Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, one of my favorite celebrity couples, have welcomed a baby daughter. I’m surprised that Kristen gave birth already, as it seems like she’s only been pregnant for a short while. That’s to her credit since she didn’t announce the pregnancy until she was several months along. The happy couple made the announcement on Twitter in their typically tongue-in-cheek way, which is way better than the “over the moon” statements we’ve come to expect.
It’s a girl for Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell!
“Lincoln Bell Shepard is here,” the Parenthood star Tweets. “She has mom’s beauty and dad’s obsession with breasts. Hooray!!!”
“My new roommate poops her pants and doesn’t pay rent…basically Dax pre-sobriety,” Bell adds. “Welcome baby Lincoln.”
Shepard, 38, and the House of Lies star, 32, announced the pregnancy in November.
Earlier this winter, Bell celebrated her baby shower while Shepard joked that he hoped their baby resembled his fiancée.
I’ve never heard of Lincoln as a girl’s name. Just a couple of days ago my son was playing with a three year-old boy named Lincoln, and I remembered the kid’s name because I have a close friend with a son named Lincoln. I’m used to hearing that name for boys, and it just seems weird that it’s being used as a girl’s name. Kaiser and I were emailing about this and she mentioned that “Clinton” isn’t a common name yet, while I was surprised that “Reagan” is so common a name for girls. It just seems like “Reagan” should be a boys name, but somehow it got associated with girls.
Maybe that’s what Kristen Bell was thinking – she should reclaim the name “Lincoln” for girls/women. You know, she probably just started a trend. She’s famous and adorable, I can see the name shooting up in popularity for little girls.
Remember when Kristen was so over-the-top and sobbing on Ellen when she was confronted with a sloth? How much of a mess must she be now that she’s got her own baby? She must be so obsessed with little Lincoln, but she’s trying to play it off like they got a roommate. Congratulations to Kristen and Dax!
Photo credit: WENN.com
Congratulations to all.
I dont even like that name on a boy.
As for Reagan/Regan…it was a shakespearean girls name, so that doesn’t really bother me much.
I wanted to name out daughter regan after king Lear but my husband said “it didn’t mean anything to us.” Eh, I got to name our son so I didn’t fight it but Reagan is very popular in the south for girls.
Also the name of the possessed girl in The Exorcist.
Obviously my name is Regan (Ree-gan) and my mom got it from Shakespeare. It is in the same name category as Regina so it really is a strong female name. That being said, both Regan and Reagan are surnames which are often unisex/genderless so can be easily used for a boy or girl name.
In terms of the Exorcist – no one can pronounce the name properly. The mom calls her “Regan” while the doctors call her “Reagan”; typical of this name!!!
Celebrities. They don’t think they get enough attention already, so they do something selfish like this to make sure they get even more attention at the expense of their child. People will forever be asking “is Lincoln a boy or a girl?” when they see the name on a class list, a sign-in sheet, etc., constantly drawing attention to them. It must be awful to be so needy.
Or maybe they just really liked the name…
Yeah, like Apple and Peaches and Brooklyn and Paris. Such beautiful names.
(Irony off)
I somehow don’t like Kristen Bell, but she and Dax Shephard are a cute couple, so congrats!
No kidding. We chose a name for our son that is very common in the UK (particularly Scotland) but practically unheard of in North America. And we went for the traditional spelling. We debated it for a long time, knowing that we’d be sentencing our child to a lifetime of explaining spelling and pronunciation, but we really love the name…
How can people be so judgmental about what other people name their children? I don’t understand how folks can get so riled up when it doesn’t effect anyone except those that actually know the kid. What’s the big deal?
+1 Tif. It doesn’t matter what you or I think of the name, it matters that Kristen and Dax like it.
Yes. That Kristen and Dax. Such famewhores. Can’t go a day without seeing them out mugging for the paps. It’s obviously their attention seeking behavior that led them to give their child such an outrageous name. I mean My God! Naming their child after arguably the greatest president this country has ever known? The audacity. I mean, it’s right up there with Pilot Inspektor… *side eye*
Bronx Mowgli anyone?
