Gwyneth Paltrow Explains Why She And Chris Martin Chose The Name 'Apple'
The former celebrity couple made headlines when they named their daughter in 2004.
Of all the out-of-the-box celebrity baby names from the last two decades, “Apple” seems to maintain its standing at the top of the ranks. (Elon Musk and Grimes’ kids monikers — X Æ A-12 (aka “X”) and Exa Dark Sideræl — take first prize, though.)
When the unique name was first revealed in 2004, fans and critics alike scratched their heads. However, nowadays, Apple is iconic — and from the sound of it, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin knew it would be from the beginning.
During an Instagram Q&A over the weekend, Paltrow revealed her ex Martin was initially the one who suggested calling their daughter Apple.
"Her dad came up with the name and I fell in love with it," she said of their now 17-year-old. "I thought it was original and cool. I can't imagine her being called anything else."
Paltrow first discussed Martin’s juicy pick back in 2004 during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
"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,” she said. “Apples are so sweet and they're wholesome and it's biblical, and I just thought it sounded so lovely. "
What she didn’t expect was the “international outrage” the moniker would cause.
“I found it surprising, because there are people named Rose or Lily or Ivy or June. You know, lots of pretty nouns,” Paltrow told Winfrey, who chimed in, “She may be the first Apple.”
“Since she’s been born, I’ve heard of some other Apples,” a grinning Paltrow responded as the audience laughed, “who were already alive and in the world as Apple.”
“Apple” still doesn’t appear in the top 1000 baby names for girls in 2020, according to the Social Security Administration’s baby name tracker.
Paltrow and Martin, who famously “consciously uncoupled” in 2014, also have a 16-year-old son named Moses. The 49-year-old is now married to TV producer Brad Falchuk and Martin has been in a relationship with Dakota Johnson since 2017.
The exes are still good pals, though, with Paltrow even joking with Martin on Instagram when Musk and Grimes’ announced their son’s name, X Æ A-12: “#ChrisMartin I think we got beat for most controversial baby name.”
It’s apples and oranges. Touché, Gwyn.
