
Over the weekend, Ashlee Simpson (sister of Jessica Simpson) and Pete Wentz (bassist for Fall Out Boy) had a baby, and in true celebrity fashion they gave it an unusual name: Bronx Mowgli. Yes, that's Bronx, as in the borough, and Mowgli, like the protagonist of The Jungle Book.
Leaving the Mowgli aside for a minute—actually, let's never bring that up again—Bronx is just the next in a series of celebrities naming their kids after places on the map. There's Brooklyn Beckham, son of David Beckham and Posh Spice. There's Paris Jackson, daughter of Michael Jackson. Even our own Ron Howard's IMDb page says his children's middle names are chosen after the places they were conceived (creepy!), which is why two of his kids have the middle name Carlyle, after the Hotel Carlyle in New York City. (The last one is Bryce Dallas.)
Speaking of Dallas, Ashlee Simpson is from Texas, and Pete Wentz is from Illinois, so it's not immediately clear to me that either of them have ever even been to the Bronx. If they had just thrown their baby-naming dart a little bit northward, little Baby Wentz could have had a name inspired by our county. (And, honestly, doesn't Westchester Wentz have a much nicer ring to it?) If any other celebrities are looking for a hipster baby name—but don't want to be a poseur and pick one with a "tough" sound to it like the Bronx or Brooklyn—I've scoured the county's towns and hamlets and will count down the top ten Westchester-inspired baby names here, free of charge:
10. Vista
9. Purdys
8. Lincolndale
7. Waccabuc
6. Crugers
5. Hawthorne (which doubles as a literary name, like Mowgli, for twice the pretension)
4. Shenorock
3. Ardsley
2. Kisco
1. Verplanck
Hopefully, little Verplanck won't be made fun of by all of the Apples, Cocoas, Banjos, and Moxies out there.

Articles Editor Marisa LaScala joined Westchester Magazine in 2003, and ever since she's blown every paycheck at the Greenburgh Multiplex. She also staunchly defends Richard Kelly, doesn't mind spoiling the endings of trashy movies you're curious about but don't want to pay to see, wishes the Hold Steady would come and rock out Westchester, misses Arrested Development more than anyone can imagine, and still watches cartoons and Saturday Night Live. You can find more of her cultural criticism at www.popmatters.com, where she is a staff writer.
Reader Comments:
Oh man, you spurred me on with this blog....how 'bout if we took this nationwide and came up with names such as King of Prussia (PA), wonder why Michael Jackson didn't think of that one, after all, he has a "Prince"....and then there's always Truth or Consequences (NM)!!! Seriously i heard on one of these jerry springer type shows that there was a guy who named his son "Trout Fishing in America" - makes Waccabuc seem tame....
I actually know someone who has a son named Hutchinson. Yes, as in the Parkway. At least they live in New York, so it's not entirely random I suppose.