Ryan Reynolds and his wife, actress Blake Lively, welcomed their first child in December 2014, a daughter whom they named James. The unique choice of a traditionally male name for a girl sparked curiosity and questions from fans and the media. Reynolds has since revealed the reason behind the unconventional name.
In a 2015 interview with Today, Reynolds explained that James was actually named after his father, James C. Reynolds, who passed away shortly before his granddaughter was born.
Reynolds described his father as “a really cool guy” who had a tremendous influence on his life and career, and he wanted to honor him by giving his daughter his name.
Reynolds also stated that he and Lively wanted to choose a name that was “not really over-the-top” and had a classic, timeless quality.
He admitted that the name choice had initially raised some eyebrows, but he and Lively were confident in their decision and happy to explain the reasoning behind it.
Interestingly, James has become something of a family name for Reynolds. In addition to his father, Reynolds also has a brother named James, and his character in the 2016 film “Criminal” was named Bill Pope, but he used the alias “James” at one point in the movie.
Reynolds and Lively are notoriously private about their personal lives, especially when it comes to their children. They have two other daughters, Inez and Betty, and have not revealed the inspiration behind their names.