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Spider-Man and Great Gatsby star Tobey Maguire may not have known it at the time, but when he and jewelry designer wife Jennifer Meyer *
*named their daughter Ruby Sweetheart Maguire in 2006, they were pioneers of a growing trend. Much like leaning on the rainbow for inspiration, parents are now turning to names of jewels for their precious little ones more and more.
Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time they've been in vogue! In the Victorian era, parents believed naming their child after a gem would bring their daughters and sons luck and prosperity. Couldn't hurt for moms and dads to shoot for the same goal today! Here, 25 of the most viable, bejeweled baby names for girls and boys …
- Amethyst – The purple birthstone for the month of February has real potential to rise in popularity, perhaps as a result of rapper Iggy Izalea, who was born Amethyst Amelia Kelly. It's also the first name of the protagonist in the children's novel The Ordinary Princess.
- Ruby – Perhaps thanks to Tobey Maguire, the fiery July birthstone broke into the U.S. top 100 recently, hitting #93 in 2013. (Meanwhile, it's #1 in Australia!) By the way, Maguire isn't the only star to name his daughter Ruby — Rod Stewart's daughter also shares the honor.
- Pearl – The birthstone for the month of June may have been considered a grandma name a generation ago, but it entered the top 1,000 in 2010 and has already risen more than 200 places, hitting #677 most recently. Maya Rudolph named her daughter Pearl Minnie Anderson in 2005.
- Opal – The birthstone for the month of October is considered on par with Ruby and Pearl, in so far as its potential to rise in popularity. Parents who opt for the name may be bestowing hope and good fortune on their little girl, as the Romans believed both were associated with the stone.
- Mica – The flinty mineral may not be exactly a precious gemstone, but it falls into the same family and is rising in popularity as a name for girls. As for boys, the name is generally spelled Micah.
- Coral – Slowly rising in popularity, the oceanic name was first used in the Victorian era. It was also the name of Nemo's mom in Finding Nemo.
- Onyx – The gemstone-inspired name is generally reserved for boys, but it's also gotten a big bump for girls lately, up 76 percent in the last week alone, according to Nameberry.
- Amber – The golden gemstone is also a girl's name we're hearing more and more, either due to Johnny Depp's fiancee Amber Heard, Amber Riley from Glee, or Amber Portwood from Teen Mom. It ranks at #288.
- Emerald – Parents looking for a unique pick with sweet symbolism, this may be it. May's deep green birthstone is supposed to open one's heart to wisdom and to love and be good for strengthening relationships. Aww!
- Diamond – The stone that Marilyn Monroe so famously called a "girl's best friend" remains the go-to choice for engagement rings. It's also rising in popularity as a baby name, up 72 spots between 2012 and 2013, and currently ranking at #712.
- Bijou – Most notably, the name John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas and then-wife Genevieve Waite gave their daughter in 1980. The still unique French name literally translates to "jewel." It could also be spelled Bijoux.
- Beryl – The name of a sea-green jewel and the villain in Sailor Moon is especially popular with Brits, but also on the rise here in the U.S.
- Jasper – The Twilight character Jasper Hale may have had something to do with the recent jump in interest in this name of a variety of quartz. It currently ranks at #248 for boys.
- Jade – TV chef Giada De Laurentiis named her daughter Jade in 2008, and Mick and Bianca Jagger chose the precious green stone name for their daughter in 1971. It currently ranks at #126.
- Esme – French for esteemed, beloved, and emerald, it's also a nod to a character from J.D. Salinger's 1950 story For Esme, With Love and Squalor. The name is also a character in Twilight, and Michael J. Fox chose it for his daughter born in 2001.
- Esmeralda – The Spanish variation of Emerald and the character in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame ranks at #392.
- Garnet – Up 42 percent in popularity this week, the red stone name actually means pomegranate.
- Crystal – One gemstone name that has been used consistently for years (and hit peak popularity in the '80s!) now ranks at #464.
- Agate – Parents who opt to name their daughter after this gemstone — which is said to attract strength, protect against bad dreams, stress, and energy drains — could consider the nickname Aggie. Another variation is Agatha.
- Jett – Currently ranking at #324 and on the rise, both George Lucas and John Travolta opted for this mineral name for their sons.
- Goldie – On the decline, the name may bring to mind Goldie Hawn for some, but it was also recently chosen by actress Ione Skye and singer-songerwriter Ben Lee in 2009, as well as Steve Madden last year.
- Citrine – While it may be too unique to actually wrack up any stats, the golden yellow quartz name is being used here and there by parents looking to branch out from the traditional gemstone names.
- Topaz – November's birthstone comes in many colors, but we often think of the London blue topaz. It's said to have healing and energizing properties and also to bring good luck, which makes it a lovely, rarely used baby name. Fun fact: In the Dodie Smith novel I Capture the Castle, there is a character named Topaz Mortmain.
- Silver – Down 69 percent in popularity this week for girls and 30 percent for boys, the precious metal, unisex name is making a comeback overall. No longer just for hippies, it's considered another option for parents looking to jewelry-inspired names for their babies!
- Gemma – The name — which means "precious stone" in Italian — entered the top baby names list in 2008 and is already at #316. It's also the name of One Direction's Harry Styles' older sister and Sex & the City's Kristin Davis' daughter.
Which of these baby names would you consider? Any others inspired by gemstones?
Images via Corbis
