Today’s celebrity parents are surprising us — long gone are the days of wacky celebrity baby names that you’d never hear in the average classroom. Leah and Brandon Jenner just announced their new baby’s classic name with a unisex twist, and it’s impossible not to love her already.
Proud parents Leah and Brandon announced Eva James’ arrival — and her adorable name — on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/p/5m9MlJR5Gi/
More:The best and worst celebrity baby names of 2014
Brandon and Leah Jenner are well-known as Brandon & Leah, the talented indie pop duo who has been married since 2012. Given the recent media firestorm surrounding Caitlyn Jenner, Brandon may be better known as Caitlyn’s son with Linda Thompson (making Kris Jenner his stepmother). And it’s that family connection that makes his baby’s name so interesting.
At first glance, Eva James seems to be following the trend of other gender-neutral celebrity baby names: Think Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s daughter James and Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ daughter Wyatt. Instead of going with atypical “Apple,” most celeb parents are leaning classic yet unisex — by using a traditional boy name for a baby girl’s name.
https://instagram.com/p/3wxSvTx5Lo/
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Brandon and Leah Jenner’s baby name choice is a solid combination of old-fashioned and forward-thinking. Eva, a Hebrew name that rose to popularity in the 1880s, and James, a popular boy name in the 1930s, roll right off the tongue — clearly chosen by parents with musical talent. But the fact that this name is so obviously unisex gives it a whole new meaning.
Brandon and Leah haven’t confirmed whether their new daughter’s gender-fluid name is a nod to Brandon’s mother, the newly transitioned Caitlyn Jenner, but the connection is hard to deny. Caitlyn’s recent transition from the former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner has been making headlines for months, with most feedback being supportive and positive. Caitlyn is breaking the rules and redefining what we think of gender as a society. On a much smaller scale, Brandon and Leah are doing the same thing.
More: Kids talk about Caitlyn Jenner in a refreshingly honest way (VIDEO)
Whether purposeful or not, Eva James’ name makes a statement by combining what is traditionally masculine and feminine. If Caitlyn has taught us anything, it’s that there is no gender “norm.” Male and female are anything we want them to be. Congratulations to Brandon and Leah on their beautiful new baby girl — and for doing their part to bust gender barriers with a perfectly chosen baby name.
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