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What’s in a Name? Angelina Jolie’s Son, Maddox Chivan

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Nameberry.com editors Pamela Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz — who penned the books Baby Name Bible and Beyond Ava & Aiden — are blogging for UsMagazine.com about why celebs choose the names they do, and what they mean.

Happy 9th birthday, Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt!

The name Maddox was virtually unknown in the U.S. when Angelina Jolie adopted her first son, born August 5, 2001. A Celtic name meaning "son of Madoc," it relates to the Welsh root "Mad," which means "fortunate."

BLOG: Read more "What's in a Name?" columns

The original Madoc was a legendary Welsh prince who discovered the New World 300 years before Columbus. Maddox is a common surname in Wales.

Though just a handful of American boys received the name in the years before Jolie chose it, it broke the U.S. Top 1,000 in 2003 and today stands at No. 180.

Related: PHOTOS: The Jolie-Pitts hit the beach

The x ending of Maddox's name started a pattern for the Jolie-Pitt boys, with the names of brothers Pax and Knox also ending in the edgy letter.

Other x-ending names that have been stylish recently include Alex, for both boys and girls, Beatrix, Jax and Max. Celebrity babies with names that end in x include Bronx, son of Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz; Felix, son of Gillian Anderson; Rex, son of Coldplay's Will Champion; and Phoenix, daughter of Spice Girl Mel B.

Related: PHOTOS: How the Jolie-Pitt clan has grown

Maddox's middle name, Chivan, means "life" in the Khmer language of Cambodia, according to some sources. Maddox was born in Cambodia, where his name was originally RathVibol.

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