Kourtney Kardashian welcomed her baby girl to the world this weekend, naming the new arrival Penelope Scotland. Rumor has it, though, that she had a different name in mind not long ago: Maxwell! Her plans were dashed when Jessica Simpson decided on the very same name for her daughter in May.
According to the National Enquirer, the Kardashian clan “went crazy” when Jessica “stole” the name Maxwell, making Kourtney and her boyfriend Scott Disick scramble to pick a replacement.
If true, I feel for Kourtney – it’s hard enough coming up with one name you both love and agree on, never mind two – but is this a case of theft or just bad luck? My vote is the latter. After all, Jessica had good reason to pick the name Maxwell: It’s her fiance Eric Johnson’s middle name and his grandmother’s surname. And Penelope is a lovely name, so it seems it all worked out in the end.
It does beg the question, though: Can you really steal a baby name? Apparently you can. According to a BabyCenter survey, 1 in 5 moms have fallen victim to baby name theft. Asked if they would take a name a friend or family member had laid claim to, 81% of moms said never.