In Hollywood there seems to be a strange unspoken competition between celebrities to outdo each other in the bizarre baby name department.
Rapper Cardi B and her partner Offset are the latest ones to jump on the weird baby name train, after they welcomed their baby daughter Kulture Kiari Cephus. And no, that isn’t a spelling mistake.
But with names like North, Apple, Blue Ivy and Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence, we had to wonder, what’s the meaning behind these monikers? Let’s take a look at some of the more unusual baby names that have been bestowed on celebrity offspring.
Cardi B
Cardi B and partner Offset named their daughter Kulture Kiari Cephus. While her middle and last names are directly taken from Offset’s birth name, Kiari Kendrell Cephus, fans suspect her first name is inspired by the Migos albums Culture and Culture II.
Kim Kardashian Kanye West and North West
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West christened their bub North West and momager Kris Jenner revealed why.
“The way [Kim] explained it to me was that North means highest power and she says that North is their highest point together. I thought that was very sweet.”
Kardashian West family
And North isn’t the only one. Kim and Kanye’s son was named Saint as Kanye “wanted a name with spiritual significance,” and youngest daughter Chicago (nickname Chi, pronounced ‘Shy’) is named after the city her father grew up in.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban called their daughter Sunday Rose, because Sunday was their least favourite day of the week until they met each other.
Khloe Kardashian
Khloe Kardashian kept it in the family when she named her bub True, whom she shares with partner Tristan Thompson. Matriarch Kris Jenner posted on Instagram “FUN FACT… my Grandfather’s name on my Dad’s side was True Otis Houghton,” she wrote. “My real Dad’s name was Robert True Houghton…so i am so excited Khloe named her daughter True!!!”
Beyonce Knowles
Beyoncé and Jay-Z called their daughter Blue Ivy Carter after a passage from Beyonce’s favourite book A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit. As for their twins, Jay-Z revealed daughter Rumi was named for their “favorite poet,” the 13th-century Persian lyricist, while their son Sir “carries himself like that. He just came out, like, Sir.”
Mariah Carey family
Only Mariah Carey would have twins and christen them with matching monikers. The singer had twins with her now ex-husband Nick Cannon and called her son Moroccan – after the decor in her New York apartment – and daughter Monroe – after Marilyn Monroe.
Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet named her child Bear Blaze Rocknroll after the house fire that took place on Richard Branson’s private Caribbean island, Necker, in 2011 where she and her husband, Ned, met.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow called her daughter Apple because apples are “sweet, wholesome, clean and biblical”.
Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman
Drew Barrymore and husband Will Kopelman named their baby daughter Olive because when they discovered Drew was pregnant, that’s what size the baby was.
Busy Phillips and Marc Silverstein
Actress Busy Phillips and hubby Marc Silverstein named their daughters Birdie Leigh – after former US First Lady Lady Bird Johnson – and Cricket Pearl – because Marc thought “everyone likes cricket – she is the coolest camp counsellor, she is hot in college”.
Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson
Uma Thurman named her third child Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson. Uma says she and her partner, Arpad Busson were struggling to pick a name so they just used all of the ones they like. For the sake of saving time thankfully, the child will answer to ‘Luna’.
Jessica Alba and Cash Warren
Jessica Alba and hubby Cash Warren named their second daughter Haven because she was delivered inside her amniotic sac, or her “safe haven” as Cash commented at the birth.
Nicholas Cage
It’s no big surprise Nick Cage went a little baby naming crazy. His son is christened Kal-El Cage after Superman’s birth name.
Thandie Newton and Ol Parker
Crash star Thandie Newton took to Twitter to announce that she and husband Ol Parker decided to name their baby boy Booker (after a US historical figure) Jombe (a popular Zimbabwean name in tribute to Thandie’s cultural heritage).
Jessica Simpson and family
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson gave their second child a very unusual, Ace Knute (pronounced Ka-nute). The strange middle name is reportedly in honour of Johnson’s Swedish paternal grandfather, Knute Johnson. Their pair have one other child, a girl, Maxwell.
Jason Lee
Almost Famous and My Name is Earl actor Jason Lee called his son Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf Lee, inspired by his favourite song, which features the lyrics: “He’s simple, he’s dumb, he’s the pilot.”
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
Channing Tatum and ex-wife Jenna Dewan named their baby Everly because they wanted something that sounded “old English”.
Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz
Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have reportedly named their new baby daughter Luna Encinas, after the moon, which they both love, and Javier’s father’s name.
Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth
Reese Witherspoon and her second husband Jim Toth called their son Tennessee James after her home state.
Teresa Palmer and Mark Webber
Teresa Palmer and her husband Mark Webber named their baby Bodhi Rain Palmer. The actress took to Instagram to explain: “Bodhi means ‘Enlightened one,’ Rain means ‘Abundant Blessings From Above’ and we chose Palmer as his last name as Mark’s son Isaac didn’t take his dad’s name either.”