Sparrow James Midnight.

Yup. Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have welcomed a son. Harlow Winter Kate’s little brother will certainly generate some chatter.

Thoughts?

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

10 Comments

  1. Sparrow I almost don’t even rate it as a name. I like James, James is nice! Midnight… well its not summer, it follows that whole trend. I prefere Harlow Winter Kate.

  2. I used to work at a camp where the counselors were required to choose “camp names” in order to hide their true identity. One girl chose to go by Sparrow for the duration of the summer, so for me the name is indelibly feminine.

  3. Harlow still sounds like a boy’s name to me (even ignoring Jean), and Sparrow definitely swings feminine. That’s my biggest beef, although the rhyming thing is also bad.

    I get that people like weird names–I like them a little too much myself (and Midnight is pretty cool). But why people insist on putting them in the first name position, and relegating the normal, wearable, usable name to the invisible middle, I’ll never know…

    1. I agree with Annelise – that Harlow sounds more masculine and Sparrow sounds more feminine. Which is funny when they sound so similar. I guess it’s because Harlow is a lastname and that’s more ‘boyish’ to me and then Sparrow is a bird, so more delicate and pretty. (Not that I’d really like Harlow on a boy or Sparrow on a girl either. :P) It’s certainly entertaining to hear unusual names like this.

      I do like that they followed the same pattern for each child: unusual first name…oh hang on, they didn’t exactly – they put the ‘normal’ middle name in different spots. Ah well.

  4. Oh dear. I agree with JNE, the first thing I thought of was Captain Jack. Gah. What a terrible name. Especially for a boy. I can almost see Sparrow for a girl, especially with Lark and Wren being so adorable. But for a boy? No way. At least when he grows up he can go by James.

    So disappointing after Harlow Winter Kate. I thought they did great with that one.

  5. Hmmm… the rhyme style going on there is too much, I agree with Julie. And, while Harlow might conjure old Hollywood, Sparrow makes me think of Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow (and while I like me some Depp, it’s not the classiest association). After that, it’s Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” I do like the song.

    It also, of course, makes me think of birds. In general, I don’t mind bird names and probably wouldn’t dislike Sparrow if it weren’t for older sis’s rhyme-time name. They’re trying too hard, probably, but then again, at least they tried… (sometimes I wonder if some people just don’t look at the top 5 baby names and say, yep, OK, I’ll take that one).

  6. Ugh, Harlow and Sparrow almost rhyme and they are definitely a tongue twister.

    Can you imagine yelling “Sparrow and Harlow get your butt over here….” Half the time it will come out Sparlow and Harrow.

    In my mind they are named Kate and James.