What's in A Name: 32 Baby Names Inspired by Celebrity Kids Born in 2016

2016 was baby boom in the world of local sports and showbusiness, as we welcomed a total of 32 celebrity babies this year. From the time the would-be moms first announced their pregnancy, many of us watched excitedly as their bellies grew and waited for their pregnancy journey to complete. We also wanted to find out what name the parents would give their babies — and the baby name meanings!

It may sound like a simple task, but any new mom would tell you it's harder than it looks. The name you choose for your child carries with it a lot of weight, and some even say that it could decide his / her future.

If you're an expectant parent and are still thinking of the perfect name for your little one, you may want to take inspiration from the celebrity babies born this year. This list enumerates all 32 babies born to showbiz personalities in 2016, and the meaning behind their names: 

Luna

Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo welcomed their third child on January 8. "Our moon has arrived," Ryan wrote as caption for an Instagram post announcing her birth. Luna is one of the names of Artemis, the mood goddess. Baby Luna's full name Luisa Juana means "renowned warrior" (Luisa) and "Gift from God" (Juana).

Alaia

Model-turned-beauty-columnist Isabel Roces gave birth to her first child, a baby girl, in January, and she and her husband named her Alaia, which in the Basque language means "happiness", and also means "sublime" in Arabic.

Nicola Patrice

Nikka Martinez and Patrick Garcia welcomed their second daughter, Nicola Patrice, on January 16. The name Nicole has a Greek origin, which means "victorious people" while Patrice is a variation of Patrick's name which means "noble".

Harper Madison

Actor Matt Evans and his wife Katrina Fariñas welcomed their baby girl on January 21. Harper is originally a last name, which means "one who plays the harp". Madison is also originally a surname, derived from the name Matthew, which means "gift of God," or from Matilda, which means "strong fighter."

Nyke

Beauty queen Shamcey Supsup and husband Lloyd Lee welcomed their firstborn on January 24. Nyke, which is an androgynous name which means “victory” in Greek, is short for Nyla Kelcey. Nyla is derived from the Arabic name meaning “winner, attainment of desires”, while Kelcey is a variation of the name Kelsey, which means “fierce”.

Olivia

Former Pinoy Big Brother housemate Beauty Gonzales gave birth to her first daughter in February this year. In Latin, her name Olivia is derived from the word Olive, which is a symbol of peace. It was first used as a girl's name in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

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Isabelle

Brazilian-Japanese model Vanessa Matsunaga and Filipino businessman Jun Sunga welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on March 11. Baby Isabelle’s name means "devoted to God" in Hebrew.

Royce

Bubble Gang actor RJ Padilla and his wife Rosalie Bianca welcomed their second child, a daughter they named Royce Aaliyah Padilla, on March 20. Royce's name means "royal", while Aaliyah means "ascending".

Maximilian Jose

Stephani Zubiri and husband welcomed their second son on April 1 and named him Maximilian Jose. His first name comes from the Latin word Maximilianus or Maximus, which means “greatest”. Jose in Spanish means “may God give more.”

Lilly Feather

Isabel Oli and John Prats welcomed their first child nicknamed Life on April 18. Her name was inspired by Psalm 91:4: "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." The flower Lilly is a symbol of innocence, purity and beauty. 

Stellar

Actress Chynna Ortaleza only announced the arrival of her daughter in June 2, but she was born in April. She and her husband, musician-actor Kean Cipriano, named their baby Stellar, after the title of a song by American rock band Incubus, which was released in 2000. Stellar means "star" in Latin.

Amari

Joy Sotto and husband Gian welcomed their first daughter last May and they named her Amari Jilliana. She's their unica hija among their brood of five. Amari has an African origin and it means "strength". Jilliana is derived from the name Jillian, which means "youthful".

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Maxen Lucas

Model Mikaela Martinez-Lagdameo gave birth to her third child in early June this year, and she named their baby boy Maxen Lucas. His first name has the same etymology as Maximus; the name Maxen means “greatest”. Lucas means “bright” and shining” in its Latin origin.

Amanda Claire

Basketball star Chris Tiu and wife Clarisse Ong announced the birth of their first child, a daughter, on June 5. Amanda means "loveable or worthy of love" in Latin, while Claire is derived from the Latin word "clarus" which means "bright or clear".

Irina 

On June 8, Georgia Schulze and husband Anton del Rosario welcomed their fourth daughter and named her Irina. Her name is a version of Irene, which is the English translation of the name Eirene, the Greek goddess of peaceful life.

Akeya

Kapamilya singer Jovit Baldovino and girlfriend, Shara Chavez, welcomed their first baby on July 29. The little girl, baby Akeya, is Jovit's second child and Shara's first. Akeya's name is of Hawaiian origin, which means “aristocratic” or “noble”.

