James Gunn, co-chairman of DC Studios and director of the Superman film, reacted with amusement when YouTube personality Trisha Paytas announced she named her and Moses Hacmon’s newborn son Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacmon. In a July 27 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Gunn expressed his playful curiosity about the choice and the implications of such a distinctive name, emphasizing a hopeful but teasing concern for the child’s future in school. His response highlighted the intersection of pop culture and personal identity wrapped in the unique naming decision.
The Origins and Meaning Behind Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacmon’s Name
Paytas, who already shares two children with Hacmon—Malibu, 2, and Elvis, 14 months—explained the inspiration for their third son‘s name during her July 22 episode of Just Trish podcast. She related it directly to her deep affection for the Aquaman movies and her husband’s love of water. She shared that the selection was deliberate and meaningful, combining their personal interests and astrological signs to reflect a water theme.
She said,
“Not only is it so related to me, but it’s also so related to Moses,”
highlighting her longtime fandom:
“I’ve been wearing Aquaman t-shirts for years. I’ve gone to so many comic-cons for Aquaman. And I really fell in love when we rewatched Aquaman.”
The water connection extended beyond the character as she noted,
“Cancer is a water sign, Moses loves water. So then we’re like, ‘Okay, we need to think of water theme.’”
Before settling on Aquaman, the couple considered alternative names such as Water Snake, inspired by a poem Hacmon wrote. Trisha stated,
“I love ‘Water Snake,’ It’s the Year of the Snake, Moses is a snake, We love water. I loved [the movie] Water World. I loved the name Water.”
She also added,
“At the end of the day, Moses loves water,”
showing her embrace of his affinity.
James Gunn’s Playful Concerns About Growing Up with the Name Aquaman
Despite his entertainment industry accomplishments, Gunn reflected on his own schooling experience and how his surname often sparked teasing through nicknames like Tommy Gun, BB Gun, and Raygun. Regarding Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacmon, he wittily wondered,
“Are they gonna call him AQ?”
and questioned,
“get made fun of in school?”
More humorously, he pondered,
“Do kids make fun of kids anymore?”
which showed a mix of nostalgia and bemusement.
Co-interviewees Frank Grillo and Tim Meadows, present during the interview, offered reassurance that the unique name would likely not present any serious difficulties for the child and that he would be fine growing up with it.
Celebrity Baby Names: A Look at Unique and Meaningful Choices
The naming of Aquaman Moses adds to a long list of distinctive and symbolic names chosen by celebrities, often reflecting personal stories, cultural connections, or meaningful inspirations. Below are several notable examples of unusual or thoughtfully selected celebrity baby names accompanied by their backstories.
Apple Martin
Chris Martin named his daughter Apple, a choice that Gwyneth Paltrow described as inspired by sweetness and wholesomeness.
“When we were first pregnant, her daddy said, ‘If it’s a girl I think her name should be Apple’…It sounded so sweet, and it conjured such a lovely picture for me, you know. Apples are so sweet and they’re wholesome, and it’s biblical,”
Paltrow shared with Oprah Winfrey.
X Æ A-Xii Musk
Elon Musk and singer Grimes introduced their son, originally named X Æ A-12, in May 2020. Due to California’s naming laws, they later adjusted the spelling to X Æ A-Xii, substituting roman numerals for numerals. Grimes explained, “X, the unknown variable,” and added,
“Æ, my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence) A-12 = precursor to SR-17 (our favorite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent.”
She also associated “A=Archangel, my favorite song,” accompanied by symbolic emojis. The couple welcomed their daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, via surrogate in March 2022, with Grimes describing the name as rooted in supercomputing terms and cosmic mysteries:
“Exa is a reference to the supercomputing term exaFLOPS (the ability to perform 1 quintillion floating-point operations per second),”
and explained,
“Dark, meanwhile, is ‘the unknown. People fear it but truly it’s the absence of photons. Dark matter is the beautiful mystery of our universe.’”
She pronounced Sideræl as “sigh-deer-ee-el,” representing
“the true time of the universe, star time, deep space time, not our relative earth time,”
and noted it was inspired by her favorite Lord of the Rings character, Galadriel.
Kulture Kiari Cephus
Cardi B and Offset named their daughter Kulture in 2018. Cardi B emphasized the uniqueness of the name, saying,
“Kulture [heart emojis] anything else woulda been basic Okrrrrr.”
The middle name, Kiari, honors Offset’s first name.
Atlas Noa
Shay Mitchell described her love for her daughter Atlas Noa, revealing a profound emotional transformation. She said,
“In my 32 years of life I thought I had seen a lot of places, experienced a lot of things, met a lot of people and felt love…then came you,”
and added,
“Truth is I had no idea I was capable of loving anything like this before you arrived.”
The couple expanded their family with daughter Rome in 2022.
Esmeralda Amada
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling named their daughter Esmeralda Amada in 2014, drawing inspiration from Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame and family heritage. Mendes said,
“Ryan and I both love the Esmeralda character from the Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and we just think it’s a beautiful name,”
and added,
“Amada was my grandmother’s name. It means ‘beloved’ in Spanish.”
