Rumer Willis’ Baby Name Came from a Texting Typo: Learn About It and Other Offbeat Options

When choosing a baby name, inspiration can come from anywhere. For some, it may be a family tradition or the name of a beloved relative. For others, it could be a favorite character from literature or film. And then, there are those unexpected sources of inspiration – the ones that catch us by surprise and leave us with a unique and memorable moniker. One such instance is the case of Rumer Willis, who found her baby’s name in a most unconventional way – through a texting typo!

In the world of celebrity baby names, where Apple, North, and Blue Ivy have already set a high bar for uniqueness, a name originating from a typo has its own charm. It reminds us that the best ideas are sometimes born out of sheer randomness and spontaneity. So, if you’re on the hunt for a distinctive name for your little one, join us as we explore this amusing story and delve into other offbeat options that could spark your imagination.

Louetta

Louetta Isley Thomas Willis is one brilliant baby name! Louetta is a compound name combining Lou and Etta. It was once a popular choice in the US, but that hasn’t been true since the 1960s. The appellation enjoyed its most popular year in 1933! We hope Rumer’s choice helps bring this vintage charmer back to life.

More About Louetta

Rumer stumbled onto the name after trying to text Loretta but forgetting the “R.” A baby name borne by chance! Lou is a short form of Louise that means “renowned warrior.” Etta is a short form of longer names ending in it. Think Henrietta and Loretta. The root is taken to mean “poetry.” Let’s discover more baby names like it!

Annelore

Annelore is a compound German baby name for girls that was popular in the country in the 1940s. Elsewhere, it sounds fresh and new. It is a variant of Hannalore (which is also excellent). The name is comprised of Anna and Eleanore. Thus, you can take this name to mean “grace” and “God is my light.”

Eleodora

How excellent does the compound name Eleodora sound? We’d venture to say it is really, really excellent! Eleanor and Theodora are such established names for girls that it is a wonder how magical the compound of the two sounds together. For this name, you have the meaning “gift of God.” Also, we must tell you that you have your pick for a nickname for Eleodora: Dora, Ellie, Elle, Leo, etc.

Edna

Edna was a hugely popular name at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century in the US. It was a top 25 baby name for many years. However, the name began to take on a frumpy image, leaving it relatively unused by parents after the 1990s. Edna has Hebrew origins and is related to the name Eden, which means “delight.”

Mabel

Mabel reentered the US top 500 in 2017. The name had been off new parents’ radars for about fifty years. We are so excited to hear this charming, retro favorite once more. At its height in the 1880s and 1890s, Mabel proved an amicable alternative to Amabel, a Latin appellation that means “lovable.”

Evaluna

Classic meets trendy with the combination of Eva and Luna. Evaluna is similar to the pan-European name Evalina, but the Luna element does update that. For this name, you get the tremendous meaning of “life moon.” Not bad, right? A fun thing would be to flip the compound name so it is Luneva.

Idabel

Idabel has an adorable ring to it. Is it part Ida and part Belle or part Ida and part Mabel? You get to decide. The old-fashioned but fantastic Ida is a name of German origin that means “industrious.” Belle means “beautiful,” and Mabel means “lovable.” It’s just all-around goodness, no matter how you slice it. Compound name variants like Idabelle or Idabella are worth considering.

Enid

The year was 1954 when Enid last made the US top 1000. A primarily forgotten retro name for many US parents, Enid lives on in Arthurian Legend and Celtic folklore. Enid has Welsh origins and means “spirit.” Enid will sound terminally old-fashioned to many, but it holds plenty of charm.

Marylark

You can still come up with fresh possibilities for Mary baby names. We like Marylark, which sounds like you describe a delightfully happy (merry) bird. Nature combinations work best with Mary today, like Maryfleur or Maryflora.

Letitia

After a solid century on the top 1000 list, Letitia fell off in the early 1980s and has yet to return. We are absolutely bananas for this classic baby name as it yields some of the best nicknames in Tish, Tisha, Lettie, and Tia. Spelled Laetitia, the name belongs to the Roman goddess of celebration, happiness, and delight. Letitia has Latin origins, and it means “joy.”

Olivet

A biblical place name, Olivet coincidentally is a compound baby name that combines Olivia and Violet. For those looking for nature names that can also be combined, Olivet could be the winning ticket. With the popularity of both Olivia and Violet today, Olivet could be your perfect alternative.

