Historically, it has required a lifetime of virtue, charity, and piety to be declared a saint. However, when Kim and Kanye (AKA Kimye) announced their newborn son’s name on Saturday, they showed the world that at least for this new West, sainthood is a birthright. And even though Kim made it clear that they wouldn’t be welcoming another cardinal direction into the family, many pointed out that Kimye’s kids’ initials are now NW and SW.
Here at Catchword, we do a pretty good job of staying off the gossip channels and, you know, focusing on creating awesome names. Every once in a while, though, there’s that story, usually about a famous baby name, that pulls us into the interwebz. But here’s one of the great things about this job: one man’s self-indulgent voyeurism is another namer’s research!
By the numbers, Saint is actually a more popular name than North, winning out by a score of 32 boys to 13 girls of American babies born last year. Still, both North and Saint are relatively obscure, showing that Kimye aren’t afraid to take a bold step into the underexplored landscape of real word baby names. In the corporate world, the naming strategy of simple, real words has long been implemented by some of the biggest brands out there, like Apple, Virgin, and Target. So are Kimye setting up their kids for some hardcore personal branding? Perhaps. Or maybe Saint ties in with Kanye’s personal holy moniker, Yeezus. He did release a song in 2013 called “I Am God.”
In the end, while the speculation and gibing is fun, it’s more appropriate to celebrate the name. I actually think that Saint is a great baby name. Is there anyone that parents venerate more than their newborn child? Saint is a creative and memorable way for Kimye to convey their adoration for their son. Don’t listen to the noise–it’s a normal reaction to mold-breaking creativity. And let’s face it, even if he wasn’t Saint, he’d still be holier than thou.
Grade: A
