Swifties never sleep. So naturally, when Blake Lively announced she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, are expecting their fourth kid, Taylor Swift fans put on their detective hats and started theorizing about the name of their new baby.
These theories didn’t come totally out of left field. Swift and Lively have been long-time friends. Fans first found out about their adorable friendship back in 2015 when Lively showed her support for Swift after Lively was accused of throwing shade at her. Since then, the two have shared a close bond that only grows stronger by the year. Even the pregnancy announcement Lively posted on Instagram featured Swift in the carousel of images.
Their connection even has ties to Swift’s music, with Lively’s kids’ names appearing in Swift’s discography. The first instance was in 2017 when Lively’s eldest daughter, James, was the voice in the intro of the track “Gorgeous.” Then, when Folklore was released in 2020, Swifties wasted no time acknowledging that the track “Betty” featured the names of Lively’s daughters Inez and James. This led to speculation that Betty was the name of Lively’s third child — and Swifties were right.
With the ongoing connections between Swift’s discography and Lively’s children, the pregnancy announcement led fans to formulate new theories surrounding the name of the new baby, or even a possible re-recording of “Gorgeous” when Taylor releases Reputation (Taylor’s Version) down the line. It’s hard to keep up with the easter eggs that Swifties are constantly finding, so I broke down the latest theories on Lively’s baby’s name. Will T-Swift fans be right again?
Theory 1: August/Augustine.
As mentioned, several songs on Folklore had character names dedicated to Lively’s children. The album itself tells the story of a love triangle between Betty, Augustine, and James — a theory that Swifties were quick to point out when the album was released and that Swift later confirmed. “Betty” tells the POV of James, “Cardigan” tells Betty’s angle, and “August” is Augustine’s side of the story. As Betty and James are the names of two of Lively’s kids, Swifties think it would only make sense to name the baby August or Augustine to complete the triangle.
Also, “Betty” is the one song to mention all three of Lively’s kids. Swift sings, “You heard the rumors from Inez,” “James, get in, let’s drive,” and, “Betty, I’m here on your doorstep.” Fans are quickly theorizing that Augustine or August would be the perfect cherry on top to bring “Betty” full circle. The name August would also have a personal connection to Lively because Lively is indeed an August Virgo.
Theory 2: Dorothea.
Evermore is the companion album to Folklore, and Swifties know best that T-Swift loves a good easter egg. One song on the Evermore album stands out among the rest as a potential baby name: “Dorothea.” When the album was first released, fans speculated that “Dorothea” was a continuation of the love triangle in Folklore, which was then confirmed by Swift herself. “Dorothea” tells the story of a girl who went to high school with the characters from “Betty” (aka Lively’s three children, plus Augustine). When Lively announced her pregnancy, fans weren’t going to let this easter egg rest quite yet. Swifties came to Twitter to propose that the name Dorothea will tie the Folklore/Evermore universe together.
Theory 3: The name will appear on Midnights.
At the VMAs, Swift dropped a bombshell that left Swifties screaming: She will be dropping a new album, Midnights, on Oct. 21. Just a few weeks after the announcement, Lively revealed she was pregnant with her fourth child. Though the perfect timing might just be a coincidence, fans won’t let this new baby and Swift’s new album go unconnected. Since Midnights will be Swift’s first album since Folklore and Evermore, not including Fearless (Taylor’s Version) or Red (Taylor’s Version), fans think Swift will reveal the name of Lively’s baby on one of the 13 tracks. So until Oct. 21, fans will have to patiently wait to narrow down potential baby names.
Honorable mention: Marjorie.
There are multiple theories floating around that are derived from Swift tracks that are inspired by names of people in Swift’s life, such as “Marjorie.” To continue the Evermore and Folklore connections, “Marjorie” is another track on the Evermore album that is tied to a song on Folklore. “Marjorie” is a tribute to her late grandmother, which can be listened to alongside the “Epiphany” track from Folklore — a dedication to Swift’s grandfather. Though there is a very loose connection to Lively, fans speculate this might be the baby’s name because it’s a personal name to Swift in the Folklore and Evermore companion albums.
So, which one is it going to be? Or will it be something else entirely? That is still uncertain, but if there is one thing about Swifties, they don’t let a single easter egg go unnoticed, and more often than not, they aren’t too far off. I personally have my money on August.