Richard Blais Welcomes Daughter Embry Lotus

Chuck Hodes/Bravo

Energetic Top Chef contender Richard Blais and his wife Jazmin, already the parents of daughter Riley Maddox, 2½, have just expanded their family.

“Welcome Embry Lotus Blais!” the Atlanta-based Bravo chef Tweeted about his new daughter, along with posting a photo of the new arrival.

The girl arrived in Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital on Saturday, Feb. 5, said the dad, who owns the Flip Burger Boutique in that city.

Earlier this week, Blais was dishing out Super Bowl recipes on CNN – suggesting veal sweetbreads instead of ordinary chicken wings.

– Stephen M. Silverman

Comments

That poor child is one letter away from having the first name Embryo.

- Jess on February 6th, 2011

Congrats! Not sure about that name at all, but… Love Riley Maddox is a boys’ name for me, however, I don’t like it at all. Embry reminds me of the Twilight Saga’s wolf pack character. Rather a boy to me, too. Lotus is awful… Anyways: I don’t have to like the names and it’s nice to hear that all family members are happy and healthy!

- Jaedyn on February 6th, 2011

Poor child’s nickname will at one point surely be “Embryo”…..

- hboud on February 6th, 2011

She is adorable! I like both girls’ first names, but not a fan of their middle names. Congratulations to Richard, Jazmin, and Riley!

- Taylor on February 6th, 2011

Horrible name!

- Dana on February 6th, 2011

“Embry Lotus” sounds like a scent of body wash.

- Bex on February 6th, 2011

kids are going to call her EmbryLo. Congrats to the family!

- momof3boys on February 6th, 2011

Embry? Really? Poor child is surely going to be called Embryo. Oh well, let mom and dad explain it to them.

- Jay on February 6th, 2011

Embry? That just doesn’t sound like a name at all. Sounds like an IKEA furniture item to me.

- Mira on February 6th, 2011

Lotus in the middle spot is great.

As for Embry, with girls named Emily, Emma, Emerson, and Emery, I think she’ll fit right in.

- appellationmountain on February 6th, 2011

I think Embry’s a beautiful name for a little girl. Lotus I’m not so sold on but hey, it’s their naming choice! Congrats!

- Rosy on February 6th, 2011

I misread it as “Embryo” for a moment and had to backtrack.

- Leslee on February 6th, 2011

Tacky names for both daughters. Riley Maddox reads boy to me.

- Macy on February 6th, 2011

Y’all really think kids are going to even KNOW the word “embryo” before high school? Cause I don’t. Unless you think adults are going to call her that, I wouldn’t worry about kids even thinking to call her “embryo”. Hell, I’m an adult with a male friend named Embry, and not once has calling him “embryo” even crossed my mind.

As for little Embry Blais, I noticed the double “b” sounds getting all mumble-jumbled right off the bat! But I think the name is fine!

- Molly on February 6th, 2011

Embry is 100% male to me.. Lotus however is nice. Riley Maddox I would assume as a boy, not a girl. Its very difficult as a teacher when you have small children with gender ambiguous names (especially when I had a very gender ambiguous looking child who was Jordan.. was very unsure if it was a boy or a girl, turned out it was a girl with very short hair!)

- bex on February 6th, 2011

hm, i think that’s a horrible name, like someone else said it sounds like a toiletry product.

anyway, congrats to them, as long as they’re happy with the name that’s all the matters.

- JM on February 6th, 2011

I really don’t like the name at all. It doesn’t sound like a name. But she is a beautiful little baby, and she is presumably healthy, so that’s all that matters. Congrats to them! Little girls are so much fun!

- Erika on February 6th, 2011

Dear God I thought that said Embryo Fetus and unfortunately I’m not kidding….I had to do a double take on that name!

- HeatherR on February 6th, 2011

Nice generalizing there, Molly. There are plenty of opportunities to hear that word before high school.

- soph on February 6th, 2011

I think the name is beautiful. I love it, it’s creative and unique without being over the top.

Embryo didn’t even cross my mind when I read the name.

And as for children calling her Embryo, it seems as though the adults are already paving the way. *rolls eyes*

- Frost on February 6th, 2011

Embry Lotus is not over the top?

