Celebrity parents are notorious for choosing offbeat baby names for their children. Some baby names like Shiloh, chosen by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, really take off while others like Moxie Crimefighter never take hold. After Emily Ratajkowski chose the name, Sylvester Apollo Bear, we were inspired to take a look at other unique baby names that celebrities have saddled their children with.
Now, many of these celebrity baby names are unusual but that does not mean that we, mere mortals, cannot use them for our own children. We took a deep dive into the celebrity baby name genre to discover what appellations will appeal to most parents. These unique baby names offer variety and inspiration for expecting parents who want to think outside of the box and find an appealing, rare baby name. Here are 25 rare celebrity baby names that you should consider adopting your baby.
25. Rhodes
Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund announced the birth of their son early this year. They chose the name Rhodes Robert and we think Rhodes was a wise choice. Rhodes is a posh baby name with Greek origins that means “where roses grow.” It has never appeared in the US top 1000 most popular baby names, making it a distinct option!
24. Raddix
Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden turned heads after they named their daughter Raddix Chloe Wildflower Madden after her birth in 2020. This most novel of baby names comes from Latin origins and means “root.” Raddix seems suitable for both boys and girls to us!
23. Lyra
Lyra is a musical baby name that comes from Greek and means “lyre.” It was a very appropriate choice for Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn (as well as Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum). Lyra has long been a popular baby name for girls in England, and it finally debuted in the top 1000 here in the US in 2015. Sheeran chose the middle name Antarctica, but you most certainly do not.
22. Pilot
Son of actor Jason Lee received the name Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf Lee after his birth in 2003. Pilot is an occupational name for an individual who takes the steering wheel. Pilot works well as a baby name for boys and girls and would be an offbeat option for adventurous parents. As the Sheeran, you do not need to follow Lee in choosing the middle name. Inspektor is a bit much.
21. Sunday
Sunday is one of those baby names that sounds attractively vintage yet completely approachable. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban thought so as they named their daughter Sunday Rose Kidman Urban for their baby girl born in 2008. Mike Myers followed suit 6 years later giving the name to one of his daughters.
20. Aleph
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied named their son Aleph. The ancient name refers to the origins of the universe in the Kabbalah. It also refers to the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Aleph has Hebrew origins and means “chief” or “number one.”
19. Rumer
Demi Moore and Bruce Willis caused a splash when they named their now-grown firstborn after novelist Rumer Godden. Rumer Glenn Willis might have received the attractive name in 1988 but few others can say the same. This is still a very rare baby name. Rumer comes from an English surname that means “fame.”
18. Blue
Blue is a popular unisex baby name among many celebrity parents. Blue Ivy is of course the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z‘s talented daughter. Blue is a color name that is often used as a middle name as well. Adele‘s middle name is Blue. Elijah Blue Allman is the son of Cher. Needless to say, this name is wildly popular among celebs but has not completely caught on with the rest of the population.
17. Birdie
Busy Philipps named her baby Birdie (after First Lady Lady Bird Johnson), as did soap star Maura West. Birdie was last popular as a given name in the US in 1948. This name has typically gone to baby girls but we think it works as a unisex baby name owing to its natural meaning. We would love for this adorable name to make comeback.
16. Bear
Bear debuted in the US top 1000 for the first time last year. However, it only barely made it onto the list. That means there is still plenty of room for Bear to grow. Bear typically goes to little boys as it did for Alicia Silverstone‘s son Bear Blu Jarecki and Kate Winslet‘s Bear Blaze Winslet.
15. Rogue
Son of director Robert Rodriguez, Rogue Rodriquez, has a one of the most unique baby names. Rogue, a character from X-Men, proves a great name that means “rascal.” Rogue will not be for everyone, as evident in the US top 1000 baby names in which this name has never ranked.
14. Cricket
We look to Busy Philipps once more for inspiration as she has named her other daughter Cricket Pearl. Cricket is a distinct nature baby name that parents have not fully adopted yet, but that could certainly change in the coming years. We think this appellation would be a winner for a little boy or a little girl.
13. Sparrow
Nicole Richie and another Madden, Joel Madden named their son Sparrow James Midnight. However, they are not the only celebs to choose it. Singer Tony Lucca named his daughter Sparrow Jane. We love a good bird baby name so this one is most welcome on the list. This name is not remotely popular in the US today.
12. Titan
Titan has emerged as a top 1000 baby name over the last several years. Singer Kelly Rowland & Tim Weatherspoon named one of their sons Titan Jewell after his birth in 2014. Titan has roots in Greek mythology as immortal giants called Titans. Titan means “defender.”
