Celebrity parents love unique baby names — hello, Apple, Cricket and Jupiter — with animal, nature and floral-like monikers chosen more each year.
“Celebrity baby names get wilder and more ‘out there’ all the time,” Pamela Redmond, the co-founder of Nameberry, tells TODAY Parents. “Names that a generation ago were cited as the craziest ever — Penn Jillette's Moxie Crimefighter and Jason Lee's Pilot Inspektor — seem almost tame compared with Elon Musk and Grimes' X Æ A-Xii and Exa Dark Sideræl and Nick Cannon's twins Zillion Heir & Zion Mixolydia.”
Since Hollywood parents seize attention with the birth of a child, baby name announcements are just as anticipated. “As names in the rest of the world get more unusual, celebrities have to work harder to stand out from the crowd,” explains Redmond.
Below are our votes for the most creative celebrity names and the history behind them.
X Æ A-Xii and Y
In 2020, Elon Musk and his former partner, singer Grimes, named their son X Æ A-12, before changing it to X Æ A-Xii to follow a state law that dictated its spelling and punctuation. In 2021, they welcomed a daughter named Exa Dark Sideræl (Y, for short).
Jupiter
“High School Musical” alum Ashley Tisdale and her musician husband Christopher French are parents to a little girl named Jupiter who was born in 2021.
Olympia Lightning Bolt, Thunder Bolt and Saint Leo Bolt
Former Olympian sprinter Usain Bolt and his partner Kasi Bennett, named their daughter Olympia (born in 2020) and their twin boys Thunder Bolt and Saint Leo Bolt (born in 2021).
Raddix Chloe Wildflower
In 2020, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden added daughter Raddix to their family of two.
Wilde Wolfe
Rapper Eve and her husband Maximillion Cooper’s son is named Wilde Wolfe Fife Alexander Somers Cooper, she announced on Instagram in 2022.
Harlow Winter and Sparrow James Midnight
Nicole Ritchie and her musician husband Joel Madden have a daughter named Harlow Winter Kate Madden (born in 2008) and a son named Sparrow James Midnight (2009).
Banks
In 2018, “How I Met Your Father” star Hilary Duff and her husband Matthew Koma welcomed their daughter Banks, followed by Mae in 2021. Duff and her ex-husband Mike Comrie share a son named Luca who was born in 2012.
Apple
Actor Gwyneth Paltrow and her musician ex-husband Chris Martin named their daughter Apple in 2004. "Her dad came up with the name and I fell in love with it,” Paltrow once said during an Instagram Live. Their son Moses, born in 2006, was named after a Coldplay song.
Bluebell Madonna and Montague George
Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell named her daughter Bluebell Madonna in 2006 and her son Montague in 2017.
Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir
In 2012, singer Beyoncé and her rapper husband Jay-Z named their first child, a daughter, Blue Ivy; in 2017, twin siblings Rumi and Sir were born.
North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm
In 2013, former couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West named their first child North, their second child Saint (2015), their third Chicago (2018) and their fourth Psalm (2019)
Gio Grace and Dusty Rose
Musician Adam Levine and model Behati Prinsloo’s daughters are named Dusty Rose (born in 2016) and Geo Grace (2018). According to Levine, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres helped name their firstborn — although mom wasn’t into the idea initially. "I brought it back to her after the 11th hour and I'm like, 'Dusty's pretty cool!' And she's like, 'I love it!'" Levine told DeGeneres the year Dusty was born.
True
Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson named their daughter True in 2018, which is a family name. When Kardashian’s grandmother MJ suggested the name, Kardashian was hooked. "It stuck with me for my entire pregnancy and was the only one I couldn't get out of my head,” she wrote on her app.
Dream
Robert Kardashian and his former partner Blac Chyna named their daughter Dream “because they’ve always said she’s a dream come true,” a source told “People.”
Briar Rose
Actors Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen named their daughter Briar Rose after Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” in 2014 (Lead character Princess Aurora’s secondary name is Briar Rose).
