Name Your Baby Like Brad & Angelina

Some celebrity couples seem to have the magic touch when it comes to baby names, and Brad and Angelina are no exception. They have set the celebrity standard for choosing trend-setting names, giving us lots to talk about and inspiring many expecting parents. Their kids' names have an it quality that makes us wonder why we didn't think of it first (though I'm sure some of you actually did!).

So, how'd they do it? Let's take a look at their kids' names and the qualities they have.

1. Maddox Chivan - Maddox comes from a Welsh surname and means son of Madoc. At the time of his adoption, the name Max was gaining popularity and Maddox seemed like a fresh twist on that name.
2. Zahara Marley - Zahara is Arabic and means flower. It's also one letter away from the familiar Sahara desert. It's a pretty international name, with the z making it seem a bit exotic.
3. Shiloh Nouvel - Shiloh is Hebrew, means he who is to be sent, and is a Biblical place name.
4. Pax Thien - This is a Latin name meaning peace. It's short, sweet, and catchy.
5. Knox Leon - Knox is English and means hills. It's a common surname, a college, a Fort, and much more.
6. Vivienne Marcheline - Vivienne is the French form of a Latin name meaning full of life. It's a softer variation of Vivian, updating it for today and making the cute nicknames Viv and Vivi more appealing.

Baby Naming Tips Inspired by Brad & Angelina

Like Brangelina's choices? Here's how you can create your own style of trend-setting names that will make you feel like a celebrity.

• Use names that contain an x or an unusual consonant for boys. All three Jolie-Pitt boys—Maddox, Pax, and Knox—have this in common. It's a trend that's still going strong, with names like Jaxon really taking off recently. Another take on this trend is to go with a different consonant in the name that also looks and feels less-used, like q, z, or j.
• Look for girls' names with strong roots and lots of vowels to soften the sound. The Jolie-Pitt girls, Zahara, Shiloh, and Vivienne, each have a unique personality but also roll off the tongue. They have origins in Arabic, Hebrew, and Latin and are familiar to us. Another quality they share is a strong consonant to start off the name and similar repeating vowel sounds.
• Think about names that sound unusual but are familiar. Whether it's a surname like Maddox and Knox, a place-inspired name like Shiloh, a twist on a familiar name like Vivienne, or a classic Latin word like Pax, you'll be on target if the name has been around for awhile in one form or another.
• Don't be afraid to rock your style. If the name you love is almost unheard of among other parents, don't be shy. For example, using Knox as a first name was extremely unusual when the Jolie-Pitt baby was born. Today Knox is beginning to climb up the name charts.

Examples

Here are a few name ideas that feel like they could have come from power couple Brangelina. Have fun trying out a few of your own!

Inspired by Maddox, Pax, and Knox: 

• Hendrix
• Felix
• Jax
• Maxim

Inspired by Zahara, Shiloh, and Vivienne:

• Samara
• Vienna
• Pascale
• Lailah