Al Roker Questions Taylor Swift's Song Title as Baby Names

Al Roker expressed skepticism that every single Taylor Swift song title would be suitable as a baby name.

During a Today broadcast on Tuesday, October 28, Dylan Dreyer highlighted the most-read articles on Today.com, which included a feature on how Swift, 35, influences names chosen for children.

“We’ll reveal which of her tracks are inspiring parents the most when we return,” Dreyer, 44, announced, before Roker, 71, jokingly interjected, “A child named Wood?”

Roker’s remark was in reference to a song from Swift’s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, which employs the double meaning of “wood” to discuss her relationship with Travis Kelce.

Taylor Swift’s Mom Andrea Had an Unexpected Reaction to Her Provocative Song ‘Wood’

While “Wood” is unlikely to be a popular baby name choice anytime soon, the segment covered the most favored Swift-inspired monikers. Some of these appellations include August from 2020’s Folklore, Evermore from 2020’s Evermore, and Marjorie from Evermore, the latter of which also pays tribute to Swift’s late grandmother.

Conversely, while many admirers are naming their offspring after Swift’s musical works, the artist has also titled some songs after individuals in her personal life. The Folklore track “Betty,” for example, is named in honor of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ daughter Betty and also alludes to their other daughters. (Lively, 38, and Reynolds, 49, are parents to daughters James, 10, Inez, 9, Betty, 6, and son Olin, 2.)

“I named all the characters after real people in my life whom I love more than anything, and their names are James, Inez, and Betty,” Swift stated onstage during the Philadelphia Eras Tour stop in 2023.

Reynolds, who has been married to Lively since 2012, conveyed that they found it “amazing” that Swift incorporated their children’s names into her song.

“The names are indeed our kids’ names, but, you know, we trust her completely, and she is very thoughtful about such matters,” he shared during a SiriusXM Town Hall event in 2021. “And obviously, the song has no connection to our children beyond using their names. We thought it was truly, truly remarkable. We still do. You know, I still walk down the street and shake my head, thinking: ‘I can’t believe that happened.’”

Taylor Swift States Racy ‘Wood’ Lyrics Originated from a ‘Very Innocent Place’

Swift launched her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, on October 3.

“I cannot express how proud I am to share this with you, an album that simply feels so right,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post following the album’s debut. “My eternal gratitude goes out to my mentors and friends Max [Martin] and Shellback for helping me craft this self-portrait. If you thought the main performance was wild, perhaps you should come and peer behind the curtain… The Life of a Showgirl is available now.”

The album features 12 songs, several of which are inspired by Kelce, including “Wish List,” “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Opalite,” “Wood,” and “Elizabeth Taylor.”

“It just stems from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic period I experienced in my life, so that vibrancy has manifested throughout this record,” Swift explained on Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast in August, referencing the inspiration behind The Life of a Showgirl. “This album explores what was unfolding behind the scenes in my inner world during this tour, which was so exuberant, electric, and vibrant.”