Ikea and Moet among brands picked for unusual baby names

by Joe Lepper, Brand Republic 08-Nov-05, 08:55

LONDON – Furniture store Ikea, Cadbury's Caramel and Moet champagne are among a raft of brands increasingly being chosen by parents as baby names.

According to research by baby products firm Bounty, which looked at latest birth records, babies with unusual names are up by 20% over the past year.

In addition to strange names such as Tiger, Fire-Lily, Paprica (sic) and Tudor, parents are also opting for brand names, with Levi for girls included in the list of parents' choices.

Other strange names include Apricot, Rivers, Skylark and Bambi.

Brand names are also cropping up among more common choices of name, with one parent giving her son the name Ryan, but admitting that it was after the airline Ryanair.

Bounty managing director Simon Williamson says this growing trend suggests parents are attempting to ensure their children stand out from the crowd and achieve success in later life, in the same way branding experts approach a product.

He said: "Parents look to the future to see where they want to position their children. Part of that is making them memorable and unique."

This rise in unusual names follows a spate of bizarre choices by celebrities who have recently become parents, including the actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband Coldplay singer Chris Martin naming their child Apple.

David and Victoria Beckham are also famous for the daring choices of names for their three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

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