Posted on 06/27/2006 10:33:31 AM PDT by qam1
Many parents, especially celebrities, are choosing distinctive names or spellings to make their children stand out
Choosing a name for your newborn requires a certain level of sober reflection, contemplation and introspection.
Expectant parents consult relatives and friends, leaf through scores of books and scour the Internet for just the right handle to reflect their little cherub's shining personality, obvious brilliance and unquestionable character.
So it makes you wonder what the recent spate of Hollywood celebrity parents were thinking - or drinking - when they chose such distinctive names, to put it kindly, for their high-profile offspring. That goes for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who named their daughter Shiloh, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who named their girl Suri.
Sure, we've had a chuckle at some and scratched our heads over others, but before you go calling your sons Dilbert after your favorite cartoon character or christening your daughters Brangelina because you adore Couple-of-the-Moment Pitt and Jolie, give it some thought, baby and parenting experts say.
Like all parents, celebrities see their children as extensions of themselves and choose names that reflect their tastes and values, says Babytalk magazine senior editor Christina Vercelletto.
"What's driving this is this whole sort of Gen-X competitive parenting trend," Vercelletto says. "Parents who are now in their 30s, they have their children, and they feel that from birth it's practically a competition. You want your child to stand out. We live in a competitive society, and you don't want your child to blend into the woodwork."
"Names are really brands," says Rachel Weingarten, a branding and trends expert and the president of GTK Marketing Group in Brooklyn.
Take Brangelina's baby, Shiloh. "You're saying we have turned this into a money-maker from birth,"
"It's this whole, 'Look at me' kind of thing."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Neeve is correct. Everyone asks if its like the actress Neve Campbell, but hers is pronounced "Nev"
And Maeve is with a long "a" - like May
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Who did that?
The Welsh named their children ap John (Jones); ap Richard (Richards); ap William (Williams)with the result being LOTS of Jones et al with euphonious and VERY common names!
Oh God! I guess I'm lucky with the name I got saddled with!
Definitely!
I love her to pieces.
Here she is a few weeks ago.
A thunderstorm scared her and she wanted to come sit in the living room with me.
A girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, that reminds me........anybody know what ever happened to Mark Lemonjello, major league pitcher? He was in Houston for a time and I think ended up somewhere in New York. That name has stuck with me all these years. :)
Wow, I didn't know that, PL!
CONGRATS!
Guess this means I need to get busy.
Or were created under the influence thereof? ;)
I didnt say he was a redneck & he prefers MJ. lol
"I just knew he would say "Winston" at least once. "
My daughter's name is Rachel Erin. I was completely shocked when our pastor, during Rachel's dedication ceremony, called her Rachel 'Urine'.
Riiiiggggggghhhhhttttt
At first I thought it said Rock Hudson
Bet they never thought of that!
And in '86, Jessica or Jason would have had the same result.
I caught a lizard and kept him as a pet for a couple of days when I was about nine years old.
I named him Roy. I just thought it was a cool name for a cool lizard.
"Steve" would've been cool, too.
Shallow Pitt.
And if you choose to give your sons the middle name of "Wayne", they will most surely have a good chance to be famous for something in their future. And famous doesn't always mean good!
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