The greatest? You’ve been watching too many revisionist movies. He was one of the worst Presidents this nation ever had.
Um, MizLiz, really, one of the worst? Please elaborate, was it the freeing the slaves thing or kicking Confederate ass? I would take you much more seriously if you brought up the Dakota War hangings (though I still don’t think that puts him anywhere near worst), but unless that’s where you are going, I’m just shaking my head at you.
The reason he freed the slaves was purely economic – not altruistic. He was said to want all the slaves to go back to Africa, but had no way to enforce that at the time, or he would have made them leave.
He did endorse colonization early in his career (as did many whites at the time, at least those who didn’t support slavery), but by the time he issued the emancipation proclamation, he had come to a different understanding of the situation.
The fact that you – and others – can be so critical about a person’s name says more about you than the parents. Perhaps if people were more kind, children wouldn’t be teased for their different names. As it is, the cruelty in children is merely a shadow of the cruelty in their parents.
Besides, unique names are refreshing. Maybe now there won’t be three Ashleys, two Jennifers and four Jessicas in every class.
+1000000
More kind… About”refreshing names” Yeah kids have your outlook.
“the cruelty in children is merely a shadow of the cruelty in their parents.”
Well said. If people call a child a name, everyone will eventually accept that as their name. I remember reading VC Andrews books back in junior high and the character “Dawn” was teased..”That’s not a name, that’s a time of day!” Meanwhile I was in school with a million Dawns. Their outrage seemed odd to me then, this outrage seems odd to me now.
I’m totally fine with my name, Jennifer, thank you very much. It’s actually not that popular any more. *gives you side-eye*
Dear Rachel,
You undermined your remarks by your thinly-veiled disdain of “common” names, which wouldn’t be in issue if you hadn’t started with a diatribe on intolerance. A bit hypocritical, don’t you think? I personally love unique names,and it took me years to appreciate my very un-unique name because I wanted to be special. Hard to feel special when upon calling my name, 4 girls turn around. I learned to over time. You should, too.
Sincerely,
One of those 4 Jessicas
My IRL name is much more a boy name than a girl name. My mom did that on purpose so I wouldn’t be pre-judged on paper based on my gender. I’ve been bullied a little over it, but only by people who are giant bullies.
If the kid’s biggest problem in life is having to tell people she’s a girl named Lincoln, she should count herself lucky. I highly doubt she will characterize her parents’ name choice as selfish. Overreact much?
I didn’t like my unusual name when I was a child, I was teased and being “different” is hard when you’re a kid. But now that I’m older, I love my unusual name. Most people mispronounce my name as “knee-nuh” but it is actually “nine-nuh”. It’s spelled the same way and the Russian or Spanish pronunciation is a million times more common. At least Lincoln won’t be constantly mispronounced.
Congrats to them. Cute couple. I like the name more for a boy. But it’s not my baby so good for them on it.
the Sloth reaction was priceless. Didn’t Jessica Simpson name her daughter a name usually associated with a boy.
She did! Maxwell. That’s a good point, maybe boy names for girls is the new trend. I actually kind of like Lincoln. The could call her “Lynn” or “Con” (like Connie). I think it’s different without being weird.
that’s always been a trend though. once a name is used for enough girls it becomes feminine lol. i don’t know. i don’t mind the boy girls name, i don’t see it as that big a deal.
Indeed, Ashley used to be a male name, Madison is fast becoming that way, and Harper will follow suit.
I know a boy named ‘Dakota’. I’m used to it on him now, but was quite strange at first. I’ve always thought of it as a girl’s name (maybe because of the ‘a’ ending).
I like Lincoln for a girl, and it’s not as uncommon a name as you think. I’m also a fan of Reagan for a girl, I first heard that name from The Exorcist.
