Is there a Grandparent-Nickname-Middle naming trend among celebrity parents?

Linda Rosenkrantz, co-author of The Baby Name Bible: The Ultimate Guide By America’s Baby-Naming Experts, always has her antenna up for the start of a new direction in baby names, and she thinks we may have a little mini-trendlet starting of Grandparent-Nickname-Middle names. 

First there was Amanda Peet using Frances PEN after her mother Penny, and now we have Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber‘s choice of Alexander PETE, for her father Peter.

Nicknames in general are increasingly  being put directly on birth certificates, as seen in such celebrity choices as Ace, Billie and Billy, Charlie, Coco, Gracie, Happy, Jaz, Johnny and Johnnie, Kit, Maggie, and Sam for both sexes.

Did you or would you choose a nickname for your child’s name or a parent’s name nickname-ized for their middle name?

Comments

My 19 month olds entire name is a tribute- his first name- Louie is his great grandfathers “american” nickname, and what he was most known as, and his middle name- Richard is his grandfathers first name.

- stephanie on July 27th, 2007

I would…our daughter’s middle name is after my grandmother, Florence, but my mother’s name, Betty, was in the running, but shortened to Bet(spelled Bette). I didn’t really like the name Betty, but wanted to honor my mom somehow. Sorry, Mom! Maybe next time!

- Mimi on July 27th, 2007

My daughter is Katelin Berniece – Kate, just because, Lin after my mother (Linda), and Berniece after my grandmother (her middle name)

- Maria on July 27th, 2007

My middle name is Johnston, after my grandmother’s madien name. My mum was hellbent on naming me after her mum, but my grandmother refused to let me be called Lilian. She hates her name so much. I love it.

- Devon on July 27th, 2007

I decided that if I have a son his middle name would be Pierce to honor my grandparents last name. And I’m also thinking of using the name Anna in some form to honor my grandmother and great grandmothers as well. But it’s still early for me so I have time to decide.

- J.M. on July 27th, 2007

My first name is my aunt’s name. She is my mom’s only sister and my godmother too.

My middle name is my grandmother’s first name. Also on my mother’s side.

My sister’s first name is my mother’s first name too only in a different language.

My son’s middle name is my father’s middle name.

We will probably keep doing it for generations!

- virginia on July 27th, 2007

I might use a nickname after my brother. His name is Andrew, and I like that name as it is, but he often goes by Drew which I also like. So Drew might be a contender for a middle name one day (I’m not pregnant yet)!

Also, we might do an iteration of a family name, though not exactly a nickname. My MIL’s name is Joanne, which I don’t like particularly but I do like Joanna.

- Laura on July 27th, 2007

3 of my children have the first name or some form of it as middle names. i am glad to see this trend among celebrities. it pays tribute to those grandparents and important relatives.
Cheers

- michelle savin on July 27th, 2007

My sister, Jaimie, named her daughter KayLee Nadine. This comes from the middle names of our other sister Jodie Kay, our mom Cheryl Lee, and me Julie Nadine.

- Julie on July 27th, 2007

We have four children and all of their middle names are after their grandparents. I think it’s a great way to honor them!

- Jada on July 27th, 2007

My Daughter is Lily Rose, Lily i just loved it and Rose after my grandma and my son is Theo shortened from(Theodore)Keith, Theo i loved it from a film and keith after my grandad.

- Jade on July 27th, 2007

I love family names. I definitely hope to incorporate them into my children’s names. It looks like my brother is going to get to use my dad’s name before me (I don’t really mind, though, since I’m not a huuuuge fan of William), but I’ve got dibs on Susannah (my mother’s name is Suzanne).

- Candice on July 27th, 2007

My daughter has a ‘nickname’- Maggie. I didn’t care for Margaret, so we just chose Maggie as the full name. I believe the only ‘celeb’ to do the same is John Stewart with his daughter Maggie Rose.

- MaggiesMommy on July 27th, 2007

My family has a naming tradition. My middle name is Patricia after my father Patrick and my brother’s son’s name is Adrien after my brother’s grandfather and his daughters name is Brianna Tyler, my name is Brenna and her moms name is Joanna and her other aunt’s name is Anna and my brothers middle name is Tyler so she got named after everyone almost. My cousins name is Michael which is my Dad’s middle name, my cousins name is Dawn after my grandpa Adonis (known as Don) and my uncle’s name is Laurence after my Grandpa’s middle name Laurence. Hmm oh and my cousin’s sons name is Brian Michael after his father whos name is Michael. Yea our family definately has a lot of names and there are more but I cant get into it or I will go all day!

