Since the dawn of humanity, people have been naming babies. And with all those babies came baby naming trends. From the tiny cave babies named Lil Ugggg to the influx of mid-80s Jennifers to all the tiny monogrammed backpacks ending -den currently flooding pre-K classrooms, sometimes it feels like all the good names have been used up. Even when we do stumble upon a name that feel might be unique, we suddenly remember the elementary school bully, jilted ex lover or that awful coworker that steals everyone's yogurt that also shares the same name. We don't want our child to grow up as a yogurt thief, but we also don't want to to start from scratch creating a name. (Remember Abcde?) What's a parent to do?
We'll tell you what a parent is to do! Repurpose a celebrity last name as a first name. There's no need to reinvent the wheel when coming up with a lasting baby name. Using a surname has instant familiarity that will roll off the tongue, while it will still be a little bit different than every Tom, Dick, and Aiden. While using a family last name as a first name is beautiful and meaningful choice, we don't need to limit ourselves to names within the family tree: enter celebrity surnames.
Celebrity surnames have instant name recognition and, frankly, just sound cool. They are a great way to pay tribute to a favorite musical artist. People may not get the reference for a baby named David or John, but having a little Bowie or Lennon padding through the house is a much more obvious way to pay homage to a fave. There are so many celebrity inspired baby names, hopefully one will make your child feel like a star!
JAGGER
The perfect name for if Moves Like Jagger actually means learning to walk and toddling about. The name Jagger is inspired by Mick Jagger singer of the Rolling Stones. It's a name that could be used for a boy or a girl.
LENNON
Lennon is a perfect name for any Beatles lover. It's a popular unisex name, but some may associate it with Nashville actress Lennon Stella. Also, as a boy's name it has an Irish origin meaning "small cape or cloak."
BOWIE
For those afraid to commit to the name Ziggy, try the name Bowie. It's a perfect gender-neutral name for any David Bowie fan. The singer was inspired to pick it as his stage name inspired by the Bowie knife.
LEDGER
Ledger is a quintessential example of a celebrity surname turning into a first name. This boy's name was inspired by actor Heath Ledger. The new-as-a-first-name first appeared on the baby name charts in 2017.
JOLIE
Jolie is a girl's name inspired by the one and only Angelina. It was actually Angelina's middle name that she chose to use as her last when she began acting. Jolie has a French origin and means "pretty."
WILDER
A perfect name for any fans of the movie Van Wilder! (Just kidding, kind of.) Wilder is a unisex name inspired by the last name of Willy Wonka himself, Gene Wilder, as well as Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder.
BECKHAM
Who wouldn't want their baby to Bend It Like Beckham? While it's unclear if naming a baby after soccer great David Beckham will increase their soccer skills, it couldn't hurt to try. Beckham is common used as a boy's name, but it could also skew unisex.
ANISTON
Aniston is a girls' name inspired by actress Jennifer Aniston. Some parents like actor couple Chyler Leigh and Nathan West spell the name with two ns as Anniston. It's a updated twist on the traditional name, Ann.
CHESNEY
Calling all country music fans, consider the name Chesney. Inspired by Kenny Chesney, this name is generally used as a girl's name. It has an English origin meaning "oak grove."
COOPER
Cooper is a unisex name. As a celebrity surname, Bradley Cooper could be the inspiration. It was first made popular for being upscale and preppy sounding.
CRUISE OR CRUZ
Cruise and Cruz are two celebrity inspired surnames in one. The name Cruise is inspired by Tom Cruise, while Cruz is inspired by Penelope Cruz. To further complicate this, may we suggest Crews, inspired by actor Terry Crews?
CROSBY
Crosby is a modern boy's name. It's of Irish origin meaning "village with crosses." The celebrity surname angle comes from David Crosby but people may know it better as the name of Dax Shepard's character on Parenthood.
CYRUS
This baby's like a wreeeeecking baaalllll. Yup, the name Cyrus could be an homage to Miley herself. As a boy's name, it's of Persian origin, meaning sun.
DEMPSEY
Dempsey is a great boy's name, especially if the baby is "McDreamy." Grey's Anatomy fans may recognize that name from actor Patrick Dempsey. As a baby name, it has an Irish origin meaning proud or haughty.
DAMON
A baby will have a Bourne Identity if they're named after, Jason Bourne actor Matt Damon. Other celebrity connotations include actor Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. (duh). The name Damon is commonly a boy's name that also appeared in Greek mythology.
HENDRIX
Foxy baby! Hendrix is a boy's name inspired by legendary guitarist Jimi. It's also trendy right now because names with X's are all the rage.
HUDSON
Hudson is unisex baby name. The name has associations with the actress Kate Hudson. The name has an English origin meaning Hugh's son.
PAISLEY
Paisley is another name that would be great for country music fans or those that love busy patterns. Choosing Paisley would be a great homage to singer Brad Paisley. It's another great unisex name option.
SWIFT
Swift is a boy's name meaning quick or windblown. It's also a great option for any superfans of Taylor Swift. Additionally, Swift is becoming popular as a nickname.
TATUM
For anyone that loved Magic Mike, may we suggest the name Tatum. As a last name it belongs to hunky actor Channing, as a first name it makes a great unisex baby name. Popular use of Tatum as a girl's name can be seen with actress Tatum O'Neal.
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