by Sophie Kihm

　　Baby name sibset patterns can be very cute and add cohesion when done well. But sometimes it can get you into trouble. Take Ayesha and Steph Curry. They have two daughters named Riley and Ryan, and now Ayesha is pregnant with their third child. Ryker or Ryder seems like the obvious choice for a boy, but if they have another daughter, this could be the end of the Ry– pattern.

　　Kimberly and James Van Der Beek (shown) are also in a predicament if they have another baby girl. Each of their children has a 3+ syllable name, and their daughters’ names all start with vowels—O, A, and E– which leaves I and U. My top choice for them is Isla, which follows the different vowel pattern, but not the syllable count one.

　　All this is to say—patterns can be great, but if they’re too restrictive, be prepared to give up some of the requirements as more children are added to the mix. I’m excited to see how these celebrities handle the challenge, and I’ve weighed in with my predictions below.

　　Laina Rose Thyfault and Chris Klein

　　Gender: unknown

　　Siblings: Frederick Easton “Easton”

　　Laina Rose Thyfault and Chris Klein’s son Frederick is named for Chris‘s dad, Fred, but the kiddo actually goes by his middle name, Easton, which gives us a better sense of his parents’ naming style. However, I’d love to see them follow a similar pattern of using the honor names first. Chris‘s mother’s name offers some great possibilities—her maiden name, Bergen, would be darling on a son, and while slightly dated, her first name, Therese, lends itself to the sweet (and not at all dated) nickname Tess.

　　Girl: Addison, Delaney, Hadley, Harper, Piper, Quinn, Sydney, Tess, Therese

　　Boy: Beckett, Bergen, Carter, Clayton, Greyson, Landon, Lincoln, Tucker

　　*Update* It’s a girl—welcome Isla Rose!

　　Ayesha and Steph Curry

　　Gender: unknown

　　Siblings: Riley, Ryan Carson (g)

　　Golden State Warriors star player Steph Curry (born Wardell) and his wife Ayesha are expecting their third child, but after daughters named Riley and Ryan, what name comes next? There are only so many other Ry– names (and many of them rhyme with Ryan), so my best guess is that they might give up the Ry– sound pattern for the broader R initial one.

　　Girl: Raelyn, Raven. Reagan, Reese, Rhiannon, Ria, Ridley, Ripley, Rissa

　　Boy: Rayden, Raymond, Rico, Rigby, River, Roman, Rowan, Ryder, Ryker

　　*Update* They didn’t go with another Ry- name—it’s a boy named Canon W. Jack!

　　Luisana Lopilato and Michael Bublé

　　Gender: unknown

　　Siblings: Noah, Elias

　　Noah and Elias are both gentle names for boys that have a religious bent. They also work well in Luisana Lopilato’s native Spanish, an important factor to consider when naming cross-cultural babies. Luisana and Michael obviously aren’t averse to to using names higher up on the popularity charts, so I imagine they will use another well-liked moniker for Elias and Noah‘s baby brother or sister.Girl: Amelia, Annabella, Eden, Grace, Hannah, Isabel, Lily, Mia, Olivia, Sofia

　　Boy: Asher, Benjamin, Caleb, Ezra, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Levi, Micah, Samuel

　　*Update* A little girl—Vida!

　　Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent

　　Gender: boy

　　Siblings: Poppy

　　Interior design superstars Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are adding a baby boy to their family! They named their daughter Poppy back in 2015—a stylish choice that’s underused in America, but quite popular across the pond. In all likelihood, they’ll choose a similarly friendly and fashionable name for her younger brother.

　　Boy: Graham, Felix, Jack, Jasper, Leland, Lyle, Milo, Oliver, Otis, Theo, Toby

　　*Update* Welcome, Oskar Michael!

　　Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney

　　Gender: unknown

　　Siblings: Owen Isabelle (previous relationship)

　　Singer Michelle Branch gave her daughter the gender-bending name Owen over a decade ago. Now, twelve years later, she is expecting her second child. Have her tastes shifted over the years, or would she go for another masculine name for a daughter? Whatever she picks, I’m sure it will be modern and stylish.Girl: Elliot, Finn, James, Jude, Kit, Mason, Noa, Parker, Rory, Sawyer

　　Boy: Beckett, Camden, Dashiell, Griffith, Jack, Magnus, Sullivan, Wyatt

　　*Update* Hello, Rhys James!

　　Rachel McAdams and Jamie Linden

　　Gender: unknown

　　Siblings: none

　　Rachel McAdams may be best known for her acting, but she’s also an active environmentalist. That makes me wonder if she’ll choose a nature name for her baby, although with a surname like Linden, it could become too much of a good thing. Perhaps a name with subtle nature ties, like Cyrus or Daphne, might be better for Rachel and Jamie‘s son or daughter.

　　Girl: Clover, Daphne, Flora, Laurel, Magnolia, Mavis, Rose, Violet, Willow

　　Boy: Canyon, Cyrus, Danner, Dune, Field, Forest, Fox, Grove, Moss, River

　　Kimberly and James Van Der Beek

　　Gender: unknown

　　Siblings: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel Leah, Emilia

　　After four children, the Van Der Beeks have clearly defined preferences when it comes to baby names. Long, soft names are a must for either gender, and for their daughters, they like names that start with vowels. Some of these requirements are more easily met than others, so I’m eager to see which ones the Van Der Beeks value most when they name baby #5.

　　Girl: Adeline, Audrey, Elena, Elodie, Camilla, Grace, Iris, Isla, Ivy, Lilia, Lucia

　　Boy: Adrian, Benjamin, Elijah, Elliott, Jameson, Noah, Samuel, Silas, Wesley

　　*Update* Another girl, but not another vowel name—baby girl is Gwendolyn!

　　Sophie Flack and Josh Charles

　　Gender: unknown

　　Siblings: Rocco

　　The strong but friendly name Rocco was chosen by Sophie Flack and Josh Charles for their son back in 2014. Although the name is Italian in origin, neither Sophie nor Josh have Italian heritage. That makes me think they chose Rocco more for its style cred than its backstory, so I don’t think we should expect another Italian name from this couple. Although who knows? Rocco and Luca makes a pretty darn cute combination.

　　Girl: Adele, Alma, Cleo, Della, Evie, Frieda, Gemma, Luella, Stella

　　Boy: Arlo, Benji, Cosmo, Duke, Hugo, Julius, Luca, Maxim, Nico, Otto

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　　And your weekly bonus: Katinka‘s choices of some of the most interesting forum threads in the past seven days.

　　*Lovers of ultra-feminine names, this way! Two long-lists full of fabulous, flowing names which are fit for a queen.

　　*And on the flipside… boys’ names on girls: where do you draw the line?

　　*It’s a common complaint on the forums: my family hates my chosen name! How important is family approval to you?

　　*Birds of a feather: some wonderfully outside-the-box suggestions for a baby brother to Sparrow and Wren.

　　*And last but by no means least, sometimes a thread just demonstrates so perfectly what a smart and sensitive community there is here on Nameberry. We’re loving these wise words from members on how to deal with negative name meanings.