- Bren on July 27th, 2007

Both my brother and I have got our grandparent’s names as our middle names (Elizabeth and David). Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with the trend of naming babies what they’re actually going to be called on their birth certificate. My given name is Susan, but I’ve never been anything since Suze from the day I was born, so it seems a bit silly that I was given a “real” name, unlike my niece, whose name is Katie on her birth certificate, because that’s what she gets called!

- Suze on July 27th, 2007

Although some nicknames as first names have become commonplace: Maude short for Matilda, Kate for Katherine etc. I think, for the most part that they prevent someone from being taken as seriously. My former boyfriend’s name is Tommy. When I got mad, I’d actually call him Thomas, which theoretically was a nickname itself! It seemed so weird when he showed me his business cards. They seemed like they belonged to a little boy! Even if someone were always to be called by their nicknames, at least formally they should have a more “adult” sounding name. Just my opinion, no offense meant;)

- Xan on July 27th, 2007

My sister’s name is Maggie too! Cute!

- Liza on July 27th, 2007

I was going to name my daughter Katelyn Marie. My best friend’s middle name is Katherine, my sister’s middle name is Lyn & my middle name is Marie. So, it’s not for a middle name but it is a nicknamed name.

- Lisa C on July 27th, 2007

My daughters middle name is Karynn (said like car-in) It is a combo of my husbands first name and my middle name his name is Karsten and my middle name is Lynn, so she is Savannah Karynn.

- Debbie on July 27th, 2007

My grandmother was Patricia, but my parents didn’t want it shortened, so they came up with Patrice, and my middle name is Rose after Kimberly Rose, my godmother.
My younger sister has the same middle name as my other grandmother.

- Patrice on July 27th, 2007

My daughter is Marlee, after her great-grandmother Margarette, and her dad’s middle name Lee.

- Shan on July 27th, 2007

My daughter’s middle name is Leila after my mom, who passed away when I was young, and my son’s middle name is Matthew after my husband and his grandfather whose middle names are Matthew. If we were to have another child, we would name a boy Patrick Richmond, after my husband’s grandfather, Patrick, and our fathers Richard and Raymond, and a girl would have the middle name Catherine after my husband’s grandmother.

- Rachel on July 27th, 2007

I share in this trend-mostly. My middle name is Monica, after my paternal grandmother. And I’d like to name a future son Christian Anthony, Anthony being my dad’s middle name. But no nicknames.

- Lauren on July 27th, 2007

My middle name is after my mom, which is altered just a bit. My mom’s name is Zofia (Polish) and my middle name is Sofia. My daughter will inherit my middle name as her middle name also. We hope that she keeps that “tradition” alive as well.

- Monika on July 27th, 2007

My mums name is Joyce, so my youngest daughter is named Bethan Joy. I was lucky in that my MIL name is Grace, so my other daughter is Brogan Grace, so they are both my little “virtues”

- Jenni on July 27th, 2007

My full name is Samantha Darren Holly Grey

yes, after they named my they figured out the samantha/darren/bewitched connection lol

but Darren is a combo of my parent’s name…Karen and Darrell

My sisters name is Allison Jemes Nikki Grey

Allison is my mother’s madden name…Jemes is a combo of my grandfather’s name (jesse james…u pronounce my sister’s name like James)…and Nikki..well im not sure where they got that..I think from Y&R..lol

and my oldest sister’s name is Kristina Marie…Kristina is after my uncle who’s name is christopher…and Marie is after my Nana..who means so much to my father..and who pretty much raised him

My grandmother’s name was Verna Hazel…so when my nephew was born my sister named him Logan Vern..

- holly on July 27th, 2007

My son’s middle name is Bruce, my father’s first name. I was 6 months pregnant when my father passed away suddenly, so instead of Jonathan Brant, we went with Jonathan Bruce instead.

If we have another child, they would also more than likely be named after grandparents. For a boy, either Guy or Grant, both family names, one from my side, one from hubbies side. And KaraLynn for a girl. Kara for my mother (Carolyn), and Lynn for my MIL (Lynda). Kind of a variation on the girls name, but that is to keep both sides happy, and I kind of like KaraLynn better either of the others by themselves.

- Pngwn on July 27th, 2007

I loved the idea of having a special meaning for my children’s middle names. My oldest son is Mitchell Derek. My father is Eric and my father-in-law is David, so we combined them to make the middle name Derek. My daughter is Madison Mae for my grandmother Domenica May.

- Cindy on July 27th, 2007

My first son is Jordan Michael, with Michael being his Dad’s first name. My second son is Logan Gehring, with Gehring being my paternal grandmother’s maiden name. My daughter is Mackenzie Lynn, with Lynn being my middle name. If we were to have another boy he would probably have the middle name Westbrook, after my husband’s paternal grandmother.

- Jodi on July 27th, 2007

My oldest daughter has my mom’s middle name, her name is Brea Rene’. My baby daughter’s middle name is a combination of her older sister, Ayala Brene’. I wanted to honor my mom with my firstborn, and I wanted to honor my oldest child with my baby.

