James Gunn, director and DC Studios co-chairman, responded with humor and curiosity to YouTuber Trisha Paytas naming her newborn son Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacmon. In a July 27 interview, Gunn shared his thoughts on this unique choice, which reflects both celebrity culture and personal meaning.
James Gunn’s Lighthearted Take on the Baby Name Aquaman
James Gunn acknowledged the creativity behind Trisha Paytas’ baby name choice during his conversation with Entertainment Tonight. While appreciating the nod to the popular superhero, Gunn jokingly expressed concern about how the name might affect the child’s school life. He remarked,
I mean, I hope he does okay in school.
Gunn, who is 58, also related to the challenges he faced with his own last name, sharing how he was teased with nicknames like Tommy Gun, BB Gun, and Raygun.
Gunn quipped about potential nicknames for baby Aquaman, wondering,
Are they gonna call him AQ?… get made fun of in school? Do kids make fun of kids anymore?
Despite these concerns, fellow interviewees Frank Grillo and Tim Meadows expressed confidence the child would handle the distinctive name well as he grows up.
Trisha Paytas Shares the Inspiration behind Naming Baby Aquaman
Trisha Paytas explained that the name Aquaman perfectly symbolizes a mix of her passion for superhero films and her husband Moses Hacmon’s connection to water. Speaking on her Just Trish podcast on July 22, she said,
Not only is it so related to me, but it’s also so related to Moses. I’ve been wearing Aquaman t-shirts for years. I’ve gone to so many comic-cons for Aquaman. And I really fell in love when we rewatched Aquaman.
She further revealed the couple’s water-themed inspiration was linked to astrology and personal interests:
Cancer is a water sign, Moses loves water. So then we’re like, ‘Okay, we need to think of water theme.’
The pair had initially considered the name Water Snake, derived from a poem Moses wrote. Trisha described their affinity for the name and its symbolism, saying,
I love ‘Water Snake,’ It’s the Year of the Snake, Moses is a snake. We love water. I loved [the movie] Water World. I loved the name Water.
She concluded,
At the end of the day, Moses loves water,
adding that she had embraced her husband’s water-inspired philosophy.
Celebrity Baby Names That Carry Deep Meaning and Unique Origins
Trisha Paytas joining the list of celebrities who select uncommon names for their children aligns with a broader trend in Hollywood. Many celebrities choose names that reflect personal interests, meaningful references, or unique cultural backgrounds.
Apple Martin: A Name Chosen with Sweet Symbolism
Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, chose the name Apple for his daughter with Gwyneth Paltrow. The name was intended to evoke sweetness and wholesomeness, as Paltrow shared with Oprah Winfrey,
When we were first pregnant, her daddy said, ‘If it’s a girl I think her name should be Apple’…It sounded so sweet, and it conjured such a lovely picture for me, you know. Apples are so sweet and they’re wholesome, and it’s biblical.
X Æ A-Xii Musk: A Futuristic and Symbolic Moniker
Elon Musk and Grimes introduced their son X Æ A-12 in 2020, later changing the spelling to X Æ A-Xii to comply with California naming laws. Grimes gave detailed symbolism behind each element of the name on Twitter. She said,
Æ, my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence) A-12 = precursor to SR-17 (our favorite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent.
She described X as the unknown variable and noted that A stands for Archangel, her favorite song.
In 2022, they welcomed a daughter named Exa Dark Sideræl Musk via surrogate. Grimes explained her daughter’s name roots, stating,
Exa is a reference to the supercomputing term exaFLOPS (the ability to perform 1 quintillion floating-point operations per second),
and added,
Dark, meanwhile, is ‘the unknown. People fear it but truly it’s the absence of photons. Dark matter is the beautiful mystery of our universe.’
The name Sideræl pays tribute to her favorite Lord of the Rings character Galadriel, representing deeper cosmic time beyond earth-based time.
Kulture Kiari Cephus: A Name Reflecting Heritage and Identity
Cardi B and Offset welcomed their daughter Kulture Kiari Cephus in 2018. Cardi B explained that the name Kulture carries significance and avoided common choices, playfully commenting,
Kulture [heart emojis] anything else woulda been basic Okrrrrr.
The middle name Kiari is Offset’s first name, further linking the child to family heritage.
Atlas Noa: A Tribute to Love and Life’s Transformative Experience
Actress Shay Mitchell announced the name of her daughter with Matte Babel by sharing an emotional message:
In my 32 years of life I thought I had seen a lot of places, experienced a lot of things, met a lot of people and felt love…then came you.
She added,
Truth is I had no idea I was capable of loving anything like this before you arrived.
Their family grew with a second daughter named Rome in 2022.
Esmeralda Amada: Inspired by Literature and Family Legacy
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling named their daughter Esmeralda Amada, a choice reflecting admiration for a classic literary character and personal family history. Mendes said,
Ryan and I both love the Esmeralda character from the Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and we just think it’s a beautiful name.
She revealed,
Amada was my grandmother’s name. It means ‘beloved’ in Spanish.
The couple honored this tradition again with their second daughter, Amada Lee Gosling, born in 2016.
Raddix Madden: A Playful and Bold Choice
Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden selected the name Raddix for their daughter, a name Diaz celebrated on Instagram:
She is really really cute. Some would even say RAD.
They welcomed a son, Cardinal, in 2024, continuing their unique naming style.
Elsie Otter Pechenik: Inspired by Nature and Sweetness
Zooey Deschanel chose the name Elsie Otter for her daughter with ex Jacob Pechenik, explaining the otter’s qualities:
Really sweet, they’re also smart, they use tools to keep their favorite tools, [and] they hold hands while they sleep.
