Top Ten Unusual Celebrity Baby Names

Celebrity babies are born into a world of wealth and privilege. And in many cases, they're going to need all the advantages they can get, just to make up for the crazy names their famous parents give them.

Why do celebs tend to choose unusual names for their offspring? Theories vary, but it's likely that people who are famous tend to be rather flashy, theatrical, and self-confident. No child of theirs would have a name like Michael or Anne - or even Madison or Bailey. No, when you're a celebrity, only the oddest name will do for your baby.

Some of the most unusual names chosen for celebrity babies:

1. Dweezil

Musician Frank Zappa kicked off the odd baby name trend for celebrities back in the '60s. He named oldest son Dweezil, and if that's not weird enough, Dweezil's silbings are named Moon Unit, Diva, and Ahmet (in case you're wondering, Moon Unit and Diva are girls; Ahmet is a boy).

Where did the inspiration for "Dweezil" come from? Apparently, it was a nickname Zappa coined for his wife's pinkie toe.

2. Sparrow

It's a bird, it's a plane ... no, it's a baby - in this case, the son of actress Nicole Richie and singer Joel Madden. Sparrow James Midnight's sister is named Harlow Winter Kate.

The inspiration? Possibly the Simon & Garfunkel song Sparrow, which ends "Who will love a little Sparrow? Will no one write her eulogy?" Madden linked to the song in a Twitter after the baby's birth.

3. Pax

It's short, it's easy to spell - but why?

We don't know, but we do know that Angelina Jolie requested that her son, adopted at age 3 from an orphanage in Vietnam, have his name changed to Pax Thien. Pax won't feel odd among the brood of Jolie and Brad Pitt; his siblings are Zahara Marley, Maddox Chivan Thornton, Shiloh Nouvel, Knox Leon, and Vivienne Marcheline.

4. Apple

When most of us think of apples, we think of fruit. Not Gwyneth Paltrow ... to her, it was a baby name. Paltrow explained her choice by saying that "Apples are so sweet and they're wholesome and it's Biblical" (never mind that the apple in the Bible wasn't exactly a positive thing ...). Apple has a brother, Moses.

5. Makena'lei

Daughter of actress Helen Hunt, don't you hope little Makena'lei grows up smart enough to spell that name? Her poor kindergarten teacher!

6. Coco

Actors Courteney Cox and David Arquette went with the funky "Coco" for their only child. Reportedly, Coco was Cox's mother's nickname: Mama Coco.

7. Suri

Many strange stories surround actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, whether they involve Scientology rituals, or ... baby names. Tom and Katie named their highly-anticipated baby Suri, supposedly an ancient Hebrew play on "Sarah." But while you probably know a lot of Sarahs, I'm guessing you're only aware of one Suri ...

8. Kal-el

Nicolas Cage wanted something really super in a baby name for his son, so what better choice than Kal-el, the birth name of Superman?

9. Pilot Inspektor

I know that Pilot Inspektor probably didn't make your top 10 list for your own child, but it did for actor Jason Lee. Apparently, Lee was inspired by "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot," a song by the band Grandaddy. I'm sure that that song has just inspired many more prospective parents. Like Cruise, Lee is a Scientologist. Is there a link between Scientology and odd baby names? Not claimin', just askin'.

10. Kyd

Son of actors David Duchovny and Tea Leoni - you've gotta wonder if they just took the easy way out here. You know, "Hey Kyd - come on!" One has to wonder what it will be like to be an adult named Kyd.

Reports claim that Kyd goes by his middle name, Miller - can you blame him?

There you go: ten truly weird and wacky celebrity baby names, and I haven't really even begun. We still have Blanket, Prince Michael, and Paris - and those are just Michael Jackson's kids. You must admit though, despite being almost a form of child abuse to the poor kids inflicted with these monikers, they are entertaining to the rest of us.

SOURCES:

People

InfoPlease

Gawker