Remember when lists of crazy celebrity baby names always used to start with Apple? By today’s standards, it seems almost mainstream!
In the week that serial bold baby namer Nick Cannon announced his newest addition – a son named Legendary Love Cannon – we’ve rounded up the 100 most controversial names chosen by famous and non-famous parents alike.
Be it heavy political baggage, or deep spiritual significance, or unfortunate pop culture associations, these are the top names parents might just want to do more research into before bestowing on their babies.
Read our explanations and/or scan frantically for your favorites below 👇
Honor Names With Creative Connections
Honor names are often a source of friction between naming partners. Whose grandma gets top billing in the first name spot? Does John William III’s son have to be a fourth? How to navigate complex family relationships in choosing who to honor?
An increasingly popular solution in today’s individualistic naming climate is to choose a more creative honor name.
These modern twists on tradition might update an old-fashioned family name, draw on sweet personal connections, or play on initials or meaning to find a fresh honor name all of your child’s own 💕
Famous parents who have embraced creative honor names include Jenna Bush Hager, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
See our 10 top tips for putting a fresh spin on family names here.
Navigating Names and Culture
Names that draw on family history and heritage take on an extra layer of meaning – and complexity – for parents of an ethnic or religious minority background.
This thoughtful piece in the Independent highlights the dilemma faced by parents who want to honor their roots and push back against the trend towards Anglicization, but are conflicted about what is in the best interests of their child.
If I chose a name like Adam, Zach or Noah – familiar and acceptable, with both Muslim and Judeo-Christian significance – would I be rejecting my values, seeking to become a palatable “good immigrant” who doesn’t bother people with difficult pronunciations or unfamiliar names? If the British public can pronounce Tschaikovsky, Djokovic, Siobhan or Aisling, why shouldn’t they be able to pronounce Yahya or Dhul Qarnain or Ahmed?
At the same time, however, is it fair to burden a child with the weight of their parents’ politics? To force my child to endure a lifetime of “and how do you pronounce that?” or “can I shorten that?” – and even to seek out a more challenging name on purpose, to make some monumental point in the face of insurmountable systemic prejudice?
More Name Fun
👑 Royal baby names are often trend-setters, and the latest addition to the extended family is the very chic Rose, new niece of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Nameberry founder Pam spoke to People about the hottest royal names on both sides of the pond right now.
📱 We’re now on TikTok! Come and join us for #namespotting, celebrity baby name predictions, and name trivia – like how did John become Jack?
🦁 Happy birthday, Leo readers! For analysis of the Leo naming style, names these bold namers might like, plus how to navigate the process with a partner, check out our new zodiac page for Leo.