The actor got baby name advice from an unlikely source: “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels.

Rob Lowe reveals SNL connection to his son’s name

The actor got baby name advice from an unlikely source: "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels.

By Kathleen Perricone

May 22, 2026 6:41 p.m. ET

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Rob Lowe with sons Matthew Edward and John Owen. Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

- *Saturday Night Live* creator Lorne Michaels gave Rob Lowe some sage advice about baby names, the actor revealed on his podcast.

- "I think the King's names work best," Michaels told the actor.

- Lowe and his wife Sheryl are parents to Matthew Edward and John Owen.

Lorne Michaels is the creator of one of the funniest shows of all time, *Saturday Night Live*, but he's serious about baby names.

Rob Lowe, who has hosted the NBC sketch comedy series three times, has revealed that he's grown so close to Michaels, the *SNL* producer even helped him name one of his sons, John Owen Lowe.

Lorne Michaels and Lowe in 2013.

Valerie Macon/Getty

On the latest episode of his podcast, SiriusXM's *Literally! With Rob Lowe*, the actor interviews *SNL* alum Will Forte, and it didn't take long for the topic to turn to Michaels, whose famously deadpan personality inspired two iconic characters: *Austin Powers* villain Dr. Evil and Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy on *30 Rock*.

"He gave me great advice when I was naming my second son," recalled Lowe, who's been married to his wife Sheryl since 1991. "I was like, 'You know, I'm having another boy; boys names are hard for me because, you know, they have a lot of baggage… That name reminds me of the bully in seventh grade and that name reminds me of a dick that I didn't like or whatever. And this name sounds like a wimp to me. And there's all that stuff.'"

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Once he stopped rambling, Lowe says Michaels replied. "Right. I think the King's names work best," recounted Lowe, impersonating the *SNL* producer's monotone voice.

Michaels practiced what he preached: His two sons are named Edward and Henry, the monikers of a combined 19 English monarchs.

Coincidentally, Lowe's 32-year-old son Matthew's middle name is also Edward. As for John Owen, a 30-year-old actor who costarred with his famous father on Netflix's *Unstable*, he was bestowed with double royalty.

Matthew and Rob Lowe in 2023.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

England was ruled by King John in the 13th century; eight decades later, Queen Catherine of Valois married Sir Owen Tudor, whose grandson Henry VII founded the Tudor dynasty that ruled England for 118 years.

Forte — whose official name is Lord Orville Willis Forte IV because he bought a "speck" of land in Scotland that granted him the title — also revealed the peculiar name he and his wife almost chose for their youngest daughter.

John Owen and Rob Lowe at the premiere of 'Unstable' in 2023.

Rich Polk/Getty

"We somehow fell in love with Ralphie," the comedian explained. After testing it out with loved ones, "we got some pushback from family."

Forte and his wife Olivia ultimately settled on Cecilia, his mother's middle name. Their eldest daughter, Zoe Douglas, was named in tribute to Olivia's father.

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While discussing baby names, Lowe pointed out that Forte had dropped a "Lorne-ism": "Every name is a cool kid away from being a great name."

However, some names should be cast to the "dust bin of history," Lowe added. "Nobody's naming their kid Adolf."

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