Paris Hilton Says It's a "Coincidence" That She Named Her Baby After a Disney Channel Character
The star named her child London -- which led some fans to think it was an inside joke.
Last month, Paris Hilton announced the birth of her second child -- and immediately attracted the attention of the internet. Her daughter's name is London -- which Disney fans immediately tied to London Tiption, a character played by Brenda Song on The Sweet Life of Zack and Cody. While London Hilton is far from the first person to be named after the English capital city, the connection here is more than just the name itself. London Tipton was based on Paris Hilton, who had risen to fame as a socialite and reality TV star around the time of Suite Life.
According to Hilton, though, it's just a coincidence. While she is aware of the character of London Tipton, the heiress says she has always wanted to name her child after London.
"I thought that was hilarious," Hilton told TheWrap. "I love that character and that show."
Still, she added, "I've always wanted to name my daughter 'London' since I was a teenager – I've always had this plan – because I love the name Paris and London together. I think it's just a coincidence but it's so funny, just seeing all the memes and everybody writing about – I think it's really a cute, fun story."
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody ran for 87 episodes over three seasons (plus some spinoffs and tie-ins), making it the third Disney Channel Original to have more than 65 episodes, after That's So Raven and Kim Possible. It starred Cole and Dylan Sprouse as twin brothers living a life of luxury in the luxurious Tipton Hotel, whose owner is the father of London Tipton.
Here's how the show's Wikipedia summarizes her character bio: "The only daughter of Wilfred Tipton, the owner of the Tipton Hotel. London is a teenager with her own private suite at the Tipton Hotel in Boston. London loves fashion; she only wears designer clothes. She has her own web show called Yay Me! Starring London Tipton."
Hilton herself is one of a number of personalities that rose to fame in the early 2000s, who are now being reassessed. Britney Spears is another obvious example, with popular culture trying to reckon with how badly she was treated by the media and her management during the height of her fame, and how that might have contributed to the instability that she was so often judged for.