A recent poll has revealed that Britain’s most disliked celebrity baby name is “Bandit Lee”, as chosen by the singer of rock band My Chemical Romance for his baby boy.
The nation’s favourite celebrity baby name of 2009 was “Ava Madelyn”, daughter to Swedish golfing superstar Annika Sörenstam. Also popular were “Sophia”, the name of Jude Law’s baby daughter, and “Lucia”, as chosen by Mel Gibson.
4 out of 5 of top celebrity babies' names were girls’, and 4 out of 5 of the least favourite names were boys’. Tennis ace Roger Federer’s twin daughters received a mixed reception – “Myla Rose” came in as 3rd favourite of all celebrity baby names, while her sister, “Charlene Riva”, was almost ten times less liked by survey participants.
When asked whether they would consider naming their baby after a celebrity, most respondents said “maybe”. Only 5% of those surveyed said they would definitely think about using a celebrity name for their new born. When asked which factors are most important when choosing a baby name, respondents said they were most concerned with simply how the name sounds. This was closely followed by making sure that the name holds no negative connotations – not many would name their child after somebody they didn’t like!
Interestingly, the least important factor is name popularity. More important was choosing a name that isn’t too common, a point considered by over half of our audience. Other key things to consider were the name’s original meaning, and whether the name fits well with siblings' names.
Searches for Wayne Rooney’s baby boy’s name Kai are around 20% higher than in previous years. This suggests that more expectant parents are considering the name Kai during their search for the perfect baby name, and that celebrities indeed do have an effect on naming patterns in the UK.TOP 5 CELEBRITY BABY NAMES1.Ava Madelyn (daughter to Annika Sörenstam)
2.Sophia (daughter to Jude Law)
3.Myla Rose (daughter to Roger Federer)
4.Lucia (daughter to Mel Gibson)
5.Max (son to Charlie Sheen)WORST 5 CELEBRITY BABY NAMES1.Bandit Lee (son to Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance)
2.Sparrow James Midnight (son to Nicole Richie)
3.Petal Blossom Rainbow (daughter to Jamie Oliver)
4.Bob (son to Charlie Sheen)
5.Dexter Lloyd (son to Charlotte ChurchMOST IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN NAMING YOUR BABY1.The name sounds nice
2.The name doesn’t remind you of unpleasant people/experiences
3.The name is not too common
4.The name itself has a positive meaning
5.The name goes well with siblings’ names
January 2010
research by babynames.co.uk | 
The Best and Worst Celebrity Baby Names in 2009
