Patrick Carney Shares Sweet Reason He and Wife Michelle Branch Decided on Newborn Daughter's Name
Michelle Branch/ instagram; Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
Patrick Carney is sharing sweet new details about his newborn daughter with Michelle Branch.
The Black Keys drummer, 41, recently spoke with Audacy's Megan Holiday about parenthood and his new baby girl Willie Jacquet, whom he welcomed with Branch on Feb. 2.
The musician, who also shares 3-year-old son Rhys James with Branch, recalled the moment he and his wife decided on their little girl's moniker and shared the heartwarming inspiration behind it.
"Michelle said she wasn't sure about the name about 15 minutes before the c-section, and I'm like, 'Are you serious?' We didn't know if it was a boy or girl, it was a surprise. The girl's name was Willie, and she's like, 'I don't know about that,' " he began.
"When the baby was born, I looked into the baby's eyes, and she had light blue eyes — which is weird because Michelle and our son have dark brown eyes — I was like, I think her name is Willie because my grandmother had the same eyes," he continued. "My grandmother hated her name with a passion. I really doubled down on something here."
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RELATED: Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney Welcome Second Baby Together, Daughter Willie Jacquet
Last month, the "Everywhere" singer, 38, announced the news of baby Willie's arrival on Instagram alongside a sweet photo of the sleeping newborn.
"Welcome to the world, sweet Willie girl ❤️," Branch captioned her photo. "She's named after Patrick's grandmother Willie Madge and has my mother's maiden name/my middle name. We're so in love 🥰." In the photo, baby Willie is wrapped in the same blanket the couple's son Rhys was cradled in when he was born.
Carney posted the same image to his Instagram feed and added, "The stork came February 2 at 7:12 am and dropped off a baby girl for @michellebranch and I," joking, "Willie Jacquet Carney 7 pounds 5 ounces and 18 FEET HEIGHT."
In addition to Rhys, Branch is also mom to daughter Owen Isabelle, 16, from a previous marriage. Branch announced her pregnancy news in August, after she revealed in December 2020 that she had suffered a miscarriage.
"Just when we were rounding third and heading home (A baseball metaphor?! I know.) 2020 was like, 'nah, I ain't done yet,' " the singer wrote on Instagram at the time of her loss.
"December decided to really finish us off with a bang! No, literally. A bomb went off in downtown Nashville yesterday," she continued. "And to further twist a dagger in my heart, I experienced my first miscarriage (ugh! Mother—!)."
She and Carney previously welcomed their son Rhys in August 2018. The couple later tied the knot at the Marigny Opera House in New Orleans in April 2019.
