‘Hi there Bradym, my name is Angelina Jolie ’

Naming your baby can be quite tricky, as Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge would have realised last week when they opted to call their son – third in line to the British throne – a very ‘safe’ George. However, George Alexander Louis pales in comparison with some of the more daring choices made my Maltese parents last year. The Sunday Times of Malta has seen the list of babies’ first names registered in 2012. Among them: Chazelle, Kimaya, Stoyan, Zvaiden, Shelston, Crivio, Blue May, Goodluck, America Lou, Caydel, Clayzin and Donnachienne. In three years’ time, when children start kindergarten, their class register may sound more like the screen credits of a Hollywood film. Several of the children of 2012 have been named after singers: Enya, Leona, (after British singer Leona Lewis), Miley (for teen star Miley Cyrus), and Kimora (after Kimora Simmons, an American fashion model). There are four Rihannas, and for a more original take there is a Kiannha and a boy named Buuren (for the Dutch trance music DJ). Actors’ names also make an appearance: there’s a Kendra (possibly for the actress and former Playboy model); a Deniro, and an Angelina Jolie! When she grows up Angelina...