s pretty nifty. My son’s name means 3 and he is the 3rd member of my house, & also 3rd grandchild. Coincidentally, his name also means forest, which is one of my favorite places in the world, so there’s the nature connection! No match up with a color name, although blue is my favorite!
Yesterday was the 7th. My mistake.
please be ivy blue. please be ivy blue. please be ivy blue.
why do i care so much?
maybe jay-z was against the french thing? i think eugenie would have been so sweet. or something royal? arsinoe would have been stunning, and has an african link.
Arsinoe?!!! I don’t think that one would work particularly well in a non-French-speaking country, LOL!
It’s reminding me more and more of an Indie/counterculture film: Blue Velvet, Blue Valentine…
the song “blue velvet” keeps running through my head!
Justin Furstenfeld’s daugther is Blue Reed (he’s the lead singer of the band Blue October).
I really like Blue as a name, but I do not care for Blue Ivy. It is definitely too descriptive.
I think they done good. The name is just lovely. I think I might have preferred Ivy Blue, just because that seems to flow a bit better, but regardless, the name is very pretty.
Also, I love that they spelled it “Blue.” As someone who grew up taking French immersion classes, it drives me absolutely batty when people name little girls “Bleu” and pronounce it like “Blue.” The correct pronunciation of “Bleu” (the French word for “Blue”) is a horrible, horrible name for a child. It’s pronounced very similar to the word/sound “Blegh.”
Agree on the Bleu spelling – remembering my days of high school French. It makes me think “Blegh” too.
makes me think of bleu cheese.
I agree with Rockingfetal that they should have saved Ingrid for the baby name! That aside, my first thought was the same as other posters – but Ivy is GREEN! My second thought was wouldn’t Ivy Blue have been so much sweeter and less like an odd description…
Blue Ivy: She’s a lot like her future playmate Harper Seven in the sense that she’ll be seen as ridiculously out-there to non-celebs and non-name fanatics but she’s actually hopelessly on-trend to those of us who are name obsessed especially as Blue (like Harper) has already done a lap of the celebrity playground.
I think Ivy Blue Carter flows better, but I actually don’t mind Blue Ivy despite the super-descriptiveness of it.
I really wasn’t expecting this name from them, to be honest. I thought they might go with something more French-inspired as well, or perhaps used family names.
Overall, I think it’s a sweet name.
I would have been so much happier with Ivy Blue. I think Blue Ivy is such a disappointment. It’s too descriptive and doesn’t even make sense as a description. Plus, Blue is so predictable in the celeb circles. I’m over it.
I’m not saying that I like the spelling Knowelle of lovely Noel(lle), but since it’s sort of a tradition in her faimly to use adaptions of maiden names (Beyince –> Beyonce) it would have been an interesting nod to her surname Knowles.
What about Knola? I saw that suggestion and thought it was fitting and kind of pretty.
Nola is so lovely and Knola would have been another interesting choice.
I don’t like Ivy and only like Blue as a middle name, so…not a fan!
A few of Jay-Z’s albums have had reference to blue– Blueprint 1,2, and 3, as well as song “Blue Magic.”
The name is growing on me as I learn its meaning– I love that it references her parents’ art and their favorite number. And in the song ‘Glory’ Jay-Z released yesterday, dedicated to their newborn daughter, I love the line: “The most amazing feeling I feel/ Words can’t describe what I’m feeling for real / Baby, I paint the sky blue / My greatest creation was you.” I love this image, and I think we all, as parents, can relate to the feeling.
blue magic is a reference to heroin, though
Wow, I did not know that (and I actually don’t know Jay-Z’s music very well). I hope that is NOT where the inspiration came from!
Would have loved to see them use Glory in honor of his mother. It’s also the name of the song, which makes me think that it was their daughter’s name in utero and they changed it at the last minute.
Oh wouldn’t Glorie have been lovely!!!
I like that the name clearly has special meaning for them. And I do like the names “Blue” and “Ivy”, and even “Ivy Blue” but I just personally don’t care for “Blue Ivy”. Too comic book superhero/villainess for my taste, but like I said, the fact that it has special meaning makes me not hate it so much.
I think the reason most of us would have preferred “Ivy Blue” is because it seems so familiar because of “Navy Blue”
I’m not a fan of the name Ivy. I think it’s sweet that there is potential meaning tying it to IV. The name Ivy just really sounds like a stripper name. Sorry.
I chuckled with friends as we realized they essentially named their daughter The Blueprint IV
I can’t say I agree that “they done good”, Elisabeth! Blue is terrible – and I can’t even understand them going for it as an edgy or trendy or new name, as it is so ubiquitous. At least Monroe and Moroccan (equally hideous) haven’t already been used a million times.
Ivy would have been lovely. Blue Ivy is just awful. It does not surprise me that one of her closest friends is Gwyneth I-named-my-daughter-Apple Paltrow.
I didn’t expect anything better from them though. Beyonce and Jay-Z/Shawn and Blue do seem right together, after all.
My harshest comment ever! But I just can’t stand this name sorry!
i know i’m a little late on this one, but i just found your site and can’t get enough! we are expecting boy #2, brother is Sebastian, in june, and i’m completely stumped, well almost, for this little guy.
anyway… chiming in the with the name blue ivy… i wonder if the choice has quite a lot to do with the musical background of beyonce and jay-z. an ode to “the blues,” you know? i think it’s interesting anyway that you mentioned cher choosing the name elijah blue, and adele’s full name is adele laurie blue adkins. i’m thinking adele might have also brought the name blue back to everyone’s attention.
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