Unique names for celebrity offspring is nothing new. Remember Frank Zappa's kids, Dweezil, Moon Unit and Diva Muffin? Given the current public fervor over any sign of a baby bump (or is that just bloat?), celebrity babies – and their monikers – are under more scrutiny than ever before.

Some stars know how to play the name game. Others ... well, I just shake my head in confusion and occasionally, dismay. Life for a star's kid can't be normal, so I understand why a celeb wouldn't think twice about giving the little one a name that stands out. But, I have to say it: Standing out and inviting a playground beating are two totally different things.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck opted for a classic designation for their daughter, Violet. Nary a negative response has been heard to their choice. Flower names, such as Rose, Daphne, Daisy and Holly, have been popular since the 19th Century. Violet is a sweet name, really. (It's not Ben and Jen's fault that scenes from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory keep popping into my head.)

Ben and Jen aren't the only ones turning to nature for inspiration. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith found comfort in Willow, while Jude Law and Sadie Frost picked Iris.

Plenty of other stars go the traditional route ... at least with baby names. Jon Stewart has a Nathan. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick coddle James, and Mary-Louise Parker and Billy Crudup share son William. Props to these parents who decided not to draw additional attention to their wee ones.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt also erred on the side of classic with the name Vivienne. Sadly, Vivienne's twin, Knox, fared less well in comparison. (This 'it" couple has a thing with "X." All of their sons – Knox, Maddox and Pax – bear this unusual letter.) Distinctive names seem to be Jolie-Pitt family tradition (ex. Shiloh and Zahara), but I'd probably be happiest being Vivienne.

Paparazzi stalked celeb baby Suri, daughter of couch-hopping Tom Cruise and his wife, Katie Holmes. Upon her grand entrance, Suri's name got mixed reviews. I must be of the same mind set as the "unconvinced." As with any name, it's a game of association ... and I can't help but start humming "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" from the musical Oklahoma!

Other stars flat out flunked with popular opinion and name choices. Nicholas Cage named his son Kal-el, as in Superman's birth name. I get that Nick's a big Superman fan, but really? I can only hope that by the time Kal-el hits school there will be no sci-fi nerds. Wait. There are always sci-fi nerds.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin went Biblical with their son, Moses, and ... organic (?) with their daughter, Apple. OK, Moses, while a bit old school, I get. But Apple? I mean, it's akin to naming your son Asparagus – or Laptop. I see big-time teasing in Apple's future. Unless big bank accounts can buy a kid out of that classic childhood experience.Following in the shouldn't-this-be-on-a-grocery-list list is Coco, the daughter of Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette. There's a rumor that Coco is short for Courteney Cox. Whether this is true or not, little Coco is aided by the fact that the designing powerhouse Gabrielle Chanel went by this very nickname. (I'd take this moniker over Apple any day.)

No list of celeb baby names would be complete without the downright weird. The names that make you utter, "What were they thinking?" For as well as many celebrities have fared in the name game, there are a few that you'd like to take outside for a little talking to ... and beating about the head.David Duchovny and Tea Leoni put one simple word down on their son's birth certificate: Kyd. As in, "Hey, kid!" Maybe there's a meaningful story behind this name. Perhaps it's a traditional family designation sacred in Duchovny/Leoni history. I most sincerely hope so; because really, what can someone say about this besides, "huh?!"

Jason Lee is in a tie for strangest name with Shannyn Sossamon (of a very fleeting A Knight's Tale fame). Lee decided to call his son Pilot Inspektor. Sossamon opted for Audio Science. One sounds like a vocation, and the other a textbook on car stereos. I really can't help but feel sorry for these kids – despite the fact that they probably have more in their piggy banks than I do in all of my bank accounts combined.Lee, who's had some serious ribbing over his choice, claims that his son loves his name. (An aside: I'd like to point out that when the character Julian was asked what he wanted to be called in the movie Big Daddy, the kid requested the name Frankenstein. Kids don't have the best taste in the world. How else can you explain Barney?)

But let's be fair. Celebrities, like normal people, have a wide array of tastes. Some are more adventurous than others. Every one of us can point to a kid in school who had a really unique name. Some wore them with pride, while others just learned to roll with the punches – both physical and emotional.

Personally, I'll forever applaud members of the Butt family, who many years ago attended my local school. In particular, I applaud their mother, who went by both her maiden and married name ... Bushy Butt. It didn't hurt that the kids were really good looking. Doesn't harm most celebrities and their progeny, either, come to think of it.