I thought of Regan on The Exorcist too. I believe they spelled it without the first ‘a’ but it still pronounced like the former president’s last name.
you’re right about the spelling. My friend spells her daughters name with the “a” and I’ve gotten used to spelling it that way.
I went to elementary school with a Lincoln and a Kennedy. Both girls. This was also 15+ years ago. The names were common where i live. Not super common, but definitely not out of the ordinary.I’m surprised by how many people are so determined this its a boy name! Surnames as first names are pretty genderless to me. Maxwell is definitely boy-like to me, but if someone wants to name their daughter that, then whatever. None of my nevermind.
I don’t mind it at all – and I really like the both of them (have you read his blog? It’s pretty good.)
I have 3 kids under 10 and when I walk the halls at school, I can’t believe some of the names on the lockers… trust me – Lincoln is a dream name by comparison!
This exactly. I have to keep my eyes from rolling sometimes when people tell me their kids’ names.
They should’ve named her Liberty.
Get it?
Or German?
LOL to you both! Very cute!
I only understood the jokes hours later 🙁
Maybe she was named after Dax’s late father? I know he was dying while she was pregnant.
I like the name. I’m sure she is a beautiful girl.
I have been looking to see what his Dad’s name was, and I CANNOT find it!
nope. his dad was Dave Robert Shepard Sr. http://www.refinery29.com/2013/03/44720/dax-shepard-letter-to-dad-tumblr
Thank you! That was kinda driving me nuts!
8)
I just love them both. Has anyone read Dax’s blog about his dad dying and KB showing up? It made me cry! They are such a sweet couple, and I’m so happy for them!
S/N are they married or no? They call each other husband and wife, but I don’t recall a wedding announcement or anything like that.
Regardless, congrats, y’all!
They’re not married yet. They said they won’t until marriage equality is established.
I know! They’re so sweet. I love them! Honestly, they can name their kid whatever they want. It’s still in “name” territory, and maybe they just really love Abraham Lincoln. I know I do (from way, way, WAY before the movie). I’m considering naming a second son Abraham.
” “She has mom’s beauty and dad’s obsession with breasts. ” LOL!
I don’t like the name though. But I suppose the nickname could be Linny? Collie?
Link! and then she could be obsessed with all things Zelda.
Link would actually be an awesome nickname
^ True!
I wish people would get over these ridiculously rigid gender roles… Just be free and happy. There is no need to abide by what ‘society’ has deemed to be appropriate names for girls and boys.
I’ve known several males with the name Tracy.
I completely agree.
For some reason this reminds me of the commercial for Brave, when the great archer takes off their hood…and she’s a girl. Let them be surprised and delighted!
@Clare Yes! What century are we living in?
“And boom goes the dynamite!”
i.e. I totally agree. 🙂
I agree we should be freed from gender roles but I think thought should always be put into name choosing and it shouldn’t be silly and self-indulgent. I like the name Lincoln. I think Linny would be a cute nickname for it.
Congrats to them, I like them both so much, and how they handle publicity stuff.
Not crazy about the name, but I’m assuming there’s a reason behind it.
I have a cousin Reagan, but don’t know any others.
Congrats to them! They seem like a sweet couple. I am not nuts about the Lincoln for a girl…but then I don’t have to be. I’m sure they have their reasons. Anyhoo I’ve heard tons of made up names lately so at least they didn’t do that.
P.S. Reagan doesn’t sound like a boys name at all.. It’s just Meagan with an R… (where I live ‘Meagan’ is pronounced like “Mee-gan” not “Mehgan” if that makes sense?)
Yes, but Reagan is prounounced “Ray-gen”, so while it looks like Meagen, it’s not. I don’t mind it for a girl, though.
Oh yea I meant more it LOOKS just like Meagan.. I somehow got sucked into a tangent about pronunciation. It definitely still reeks girls name.
Regan is a girls name from way back, like Shakesperean times, “Ree-gun”, no laser beams involved.