Birdie and Cricket
Busy Philipps and husband Marc Silverstein have two daughters named Birdie and Cricket, who were born in 2008 and 2013, respectively.
Coco
In 2004, former married couple Courtney Cox and David Arquette welcomed a daughter named Coco Riley into the world.
Chanel
Rapper Ice-T and model Coco Austin share a daughter named Chanel, who was born in 2015.
Everest
Filmmaker George Lucas and wife Mellody Hobson named one of their children, a daughter, Everest Hobson who was born in 2013.
Poppy, Daisy, Petal, Buddy and River
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Juliette Norton have five children: Poppy Honey Rosie (born in 2002), Daisy Boo Pamela (2003), Petal Blossom Rainbow (2009), Buddy Bear Maurice (2010) and River Rocket (2016).
Maple
Actor Jason Bateman and wife Amanda Anka have a daughter named Maple (born in 2012), little sister to their daughter Francesca (2006).
Moroccan, Monroe, Zion, Zillion, Golden and Powerful Queen
Talk show host Nick Cannon’s children are named Monroe and Moroccan (born in 2011 to Mariah Carey), Zion and Zillion (2021 with Abby de la Rosa), Golden and Powerful Queen (2017 and 2020, respectively with Brittany Bell). Zen, the son Cannon shared with Alyssa Scott, died from a brain tumor in 2021). As of January 2022, Cannon and Bre Tiesi are expecting a baby together.
Puma, Seven and Mars
Erykah Badu has three children — daughter Puma was born in 2004, joining brother Seven, six years her senior. Badu also had daughter Mars in 2009.
Jagger, Poet, Story, and Lyric
Soleli Moon Frye shares four children with ex-husband Jason Goldberg: Poet (2005), Jagger (2008), Lyric (2014), and Story (2016).
Cosmo
Actors Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost named their first child Cosmo in 2021.
Apollo, Kingston and Zuma
Former couple Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale’s three sons are Kingston (born in 2006), Zuma (2008) and Apollo (2014).
Eureka Muse
Amanda Knox and her husband Christopher Robinson call their daughter, who was born in 2021, Eureka Muse Knox-Robinson.
Kulture and Wave
Rappers Cardi B and Offset share Kulture, born in 2018, and Wave, born in 2021. Credit for the creative names belongs to dad. “My dude named the baby,” Cardi B told Ellen DeGeneres in 2018. “I really like the name.” And Cardi B tweeted in 2022, “When Set suggested Wave, I was sold! That had to be his name!”
Bear Blu
In 2011, Alicia Silverstone and her ex-husband Christopher Jarecki named their son Bear Blu.
Stormi
Kylie Jenner and her partner Travis Scott welcomed daughter Stormi in 2018, (their second choice behind “Rose,” the reality star said on Instagram). When Jenner gave birth to their son in February 2022, she introduced him as Wolf, then decided against it. “We just really didn’t feel like it was him,” Jenner posted on Instagram. As of May 2022, the couple hasn’t shared the boy’s name.
Bronx Mowgli
Ex-couple and singers Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz named their son Bronx Mowgli in 2008. “We came up with the idea Bronx. We’ve been throwing (ideas) back and forth a while,” Wentz told radio host Ryan Seacrest that year. “It’s kind of cool to just leave the narrative what it is. People are stoked or pissed or whatever. And you’re like, you know what: I don’t think anyone really has the real story.”
Of the Disney-veiled middle name: “‘The Jungle Book’ was something that me and Ashlee bonded over,” he added. “It’s a cool name.” Simpson is now married to musician Evan Ross and the couple share Jagger Snow, born in 2015 and Ziggy Blu, born in 2020. Meanwhile, Wentz and wife Meagan Camper share children Saint Lazslo born in 2014 and Marvel who debuted in 2018.
Terri Peters contributed to this story, which was first published in 2017 and has been updated.