Jake Owen Reveals Daughter’s Name

11/02/2012 at 11:00 AM ET

Jake Owen Reveals Daughter's Name
Jason Kempin/Getty

Drum roll … Baby girl has a name!

Expecting their first child together this month, Jake Owen and his wife Lacey Buchanan have finally decided on Olive Pearl for their daughter, the couple told Taste of Country during Thursday’s CMA Awards red carpet.

Sharing that the middle moniker is in honor of a friend — and what their little girl will go by — the country crooner’s name choice will pay tribute to his godmother, who passed away in July.

“Pearl is like the angel of my life,” Owen told Popwatch in 2009.

But this isn’t the first ode to his late loved one: Owen also has the name tattooed on the inside of his left wrist.

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Momma Bear on November 2nd, 2012

Sweet story and gorgeous name! Pearl just oozes class and is still really pretty and feminine on a little lady! Like it a lot and congrats!

UnKnown on November 2nd, 2012

Awwwww congrats to the happy couple on their soon to be arrival and what a sweet name Pearl!

Lisa B on November 2nd, 2012

That’s sweet! 🙂

Sandra on November 2nd, 2012

Seriously, what is up with the name Pearl?!

It’s not that I dislike it, it’s just weird that every celeb is choosing it now!

Joy on November 2nd, 2012

When she’s 85 the name will finally fit

Becky on November 2nd, 2012

I love the name Pearl..That is my Mothers name..

Katia on November 2nd, 2012

Doesn’t anyone see how odd it is number 1 to announce name when the baby is not born. And number 2 – to make a tattoo when the baby is not born? I think this is so wrong. I’m very supersticious about stuff like that. What is something goes wrong?

Tami on November 2nd, 2012

He got the tattoo because his Gma’s name was Pearl and she passed away, Katia. Also a lot of people announce the baby’s name before its born. So what’s weird about that?

Melissa on November 3rd, 2012

I agree with you on the name being tattooed Katia. I am supersticious also. In some faiths, baby gifts, furniture, etc., is not allowed in the home until after the birth. Same goes for picking and announcing a name.

Bamababe on November 2nd, 2012

It was his grandmothers name. He was very close to her and has her name tattooed on his wrist. I think it’s the perfect name.

Nicole on November 2nd, 2012

Pearl was his godmother, not his grandmother and he’s had the tattoo for a while now. I think naming the baby after her is a sweet tribute to a very influential woman in his life.

Shea on November 2nd, 2012

Hey, it beats the current trend of naming of naming your child after objects.

Denise on November 3rd, 2012

Yes Shea, because a pearl is clearly not an object.

Phoebe on November 2nd, 2012

Naming a child is up to the parents, and not for the rest of us judge. What really bothers me is the use of the word “finally.” The baby is not born, not a year old and finally getting a name. Nice of them to want to share, but no parent should have to justify their choice.

granny jan on November 2nd, 2012

Nice name and it’s normal…

avalyn on November 2nd, 2012

They stated the full name will be Olive Pearl but they will be calling her Pearl.

Kim on November 2nd, 2012

If anyone was actually reading her name will be Olive

Kate on November 2nd, 2012

I like the name Pearl, but her name is Olive Pearl and they’re calling her Pearl. If they wanted to call her Pearl, why not just name her Pearl? What is going to happen when she wants to be called by her given name, Olive?

Denise on November 2nd, 2012

If they reversed the names Olive Pearl to Pearl Olive, her initials would be POO. This is probably why she is Olive Pearl.

BDC on November 2nd, 2012

Love the name. Glad they’re going with Olive Pearl and not Pearl Olive Owen, those initials would be P.O.O. and that’s awful for a little girl.

avalyn on November 2nd, 2012

@kim The original article here just said Pearl. They changed it when the other interview went up, the one I was referencing.

dee on November 2nd, 2012

It’s so funny to read these comments! Clearly some jumped without reading properly. Uh Kate, her given name (which is what is on your birth cert.) is Olive Pearl…she can go by either or both. I love it! At least it’s not some made up name or the name of some car, town, animal etc.

Kate on November 2nd, 2012

Yeah I get that but I don’t like how they’re chosing her nickname before she’s born, before they get to know her.(@dee)

Ariel on November 2nd, 2012

Kim- The article was updated after it was posted. The original article only stated Pearl, not Olive.

