The Best and Worst Celebrity Baby Names of 2008

Posted Monday, December 22, 2008 1:40 PM

With a historic election resulting in nurseries filled with tiny Baracks, Obamas, and Michelles, 2008 was an especially interesting year for baby names. And while some moms and dads had their sights set on historical significance, celebrity parents continued to take more liberty than was probably prudent when naming their own little ones. Here, the real parent’s guide to this year’s most creatively cool and tragically uncool celebrity baby names.

5 MOST CREATIVE & COOL

1. Harlow Winter Kate -- b. January 11, 2008
The daughter of Nicole Richie and Joel Madden
Daddy likes actress Jean Harlow and Mommy is a fan of model Shalom Harlow, and thus little Harlow received the first portion of her three-part name. They chose Winter because it symbolizes calmness, which fit baby’s personality (lucky them!), and Mommy liked the name Kate but felt it was too common for a stand-alone first name.

2. Knox Leon & 3. Vivienne Marcheline -- b. July 12, 2008
The twin son and daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
These names are not only cool, they have meaning to the proud mama and papa as well. Knox was Brad’s grandfather’s middle name, Marcheline was Angelina’s mother’s name, and Leon was her great-great-grandfather’s name. Vivienne is French for “alive,” which is only fitting, since this is the twins’ birthplace.

4. Finley & 5. Harper -- b. October 7, 2008
Twin daughters of Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood
We’re not sure if Mom and Dad are fans of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird or were drawn to its English origin (which means “harp player”) because, well, granddaddy was a musician. We are sure that Lisa Marie has always been one to defy convention and break the rules, so it makes sense that her babies’ names would be ambiguous. Finley, which is Scottish for “fair warrior,” was typically a boy’s name until Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn gave the name to their daughter in 2003. Whether they’re boys or girls, Finley and Harper are two monikers that, compared to the rest of the names this year, stay within the lines of rebellion.

5 MOST CREATIVE AND UNCOOL

1. Trig Paxson Van -- b. April 18, 2008
Son of Sarah and Todd Palin
Trig is after Dad’s great-uncle and Paxson is a popular snowmobiling spot (a family favorite) in Alaska. And, Van -- well, we can have fun guessing with that one. This is a case of parents with common names refusing to saddle their own kids with “boring” names and going a bit overboard. The evidence? Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow, and Piper. Case closed.

2. Honor Marie -- b. June 7, 2008
Daughter of Jessica Alba and Cash Warren
Oddly enough, a friend of Mommy’s introduced her to the name before baby was born and it stuck. Jessica liked it because it could be for a boy or a girl and it wasn’t common like her name (are we sensing a theme here?). Though Marie is Mommy’s middle name, tradition and ingenuity just don’t mix here. We can just imagine the playground taunts now: “Your Honor, can I have the swing now?”

3. Zuma Nesta Rock -- b. August 21, 2008
Son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
Seems like Gwen and Gavin were eating barftoids when they came up with this one. Here’s a theory behind the name: Zuma is a beach in Malibu where Daddy apparently experienced an epiphany. Zuma is also the name of a 1975 Neil Young & Crazy Horse album. Nesta was Bob Marley’s birth name (Mom and Dad like reggae -- remember Kingston?) and Rock needs no explanation -- the parents are rock stars. Duh. See, the name totally makes sense.

4. Archibald  “Archie” William Emerson -- b. October 25, 2008
Son of Amy Poehler and Will Arnett
It seems like a harmless name, but it’s the alliteration that we really can’t seem to get over. While William and Emerson are lovely (and also Daddy’s names), Archie Arnett seems destined for a marquee in Atlantic City.

5. Bronx Mowgli -- b. November 20, 2008
Son of Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz
The year saved the best for last. Things we know: Bronx is the name of a New York City borough. Mowgli is the main character in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book -- which Dad claims he and Mommy bonded over and that there’s a story behind the name. What we don’t know: What that story is and why Mom and Dad are A-OK with the initials BMW.

> For those of us not following the celebrity trends, the most popular baby names for Bumpies this year were…drum roll…

Girl: Addison – a unisex name of English origin meaning “child of Adam”

Boy: Jackson (or “Jack”) – a male name of English origin meaning “son of Jack”; diminutive of John  

Tell us: What do you think of this year's crop of baby names? And, just in case you haven't discovered it yet, we've added a Baby Names board. (Ever hear of the name Calliope?)