fame-o-nomics

Fame by the Numbers: Royal Baby vs. Kimye Baby vs. Everyone Else’s Babies

Kate Middleton’s baby doesn’t even have a name yet, but he is the most famous baby in the world. In his two days of existence, the nameless prince has dominated headlines, commandeered cable news, knocked Prince Harry down a notch in the royal succession — and knocked Kimye baby North West down a notch in the rankings for World’s Most Famous Infant. How severely has the royal baby overshadowed all other babies? We quantified the hoopla surrounding the birth of Kate’s baby, Kim’s baby, and all British babies coincidentally born on the same day as Kate’s baby (the Royal Mint is offering commemorative silver birthday coins for all 2,013 of them, either in celebration or apology) to better understand the magnitude of this new infant’s fame.

Google Hits in 24 Hours Following News of Birth
Kate Middleton Baby: 139,000,000
Kim Kardashian Baby: 130,000
“Royal Mint” “Silver Coin” Babies:  588

Birth Announcement Retweets
Kate Middleton: 15,424, @ClarenceHouse announces “son.”
Kim Kardashian: 9,215, @KrisJenner confirms birth with “HAPPY FATHERS DAY @kanyewest !!!!!!”
Silver Coin Babies: 19, @RoyalMintUK explains how to apply for a silver birthday coin.

Babies’ Weights at Birth
Kate Middleton’s baby: 8 lbs., 6 oz.
Kim Kardashian’s baby: 4 lbs., 15 oz.
Silver Coin Babies: 15,100 lbs., assuming an average British birth weight of 7 lbs., 6.5 oz.

Baby-and-Me Photo Opportunities

Photo: Getty Images; Kris Jenner/Facebook; Rex USA

• Kate Middleton: 1, exiting Lindo Wing, one day after birth.
• Kim Kardashian: 0 in 39 days, not counting decoy babies like the one Kris Jenner schlepped around her daytime-TV talk show last week.
• Silver Coin: 1, resting on Southampton baby Adam Miell, one day after birth. Miell was the first baby to receive a commemorative silver birthday coin.

Fathers’ Google Hits, All-Time
• “Prince William”: 18,700,000
• “Kanye West”: 110,000,000
• “Silver Daddies”: 1,060,000, mostly pornography

Public Statements About Birth
• Kate Middleton: “We would like to thank the staff at the Lindo Wing and the whole hospital for the tremendous care the three of us have received.”
• Kim Kardashian: “I am so blessed to have the support of my family and fans in this beautiful moment.”
• Alex Morpeth, 18-year-old eligible for silver coin: “I am still in shock.”
• Katherine Kirtley, 24-year-old eligible for silver coin: “We are absolutely over the moon.”
• Rebecca Gale, 33-year-old eligible for silver coin: “Her bump was a bit smaller than mine.”
• Natia Kavelashvili, 26-year-old who gave birth at the same minute as Kate Middleton: “We always wanted to call her Kate but it seemed like such a coincidence that we couldn’t really not.
• Chelsea Stockdale, 25-year-old whose Royal Air Force–pilot husband already returned to active duty: “I doubt Prince William will be going back to work quite as soon.”
• Lindsay Spinetto, of Good Morning America’s “New Hampshire Mom Doesn’t Mind Sharing Limelight With Kate Middleton”: “It’s really, really cool,” even though Americans aren’t eligible for coins.

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Fame by the Numbers: Royal Baby vs. Kimye Baby