It’s official: Leighton Meester has given birth to a baby girl. Meester and husband Adam Brody have named their daughter Arlo Day, and the pair has done an excellent job of keeping the information private. Arlo was born more than a month ago, on August 4.
Arlo Day was born just after midnight on Sunday, August 4. Though Meester never released information about her pregnancy, she did comment about her desire for a family last November, when she said “Most people I know are starting to get married. It’ll be kids next. I like the grown-up stuff. I like having a house. I’ve got dogs.”
Meester and Brody were married in February of 2014, and their ceremony was extremely private and secretive. In fact, many people didn’t know the pair was even dating until they arrived together as a married couple at the Tony awards in the summer of 2014. Though they most likely met on the set of 2011’s The Oranges, official details have never been released.
Meester and Brody both played heartthrobs and heartbreakers in their respective shows, Gossip Girl and The O.C. Meester’s Blair Waldorf was as conniving and innocently seductive as Brody’s Seth Cohen was unknowingly sexy and aloof. Much to fans’ chagrin, the made-for-each-other pair have kept their entire relationship in the dark, leaving many to wonder if their real relationship is anything like the characters’ on their shows.
Despite her welcoming a new baby girl, Meester is keeping busy. She plays Barbara in 2015’s TV movie Any Tom, Dick or Harry, and she also acted in 2014’s By the Gun. Brody appears to be keeping even busier; he plays Eric in Big Bear, which is currently filming, and he is also part of Showing Roots, which is in post-production, and ChiPs, which is in pre-production.
Meester appears to be following in the footsteps of Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively with name choice. Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds named their daughter James; likewise, “Arlo,” which translates to “army hill,” is traditionally a name given to males as well. Meester and Brody have, unsurprisingly, not made a statement about their choice of name.