Most boys names eventually become girls names.
Beverly
Marion
Francis/Frances
Robin
Leslie
When I lived in England 50 years ago, these were common boys names. When I moved to the USA, I only heard these as girls names.
And I’ve known 3 women named Michael.
What I don’t get, is people who give last names as first names:
Tiffany
Smith
Lincoln
Is Tiffany a last name? Never heard that as a last name!
Tiffany Jewellers, Tiffany lamps?
I’m with you on that, you forgot Madison. If the surname you are giving to your child is somehow part of your family history that’s okay but to just use a surname because it was used on a soap or because you like it is just wrong…but still better than made up names.
I have heard Tiffany as a first name way more than a last name! Oh how times change. When I was a kid, there were 4 other Tiffanys in my grade and I went to a smaller school. 🙂
Beyonce is also a last name. It was her mother’s maiden name (doesn’t the phrase “maiden name” sound so odd from a modern perspective?)
Surnames as first names has a very long tradition. I do a lot of genealogy and it is often the way a mother’s or other relative’s surname remains in the family line.
My stepson and his wife are planning to name their son Lincoln and I can’t warm up to the name.
Stacey, Shannon, Tracey, all used to be boys names too. Once they are used for a girl they usually become predominantly girls’ names. Last night I was watching some crappy reality show and a baby girl was named Aidan. I could see that becoming very popular for girls in the future. I named my daughter Carson. When I was in high school I saw the movie Shag and Phoebe Cates’ character was named Carson. I loved it and when I got pregnant a decade later I still wanted to use it. Luckily my husband was on-board with it but he wanted to spell it with a Y. Carsyn. She’s 11 now and we’ve met a couple other female Carson’s out there. Lincoln seems really masculine but its cute.
There used to be a famous writer named Carson McCullers. And this name was given to her when she was born. In the late teens/early 20s.
That’s interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Lincoln is a boy’s name, just like Maxwell is. I really don’t understand the trend to give boys girl names and vice versa. Yes, boys and girls can do anything the other sex does, but do they have to always share names, too? My issue is that if the girls realize that their names are boys’ names, whether their classmates make fun of them or not, they may feel like I did that their parents wanted a boy first and they’re not good enough because they’re girls. My name is feminine but my father treated me like a boy; now of course I love that I can work on cars and take care of myself, but I absolutely hate that I had to go through a period of feeling that girls weren’t as good as boys due to how my parents treated me – and them telling me they wanted a boy first. Had they given me a boy name, too, I would’ve really had a hard time!
Obviously, for you there is a need to work through some leftover feelings from childhood, but your experience isn’t the rule.
You’re suggesting that a girl with a “boy” name might feel less wanted? She might feel that her “boy” name is a sign that her parents wanted a boy and then somehow suffer. Seriously? I think we need to move beyond the idea that a name is a sign of gender. That somehow a name can convey biology. Sadly, that day is not today because there are some who still think pink is for girls and blue is for boys. That working on cars is for boys and staying at home is for girls. I know we allegedly made it into a post-racial world (no we haven’t), so maybe we can make the transition to a world free of unfounded gender stereotypes. In the case of Kristen and Dax they have a daughter and her name is Lincoln, which means in this instance it’s a “girl” name. Don’t like the name, but be better than not liking it for a girl.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say you believe boys and girls can do anything the other gender does, but then apply gender stereotypes to your own upbringing by implying that your father treated you like a boy by making sure you could work on cars and take care of yourself. Girls don’t work on cars? Only boys can take care of themselves?
I think Maxwell is an adorable name and I’m little concerned about the gender of its owner.