Eudora

In Greek myth, Eudora was one of the Hyades, a set of sisters transformed into the star cluster that bears their name. This name was last used on a bunch of birth certificates in the 1920s! Eudora is pleasant and offers new parents nicknames, Eu and Dora. The Greek elements that form this name mean “generous gift.” We’ll take it!

Henrietta

Despite a return to such feminization of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, clanky Henrietta has yet to make it into that group. We have a soft spot for this baby name that fell out of favor in the sixties. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the story of the poor black woman whose cells became one of the essential tools in medical research, has brought this name back to the spotlight in recent years. The name shares its meaning with Henry, “estate ruler.”

RELATED: 50+ Cutest Celebrity Baby Names for Parents Who Are Looking for Colorful and Offbeat Options

Posyanna

Inspired by the children’s book character, Pollyanna, we thought the combination of Posyanna could be an updated compound form. It’s a bit flowery, but at least it does not come with the baggage that Pollyanna does, as it is used as a word to describe people with an overly optimistic outlook on life. Posy is an English name that means “a bunch of flowers,” and Anna is the old standard here.

Rosemay

If you read Rosemary, give this quirky alternative a second look. Rosemay is an updated compound baby name that will likely be confused with Rosemary often. But, if that does not deter you, we find Rosemay to have plenty of virtues. It could be the perfect option for a May baby, or you could even use it as a unique middle name.

Miriam

Miriam is currently the number one name for girls in Israel. Miriam appears in Exodus as the older sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess who led the triumphal song and dance after the crossing of the Red Sea and the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians. This name comes from the same Hebrew elements as Mary, meaning “drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved.” The name is a top 1000 pick in the US today but is far from its glory days in the 1920s.

Verily

Verily is the rare English word name that most parents are overlooking today. It indeed means “truly.” But this name can also be considered a compound of Vera and Emily or Vera and Lily. It works because it is similar to Verity or Cecily. Vera is a name of Russian origin that means “faith.” While Emily means “rival.”

Leona

A top 100 name from 1896 to 1921, Leona reached as high as number 72. Since then, Leona had seemed to be one of the most unfashionable “lion” names. Leona does indeed mean “lioness,” which helps to give it some bite. Leona returned to the top 1000 in 2009 and has been slowly rising. People see what we see in this baby name.

Zoelle

We come to the remarkable Zoelle. This compound baby name combines Zoe and Elle. Zoelle sounds like a zippy twist to the classic name Noelle while being its own standalone option. A variant that is also worth considering is Zoella, which is on the rise today.

Berenice

American photographer Berenice Abbott was a famed artist who excelled at capturing captivating portraits of cultural figures. Berenice is a storied name belonging to Ptolemaic Egyptian queens and a 4th-century Saint. The name enjoys Greek origin and means “she who brings victory.”

Milou

Milou is a massive hit in the Netherlands today. Last year, it ranked as the 16th most popular name for baby girls there. This compound name is simply a combination of Marie plus Louise. It’s making its way stateside as Barron and Tessa Hilton recently chose it for their daughter. Also remarkable is the Danish form of the name Malou.

Opal

Opal is on the verge of getting a new shine following other jewel names like Ruby and Pearl. Opal is a top 100 name during the first two decades of the twentieth century and has an excellent chance of returning today. It’s a vintage baby name on the rise! Opal has Sanskrit origins and means “gem.” It was a favorite gem of Queen Victoria. The opal is the birthstone for October, so this could be very attractive for new parents expecting a fall baby.

Marisol

Marisol is the charming Spanish compound name of your dreams. It combines Maria de la Soledad into a streamlined charmer. This name means “Mary of Solitude” and refers to the Virgin Mary—Our Lady of Solitude. Marisol is the most popular compound name in the US today! We can’t get enough of it.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 30 Weird Celebrity Baby Names from Apple to Zuma

Philomena

In the US, Philomena ranked in the top 1000 through 1940, peaking at number 355 in 1915. Abroad, the baby name is still in use in most English-speaking communities. We would love that to be true for America as well. Philomena is a modest Greek baby name that means “lover of strength.” In Greek myth, Philomena was an Athenian princess whom the gods transformed into a nightingale.

Ultimately, the name you give your child is a personal decision that many factors can influence. Whether you choose a traditional name, follow a family tradition, or find inspiration in an unexpected place like Rumer Willis, the most important thing is that the name resonates with you. After all, a name is more than just a label – it’s the first gift you’ll give your child. So, whether you’re inspired by a texting typo or the name of a favorite character, embrace the process and remember that the best names often have the best stories behind them.