Liam Payne Baby Name: Former One Direction Singer Confirms Unique Moniker; What Does It Mean?

Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole are officially parents. The pair have been extremely private in regards to details surrounding their son’s birth, including his name — until now.

The former One Direction singer and his girlfriend have decided to call their son Bear. According to Nameberry, it’s become a more popular in recent years, and is in fact among the top 900 baby names in England.

A number of celebrities have opted to name their children Bear in recent years. Chef Jamie Oliver and his wife named their son Buddy Bear in 2010. Alicia Silverstone followed the trend in 2011, naming her son Bear Blu. Kate Winslet also took a similar route in 2014, naming her son Bear Blaize.

The meaning of Bear isn’t clear, but Ancestry speculates that the popularity has more to do with the significance. The site reports that the name was a popular Middle English nickname. It’s popularity is tied to the fact that bears were feared until they became a staple in shows.

“The bear has generally been regarded with a mixture of fear and amusement because of its strength and unpredictable temper on the one hand and its clumsy gait on the other…,” Ancestry claims. “...All these characteristics are no doubt reflected in the nickname.”

Payne confirmed his son’s unique moniker Tuesday on Twitter. The 23-year-old responded to a message from Bear Grylls, who shared a Daily Mail article speculating that the couple had named their son Bear. The new father thanked Grylls, adding that he was hopeful his son would have “an ounce of your courage.”

Before it was confirmed, friends of Payne told Daily Mail he and Cole, 33, were struggling to decide on a name for their son. The pair are said to have chosen Bear just a few days ago, despite the fact that their son is over one month old. Both mom and dad are said to be happy with the name and are fully enjoying being parents.

“Liam and Cheryl couldn’t decide on a name for ages and kept toing and froing between options,” the source said. “But they both loved Bear and settled on it a few days ago. Despite the sleepless nights, the couple are completely smitten with little Bear.”

Payne confirmed the birth of his son on Instagram. He shared a photo of a photo of himself holding Bear, along with a heartfelt caption. In it, he wrote that becoming a father was his “favourite memory I have so far.”

Cole shared the same photo with a sweet caption of her own. She called Bear “incredibly beautiful,” adding that he was “healthy.” Cole said she was “madly in love and overwhelmingly happy.”

The new parents went public about their pregnancy in November 2016, after Cole stepped out at the St. James Christmas Carol Concert in London, sporting a noticeable baby bump. Entertainment Tonight reported that she wasn’t able to hide the bump beneath her long black coat.

Payne is the second former One Direction member to welcome a child. Louis Tomlinson and Briana Jungwirth have a son named Freddie Reign. The pair are not a couple.