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What's in a name?
by Angela AndaloroBuzzFeed Contributor
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When it comes to baby names, you have no idea what to expect from celebs.
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In the past two decades, we've seen a major shift from common names to really unique monikers, and celebs have led the charge.
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Zany names are the new Hollywood norm, but even ones that sound fabricated can have roots in reality.
Here are the stories behind the famous figures who inspired some celebrity children's names.
1. David Beckham says his daughter Harper's name was inspired by author Harper Lee.
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"Victoria's favourite book is To Kill A Mockingbird, it's a very strong, passionate book and the author was Harper Lee, and that is where Harper came from," he explained in a Facebook post announcing her birth.
2. Norman Reedus and Helena Christensen named their son Mingus after jazz bassist Charles Mingus.
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"His father especially is into Charlie Mingus," Christensen told The Independent at the time.
"I was more into Thelonious Monk, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday — but we thought 'Mingus' sounded cooler than 'Monk' for a first name."
3. Monroe Cannon was named after mom Mariah Carey's idol, Marilyn Monroe.
Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic / Getty Images
4. Joel Madden and Nicole Richie had interesting inspiration for both their kids' names.
Gold Wong / FilmMagic
"I really like Jean Harlow the actress, and [Nicole] likes Shalom Harlow the model," Madden said of his daughter Harlow's name. "Harlow's cool because it feels like a classic name. Winter [is] so serene and quiet and that's how [our daughter] is."
Sparrow's name was inspired by Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Charley Gallay / WireImage / Getty Images
5. Fergie and Josh Duhamel named their son Axl after Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose.
Patrick Mcmullan / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
6. Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego named their child Bowie after David Bowie.
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7. Jessa Duggar and husband Ben Seewald named their firstborn son Henry Wilberforce. His middle name honors William Wilberforce, a politician and philanthropist.
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They named another one of their sons Spurgeon after Charles Spurgeon, a British preacher from the mid to late 1800s.
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8. Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell's daughter, Lincoln, is named after President Abraham Lincoln, indirectly.
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The couple named their daugther after Lincoln cars, which had a sentimental meaning to Shepard. The cars are named after the president, so technically so is their little girl.
9. Lilibet Diana was named after members of her famous family.
Karwai Tang / WireImage
Lilibet is Queen Elizabeth's longtime familial nickname, while Diana is for Harry's late mother, Princess Diana.
10. Rumi Carter is named after Jay Z and Beyonce's favorite poet, 13th-century Persian poet Rumi.
Dave J Hogan / Dave J Hogan / Getty Images
"Rumi is our favorite poet, so it was for our daughter," he explained in an interview with Rap Radar.
11. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen chose the middle name Simone for his daughter, Luna, after singer/activist Nina Simone.
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12. Amy Schumer originally named her son Gene Attell, with his middle name as a nod to fellow comedian and friend Dave Attell.
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She didn't like how the names sounded combined and ended up changing Gene's middle name to David, keeping the tribute.
13. Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz named their son Bronx Mowgli, with his middle name as a nod to the Jungle Book character.
Amy Sussman / Getty Images
14. Anderson Cooper named his older son, Wyatt Morgan, after his late father, author Wyatt Emory Cooper.
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Morgan was also a sentimental pick, as a name in mom Gloria Vanderbilt's family tree, and as a name that the couple considered before settling on Anderson.
Would you name your child after a famous person? Would being famous yourself change that? Let's discuss in the comments.
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