Kate- Maybe it has to do with the flow of the whole name. I know a couple of people who’s intended first names ended up as a middle name because it sounded/flowed better that way. They’ve always gone by that middle name, no problems. Assuming she does want to go by Olive when she’s older, I don’t think her parents will mind otherwise they wouldn’t have chose it.

stacey on November 2nd, 2012

Hideous name and what a classy dress mom is wearing!

Lolo on November 2nd, 2012

Sorry, but Olive Pearl?? Sounds like slang for little green baby turds…

Bree on November 3rd, 2012

@Kate, we started calling our daughter Elly (Short for Elianna) before she was born and my husband, who was named after his father, has been going by his middle name since before he was born. What parents choose to call their children is their buisness. And Pearl isn’t a nickname it is her name.

By your post I get the impression that you think that parents should name their children at all until after they are born. I am sure her parents will be just fine with her going by Olive one day just as I will be fine if my daughter decides she doesn’t want to be called Elly or if she chooses to go by one of her middle names.

On that note, I love the name Olive Pearl, very traditional, classic and ageless 🙂

whatever on November 3rd, 2012

I think it’s hilarious when people accuse other people of not reading and they’re the ones who have it wrong. @Katia the tatoo was for his Godmother, not the baby. If I got a tattoo of my babies name before it was born and then the baby died, wouldn’t I still want the tattoo maybe even more so??? It’s still their baby…@Shea both a Pearl and an Olive are objects 😉

Ro on November 3rd, 2012

I think it’s so fitting! Congrats again. Lacey you look beautiful.

Anonymous on November 3rd, 2012

Bree- Exactly! And Kate, why exactly do you think it’s a bad idea to decide to call her by her middle name rather than first name before they meet her? Because they might change their minds and decide that “Olive” fits better once she’s born?

I fail to see what the problem would be if that happened! Anyway, I love the name!

Anonymous on November 3rd, 2012

Katia- How is chosing a name before a baby is born and then having something tragic happening to him/her any different than having something tragic happening to the baby and THEN naming him/her depsite the fact that s/he never drew a breath?

And as far as the tattoo gooes, as other people has said, it’s actually for his now-deceased godmother whom the baby is named for. But even if it weren’t, I fail to see the problem. If something happened, he’d have a precious memento of the child he lost (and there again, I don’t really see how it’s any different than a parent getting a memorial tattoo AFTER something happens and their baby doesn’t make it), just as he has a precious memento of the beloved godmother he lost.

I understand and appreciate how you feel, don’t get me wrong. I’m just pointing out that naming a baby prior to birth and getting a tattoo of the name prior to birth isn’t neccesarily as awful as it may seem!

Anonymous on November 3rd, 2012

whatever- “Shea both a Pearl and an Olive are objects” Good one!

That being said, I’d like to share another theory as to why they made the name they’ll be calling their daughter her middle name. It sounds like they’re Southern, and it’s very common in the South, from what I’ve heard, to call children by their middle names.

Nana on November 3rd, 2012

Whats with these names !!!

Alicia on November 3rd, 2012

So is this a trend? Blue Ivy, Olive Pearl… Green Lantern..? :p

Lacey on November 3rd, 2012

I love the sweetness of the name and the meaning behind it. The names I have picled out for our kids have a lot of family names in mixed in with them

meghan on November 3rd, 2012

It’s also a name Denise, and has been for a long time.

nan on November 3rd, 2012

May their baby Olive give them many Pearls of wisdom!

Anonymous on November 3rd, 2012

meghan- The point is (at least as far as I’m concerned. Obviously I can’t speak for Denise or anyone else!) that saying people shouldn’t name their kids after objects is a pretty silly argument to make…considering the fact that there are several names that have been seen as perfectly acceptable for both people and objects for centuries!

Same goes for “flower” and “color” names. Really, I don’t get why people find any of the three categories of names to be some “new”, “weird”, or “celebrity” thing!

Tanya R. on November 4th, 2012

I not big fan of the name Olive and loves the name Pearl but Olive Pearl Owen is sounds nice! Good luck to Jake & Lacey on being parents any day now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim on November 7th, 2012

Why do people have such strong opinions on what they name THEIR baby ? Who cares ?

Mary on November 13th, 2012

It’s a very pretty name. Obviously they couldn’t name her Pearl Olive Owen. Her initials would be Poo. So I think taking that into consideration so their baby won’t be called Poo her whole life, they changed it around. And they are from the south. It’s a very southern belle name I think.