17 Celebrity Children With Names People Reaaaaaally Judged Back In The Early '00s, And What They're Up To Now
As celebrity baby names took a turn for the intriguing in the early aughts, people became judgier about stars' choices.
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A lot of people who don't understand/approve of unusual celebrity baby names feel like parents are unfairly positioning their kids to feel some type of way about their moniker at some point in their lives (though, tbh, who amongst us hasn't?).
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Here are some celebrity babies the masses were ~concerned~ about in the early aughts and how they're doing today.
1.Rocco Ritchie, son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie, was born in August 2000, with the Italian moniker seeming unusual to many fans of the Material Girl.
These days, Rocco, 22, is a model who's pivoting toward art and using a pseudonym, Rhed, for his works.
"Rhed is just a name. The only real meaning and importance of that were so my life and my career weren’t confusing each other, especially at a point where I haven’t earned the title yet," he told Vogue Hong Kong. "It’s not that I don’t feel proud to be who I am, on the contrary, I couldn’t be prouder of my parents and what they’ve achieved and, in turn, taught me. I just needed enough time to develop and experience my own lessons just like they did, without the extreme public judgement. Rhed was a mask until it wasn’t."
2.Jermajesty Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, was born in October 2000.
People (including members of the Jackson family) were astounded at the name, a take on "your majesty" that was a step too self-indulgent for even the most die-hard Jackson family fans.
Today, Jermajesty performs with brother Jaafar and Jermaine and is also working on his own music.
3.Willow Camille Reign Smith was born to Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith on Halloween 2000, a name fans have since speculated is just a flip of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum.
Willow is still Willow, though she's no longer a Smith after reportedly dropping her surname. She's a talented artist and musician and proves she's got the talent of her gene pool and the drive to dominate on her own terms.
Jaden talked to Apple Music about the name change, saying, "I realized that Willow changed her name to Willow at some point in time and that she was no longer Willow Smith. It took me a while because if you look Willow Smith up, it’ll still come up. But then it took me a while to see that it was just Willow. And I was like, ‘Yo. That’s so strong.’ You feel like you don’t have to say your last name. You’re just Willow."
4.Tu Simone Morrow, born in April 2001, is the daughter of actor Rob Morrow and wife Debbon.
Tu Morrow definitely raised some eyebrows at the time of her birth and has been featured in numerous discussions about unusual baby names.
Tu, now 21, is chasing an acting career of her own, with a handful of credits under her belt so far.
5.Kyd Miller Duchovny, son of David Duchovny and Tea Leoni, was born in June 2002.
Last June, David told Closer Weekly he was happy that, unlike sister West, Kyd, now 20, is not interested in acting.
"My son is a naturally gifted, funny guy. He’s a storyteller in that way but has shown no interest in acting," he shared.
6.Poppy Honey Rosie Oliver, daughter of Jamie Oliver and Juliette "Jools" Norton, was born in March 2002.
I think all the -y sounds threw people off, honestly.
In March, the pro chef shared a heartfelt Instagram post as his college student daughter turned 20.
"20 years old today….where has the time gone? Born in to a slightly unusual world of paparazzi and the Naked Chef…but I’m so proud of you and the wonderful woman you have become," the proud dad wrote. "You're kind and unassuming, and I love you to the world and back!! have a wonderful birthday, my sweet baby girl….enjoy yourself surrounded by everyone that loves you HAPPY BIRTHDAY XXXXXXXXXXX."
7.Talula Fyfe Dempsey, daughter of Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Fink, was born in February 2002.
The unusual spelling of Talula, combined with the unique middle name Fyfe, threw people. Turning 20 this month, Talula has flourished and is a college student splitting her time between Los Angeles and Washington, DC.
8.Audio Science Clayton, son of Shannyn Sossaman and Dallas Clayton, was born in May 2003.
Shannon defended the name, which was perceived as weird but would probably not be as surprising today.
“We wanted a word, not a name, so my boyfriend read through the dictionary three or four times. We were going to call him Science but thought it might get shortened to Sci, as in Simon.”
Today, 19-year-old Audio is a singer/songwriter/producer. Safe to say the name fit!
9.September of that year saw Jason Lee introduce son Pilot Inspektor, which people didn't know what to make of.
Pilot, now 19, has done some acting and seems into photography based on his Instagram.
10.Rachel Griffiths and Andrew Taylor's son, Banjo Patrick Taylor, was born in November 2003.
Banjo Patrick Taylor lives a private life today, occasionally making an appearance alongside mom.
11.Apple Blythe Alison Martin, daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, broke the internet before breaking the internet was a thing when her biblically-inspired name was announced in May 2004.
Today, Apple is a model and a student, living her best life on the East Coast.
12.Coco Riley Arquette's name, inspired by mom Courteney Cox's own moniker, was a major subject of conversation when she was born in June 2004.
Coco, now 18, is a talented singer and having fun navigating early adulthood.
13.Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette, child of magician Penn Jillette and wife Emily, was born in June 2005.
In 2006, Penn told the New York Times, "Moxie is a name that was created by an American for the first national soft drink and then went on to mean chutzpah, and that's nice."
He continued, "It's only the losers named Dave that think having an unusual name is bad, and who cares what they think. They're named Dave."
During the pandemic, Moxie appeared with her dad on a few livestreams, but has lived an otherwise private life.
14.Clementine Poppy De Vere Drummond, born in November 2004, is the daughter of Claudia Schiffer
The unusual name is a reference to her birthday, Schiffer revealed in a 2020 birthday tribute on Instagram, writing, "We named her Clementine Poppy in respect of her birthdate being on Remembrance Day and as a way of acknowledging all the brave souls’ sacrifice."
Now 18, Clementine is reportedly interested in following her mom's fashion and modeling footsteps.
15.Makena Lei Gordon Carnahan, daughter of Helen Hunt and Matthew Carnahan, was born in May 2004
The name is Hawaiian, meaning "flower of heaven," though Hunt chose it because of the town in Maui. Today, Makena Lei, 18, has done a little bit of acting and is also dabbling in music.
16.Will Ferrell addressed the controversy around son Magnus Ferrell's name in a 2006 interview with PEOPLE.
"My wife was born in Sweden, and we loved the idea of a Scandinavian name," he explained. "I’ve gotten a lot of flack: ‘What kind of ego do you have to have to name your child the great one?’ That is not it at all."
In December, Magnus, 18, and his band played their first live show in San Diego, where dad joined in...on the cowbell, of course.
17.Phinnaeus Walter Moder, son of Julia Roberts and Danny Moder, was born in November 2004.
Many thought his name stood out in comparison to twin Hazel Patricia. The pair, who have kept very private lives despite their mom's star power, turned 18 in November and are currently in their first year of college.