I was treated like a boy because I was told often that my parents wanted a boy first, and that they were going to treat me like a boy. My mother always told me she was so happy when my sister was born because she had the “frilly” girl that she always wanted. My sister wasn’t forced to work on cars, or do manual labor, or take care of the pets, or cut her hair short, or even get a job to pay for her cars, gas, or car repairs. She was given everything that I had to work for. When being forced to do all of those things while being told that they wanted a boy first, it made those boy things. Yes, all of those things are male and female – it was the context in which it was given to me. I grew up when girls wore dresses, heels, and painted their nails, and the men did things like fixing things around the house and having a job, so there was a definite social stereotype there, too, that I could see as a child that I wasn’t fitting into due to how I was treated. (Research the various children who were intersex and forced to grow up as the opposite sex and you’ll understand how much influence parents can have on their children’s sense of worth and gender when they don’t respect the child’s true nature.)
It would be wonderful if people didn’t judge. I judge. I try not to, but still do. And if I saw the name Lincoln written down, I would assume it was a boy’s name. And I’d wonder about the parents who gave their girl a boy’s name due to what I went through.
Replied on the wrong comment. Oops.
Regardless of our aspirations to rise above gender bias we all have it and it’s perfectly natural. We shouldn’t be criticized for our natural feelings just because they don’t conform to other people’s rather idealistic views. I understand what it is like to be a girl raised in a “boyish” way. I was the third of three with two older brothers and a “tomboy”. I never have “fit in” as a girl because I wasn’t taught how. I don’t mean I’m ostracized, I just mean I scratch my head in confusion at what other women do sometimes. For example, I don’t wear make-up and never have but the vast majority of women love that stuff. I am glad to just be myself not someone who was forced to be more girly because society says so.
“Reagan” is usually spelled Regan and it’s a Shakespearean name, one of the treacherous daughters in King Lear.
Maybe its a clever way to NN the kid “linc”, but can imagine being teased as the missing link. I myself have a unisex name and that was NO fun in the school yard. Believe.
congrats to this hilarious duo!
i betcha their house is filled with so much silly laughter…that baby is gonna be super happy!
Lincoln is very trust fund baby-esque…like a Cameron or Riley. i like it alot.
HAPPY EASTER & PASSOVER my Celebitchez!!! 😀
That’s what I thought! They seem so happy and fun, LUCKY BABY! And I love them so much too.
Happy Easter and or Passover to you too!!
♥ 😆 ♥
I love Lincoln as a girl’s name! And I know several girls with the name Reagan.
Ever since meeting a woman named Trevor, I have decided there can’t be any other boys name unworkable for a girl.
Congrats to the happy parents.
I dig it!
Congrats to the parents. I don’t like that name for a girl. Lincoln Shephard sounds like a dog breed.
OMG, I’m dying laughing on that one. You are so right.
To be fair Dax Shepard also sounds like a dog breed.
My sons name is Lincoln, it’s not crazy for a girl- just happy they didn’t spell in linkin, which i have seen, yuck!
Oh god, someone listened to too much crappy rock/rap and thought it was an awesome idea.
Whats with naming girls after presidents last names like kennedy, reagan, whats next obama. I just dont get it. I dont like all these noun names.
I kind of would rather see it as a girl’s name than a boy if you’re going to name someone after such a hugely well known male character, otherwise you just may as well name the kid “president” or “king of the world”.
I hope, hope, hope someone names their child Obama. We just don’t see enough Obamas these days – let’s make it a popular name! Like Dakota.
If you can name your child after a state – why not a president?
The only blink inducing ‘gender-neutral’ name I’ve encountered is ‘Peyton’. Granted I’m used to it being a boy’s name (read: Manning) but when soemone tells me their daughter’s name is Peyton I pause. It’s not a bad name, though.
Girls nowadays are being named Sutton, Rory, Conor, Cameron, etc. And many people don’t realize that Tara, Kim, Kelly, Vivian, Courtney, Whitney, Ashley, Beverly, etc. were originally boys’ names. So anything goes these days I think. They are even naming girls Aubrey, ugh.