- Nisha on July 27th, 2007

my best friend didnt have the best family situation growing up so when she had children she named them after people in my family. Her daughter Taylor Saige is after me Taylor and my sister Saige.Her first son is Jaxon Ben after my two brothers. Her second son Nash Wyatt after my nephew, Nash and my son Cooper Wyatt. My kids arent named after anyone specific but my dad did help name them.

- taylor on July 27th, 2007

My sister had a rush of kids early and used all our great family names as the first and middle namers of her four children. To be honest, I felt it was a bit selfish using them all when there were two sisters and three brothers who may have wanted to share that kind of tribute with their own kids. You can’t have all the grandkids with the same names… and I’m not a fan of “pick’n'mix names.

- Lilybett on July 27th, 2007

I don’t think it’s a new direction or new trend, I just think celebs are deciding to go the same route their parents or grandparents might’ve done, taking a page from their book and naming their kids in honor of a parent/ grandparent/cherished loved one, etc. And I’m one, since my middle name is the French version of my mother’s first name. I’m still trying to like it, though I’ve just grown used to it.

And I would do the same. I already know that I want to name my daughter(whenever I do have her) after my grandmother, though I could say it’d be after my grandmother, who shares the name with her aunt, whom I believe she was named after, and who named one of her daughter’s, my cousin, after her. But really, I just love the name and want to use it as a part of my daughter’s name.

- FC on July 27th, 2007

We named one son Shelby Taylor (you used to see “Shelby” more as a boy’s name), Taylor was my husband’s grandmother’s maiden name.

Our second son is Andrew Marks. Marks was my grandfather, and he was so beloved, many of his grandsons and great-grandsons have Marks as their middle name.

It is hard to choose a name! I remember we went back and forth on the first names. I kept trying to picture business cards (like the above poster mentioned) with the boys’ names. Would they sound like they were little kids later on when they were trying to make a good grown-up impression?

- jules on July 27th, 2007

Im Jenna Elizabeth, and my brother is Andrew William..

I know we have a William(Bill) in our family.. im not sure about an Elizabeth, but then.. my mother may just of been obessed with the royal family

As for my own kids.. My Family name was Harrison, but with all the marriages and what not.. my brother and i were the only 2 grandkids to take that surname.. and now, im married. So theres only my brother.

So, Harrison is going to be the name of my first born son. And, im going to use my grandmothers middle name somewhere along the line.. not her first name because its weird lol. Shes called Ivona Charlotte.

We do have though..
April Michelle(aunt)
Amber Ivona(gran)
Alice Leslie(uncle)

April, Amber, Alice are siblings and Michelle and Les are their parents.

- dorkiee on July 28th, 2007

My eldest son’s name is Jack Ian Robin. His great nan’s name is Jackie (so he is sort of named after her!) his grandad is Ian, and his great grandad’s name is Robin.

My other son Charlie Oliver James wasn’t intentionally named after anyone, but after registering his birth we discovered that my great grandad’s name was Charlie James, (who I never knew about until then) and my son Charlie was born on what would have been his birthday. Spooky!!

I think it is a lovely idea to include relative’s names when naming a child.

- tracey_basford on July 28th, 2007

My husband and I gave our two children our middle names as their first names. We have a son, Lane, and a daughter, Brynn. We both love our middle names and wanted to pass them down.

- Mollie on July 28th, 2007

My name was Tara until it was legally changed to Terri, but I prefer not naming kids nicknames. I also like naming kids after family member, but I’m not sure if I would do it myself.

- terri on July 28th, 2007

Well I personally don’t have any kids yet but I love the idea of giving kids family names. When my sister had a baby a few years ago, her husband (William Raymond Wright IV) wanted him to be named after him… My sister didn’t like it and her and Will were able to reach a compromise… And Quintin was born. Brittany looked it up and Quintin means the 5th…

My brother’s name is James and when it came time to name his first son we suggested Jameson… you know JAMES-son. Me and my mom thought it was cute and his middle name was Lee after the men in our family, his middle name included.

- Krystal on July 28th, 2007

Our son’s first name is named after my husband’s father, and his middle name is from my dad’s 1st name. As for our daughter, her middle name is my 1st name.

- Liz on July 29th, 2007

Using nicknames is fine, as long as the nickname sounds “normal”. Nicknaming your baby “Peanut” doesn’t mean that is the name that should go on the birth certificate.

- popular baby names on July 29th, 2007

Our daughter is Elizabeth Jane – Elizabeth is my mom and Jane is my mother in law. With such a long first name, and a long last name too we knew we wanted a short middle name, and we thought it would be a nice tribute to both of her grandmothers.

- Heather on July 29th, 2007