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Claire Danes, the acclaimed actress known for her roles in “Homeland” and “My So-Called Life,” has finally shared the name of her newest addition: Shay. Danes, 46, revealed the Irish-origin name of her youngest daughter during an appearance on Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast, offering fans a glimpse into her private life.
Danes, who earned widespread praise for her performance in Netflix’s “The Beast in Me” last year, described her baby girl’s dreamy demeanor. “I love watching toddlers dance when they jump [and] do the bouncing thing,” she said.
“And Shay, my baby, she’s very in her head and dreamy, and sometimes she’ll do this kind of [head-swaying] dance. I’m like, ‘That’s fabulous.'”
The name Shay is derived from the Irish surnames Shea, O’Shea, or Ó Séaghdha.
This isn’t the first time the Emmy and Golden Globe winner, recognized by Time as one of the 100 most influential people globally in 2012, has opted for an Irish name for her children. Her second child, a son, is named Rowan, a gender-neutral Irish name meaning “little red one” or “red-haired,” stemming from Ruadhán. Her oldest son is named Cyrus.
Danes is married to British actor Hugh Dancy, known for his roles in “David Copperfield,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Ella Enchanted,” and “Hannibal.” The couple shares three children.
In a 2013 interview with People, Danes spoke about her good fortune in finding Dancy, saying, “Hugh was just the right partner for me. I got very, very lucky.
There’s only so much credit you can take when it just sort of works, you know?”
She also expressed gratitude for waiting to have children until her career was established, admitting, “When I was thinking about [working and being a mother] originally, I was really nervous about it.”