I never thought I’d find myself writing a post about Kim Kardashian, but here we are.
In case you missed the news:
After much anticipation, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are finally ready to reveal the name of their baby boy. Without further ado, the happy couple announced on Kim’s website that they decided on… Saint West! The post also revealed the baby boy weighed in at 8 lbs., 1 oz. The decision is one that was made towards the end of the reality star’s pregnancy journey. In fact, the 35-year-old and her hubby told E! News exclusively in November. “We just started talking about it and that was the last thing for us last time. So I feel confident obviously that we’ll figure it out.”
If you think that name is unusual, think again:
According to the Social Security Administration’s database of baby names, 32 boys born last year were named Saint. That’s more than the 13 kids born last year who were named North. (The SSA reports names by sex; to be included in the data, a name must have been given at least five times. In 2013, for example, all 20 babies in the data set named North were male, and North West isn’t included.) Over time, too, “Saint” seems more popular than “North.”
Of course, there’s a long and storied history of Christian families naming their children after saints; until the last century, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Catholic family without a Joseph, John or Mary in it. Italian families would often have a “Pio” (pious one) or “Santino” (little saint). And who knows how many families have decided they needed to have their very own “Jesus” or “Xavier” (savior) in the clan.
In that context, “Saint West” isn’t that surprising.
Neither is the family’s spiritual bent. It’s worth noting that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West made a highly publicized visit to the Holy Land earlier this year, where they had their daughter North baptized in a 12th century Armenian cathedral in Jerusalem and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
As one report at the time noted:
She is not exactly known for her religious fervour but it seems Kim Kardashian’s spiritual intrigue goes further than her husband’s nickname Yeezus.
Frankly, I feel sorry for North. When you have Yeezus for a father and Saint for a brother, it won’t be easy just being a point on the compass.
Photo: Getty Images
And today we celebrate...