Everybody loves to make fun of celebrity baby names, and some of them are as laughable as they are outrageous: I'd count Moxie Crimefighter, Peanut Kai, and Sunny Bebop among those that seem to be more publicity stunt than name.
But stars are also responsible for some amazingly creative baby names: rediscovering wonderful old gems, honoring family members and artistic heroes, exploring the far corners of the earth in search of original choices. Names, after all, are something everybody has and don't cost money. That puts even more pressure on celebrities to come up with names that stand not only apart from but far above the crowd.
For a complete list of recent celebrity baby names, check the starbaby chart on nameberry. Which ones qualify as the best?
Knox Leon & Vivienne Marcheline -- The names of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's infant twins are particularly appealing and inventive from a couple who've proven to be as adventurous with baby naming as they are with everything else. Knox, a family name on Pitt's side, is Scottish and has an X ending like that of their other sons. Leon is a wildly popular (yes, it's true) name in Europe, where the twins were born. Vivienne means life -- all names with v's in them seem to be stylish at the moment -- and Marcheline is after Jolie's late mother. A winning pair.
Alice Zenobia -- I love the name of Tina Fey's young daughter, and not just because Tina is one of my heroines. It's a gentle but quirky literary name, summoning up not only Alice in Wonderland but a host of wonderful women writers named Alice from Munro to Walker to Hoffman and McDermott, as well as Zenobia characters from Edith Wharton and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Felix -- Gillian Anderson just gave birth to little Felix, her third child. The x-ending of this ancient name meaning "happy" may have special significance for the ex-X-filer. Anderson, who seems to love a good joke, has an older son named Oscar. Felix's biggest downside: It may be the next Oscar, i.e. hipster name du jour.
Suri -- Here's one of the few starbaby names that my nameberry partner and coauthor Linda Rosenkrantz and I disagree on. I love this silky, simple, yet exotic Persian name meaning "red rose." Linda, not so much, mostly because of its negative connotations in other cultures: It means pickpocket in Japan, for instance, comb in Javanese, and it's also a breed of South American llama.
Sunday -- Not to be outdone by her ex, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have chosen an equally original name for their daughter. Reportedly inspired by the name of an Australian artist, Sunday Reed, the name harkens back to ancient day names favored by many African tribes, among others, who named children after the days of the week, seasons, and holidays.
Beckett -- Chosen by both Conan O'Brien and Stella McCartney, this strong Irish name is rich with literary associations.
Birdie -- Busy Phillips obviously knows the advantages of having an unusual name, and Birdie is cute in the British nickname-name way that is fashionable right now.
Ignatius -- Cate Blanchett's third son was given this ancient saint's name with a so-far-out-it's-in feel. Pop nickname: Iggy.
Honor -- Hottie Jessica Alba has always been better known for flash, but Honor is a gorgeously classy choice that calls to mind such qualities as time-honored and honorable.
Pamela Redmond Satran, the author of nine bestselling baby name guides, is a developer of the new baby-naming website nameberry.