Why Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Twins Might Not Be Named Bea and Shawn

Elise Solé
The Internet is divided over Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s rumored baby names.
The Internet is divided over Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s rumored baby names. (Photo: Getty Images)

Beyoncé and Jay-Z haven’t yet announced the birth of their twins, but their alleged baby names have surfaced — and no one seems happy about it.

According to an exclusive report by Media Takeout, an anonymous source revealed, “They had twins; the boy’s name is Shawn after his dad, and the girl’s name is Bea — after their parents.”

Twitter had feelings.

Whether or not the names are legit, according to Pamela Redmond Satran, co-founder of the naming site Nameberry, Bea and Shawn would be a surprising choice for the megastars.

“The likelihood of Beyoncé and Jay-Z giving their children such basic names are low, considering their older daughter is named Blue Ivy,” Redmond Satran tells Yahoo Beauty. “There is also such heightened anticipation that the bar for interesting names is set very high.”

If one of the babies is a girl named Bea — a cute, punchy, old-timey name — it would likely be short for Beatrice, the 559th most popular name in the United States, which means “she who brings happiness.”

“Bea is a very feminist choice and a statement of equality — the female version of Beyoncé, Jr.,” says Redmond Satran, adding that women passing on variations of their names is a rare practice, save for Ivana and Ivanka Trump.

“Bea is also a variation of bee, so it’s thematically appropriate given the nature-like connotations of Ivy,” she says. And let’s not overlook the significance of Queen Bee and her hive.

The name Shawn (a variation of Sean) means “God is gracious,” and it ranks 355th place in popularity, though it’s been trending downward since the 1970s. Given Jay-Z’s legal name is Shawn Carter, it’s possible that he’s passing his moniker to his firstborn son; however, much like other popular names of the 1970s — Jennifer, Ashley, Jason — it’s not a modern choice.

There is almost zero information available about the twins, including their sex. Earlier in June, former President Barack Obama stirred speculation that Bey and Jay were expecting daughters. During a video speech about Jay-Z’s induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Obama said, “Jay and I are also fools for our daughters, although he’s gonna have me beat once those two twins show up.”

But in March fans were convinced the twins were boys, after Beyoncé wore a pair of earrings in a series of maternity photos published on her website — the same pair she wore in the 2008 music video for the song, “If I Were a Boy.”

Whatever the twins’ names may be, the world clearly can’t wait to meet them.

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