Michael James

Pro basketball player James Yap's girlfriend Michela Cazzola welcomed Baby MJ on August 8. His full name is Michael James, the second one after his father. Michael is derived from the archangel’s name which means "like God", while James is derived from the Hebrew name Jacob which means "one who follows."

Fille Renee

Director Lino Cayetano and volleyball pro player Fille Cainglet named their baby girl Fille Renee, whom they welcomed also on August 8. Fille, after her mom of course, means "girl or daughter". Renee means "reborn or born again".

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Madeleine Ariana

Also on August 8, former Pampanga governor Mark Lapid and wife, former actress Tanya Garcia welcomed their third daughter Madeleine Ariana. Madeleine is derived from the name Magdalene, which literally translates to "from Magdala" a village in Galilee. In Aramaic, "magdala" means "tower" or "elevated, great, magnificent." Ariana means "very holy" in Greek.

Nash Archibald

This little boy is former actress Krista Ranilla's fourth child with husband Nino Jeff Lim. They welcomed him in August. The name Nash is originally an English surname derived from the phrase "atten ash," meaning "at the ash tree." Archibald has a German origin, from Germanic elements erchan ("genuine" or "precious") and bald ("bold").

Aaliyah Rose

Diana Zubiri and Andy Smith became proud parents to their first child, a daughter they named Aliyah Rose, on August 14. Aliyah means "high" and "exalted" in Hebrew, and Rose is from the beautiful flower of the same name. 

Heather Sloane

Actress Nadine Samonte and husband Richard Chua welcomed their first child, daughter Heather Sloane on August 27. Heather is also the name of an evergreen plant with pretty pink flowers that grow on barren lands. The Celtic meaning of Sloane is "fighter", while its Gaelic origin means "warrior".

Antonio Primo

Iya Villania and Drew Arellano became first-time parents on August 29 when they welcomed their baby boy Antonio Primo into the world. The name Antonio, in honor of Drew's father who passed away three years ago, means "worthy of praise", while Primo in Spanish means cousin, but it also means "first" from the Latin word "primus".

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Semira Emmanuelle

Bianca Araneta Elizalde introduced her new daughter via Instagram on September 20. "Her name, which means "sent from the Heavens" or, "to be fully realized and fulfilled" couldn't have described the cathartic moments I experienced during my pregnancy, and what I felt about her presence in my life more accurately," she wrote as caption to her first public photo.

Emmanuelle Sky

Kapamilya actor Joseph Bitangcol and wife Chesca Tonson welcomed their first baby, daughter Emmanuelle Sky on September 29. Emmanuelle is derived from the Hebrew name Immanuel, which means "God is with us".

Severiano Elliot

Toni Gonzaga and Paul Soriano welcomed their baby boy on September 30. "I chose the name Severiano because my favorite golfer is Severiano Ballesteros, a Spanish golfer. And then Elliot is from 'E.T.', from the lead character in 'E.T.' My favorite movie. The reason why I like films," Paul explained. Severiano was derived from Severus, which means "stern" while Elliot is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elijah, which means "Jehova is God".

Lucas Alejandro

Barangay Ginebra pro baller LA Tenorio welcomed his third child with wife Chesca on October 18, a day before his team clinched its first championship in a long time. Lucas in Latin means "bright" or "shining", while Alejandro is Greek for "defender" or "protector of mankind".

Pablo

On October 25, Paula Peralejo and husband Charlie Fernandez became parents to their first child, a baby boy they named Pablo. In Spanish, Pablo means "small" and "famous bearer".

Natalie Martine

Mr. Pure Energy's son Paolo Valenciano and his wife Samantha Godinez welcomed their first child on November 2 and named her Natalie Martine. Natalie actually means Christmas day (Natalia) in Latin, while Martine means "warlike", from the literal Latin translation "of Mars", the Roman god of war. 

Marvic Valentin

Kristine Hermosa and Oyo Sotto’s fourth child is named after his grandfather, Vic "Bossing" Sotto. He was born on November 5. The name Marvic is a variation of Marius, a Roman family name which means "male". Valentin, in Spanish, means "strong."

Maria Isabella

TV host Mariel Rodriguez gave birth via normal delivery to daughter Maria Isabella on November 14, as husband Robin Padilla watched via video call. Maria is from Mariel's real name, which means "wished-for-child" or "lady of the sea". Isabella, a variation of Isabel, means "devoted to God" in Hebrew.

Alfonso

Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda and wife Neri Naig welcomed Baby Alfonso III on November 23. He is named after his father, whose real name is Alfonso Miranda, Jr.  The name Alfonso has Italian and Spanish origins which mean "noble and ready". Other sources says it is derived from the name Ildefonso, which means "battle".

Which celebrity baby name would you name after your own baby? Did you like the baby name meanings? Tell us in the comments!

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