Benji Madden Calls Niece Kate Madden a “Bad Ass” in Birthday Shoutout

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Benji Madden is appreciating all the little things about his niece.  

Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden wrote a touching message to Kate Madden, the eldest daughter of his brother Joel Madden and Nicole Richie, to celebrate her 18th birthday.

On January 12th, Nicole shared a heartfelt Instagram post celebrating special moments with her daughter. They enjoyed all sorts of activities together, like feeding ducks, having lunch, and taking selfies. Benji, reflecting the close bond the Madden family shares, expressed how much Kate (full name Harlow Winter Kate Madden) has grown up over the years.

The 46-year-old left a comment on the post saying, “How to make a grown man cry!!!” They continued with a loving message to Kate, saying, “Love you Kate! You’re amazing! Never forget that! Happy 18th birthday!!”

Joel, 46, also joined in on the birthday love in the comments section, writing, “That’s my girl.” 

He shared a heartfelt message with his daughter on Instagram, posting an old photo of them together backstage at one of his concerts and wishing her a happy 18th birthday.

Beyond simply celebrating her birthday, the heartfelt messages from her family show Kate is also acknowledging a significant personal change: accepting her new name. Her parents, Nicole and Joel—who also share a 16-year-old son named Sparrow—explain that their daughter’s full name is a blend of things they both love.

Back in 2008, she shared with People magazine that she’d always been fond of the name Kate, but didn’t think it was unique enough for her child. She was hoping for a more unconventional, ‘hippie’ name, while her partner preferred something with biblical origins.

He celebrated his daughter’s 18th birthday with a heartfelt message on Instagram Stories, posting an old photo of them together backstage at one of his shows. He simply wrote, “Happy 18.”

Beyond simply celebrating her birthday, the heartfelt messages from her family show Kate is also acknowledging a significant personal change: accepting her new name. Her parents, Nicole and Joel – who also share a 16-year-old son named Sparrow – explain that Kate’s full name is made up of things they both love.

I remember reading that Kate Middleton once said she always thought ‘Kate’ was a lovely name, but she and William both agreed it was a bit too simple for their child. She was hoping for something a little more free-spirited, while he leaned towards names with biblical origins. It was fascinating to see how they approached choosing a name!

The couple, who both loved the name Harlow, decided on it for their daughter. Joel explained his fondness came from the actress Jean Harlow, while his wife admired the model Shalom Harlow.

The singer, discussing why he and Kate chose the name Harlow, said it felt like a timeless classic. He also explained the story behind Kate’s middle name, Winter, saying it perfectly matched her calm and peaceful personality.

Keep reading to see more celebrity kids who have unique names…

Gwyneth Paltrow shared with Oprah Winfrey that her daughter’s unique name, Apple, was actually chosen by Chris Martin. He suggested it when they first found out they were expecting a girl, and Paltrow loved it. She felt the name ‘Apple’ was sweet, healthy, and even had a positive, biblical association.

In May 2020, Elon Musk and Grimes announced the birth of their son, originally naming him X Æ A-12. Because California law only allows names using English letters, they later changed the spelling to X Æ A-Xii to make it legally compliant.

Grimes explained the meaning behind her child’s name, X, on Twitter, calling it a variable. She said Æ is her elven-inspired way of spelling ‘Ai,’ which stands for either love or artificial intelligence. The ‘A-12’ part refers to a predecessor of their favorite plane, the SR-17. She emphasized that it’s all about speed, not weaponry or defense, and while effective in a fight, it’s a non-violent concept.

Grimes explained that her favorite song is titled “Archangel,” adding a rat and sword emoji and simply stating, “Metal rat.”

In March 2022, she announced they had welcomed daughter Exa Dark Sideræl Musk via surrograte.

She explained that ‘Exa’ comes from exaFLOPS, a term used in supercomputing that means being able to perform a quintillion calculations every second. And ‘Dark,’ she continued, represents the unknown – something people often fear, but which is simply the lack of light. She described dark matter as a fascinating puzzle of the universe.

Sideræl (pronounced sigh-deer-ee-el) represents universal time, measured by the stars and deep space, rather than time as we experience it on Earth. The name is also a tribute to Galadriel, a character from The Lord of the Rings, who chooses to give up power.

Cardi B and Offset welcomed their daughter in 2018. 

The rapper behind “Bodak Yellow” explained her daughter’s name, Kulture, saying she couldn’t have chosen anything else because it would have been too ordinary. Interestingly, Kulture’s middle name, Kiari, is the first name of rapper Offset, her husband.

Shay Mitchell described how she thought she’d experienced a lot in her 32 years – seen places, met people, and felt love. But then her daughter arrived, and she realized her capacity for love was far greater than she ever imagined. She shared this while talking about choosing a name for her and Matte Babel’s first child.