Come ON.

There are plenty of ways to give your child a kre8iv name without it sounding like you picked two random words from the newspaper and said “oh yeah, these sound GREAT together!”

How about a family name? A virtue name? A nature name that is striking, but not as lame as lotus?

Richard and his wife sound like huge celeb wannabes with these names, especially Riley Maddox. On what planet is that an appropriate name for a girl? Blais is an interesting enough surname that any slightly offbeat name would sound okay with it. But nooo. He’s a reality star, he needs to show us how kre8tiv he is.

It gets so tiring hearing what poor kids are named these days. And don’t even get me started on they’re spelled.

- soph on February 6th, 2011

HOW they’re spelled.

- soph on February 6th, 2011

No, Embry Lotus is not over the top.

I’ve heard the name Embry several times and Lotus, although not something I’ve heard as for someone’s name, is something that is common, well known, and is easily spelled.

Embry Blais sounds like a nice, respectful name and so is Riley Blais (And I’ve heard plenty of females named Riley as well, and personally Riley sounds more effeminate to me than masculine anyway)). I doubt their middle names will come into conversation unless it is asked or required to be placed on a document. I can’t even recall ever giving out more than my middle initial unless I’m filling out school forms.

- Frost on February 6th, 2011

Embryo is the first thing that comes to mind. Poor child.

- Vanessa on February 7th, 2011

Frost- Exactly! Also, in response to Soph’s comment, how do we know that the girls AREN’T named after family members? Anyway, I actually kind of like the girls’ names. I probably wouldn’t use Maddox for a girl….but that’s only because, whenever I hear that name, I immeditely think of Angelina and Brad’s eldest son, and thus can’t see the name as anything but a boy’s name.

Oh, and Embry is a cutie pie! Oh, and from what I can tell she was born yesterday, as all of Richard’s latest Tweets are about him being at the hospital.

- CelebBabyLover on February 7th, 2011

I don’t like the name either. And the name Lotus reminds me of toilet paper. Ha-ha.

I have to agree with the rest on the name Embry easily being turned into to Embryo.

Riley Maddox sounds like a boy’s name to me too, but really like it.

Just my two cents, congrats on the baby though.

- Sandra on February 7th, 2011

soph, you nailed it– wannabees all the way.

- Mira on February 7th, 2011

Embry does not sound totally over the top, but this poor child is going to have a rough time growing up, starting in highschool so not fair.

- elle on February 7th, 2011

When I see his hair-all I can think of is the baby from The Incredibles!

- Mia on February 7th, 2011

Molly: Kids actually learn sex education in junior high now — Embry will more than likely be called Embryo by the end of 7th grade. But until then, she should be nickname free.

- LQ on February 7th, 2011

Grown-up Kewpie-doll.

- Sarah S. on February 7th, 2011

I love RICHARD on TOP Chef! He is going to win, for sure.

And that baby is beautiful. Congrats to him and his wife.

- Marla on February 7th, 2011

I can’t help it, I read this name, I say it out loud and all that comes to mind is POOP! I don’t know why, but it says POOP to me.

- kim on February 7th, 2011

Oh no, I just said the full name “Embry Lotus Blais” and now I can only is poop on fire. Oh well.

- kim on February 7th, 2011

Love the name Riley for his first child..In fact that is what I tried to get my nephew to name his daughter..Not so sure about Embry Lotus for the second one…The first thing that I thought was also Embryo..As for kids no knowing that word until middle shool, think again..My grandkids are in 2nd grade and they know that word already..

- Becky on February 10th, 2011

Embry is a terrible name, I hate my middle name (no Im not telling, lol) but luckily I can choose to be called by my first name but this poor child has to pick between Lotus and Embry! Poor girl, lol

- heather on February 10th, 2011

I think Embry is a great name. I think there are plenty of names that have bad nicknames that go with them. I might have given it a more girly spelling though.

- Anonymous on February 18th, 2011

I thought it was interesting that when Richard announced his daughter’s name, Padma made no comment. Padma is “lotus” in Sanskrit

- anonymous on April 7th, 2011