The Accidental Way Bruce Willis' Granddaughter Louetta Got Her Name
There are plenty of ways to pick out a baby name — look in a baby name book, pick an admired family member's name, or, in the case of Rumer Willis (one of Bruce Willis' five daughters) and Derek Richard Thomas' firstborn daughter, go with a slip of the fingers. The daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore revealed how her daughter got her unique name in an August 2023 interview with People. And as it turns out, the name Louetta came to be because of an accidental typo.
"We were thinking about the name Loretta," Willis explained. "Her dad and I were texting, and he left the 'R' out of Loretta, and it was just Louetta. I was like, 'Oh, I love that!' I feel like it was one of those kind of divine intervention universe moments, and we figured it out actually quite early in my pregnancy."
Willis gave birth to Louetta Isley Thomas Willis on April 18, 2023. The "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" star also considered her daughter's later years when naming her.
Rumer Willis says she loves the 'versatility' of her daughter's name
It can be difficult to imagine newborns as full-fledged grownups, particularly when choosing a name for a baby that they'll carry into adulthood. Rumer Willis told People that she was anxious about finally settling on a name, especially because she and her boyfriend, Derek Richard Thomas, were keeping the baby's gender a surprise. She loved Louetta immediately, but she wondered what would happen if she gave birth to her child and the name no longer fit.
However, the happy parents' fears were squashed when they considered all the ways their child could use her birth name throughout her various stages of life. "I wanted to find something that had a lot of versatility," Willis told People. "If she doesn't feel like a Louetta, she can go by Lou, she can go by Etta. She can go change it up throughout her life. Whatever she wants."
Whether Willis and Thomas meant to or not, they also gifted their daughter with a name full of vintage charm. Author of "The Baby Name Wizard" Laura Wattenberg told Today that Louetta uses an early 20th century trend of adding "etta" to the ends of common names like Rose, Anne, or, in Willis and Thomas' baby's case, Lou.
The mother and daughter duo have unique monikers in common
Louetta Thomas Willis' name might be unique, but rare baby names aren't uncommon in the Willis family. Her mother, Rumer Willis, comes from a strong legacy of eccentric names. "I come from a family where I'm named Rumer, and my sisters are Scout and Tallulah, so I knew that I wanted something interesting, unique, and different," Willis told People weeks before she gave birth in early April 2023. "Thankfully, my partner was super down."
Rumer, born Rumer Glenn Willis in Paducah, Kentucky, on August 16, 1988, was named after novelist Rumer Godden. According to a 2012 Guardian interview with singer Rumer, both her mother and Demi Moore were huge fans of the British novelist who grew up in what is now Bangladesh. Godden wrote over 60 fiction and non-fiction books, with her most renowned being "Black Narcissus" and "The River."
Rumer's two younger sisters, Scout and Tallulah Willis, were also named after famous figures, both real and fictional. Scout was named after Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" character, Scout Finch. Tallulah, the youngest daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, was named after American stage actress Tallulah Brockman Bankhead. So, whether Louetta Thomas Willis goes by Lou, Etta, Louetta, or something in between, it's clear she'll be in good company.