Scarlett Johansson Is Finally Explaining Her Son's Unique Name
Scarlett Johansson and her ex-husband, Romain Dauriac, gave their daughter a traditional name that fans of the movie "Titanic," "The Golden Girls," and English gardens can agree is pretty great: Rose. When the "Black Widow" actor welcomed a son with "Saturday Night Live" star Colin Jost in August 2021, though, the parents picked out a more unusual, out-of-this-world moniker — they named their bundle of joy Cosmo.
Jost shared the big news on Instagram with a short but sweet announcement: "Ok ok we had a baby. His name is Cosmo. We love him very much." The comedian also asked fans to respect his family's privacy but encouraged them to reach out to his "publicist," Jost's "SNL" castmate Michael Che, for more information about the baby boy. However, neither Jost nor Johansson (nor Che) immediately responded to questions about the inspiration behind their son's stellar name.
When Jost later spoke about it at length on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," the conversation was about his mother's bafflement over the name choice. "After three or four days, she would be like, 'Cosmo? ... Is it final? Did you submit the birth certificate?'" he recalled. His concerned parent even started suggesting that he add letters to the moniker to make it more palatable to her, with her alternative ideas including "Cosimo" and "Cosmos." But, as Johansson recently explained to Kelly Clarkson, there's actually a sweet connection between her daughter and son's names.
Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost's son also shares his name with a flower
Cosmo might not have a traditional name, but when Scarlett Johansson appeared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," she revealed that, just like his sister, he shares his moniker with a plant you might find in a garden.
Previously, there was speculation on Twitter that Johansson and Colin Jost must be fans of "Seinfeld," "The Jetsons," or "The Fairly OddParents" to explain their baby's unusual name. However, they didn't name their son after a neighbor who never knocks, an overbearing boss of the future, or a fairy who probably shouldn't be allowed to wield a wand. "We just threw a bunch of letters together," Johansson quipped to Clarkson. "I just thought it was so charming." And while Jost's mom wasn't a fan, Johansson revealed that the name was a hit with the couple's friends and with her daughter, Rose. "Cosmo's a really sweet little flower. It comes in different shades of orange and yellow," she said. "That's why my daughter liked it."
Johansson is pretty private when it comes to her kids, so she never publicly revealed why she chose the name Rose for her daughter. However, if the mom set her heart on the floral moniker before giving birth, we wonder if she felt like it suited her daughter after she arrived. "I had a very strong picture in my mind of what my baby would look like," Johansson told W Magazine in 2015. "And, of course, she is completely different."