Just imagine… You’re walking down the streets of New York City, and you spot a baby carriage. It’s probably bright red with black trim, and there’s a big smile on the face of the woman walking alongside the stroller. Maybe it’s a celebrity baby boom, and you assume they’re on their way to a luxury parent-child café to meet up with friends for brunch. You walk by and wave, feeling proud to be in the city and around all these famous people. Then, you realize it’s not just any old baby carriage, it’s for a baby—the child of a royal! It doesn’t get any more prestigious than that.
The fame and fortune of the famous parents can rub off on their children. In the case of Taylor Swift, Joe Alsip reports that “the singer is arguably one of the most prominent celebrities to give birth in the U.S., and her album 1989 sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week.” So when it comes to naming your baby, you have to decide whether you want them to follow in their parent’s footsteps or find their own identity. Below, we’ll discuss some of the most prominent celebrity parents to date, and the choices they made when it comes to naming their children.
Will Smith And Jada Pinkett Smith
For Will and Jada, being a famous actress and an NBA star wasn’t enough. The two wanted their children to follow in their footsteps and become famous actors and actresses, too. So when their first daughter, Dreamy, was born in February 2012, they decided to name her after themselves and make her an example to follow. They knew right away that they wanted a girl, and when the time came, they had a daughter they named after themselves. In an interview with ET, Jada said, “she’s going to be an amazing young actress, and we’re so proud of her.”
While Will and Jada are certainly proud of their first baby girl, they aren’t above giving her a nickname to make it easier for friends and family to address her. Will told People, “we call her ‘Pistols’ because she has Will’s dad’s hands.” So while they try to inspire their child to follow in their footsteps, they won’t necessarily be taking her to the range for training wheels anytime soon.
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton is one of the most infamous and recognizable names in the world of entertainment. She’s been in the spotlight since the very beginning, and her life seems to be an endless stream of glamorous escapades and celebrity encounters. When she and her husband, Rick Solomon, decided to have kids, they wanted something traditional and chic, and nothing says traditional and chic quite like a baby named Paris. So, when their daughter, Maxwell, was born in 2010, they decided to name her after the bold and beautiful socialite.
The couple already had a son named Silas, who they loved naming after a character in the television show How I Met Your Mother. So when it came time to choose a second name for their daughter, they drew inspiration from the mother of modern feminism, the late 19th century social reformer, Emmeline Pankhurst. She led the campaign to get women the right to vote, and many consider her to be the founder of the modern feminist movement. She was also an early activist for the LGBTQ community, and still is considered one of the most prominent figures in its history. Her daughter, Christabel, later wrote a biography of her titled ‘The Life and Work of Emmeline Pankhurst’.
Rick and Paris’ daughter resembles her mother not at all. She has thick, dark hair and big brown eyes, just like her mom. However, she loves to laugh and smiles easily which is very different from how her mom often appears on film or in photographs. The daughter also draws inspiration from different sources, like her dad, and it shows in her work. For example, one of her photos depicts a whimsical looking creature with a top hat and cane, and sources say this is an homage to the singer, songwriter, and actress Gracie Allen. Her other photos are more classical in nature and have strong maritime themes, like her mother’s heritage. In fact, the ocean has appeared in several of her Instagram posts. Perhaps it’s because she feels more connected to nature than to culture, as she told Teen Vogue years ago, “I don’t identify with any particular culture. I like it all, and I think that’s a good thing. The planet has enough problems without us creating more.”
Kendall Jenner
Another famous couple to have kids is Kendall and Kylie Jenner. The sisters are arguably among the most prominent and recognizable faces in the world of entertainment too. They’re best known for their work on the E! reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians. When they decided to have kids, they wanted a girl but also wanted to give her a memorable name that would befits a princess. They also wanted her to carry on the Kardashian name and legacy. So when their daughter, Stormi, was born in 2016, they named her after their grandmother, whose maiden name was Knight. The Kardashian family name, however, comes from Kendall’s great-grandmother, whose maiden name was McDonald. So it’s fitting that their daughter is named after both sides of her family.
The famous siblings have always been close, even before they had kids. The bond between them is so strong that it was made public knowledge by the fact that they’re fraternal twins. They grew up together in Los Angeles and have always known and trusted each other. One of their earliest memories is of being four years old and riding bikes together. So it was only natural for them to continue this legacy and keep the family name alive by raising a daughter who bears the same name as their sister, Kylie.
Lilly Rose
This couple’s daughter, Lilly Rose, is the product of a prestigious French family. Her mother, Emma Bovary, is an accomplished actress and artist, and her father, Alexandre Bovary, is a novelist and playwright. Her grandfather, François Bovary, was a lawyer and politician who served as France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1924 to 1942. So it’s not surprising that when it came time to name their first child, their influences were drawn from both sides of the family. The Bovarys are famous for their distinctive red-carnation flowers, named for their grandfather, François Bovary. So, when they decided to have a daughter, they named her after these lovely flowers.
Like many other children of fame, Lilly Rose grew up surrounded by cameras. She often told Vanity Fair that she didn’t feel like an outsider even though she was famous: “I feel like a normal kid. They treat me the same as any other kid… I think it’s cool that other people know who I am.” She also mentioned that she gets nervous when she doesn’t know any of her neighbors, and feels more comfortable in her own company. But she does have a vivid imagination and often daydreams about having friends over for playdates. She told Mic, “I love having imaginary playdates with my friends where we talk and laugh and create scenarios in our head. It makes me feel less alone in the world.”
While it’s no secret that being a celebrity parent can have its perks, it also comes with many responsibilities. In some cases, it can even be tiring being in the public eye all the time. In August 2019, Emma and Alexandre Bovary announced that they’re divorcing after twenty-two years of marriage. The couple has two children together, Lilly and Max. For more, visit Wikipedia.