This natural inspiration reflects both affection and admiration for the creature’s behavior.
Stormi Webster: A Name Chosen with Intuition and Emotion
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott named their daughter Stormi in 2018. Jenner shared how the name felt right during pregnancy:
When I was pregnant, I used to call her ‘Stormie’—when I would talk to her in my belly. It just always felt right.
The couple also welcomed their son Aire in 2022 after a challenging naming process.
Ocean King: A Name Rooted in Faith and Meaning
Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega named their first child Ocean King, drawing inspiration from their religious beliefs. Alexa explained the biblical significance, saying,
God called the dry ground ‘land’ and the water the ‘seas’. And God saw that it was good. That is why we went with Ocean. And he is a son of the one true ‘King’. For us it has a beautiful biblical meaning.
Canon Wardell Jack: Symbolizing Spiritual and Natural Elements
Steph and Ayesha Curry chose the name Canon Wardell Jack for their third child, a name that translates to “officiant of the church” and “young wolf,” blending spiritual and animalistic symbolism.
Lazer Lee Louis Pentz: Reflecting Musical Heritage
Diplo named his second son Lazer Lee Louis Pentz, inspired by his electronic dance music group Major Lazer, linking family identity and creative legacy.
Luna Simone: Inspired by Celestial Phenomena
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen welcomed Luna Simone in 2016. Teigen recalled the moment during a talk show, remembering a rare cosmic event that influenced the name choice:
There was a blood moon happening, and it was really a beautiful night.
She described it as
really a big, vivid red moon. It was just gorgeous.
Andara Rose: A Name Full of Joy and Affection
Bachelor Nation’s Krystal Nielson and Miles Bowles named their daughter Andara Rose, sharing their excitement on social media:
It’s official!!! Glitter baby has a name!!!! Introducing our beautiful angel, Andara Rose Bowles.
Future Zahir: Honoring a Stage Name Legacy
In 2014, Ciara and Future named their son Future Zahir, inspired by Future’s stage name, continuing a tradition of meaningful celebrity baby names.
Willow Smith: A Tribute to Family Influences
Willow Smith carries a name honoring her father, Will Smith. Her brother, Jaden Smith, similarly received a name reflecting ties to their mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, strengthening family identity through names.
Bear Blu Jarecki: Blending Favorite Names
Alicia Silverstone and Christopher Jarecki combined two cherished names for their son Bear Blu, aligning with their style of distinctive and meaningful choices.
Monroe & Moroccan Cannon: Names Inspired by Love and Locale
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon named their twins Monroe and Moroccan Cannon, drawing inspiration from Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe and the Moroccan-themed New York City apartment where Nick proposed, combining personal and cultural references.
Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver: An Imaginative Name in a Large Sibling Group
British chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Juliette Norton named their fourth child Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver, complementing the imaginative names of his sisters—Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo, River Rocket, and Petal Blossom Rainbow.
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt: A Name Carrying Deep Meaning
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt selected the name Shiloh, which means “Messiah” or “Peaceful One,” for their daughter born in 2006. The couple’s children also include Maddox, Pax, Zahara, and twins Vivienne and Knox, all with unique and meaningful names.
Antonio Kamakanaalohamaikalani Harvey Sabato III: A Hawaiian Tribute
Antonio Sabato Jr. and Cheryl Moana Marie Nunes chose a Hawaiian middle name for their son, meaning
a beloved gift from the heavens.
This reflects a cultural and emotional attachment to heritage and spirituality.
Sparrow Madden: A Playful Reference to Popular Culture
Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son Sparrow, partially inspired by a Disney character. Richie shared,
We really just have to work with whatever it is we both agree on, so I really liked Sparrow from Captain Jack Sparrow, and he liked it for different reasons.
Suri Cruise: A Name Found in Literature and Shared by Parents
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes named their daughter Suri after discovering the name in a book. Cruise recounted,
We had the name before we found out because we both thought the baby would be a girl.
He added,
Some friends of ours sent us two [baby-naming] books. When we came to the name Suri, we both loved it. And we both said, ‘Suri Cruise.’ We later found out that it meant ‘red rose,’ and that was just a bonus. Suri—it was perfect.
Pilot Inspektor Lee: A Name Inspired by Song Lyrics
Jason Lee’s son was named Pilot Inspektor after a Grandaddy song,
“He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot,”
showcasing a musical influence on their unique naming choice.
Bluebell Madonna Halliwell: Floral Inspiration and Family Homage
Geri Halliwell chose Bluebell Madonna for her daughter, inspired by the rarity and beauty of the bluebell flower. She explained,
What really clinched it for me was my mother telling me that the bluebell is increasingly rare—so it’s a precious flower, which seems just right for my daughter.
The middle name honors Halliwell’s favorite performer.
Bronx Mowgli Wentz: A Name Connected to Shared Interests
Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson named their son Bronx Mowgli, sharing that The Jungle Book was a bonding experience for them. Pete described the middle name as,
The Jungle Book was something that me and Ashlee bonded over, so…it’s a cool name.
James Gunn’s reaction to Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacmon adds a playful yet reflective perspective to the ongoing trend of celebrity parents choosing distinctive names with layered meanings. Such names often celebrate personal interests, heritage, or symbolic importance, creating identities that stand out from the ordinary. As these children grow, their unique names may spark conversations about individuality, cultural significance, and fame’s impact on life choices. For James Gunn, the hope is simple: that baby Aquaman thrives, whatever nickname comes his way.
