What the names of the Clooney twins mean

by Katiedot Wed 07 Jun 2017, 07:38

Thought this might be interesting. By the way, is anyone else happy that they chose perfectly normal names and not some horrific celebrity name?

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All About Alexander and Ella: The Clooney Twins’ Names Are Some of the Most Popular Baby Monikers

BY LINDSAY KIMBLE•@LEKIMBLE

POSTED ON JUNE 6, 2017 AT 1:10PM EDT

George and Amal Clooney‘s family has just grown by two – but who are the siblings’ namesakes?

The new parents of two announced the birth of their twins, Ella and Alexander, on Tuesday, adding in a statement, “Ella, Alexander and Amal are all healthy, happy and doing fine.”

Both of the twins’ monikers are among some of the most popular baby names in America, according to the Social Security database.

PAlexander ranked at No. 11 for boys in 2016, and Ella hit No. 17 for girls last year. Both have been among the top 10 over the years.

No immediate family members of either parent seem to have the Clooney twins’ names, but plenty of high-profile Americans share their forenames.

Iconic singer Ella Fitzgerald found fame around the same time as Clooney’s aunt, actress and performer Rosemary Clooney. Alexander has the same given name as a founding father who has recently experienced some renewed attention: Alexander Hamilton.

According to Behind the Name, Ella is a form of the German name Alia, while Alexander dates back to ancient Greece. Babycenter.com defines Ella’s meaning as “a short form of Eleanor and Ellen, meaning ‘light.’ It can also mean ‘beautiful fairy woman’ in English, and ‘all’ or ‘other’ in German.”

Alexander, as Babycenter.com defines, is Greek for “defender of men”: “Countless kings and emperors named Alexander have ruled since the time of the ancient Greeks.”

by Joanna Wed 07 Jun 2017, 13:07

Oh yes I think the names are just right.

They will look very classy in the credits if
they follow their father's successful career ! Very Happy

by LizzyNY Wed 07 Jun 2017, 13:37

Don't jump all over me, but I'm a little underwhelmed by the names. Not because they're so normal - that's fine - but because they're so generic - like the stock photo that comes in a new picture frame.

I guess I'm old school. I think babies' names should somehow tie them to their family or to something special in their parents' lives. Ella and Alexander? Who are they? What do they represent? There are so many accomplished people in both families they could have chosen to honor but it seems they just picked two nice names off a list.

Sorry I can't be more excited about the names. Embarassed

by carolhathaway Wed 07 Jun 2017, 13:45

Lizzy,
maybe they will tell us in a while why they chose these names and didn't opt for 'Blue Ivy', 'Peaches Blossom', 'Paris', 'Brooklyn', 'San Diego', 'Don Hugo' and similar creative names other celebrities chose. I think that these names do have a meaning for them and aren't just picked from the list of the most popular baby names.

by Missa Wed 07 Jun 2017, 15:41

I agree Lizzy. George and Amal were NEVER going to choose a bananas celebrity name, but did they have to pick two of the most popular names? Poor Ella will be one of four other Ellas in her kindergarten class, guaranteed.

I had picked out Griffin and Gemma for them, but they didn't ask me. Wink

by LizzyNY Wed 07 Jun 2017, 16:38

Carolhathaway - Please don't misunderstand me. I'm glad they didn't go with some stupid trend of naming your child after a fruit or a city or something equally as silly - for which your kid will hate you when they grow up.

I just thought there would be some connection to their families - maybe a "Nick" or "Rosie" or "Ramsi" or "Nina" - not just two nice inoffensive names that seem totally unrelated to them. (And Missa is right - both Ella and Alexander will be one among many when they get to school.)

by carolhathaway Wed 07 Jun 2017, 17:16

Lizzy,
maybe they added a second name which is related to their families and/or Amal's heritage and simply haven't revealed them yet. I'm just thinking - in the States you usually have two names, is that the same in Britain? Everybody in Britain I know introduced himself with just one name, but that doesn't mean they don't have a second name. My husband has two names, I just got one (which was hard because for a while I hated my name and would have loved to change it). So my twins (yes, a girl and a boy) also got two names.

by Donnamarie Wed 07 Jun 2017, 17:22

George and Amal have their own reasons for naming their children Ella and Alexander. If they really liked those names then that's all that matters. Maybe going with family names became too complicated or they just didn't want to go that route. Maybe George will share at some point why they chose these names ... which are beautiful IMO. Smile

But lots of children end up with names that are popular in their generation. My own and friends of mine for example. Most kids usually don't have an issue having a "popular" name. Kids have lots to deal with in their young lives. Their first names aren't usually one of them.

by party animal - not! Wed 07 Jun 2017, 17:23

Mm, I wondered about that. Most people have two here - and I always think it's a good idea in case you don't like your parents' first choice. Also seem to remember George saying he preferred his second name.

