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Why Angelina Jolie Named Her Twins Knox and Vivienne
Monday July 14, 2008

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive at the 13th annual Critics' Choice Awards on January 7, 2008 in Santa Monica, California.
Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt "have proven once again that they are the leaders in original baby-naming, even by Hollywood standards," baby name expert Pamela Redmond Satran, coauthor of Cool Names and The Baby Name Bible, tells Usmagazine.com.

The actress, 33, gave birth to twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline at the Fondation Lenval hospital in Nice, France on Saturday night.

(See 15 photos of her bump.)

"Vivienne is the French version of the ancient Latin name that means 'alive,'" Satran explains. A common English variation is Vivian, which was the name of Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman.

Except for Rosie O'Donnell's daughter Vivienne, the name "has not been on the fashion scope in the U.S.," Satran adds.

Jolie and Pitt's choice of Knox will boost its popularity among new parents, Satran predicts, "the same way they have with all their other children's names."

(See photos of Angelina and her children.)

Knox – Pitt's grandfather's middle name – also "matches" big brothers Maddox and Pax as a name that ends in X, Satran points out.

As for middle names, Marcheline was the name of Jolie's mother, who died of cancer last year, while Leon is Jolie's great-great grandfather's name.

(See photos of Angelina through the years.)

Satran gives Jolie and Pitt credit for their name choices.

"I applaud Brad and Angelina for being truly creative in a way that many other parents – celebrities and the rest of us – claim they want to be but aren't brave or individualistic enough to really achieve," she says.

Tell Us: Do you like the names Knox & Vivienne?

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