Daughter Rome filled out their roster in 2022. 

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling welcomed their daughter, Esmeralda Amada, in 2014. Eva explained in an interview with The Violet Files that they chose the name Esmeralda because they both admired the character from Victor Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, finding it a beautiful name. Amada was her grandmother’s name, and it means ‘beloved’ in Spanish.

Mendes and Gosling continued the tradition of using Spanish nicknames when they named their second daughter, Amada Lee Gosling, born in 2016.

Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden recently welcomed their daughter, and Diaz shared the news on Instagram, describing the baby as “really really cute. Some would even say RAD.”

Equally as awesome: Son Cardinal, who joined the party in 2024.

Zooey Deschanel shared that her daughter with ex-husband Jacob Pechenik is named Elsie Otter. She explained they chose the name because otters are known for being sweet, intelligent, and resourceful – they even use tools and hold hands while they sleep!

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott named their daughter Stormi when she was born in 2018. Kylie has said she originally called her ‘Stormie’ while she was pregnant, and the name simply felt like the perfect fit.

After some difficulty choosing the perfect name, the couple finally revealed their son’s name – Aire – a year after he was born in 2022.

Actors Alexa and Carlos PenaVega chose the name Ocean King for their first child, inspired by their religious beliefs. Carlos explained that the name references a biblical passage where God creates land and seas, and that ‘King’ represents God. They found the name to have a special and meaningful connection to their faith.

I was so excited to learn the meaning behind Steph and Ayesha Curry’s third child’s name! It turns out it’s a really beautiful one – it means both ‘officiant of the church’ and ‘young wolf.’ It feels so special and fitting for their little one.

Diplo decided to name his second son after his electronic dance music trio, Major Lazer. 

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I always love hearing the stories behind celebrity baby names! John Legend and Chrissy Teigen welcomed their daughter, Luna Simone, back in 2016, and the name has a really special meaning. Chrissy shared on Ellen that she and John were inspired by a stunning blood moon that appeared just before Luna was born. She described it as a beautiful, vivid red moon – a truly gorgeous night that felt like the perfect inspiration for their little girl!

Krystal Nielson and Miles Bowles, known from Bachelor Nation, have revealed the name of their daughter: Andara Rose Bowles. They playfully referred to her as their “Glitter baby” when making the announcement.

In 2014, Ciara and Future had a son named Future Zahir. His name was chosen to honor Future’s professional name.

Willow Smith is named after her father, Will Smith. Her brother, Jaden Smith, received his name in honor of their mother, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Alicia Silverstone and Christopher Jarecki named their son by combining two names they both loved.

When Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon had twins, they looked to both Hollywood and their personal life for names. Their daughter was named after Marilyn Monroe, and their son’s name was inspired by the location of Nick’s proposal: Mariah’s New York City apartment, which had a Moroccan-themed top floor.

Jamie Oliver, the well-known British chef, and his wife, Juliette Norton, chose a unique name for their fourth child, Buddy. However, it fits right in with the names of his sisters: Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo, River Rocket, and Petal Blossom Rainbow. The couple is known for their creative naming choices!

Oh my gosh, back in 2006, Brangelina – I mean, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – revealed their precious daughter to the world! Her name is just beautiful, it means either ‘Messiah’ or ‘Peaceful One’! And can we talk about their whole family? They also have Maddox, Pax, Zahara, and those adorable twins, Vivienne and Knox. Seriously, they’re the perfect family, even now!

Antonio Sabato Jr. and his former wife, Cheryl Moana Marie Nunes, chose a meaningful middle name for their first child. It’s a Hawaiian word that translates to “a beloved gift from the heavens.”

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son Sparrow partly because of a Disney character. Richie explained that she liked the name because of Captain Jack Sparrow, and her husband liked it for his own reasons. They ultimately chose a name they both agreed on.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes named their daughter Suri after finding the name in a baby book. Cruise explained to Vanity Fair that they’d actually chosen the name before knowing the baby’s gender. They were sent a couple of baby name books by friends, and both immediately loved the name Suri. They even practiced saying, “Suri Cruise.” Later, they discovered “Suri” means “red rose,” which they felt was a happy coincidence. They simply felt the name was perfect for their daughter.

Jason Lee named his first child after a song by the band Grandaddy, specifically the track “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot.”

 

For her firstborn daughter’s name, Geri Halliwell was inspired by flowers.

My mother telling me bluebells are becoming rare really sealed the deal – it felt like the perfect flower for my daughter,” she shared with Hello! magazine. Her middle name pays tribute to the singer my daughter admires most.

Pete Wentz explained that he and his ex-wife, Ashlee Simpson, chose the name The Jungle Book as their son’s middle name because it was something they both loved and connected over.

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2026-01-13 21:53