Aubrey is the one name I just don’t like the sound of. Flip the “b” and you’ve got Audrey. So much prettier. Aubrey sounds like your mouth got tired towards the end and couldn’t make the effort to finish pronouncing Audrey. It’s not a heinous name, by any means, but it’s always rubbed me the wrong way.
Funny, my name is Aubrey, I’m a girl and I was named after my grandfather! I like my name, and can’t even consider it to be a boy’s name…because it’s my name. I think as long as people don’t start making up names, then we’re fine. My sister named her son Ma’Kai, which I absolutely hate…but she named him after Mekhi Phifer…
Awwwww!!! I love them! Congrats to both!
How odd he’s aging into all kind of very strange facial features.. Lincoln \l(i)-nco-ln, lin-coln\ as a boy’s name is pronounced LINK-en. It is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Lincoln is “lake colony”. The name of an early Roman settlement in England. Surname made famous by American President Abraham Lincoln. Football player Lincoln Kennedy.
Congrats to them! I love them, but I really don’t like the name though. But, apparently they MAY have named her after his prized car?!
No way! I hope that’s not true. I will be so disappointed if they named her for a car.
I never had much of an opinion of either of them, but then I read about this story below and it touched me… Congrats to them!
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/dax-shepard-on-kristen-bells-gift-to-his-dying-dad-he-felt-her-baby-bump-on-death-bed-for-an-hour-2013223
My sons name is Lincoln, it’s not crazy for a girl- just happy they didn’t spell in linkin, which i have seen
At least they didn’t go with the whole yoonique spelling trend and stick y’s and h’s and crap in there.
Anytime I hear the name Lincoln I think of Ewan McGregor’s character in The Island. Well, aside from the president, of course.
Yesssssss.
Anything can be a girl’s name these days.
Ireland (Baldwin) – body of land in Europe
Harlow (Madden) – last name of Jean Harlow
I’m gotten so used to unusual names that I don’t even know what is unusual anymore. Compared to other celebrity names, Lincoln just seems normal.
I really love them together. I used to think Dax was such a dope not to be taken seriously (Punk’d?!) but they just seem like two Really sweet, funny people that are crazy in love. They’re delightfully refreshing.
And I LOVE the name Lincoln for a girl. It bugs me when people try to pin others into this “appropriate” gender role stereotype when we are living in 2013 and things are changing our world Every Day. Why not the idea of what’s appropriate and not for someones name as well?
I have a dog, she’s a girl, and her name is Morrison. I am obsessed with Jim and the Doors. A friend of mine got a boy puppy and named him Zeppelin. The owner of Zeppelin’s mom still had more puppies, so I decided to get one as well. Turned out the one for me was a girl, but I went with the name Morrison still. Another friend of mine got the runt of the litter, a girl as well, and ended up naming her Joplin. It makes me giggle when people ask my baby’s name and when I tell them they kinda go; “Huh? Never heard that name for a girl..” And I always say: “Well, you have now.” I feel the same way about Lincoln. Hopefully more people (and not just celebrities) will be mixing it up!
Just wanted to chime in and say my son’s name is Lincoln.
I don’t like Lincoln for a girl, maybe she’ll go by Bell Shephard, that sounds cute.. but it’s not my baby so it doesn’t really matter what I think LOL
I think they named her Lincoln after the car Dax and his father restored. Which I think is a beautiful tribute (they couldn’t name her Dave, obviously). Congratulations to a gorgeous couple who deserves a lifetime of happiness!
I guess that makes it a little more palatable but I am disappointed she was named for a car.
At first, I hated the name, but after a while I really started to like it. It is definitely not the weirdest name out there. Besides, if she goes to school with Rainbow or Blue Ivy, I think she will be just fine.
As long as I don’t see the name Nixon – I’m good with presidents names for baby names.
And Lincoln is an admirable and adorable choice.
The last name as first name trend is pretty unisex, in my opinion. I know a little girl named Jackson (Jackie).
I really like them as individuals and as a couple, so I tend give a pass to little Lincoln’s name.