RELATED: 25 Mythological Baby Names For Your Legendary Baby
11. Blaze
We turn to Kate Winslet once more as she chose Blaze as a middle name for her son. Actor Jennifer Gareis and Bobby Ghassemieh chose it as the first name for their son born in 2010. Blaze is given about twenty times more often to baby boys than girls, but it is still and unisex option. Blaze means “fire” and we expect to light a fire to the top 1000 baby names in the US in coming years but it’s not there yet!
10. Exton
Robert Downey, Jr., and Susan Downey chose the name Exton for their baby boy’s name. Exton has English and Celtic origins and means “town on the River Exe” or simply “near the water.” Exton is a highly unusual pick and not one of the most popular baby names on this list. We hope that changes because Exton is a very handsome moniker.
9. Esmeralda
Esmeralda has been climbing the top 1000 list since the 1950s and it enjoyed its most popular year ever in the US last year. Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling named their first daughter Esmeralda. The name is popular with Hispanic parents and non-Spanish speakers alike. The name has Spanish and Portuguese origins meaning “emerald.”
8. Suri
Suri, a once unknown, exotic name, made headlines after it was chosen by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise for their daughter in 2007. Popular in a number of naming traditions, Suri means “the sun” in Sanskrit, “rose” in Persian. Most notably, it’s a form of the Hebrew name Sara which means “princess.”
7. Shiloh
As promised, Brad and Angelina’s baby’s name, Shiloh, makes the list. This attractive Hebrew name means “tranquil.” The name was virtually unheard in the US until the celebrity couple helped garner attention for it. Today, Shiloh is a top 500 name!
6. Memphis
Memphis has Greek and Coptic origins that mean “enduring” and “beautiful.” Memphis is a much more common appellation for boys than girls, but it was given to at least one notable celebrity child. Bono and Ali Hewson chose the name Memphis Eve Sunny Day Hewson after her birth in 1991. Memphis makes the top 1000 for boys but not girls.
5. Ocean
Ocean King PenaVega is son of actors Carlos and Alexa PenaVega. Ocean is a delightful nature, water name that could bring a little brightness to your child’s moniker. Ocean has yet to becomes as widespread as similar names Brooke and River, but we think it will be very trendy soon enough.
4. Sonnet
Forest Whitaker is an adventurous baby-namer as he has a son named Ocean and a daughter named Sonnet. We think he’s got a knack for discovering amazing words to turn into names. Sonnet comes from Italian roots that mean “little song.” We think this name is perfect for poetry-loving parents looking for plenty of inspiration.
3. Tennessee
Moms are following Reese Witherspoon‘s lead after she named her son Tennessee James after the iconic playwright Tennessee Williams. Tennessee, the state, gets its name from a Cherokee town that means “meeting place.” An offbeat choice for sure, we find it energetic and enduring.
2. Destry
Steven Spielberg chose the name Destry for his daughter born in 1996. It’s a gender-neutral name that comes from French origins that mean “warhorse.” Destry was once popular in the 1960s for baby boys thanks to a TV western series that aired at the time. Since then, the name has not appeared on the top 1000 baby names list.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 30 Ridiculously Bad Celebrity Baby Names, from Apple to Zuma
1. Bingham
Kate Hudson and Matt Bellamy chose the polarizing name Bingham for their son who goes by “Bing.” The only reference we know for the name is the late crooner Bing Crosby. Bingham is a British surname-name that means “homestead hollow.” As in, a property near a hollow. This name has never been popular in the US, but that could surely change!
There you go! What did you think of these rare celebrity baby names? Would you use one for your child? We think celebs tend to choose names on the forefront making them good people to look to for baby name inspiration. We hope you feel inspired by these famous baby names and will consider using one for your baby boy or girl. Whatever you decide, happy baby name hunting! And, congrats!
And if you’re in need of a toy or baby shower gift, we have a solution for you:
Wooden Name Puzzle
$32 at the time of publication
This is also the perfect baby shower gift or toy for your little one. Not only will it help them learn letters, their name, colors, and can help them develop their fine motor skills. And it is completely customizable and would look awesome on a shelf inside your child’s nursery.
Mamas Uncut is a participant in multiple affiliate programs, including Skimlinks, ShareASale, Commission Junction, and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Mamas Uncut may earn a percentage of revenue generated from purchases made via the links in this post.