Chrissy Teigen & John Legend named their newborn daughter Esti Maxine

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend welcomed their rainbow baby on January 13th. We didn’t hear much about anything, other than mother and baby were fine. They didn’t do photos at the hospital – or, they didn’t post any hospital photos – and they finally made it home with their newborn baby girl. On Thursday, Chrissy and John posted the same photo on their respective Instagram accounts, and they announced their daughter’s name:

She’s here! Esti Maxine Stephens – the house is bustling and our family could not be happier 💕 Daddy sheds nightly tears of joy seeing Luna and Miles so full of love, and I am learning you still need diapers with a c section!? We are in bliss. Thank you for all the love and well wishes – we feel it all! X

[From Chrissy’s IG]

Esti Maxine joins Luna Simone and Miles Theodore. Those names do sort of fit together, they *sound* like siblings. Chrissy and John lost Jack in October 2020 – she waited and grieved and then underwent IVF for Esti Maxine. She was incredibly careful and she was very worried that she would lose this pregnancy too. Chrissy’s not my cup of tea (to put if mildly) but I’m very happy for her and John and I’m relieved that they were able to have a healthy pregnancy and another healthy baby. I like the name Esti too! It’s cute. It already sounds like a nickname.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Instagram.

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34 Responses to “Chrissy Teigen & John Legend named their newborn daughter Esti Maxine”

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  1. SAS says:

    Congrats to them! They truly are a gorgeous family.

    I’m not familiar with the origin of the name but between Esti and Este (like the Haim sister) I think I prefer the latter spelling?

    • Miss617 says:

      I think I remember Este Haim saying on a Haim Time episode that it’s a variant form of Esther. Agree that Este is the better spelling, and even Esty would be better than Esti.

  2. Jan says:

    Don’t know why on Twitter people were laughing at the name Esti, saying French Canadians would be having a good laugh.

    • NG_76 says:

      I was just coming here to comment this lol .. French Northern Ontarian here having a little laugh over the name.

      • Fineskylark says:

        Hello! I’m not Franco-Ontarienne but my daughter is. Nice to see someone else from Northern Ontario.

        For non-Canadians, “esti” refers to the Eucharist in Catholic mass and is used as a swear word by French-Canadians.

      • LadyMTL says:

        I was going to mention this too, lol. I live in Montreal and the swear word is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the name Esti. (Although sometimes people will pronounce it Oss-tsee or even Oss-tick.)

      • FHMom says:

        Like hostia in Spain. It’s a swear and term of blasphemy.

      • Amanda says:

        I worked in Eastern Ontario for a grumpy old French man who hated everyone and every second word out of his mouth was THAT French word…I read her name in his voice, “Esti!!!!” lol….he was just so fed up!!

    • Barbara says:

      From Google, “esti” in Quebequois is an expression of anger aimed at someone perceived to be lacking in intellectual acumen.

      • NG_76 says:

        Yes, it’s kind of used as damn or f**k! It’s probably the most common or combined with other swears such as “Esti de calice de tabarnak!” like when you would stub your toe or something lol. It’s derived from the word ostie meaning the host (bread that Catholics eat during the communion).

    • MtlExPat says:

      Ex Montrealer here with lots of francophone friends and family. In French parts of Quebec and Canada “Esti” is a phonetic swear word (generated from “ostie” which is “the host” in a Catholic service.) Most swear words in French Canadian or Quebec French generate from the Catholic Church – in large measure as rebellion against how oppressive it was until the late 1960’s here. It is usually combined with another church term like “tabarnac” (from tabernacle) or “criss” (obvious where that’s from). The best is to string them all together – “Mon esti de tabarnac de criss” for example! I laughed and said her name in French as a swear word when I saw it “Mon esti de maxine tabarnac!”

    • Tacky says:

      It’s been a minute since I went to Hebrew school, but I think Esti is Hebrew for star.

    • Andy Dufresne says:

      Esti/osti means damn in French I believe. I’m from Canada and studied French briefly, and usually the swear words in Quebec are religion/Catholic-based. Osti refers to the host during communion.

      Sorry my French is rusty but anyone from Quebec can please correct me if I’m wrong.

    • DouchesOfCambridge says:

      From the french canadian province myself, I thought it was the worst idea! A swear word as name, it’s like Krissy is going to be yelling after her her whole life 😂

  3. Normades says:

    I wonder what the origins are of the name. I have a Spanish friend named Esti.

    • svlara says:

      In Spain, Esti is short for Estíbaliz (you wouldn’t name your baby girl Esti officially, just a short name for family and friends).

  4. Lady Baden-Baden says:

    Lovely news. A lost child can never be replaced, but may baby Esti bring them joy and much happiness.

  5. Mel says:

    Could be short for Esther

  6. K.Tate says:

    Doesn’t he have a song with the name Maxine in it?

    • TIFFANY says:

      John includes musicians he idolize in the kids names.

      Nina Simone and Miles Davis for the oldest.

      So Maxine could be the singer Maxine Waters, singer of We Are Family.

  7. Elsa says:

    Taylor Swift has a song about Este. No Body No Crime.

    • Notsoanonymous says:

      Yes; she’s good friends with the Haim sisters, one of which is Este. They are featured on that song as a band (Haim)

  8. CuriousCole says:

    I went to school with an Estee so I’m biased in thinking the double E is the superior spelling version. Stepping past her name (and her mother’s problematic tendencies), I am sincerely happy for them with this healthy baby.

  9. AnneL says:

    Esti is a fairly common name in the Orthodox Jewish community, though I am not sure if the spelling is the same.

    Congrats to them on a healthy baby! Cute family.

  10. Runaway says:

    Happy for the family.
    Also who is that woman, she is barely recognizable from the Chrissy of yore.
    Why do these people surgically change everything that makes them unique. She looks like everyone else now 🙁

  11. Frippery says:

    I don’t think I’ve ever heard the name Esti before but it is beautiful. That child is so loved. Congratulations to John and Chrissy and their growing family.

    • Frippery says:

      Wait yes I have heard it because of Estee Lauder, duh. But I will sit here in my ignorance and admit I thought that was two last names, like Hanna-Barbera or Harley Davidson.

      It’s still a beautiful name.

  12. Stacey Dresden says:

    Okay, I am biased on the name because I have an immediate family member with an extremely similar name, but I love it. Having French Canadians use it as a swear word isn’t that important sorry not sorry.

  13. Case says:

    Esti Maxine is a really cute, fun name. I like it. It goes with Luna and Miles well.

  14. Cait says:

    According to Nameberry, Esti is a form of Esther and is Persian for “star.” If they meant it as a sibling theme, it’s super cute!

  15. Margot says:

    What gorgeous children! Congrats.

  16. Justwastingtime says:

    Happy they had a healthy child. She sounds problematic at times but I really like John Legend. I saw him play in LA last spring and he is just charming. Esti sounds cute given the Persian origin. I would have preferred Esme, a more classic French name, but hey it’s not my kid so there you go.

  17. Foxy says:

    I just hear “this maxi pad” in 80s Spanglish/Middle school lensItis. However, personally love trend of unusual names, but this one brings out inner 12yo.