'Star-baby-name' fever hits Oz parents!

Melbourne, Jan 11 (ANI): Star baby names like Cruz, Shiloh and Maddox are becoming increasingly popular among new parents in Queensland.

According to the figures released by Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, babies named after those of Hollywood celebs have significantly increased last year.

The most popular celebrity baby name was Cruz. Nearly 48, babies were named after David and Victoria Beckham's third child and 46 babies were named Brooklyn after the couple's first son.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's tots' names were also popular, with 22 new Queenslanders named after Shiloh last year, 10 were named Maddox and seven Zahara.

Another twenty were named Rocco, after Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son, while three babies were named Suri after Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's daughter.

One couple has also named their tot after Coldplay singer Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow daughter Apple.

Southern Cross University associate professor of media studies Karen Brooks said the increase in celebrity baby names was "a sign of the times".

"We were all once part of a more religious culture and hence a lot of our names came from kings, queens, saints and heads of state," the Courier Mail quoted her as saying.

"But now with the emergence of a more secular society, we see more and more people looking up to celebrities - it's just a natural evolution of names," she added.

However, Brooks said parents should be wary not to name their child for the wrong reasons.

"A lot of parents want to give a name which makes their child stand out, but naming a child after a celebrity might do the opposite, because it's more a nod to the celebrity than to the child themselves," she said.

"What some parents don't realise is that a name can become heavy baggage for a child in later life, especially as a lot of celebrities are focussed on for the wrong reasons," she added. (ANI)