They later named their second daughter Amada Lee Gosling, continuing the connection.
Raddix Madden
Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden chose Raddix for their daughter’s name, with Diaz posting on Instagram,
“She is really really cute. Some would even say RAD.”
Their son Cardinal was born in 2024.
Elsie Otter Pechenik
Zooey Deschanel explained the reasoning behind her daughter’s name, inspired by otters’ characteristics. She said they are
“really sweet, they’re also smart, they use tools to keep their favorite tools, [and] they hold hands while they sleep.”
Stormi Webster
Kylie Jenner revealed she called her daughter “Stormie” while pregnant because the name “just always felt right.” Jenner and Travis Scott named their son Aire, announcing him a year after his 2022 birth.
Ocean King
Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega named their child Ocean King to reflect spiritual beliefs. Alexa said,
“God called the dry ground ‘land’ and the water the ‘seas’. And God saw that it was good. That is why we went with Ocean. And he is a son of the one true ‘King’. For us it has a beautiful biblical meaning.”
Canon Wardell Jack
Steph and Ayesha Curry’s third child carries a name meaning “officiant of the church” and “young wolf,” combining personal and symbolic significance.
Lazer Lee Louis Pentz
Diplo named his second son after his electronic dance music trio, Major Lazer, reflecting artistic identity.
Luna Simone
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen named their daughter Luna Simone after a blood moon visible shortly before her birth. Legend recalled,
“There was a blood moon happening, and it was really a beautiful night,”
and added,
“There was a really big, vivid red moon. It was just gorgeous.”
Andara Rose
Bachelor Nation’s Krystal Nielson and Miles Bowles shared the name of their daughter via a joyful announcement, declaring,
“It’s official!!! Glitter baby has a name!!!! Introducing our beautiful angel, Andara Rose Bowles.”
Future Zahir
The son of Ciara and Future was named Future Zahir in 2014, connecting to his father’s stage identity.
Willow Smith
Willow Smith’s name honors her father Will Smith, while her brother Jaden’s name takes inspiration from their mother, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Bear Blu Jarecki
Alicia Silverstone and Christopher Jarecki chose Bear Blu as a combination of favored names for their son.
Monroe & Moroccan Cannon
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon named their twins inspired by Hollywood glamour and personal significance: daughter Monroe, after Marilyn Monroe, and son Moroccan, reflecting the Moroccan-style decor where Nick proposed to Mariah in their New York City apartment.
Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver
Chef Jamie Oliver and wife Juliette Norton named their son Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver, continuing a tradition of creative names alongside his sisters Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo, River Rocket, and Petal Blossom Rainbow.
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt named their daughter Shiloh, a name meaning “Messiah” or “Peaceful One.” They also share children Maddox, Pax, Zahara, and twins Vivienne and Knox.
Antonio Kamakanaalohamaikalani Harvey Sabato III
Antonio Sabato Jr. and Cheryl Moana Marie Nunes chose a middle name for their child that translates from Hawaiian as
“a beloved gift from the heavens.”
Sparrow Madden
Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son Sparrow, inspired partially by the Disney character Captain Jack Sparrow. Richie commented,
“We really just have to work with whatever it is we both agree on, so I really liked Sparrow from Captain Jack Sparrow, and he liked it for different reasons.”
Suri Cruise
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes named their daughter Suri after discovering the name in a book before her birth. Cruise told Vanity Fair,
“We had the name before we found out because we both thought the baby would be a girl,”
adding,
“Some friends of ours sent us two [baby-naming] books. When we came to the name Suri, we both loved it. And we both said, ‘Suri Cruise.’ We later found out that it meant ‘red rose,’ and that was just a bonus. Suri—it was perfect.”
Pilot Inspektor Lee
Jason Lee named his son after a Grandaddy song titled
“He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot.”
Bluebell Madonna Halliwell
Geri Halliwell named her daughter Bluebell Madonna inspired by the flower’s rarity and her mother’s influence. She shared with Hello!,
“What really clinched it for me was my mother telling me that the bluebell is increasingly rare—so it’s a precious flower, which seems just right for my daughter,”
with the middle name honoring her favorite performer.
Bronx Mowgli Wentz
Pete Wentz named his son Bronx Mowgli inspired by The Jungle Book, explaining,
“The Jungle Book was something that me and Ashlee bonded over, so…it’s a cool name.”
Why Celebrity Baby Names Continue to Fascinate
These distinctive baby names reflect the diversity, creativity, and personal significance that celebrities infuse into their family lives. Each name carries a story that intertwines cultural references, personal passions, and heartfelt meanings—whether it’s rooted in music, literature, astrology, faith, or beloved pop culture icons. The playful and sincere reactions from public figures like James Gunn to unconventional names such as Aquaman Moses demonstrate how names can bridge fantasy worlds with real-life identity, signaling a broader cultural trend of embracing uniqueness and storytelling through naming.
