© Noam Galai
What do their four children's names mean?
Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
3 days ago
Blake Lively is wowing us with her incredible style while she promotes her new movie It Ends With Us - and has been supported by her husband Ryan Reynolds. The pair have had a very busy time recently, with Ryan also travelling the world while promoting Deadpool and Wolverine - while still being hands-on parents to their brood of four. Their four children have beautiful names - but what are the meanings behind them? Find out here…
© Getty Images
James
Blake and Ryan defied tradition when naming their first child James. Traditionally a masculine name, their nine-year-old daughter's unusual name comes from the Hebrew name Jacob and means 'holder of the heel'. Popular from Biblical times, in the Bible James was the son of Zebedee.
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In the Bible, James was the son of Zebedee, whose name meant "gift from God." It was also the name of two of Jesus’s apostles. Throughout history, the name also has Scottish roots, with several Scottish kings being named James over the centuries.
However, it appears that Blake and Ryan had a more simple reason for their decision, and named James after Ryan's father, who passed away shortly after she was born. Speaking about the situation, Ryan said: "It felt right. He got to see her, which makes me happy."
© Matt Winkelmeyer
Inez
Inez, seven, has a name with Spanish origins. Taken from the Latin word 'innoceus', Inez translates to pure or innocent, aw! While Blake and Ryan have remained more tight-lipped on why they picked the sweet name, Blake clarified the spelling with People, saying: "I had a new baby, Inez, with a 'z' even though everyone says it's with an 's.' I don't know why. Please tell Wikipedia."
© Michael Loccisano
Betty Reynolds
Four-year-old Betty's name may have inspired Taylor Swift's Folklore hit Betty, but where did the name originate from? Speaking about the name in a press release for her drinks range, Betty Buzz, Blake explained: "My dad's name was Ernest Brown Jr., but he was known as Ernie Lively.
MORE: Blake Lively shares sweet 'romantic thing' Ryan Reynolds did when they first dated
"He gave up his last name when he married my mom and any success he, or I, have experienced has been in a name that isn't his. So when I was working hard to build this company, I wanted any success to be in a name that was meaningful to him. Betty was his mom and his sister's name.
© Gotham
Olin Reynolds
Baby Olin, one, is the Reynolds' youngest child and only son. The one-year-old has a Swedish name which means "ancestor, to inherit, legacy, from the low-lying land". It shares similarities to names like Colin, Orion or Oliver.
MORE: Ryan Reynolds reveals eye-opening sleeping arrangement with Blake Lively
Ryan shared his son's name after they kept it private for a year while at the premiere for Deadpool and Wolverine. After naming them all, he added: "I love that my entire family is here."
Other Topics
- Blake Lively
- Celebrity Children
- Ryan Reynolds
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