Being a celebrity in today’s world means that you are unlikely to lead what we would class as a ‘normal life’. Celebrities of the time have embraced this, ditching traditional baby names for something more unusual, unique and at times utterly bizarre. Down with tradition we say, give your child all the ammunition they need to stand out from the crowd. Though with names like Rocket and Apollo, these unusual baby names may just be about to take off...
Name: Royal Reign Famous parent: Lil’ Kim
The thinking behind it: Lil' Kim picked this word name combo for her new daughter. Royal is an old-school boys' name, but pairing it with Reign just gives it the feel of a Prince cover band.
Name: Cricket Famous parent: Busy Philipps
The thinking behind it:Clearly, Busy Philipps likes animals. She named her first daughter Birdie, and her second daughter after a chirpy summer bug. Cute? Or too cute?
Name: North West Famous parents: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
The thinking behind it: We thought Kimye were joking when they said on The Tonight Show that they were considering naming their daughter North West. We were wrong.
Name: Rainbow Aurora Famous parent: Holly Madison
The thinking behind it: Holly Madison's pick for her baby daughter seems right out of a 1960s commune, rather than the Playboy Mansion.
Name: Blue Ivy Famous parents: Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z
The thinking behind it: Beyoncé revealed that this name was inspired by an excerpt from Rebecca SoInit's 2005 novel 'A Field Guide to Getting Lost'.The novel reads, 'The world is blue at its edges and in its depths…this light does not touch us, does not travel the whole distance, the light that gets lost, gives us the beauty of the world, so much of which is in the color blue’.
Name: Liberty Famous parent: Casey Kasem (Radio Host)
The thinking behind it: This name sees peaks when the world is in times of trouble, with popularity resurfacing during historical moments like the end of WW1 and in the wake of 9/11. Casey may have chosen this name as a message for his child to take with her through life. Power to the people.
Name: Thijs Famous parent: Matt Lauer (TV host)
The thinking behind it: So if you thought that Apple and Orange were strange, Matt Lauer has taken it one step further with this unusual Dutch boy’s name which is pronounced “Tice” and is apparently very common in the Netherlands.
Name: Audio Science Famous parent: Shannyn Sossamon (actress & musician)
The thinking behind it: No, it's not what Shannyn Sossamon majored in while at college, it's what she chose to name her baby. In an interview she said, "We wanted a word not a name, so my boyfriend read through the dictionary three or four times. We were going to call him Science, but thought it might get shortened to Sci, as in SIMON." Yep, that would be way too normal!
Name: Rocket Zot Famous parent: Sam Worthington
The thinking behind it: Avatar star, Sam Worthington's baby name choice for his first child with wife Lara Bingle Worthington, was a surprising one. They chose the name simply because they liked the way Rocket sounded, and because Zot was Bingle Worthington's late father's nickname.
Name: Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale Famous parents: Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
The thinking behind it: Long before David Bowie's passing in 2016, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale got a jump on paying homage to the rock legend, naming their third son Apollo Bowie Flynn in 2014. However, the tribute may have been entirely accidental, as Rossdale tweeted that Bowie and Flynn were actually the couple's mothers' maiden names. Chalk that one up to a clever coincidence.
Name: Blue Angel Famous parents: U2's The Edge and Aislinn O'Sullivan
The thinking behind it: Some people name their children after family members; others name them for Biblical figures, but U2's The Edge and Aislinn O'Sullivan? They went for Blue Angel. Sounds like a clothing line, doesn't it?
Name: Bluebell Madonna Famous parent: Geri Halliwell
The thinking behind it: Back in the late '90s, the Spice Girls were known for their shrinking hemlines and get-up-and-move music. These days though, many of the Spice Girls have taken on a new role: mum. Geri apparently saw flowers everywhere she looked during pregnancy, and was told that bluebells were becoming rare and so it was a precious name. Madonna came from the fact that apparently her little girl was born screaming with her arms flailing about, reminding her of the singer of the same name.
Name: Destry Famous parents: Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw
The thinking behind it: Somewhere between destiny and destroy is Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw's daughter Destry. While Destry is an unusual name, it's not a name Spielberg invented. James Stewart played this character in a 1939 western called "Destry Rides Again" directed by George E. Marshall.
Name: Bronx Mowgli Famous parent: Ashlee Simpson
The thinking behind it: Ashlee Simpson and her ex-husband, Pete Wentz, raised some eyebrows when they named their son Bronx Mowgli. Wentz wouldn't say how they came up with the name Bronx, but did say that Mowgli came from The Jungle Book. "The Jungle Book was something that me and Ashlee bonded over. It's a cool name," he said.
Name: Zola Ivy Famous parent: Eddie Murphy
The thinking behind it: We aren’t sure on this one, perhaps just the fact that he liked both names and they flow nicely together. His other children have equally unusual names, Bella Zahra, Shane Audra, Brea and Angel Iris Murphy Brown.
Name: Satchel Famous parent: Spike Lee
The thinking behind it: Satchel is actually a French word meaning ‘small bag’. Perhaps Spike was thinking that babies are so cute, that you keep them close and carry them around!?
Name: Pilot Inspektor Famous parents: Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf
The thinking behind it: Jason Lee remarked that he chose this name after a song on the indie rock band Grandaddy's 2000 album The Sophtware Slump. "The opening track, 'He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot,' absolutely blew my mind when I first heard it.” Saying this, some things just aren't intended to be names.
Name: River Rocket Famous parent: Jamie Oliver
The thinking behind it: It's not yet known if the name 'means' anything in particular, but we expected the Olivers' fifth born to have an unusual name. Little River joins his siblings Daisy Boo, Petal Blossom, Poppy Honey and Buddy Bear.
Name: Sydney Rain Famous parent: Louis Tomlinson
The thinking behind it: Although the name hasn't been officially confirmed, it's widely rumoured that Louis and Brianna's baby boy will be named Sydney Rain. The meaning has left us guessing... Maybe they've done a David and Victoria Beckham and named him after the city of conception?! It's also not yet known if the baby will take Louis or Briana's surname. We'll keep you updated...
Name: Bodhi Ransom Green Famous parent: Megan Fox
The thinking behind it: Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" which relates to a Buddhist concept, wherein Bodhi is synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego. Too much?
Feeling inspired? Take a look at more baby names trends here, and our top lists of unique and unusual names.