Jolie at peace with kids' names

By Karen Thomas, USA TODAY
Maddox is growing to be among the most popular baby names for boys.

Is Pax next?

Angelina Jolie's adoption of a Vietnamese boy she named Pax Thien Jolie was finalized Thursday, and the actress is due to bring him to the USA next week. Jolie is in the country with her Cambodian-born son Maddox, 5, while the multicultural family patriarch, Brad Pitt, stays in the USA with daughters Zahara, 2, and Shiloh, 10 months.

A look at the meanings behind the names in the Jolie-Pitt clan:

•Pax Thien, 3: The Vietnamese boy's name was changed Thursday from Pham Quang Sang, and his new name means "peaceful sky" in two languages. Pax means "peace" in Latin; Thien is Vietnamese for "sky." Rosenkrantz says Pax is a rarely used moniker, though its Spanish version (Paz) is much more common. The boy was born in November 2003 and was abandoned as an infant.

•Maddox Chivan, 5: Jolie was married to Billy Bob Thornton in 2002 when she adopted her first child, a Cambodian-born son named Rath Vibol. Maddox is a Celtic or Welsh name meaning "beneficent," but Chivan has no origin, says Rosenkrantz. "It's a name that certainly has not been used in the last century." Pitt formally adopted Mad (that's what they call him) in 2006.

•Zahara Marley, 2: Born Tena Adam, Zahara means "flower" in Swahili and "to shine" in Hebrew. Marley comes from reggae singer Bob Marley, a name Rosenkrantz says is popular for both boys and girls. Zahara was adopted in Ethiopia in 2005 after she was orphaned by AIDS, and the couple refer to her as "Z." Pitt was with Jolie when she signed the adoption papers, and he formally adopted Zahara last year.

•Shiloh Nouvel, 10 months: Jolie gave birth to the couple's youngest daughter in the African country of Namibia. Of Hebrew origin, Shiloh means "peaceful one," and Rosenkrantz says it is a name that's catching on for both sexes. The middle name is a homage to Jean Nouvel, a famous French architect who is among Pitt's favorites.

PAX MAKES IT SIX:

Pitt is under contract to be filming in Los Angeles, and he is expected to formally adopt Pax. Af for Jolie, she has cleared her work schedule in order to focus on the new addition to the family.

"I will stay at home to help Pax adjust to his new life," Jolie told Vietnam'sHo Chi Minh City Law newspaper on Friday. "I have four children and caring for them is the most important thing for me at the moment. I'm very proud and happy to be their mother."

Nguyen Van Trung, the director of the orphanage, reports that Pax got an early start to his big day. "This morning, he woke up at 6, just like all the children. He put on new clothes, and he was very excited."

But the trip wasn't free of turmoil. Trevor Neilson, Jolie's international affairs adviser, said Jolie complained of paparazzi swarming their van. Pax has been described by Vietnamese adoption officials as a little bit shy.

"Photographs and press coverage will make him upset," Jolie told the Ho Chi Minh City Law . "I'm very worried about that. I would like to say I'm sorry for bringing this into Pax's life."

Jolie's new addition opens up another option for expecting parents looking for a name. Today's young parents are "much more likely to name their children after a celebrity's child, and not after a celebrity," says Linda Rosenkrantz, co-author of The Baby Name Bible. "Just a couple of generations ago, there was no interest in knowing the names of stars' children or following celebrity pregnancies."

Rosenkrantz says it looks as if Jolie and Pitt have some clear patterns forming in the names they choose for their children.

Jolie has said that the couple would like to balance the races their family with two Asian children and two African children. "They seem to be going in an all-embracing way in terms of gender, meaning and balance," she says. The couple have chosen several unisex names for their children, and they have also moved toward recognizing their children's heritage or heroes with middle names