Baby Name: Reillette

We’ve all heard of the Jackson 5, but did you know that there were actually ten siblings in the Jackson family?

Katherine and Joe Jackson of Gary, Indiana, welcomed ten children — seven boys and three girls — over the course of 16 years. Here are the names of all ten, in order:

1. Maureen Reillette, “Rebbie” (b. 1950)
2. Sigmund Esco, “Jackie” (b. 1951)
3. Tariano Adaryll, “Tito” (b. 1953)
4. Jermaine LaJuane (b. 1954)
5. La Toya Yvonne (b. 1956)
6. Brandon (twin, b. 1957) — he died soon after birth
7. Marlon David (twin, b. 1957)
8. Michael Joe (b. 1958)
9. Steven Randall, “Randy” (b. 1961)
10. Janet Damita Jo (b. 1966)

Here are Jermaine’s thoughts on some of the Jackson family names, from his memoir:

I have often wondered how many names my parents went through before agreeing on the final nine. Not that it mattered in the end, because the choice of “Sigmund Esco” for their first son morphed into “Jackie” when Papa Samuel thought it easy to refer to him as “Jackson boy,” then laziness shortened it some more. And “Tariano Adaryl” [sic] became “Tito” because it was easier for us all. I was forever curious as a child about how two people’s taste could go from the exotic-sounding “Jermaine LaJuane” to “Michael Joe.” From somewhere, and especially after Michael’s death, a rumor began that his middle name was Joseph. Maybe this myth prefers the echo with our father’s name because the crossover reads better about a father and son who struggled to see eye to eye. “Joe” was his middle name, as recorded on his birth certificate. His first name was almost “Ronald,” at the suggestion of Mama Martha, but Mother quickly quashed that one.

(Papa Samuel was Jermaine’s paternal grandfather; Mama Martha was his maternal grandmother.)

Which Jackson sibling name do you like best?

Sources:

• Jackson Family – Wikipedia
• Jackson, Jermaine. You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother’s Eyes. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2012.