I really love the names they've chosen and I don't know so many of them here in the UK, but they're really international and will work anywhere in the world. Classy but no nonsense too!

by LizzyNY Wed 07 Jun 2017, 18:02

Just for the record, I don't dislike the names. I just think they're kind of bland. I'm obviously outnumbered. so I'll shut up now. silent

by annemarie Wed 07 Jun 2017, 18:33

I think with a last name clooney keeping it simple was a good idea.

by starlove Wed 07 Jun 2017, 21:06

I think they are bland names too ,Lizzy .

by Way2Old4Dis Wed 07 Jun 2017, 21:29

Yeah, the names are nice, and lyrical, and entirely inoffensive, but I have to say, I'm also a little underwhelmed, given George's heritage and friends, and the genuinely iconic people he has known. This goes for Amal, too, I guess.

But maybe they'll call the boy Xander, and the girl Els. Or maybe their middle names distinguish them and tout the family ties, and that's what they'll go by privately.

But I get the desire to be non-splashy about it. And my family now has six males with either the same name or a combination of two of the same names, and we're running out of qualifiers and numerals, so there's that.

My granddaughter has two friends named Ella, and they're not even the only two in her middle school class.

by LizzyNY Thu 08 Jun 2017, 00:08

Way2Old - My family ran into the same problem - for boys and girls. It is our tradition to name children after people who have passed - as a way to honor our ancestors and to keep their memories alive. Since we have the same ancestors, we're drawing from the same pool of names.

We tried switching around. Some got a name as a first name, some as a middle name - but if you yelled the name out anywhere near us a whole bunch of people would answer! It makes for fun at family reunions. Very Happy

by Katiedot Thu 08 Jun 2017, 06:09

I think we're wrong to say that those names have no meanings to George and Amal because for all we know, they do.

I also think that with a name like Clooney, they would have had to go for a normal name, not something weird. They're going to stand out in life enough as it is.

In the UK, it's not that common to name children after someone (although it is done) and that's because there's a feeling that it brings a kind of bad luck to the child - basically bringing all the bad karma of the person the child is named after onto the child.

I'm just grateful that they went with nice classic names and we don't have to pretend to be happy about Grapefruit and Twinkle Clooney!

by Alisonfan Thu 08 Jun 2017, 06:54

Amal is forgiving wife for George. Ella to much like Eli to me I say no! Eli big part George life. Who to know Alex is?

by Alisonfan Thu 08 Jun 2017, 06:59

Eli might to be show George love of Italy to Ella point differs. He associated Ella to Eli to Italy.

by annemarie Thu 08 Jun 2017, 11:13

Ella is nothing like Eli to me, and I'm sure they chose the names together. Eli is short for Elisabetta two different names.

by Alisonfan Fri 09 Jun 2017, 11:17

Ella is also shortened of Elisabeth like ELI. Eli Canalise was George long friendship and lover too. I not to be happy if my husband call out daughter after his to be ex lover so true Amal is good. Eli Ella might second name to be Stacy or Tracy, Lisa or Lizzy haha. We don't to know yet.

by annemarie Fri 09 Jun 2017, 14:16

Those names are some of the the most popular in the U.S .

I think they chose them because they liked them I don't see George caring about his ex's names at all.

by Katiedot Fri 09 Jun 2017, 14:17

Yeah, I don't think anyone apart from Betty's fans would even make the connection between Ella and Elisabatta.

by Donnamarie Fri 09 Jun 2017, 14:21

There is no connection between the name Ella and Elisabetta.

by melbert Mon 12 Jun 2017, 05:01

Yes there is! El...a. Same Same!!!! Just kidding!

I like the names, but agree, not really what I expected from creative George.

by fava Mon 12 Jun 2017, 14:16

Katiedot wrote:I think we're wrong to say that those names have no meanings to George and Amal because for all we know, they do.

I also think that with a name like Clooney, they would have had to go for a normal name, not something weird. They're going to stand out in life enough as it is.

In the UK, it's not that common to name children after someone (although it is done) and that's because there's a feeling that it brings a kind of bad luck to the child - basically bringing all the bad karma of the person the child is named after onto the child.

I'm just grateful that they went with nice classic names and we don't have to pretend to be happy about Grapefruit and Twinkle Clooney!

Yeah, I'm glad they weren't Casa and Migos.

by Donnamarie Mon 12 Jun 2017, 14:23

Yea, me too fava. But it would have been great for George's brand. Just kidding.

I think George is very much a traditionalist. I think common sense played a big part in George and Amal's decisions to pick names that aren't more about the names themselves than the children who have to live with those names for the rest of their lives,

by annemarie Mon 12 Jun 2017, 14:54

They will have enough of a burden being a Clooney adding strange names to the mix would be way too much.

by Tulips Mon 12 Jun 2017, 22:21

My thought is if you name your kids after someone, there is the potential for hurt feelings.

by louisvillelaura Wed 14 Jun 2017, 02:21

I love the names ! Simple and classic. I am sure as most parents do they thought long and hard over the names. As they grow up I am sure like most children people can't imagine them having a different name ❤️

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