Halle Berry has announced the name of her newborn daughter – Nahla Ariela Aubry! 

Berry's chosen name is a blend of exotic and familiar.  Neither the name Nahla, nor any spelling variation of it appears in the top 1000 list of popular baby names in the US.  In fact the closest choice to it would be the baby boy name Neil, which currently rates in the 604th spot.  Although it is widely reported that the name was taken from the Arabic language, in which the name means "honeybee," it is more likely that Halle Berry was paying homage to her African roots and using the name Nala as inspiration. The name Nala means "gift" in the Swahili language, a fitting name for a first daughter.  Although not yet in popular use among American parents, the name Nala is familiar to most from the hit children's animation "The Lion King."
 
The Berry couple has chosen a not-so-common middle name as well.  Ariela, a name of Hebrew origin, does not appear in any top charts, however its spelling source – the name Ariel – has had its day in the early 90's, ranking in at number 66 at its height and dropping down to the 202nd place by 2006.  The French name Aubry is the last name of the baby's father, Berry's boyfriend Gabriel Aubry.  

With unique spelling and a mix of the unusual and popular, Halle Berry has walked the thin line that leads to great baby name trends.  It is very likely that all three names will skyrocket in popularity among US parents and parents around the world, as Hollywood is known to cast shadows across the globe. 

Related Stories:

Jennifer Lopez Gives Baby Names a Popularity  Boost 

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed