There are so many families in Hollywood that function more like really talented dynasties—the Coppolas, the Barrymores, the Baldwins...the list goes on. But celebrity connections by blood aren’t the only ones that matter in Tinsel Town, and many stars who have met by virtue of their fame have grown so close over the years that they've become more like family. And, as a result, some celebrity kids boast pretty famous godparents.
Imagine growing up knowing that one of the people who has your back for life just so happens to be Elton John. That’s almost as cool as being the son of Posh Spice and David Beckham—and that’s reality for Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham, believe it or not.
Read on for celebrities who have super famous grandparents. While some of these stars have been open about how much their chosen family has guided them in their lives and careers, other pairings on this list are definitely a bit surprising.
RELATED: 25 Celebrity Kids Who Look Just Like Their Parents.
1 | Dolly Parton is godmother to Miley Cyrus.
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyGiven that Miley Cyrus’ dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, is a country legend himself, it’s no surprise that Dolly Parton is her godmother. And those who've seen Parton’s cameo on Hannah Montana have known about this for years! While Parton has dispensed her best advice to Cyrus, she told People in 2019 that she also wants to “live an example” for her.
“[I’d rather] be an example rather than just try to tell somebody to do this, do that because I don’t think that’s right. Everybody’s different,” Parton said. “You’ve got your own journey. And some people are going to help you along the way and they can kick a few rocks out of the road for you, but you got to walk it.”
2 | Drew Barrymore is godmother to Frances Bean Cobain.
DFree/Kathy Hutchins/ShutterstockThe 28-year-old daughter of Courtney Love and the late Kurt Cobain has someone to lean on who knows what it’s like to live in the spotlight from a very young age: Drew Barrymore. Once upon a time, Barrymore and Love were incredibly close, so it’s no surprise that the Santa Clarita Diet star was the rocker's first choice when it came to Frances Bean's godparent.
3 | Victor Garber is godfather to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's daughter Violet.
David Kamerman/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesSince Violet Affleck’s mom, Jennifer Garner, spent so much time working with Victor Garber on Alias, of course he was named the godfather of her and ex-husband Ben Affleck’s oldest daughter.
“Those children are so daunting and intimidating. They are so smart that I feel unequal,” Garber told Us Weekly in 2019 of the Affleck brood. “They’re just beyond brilliant, those kids.”
4 | Jennifer Aniston is godmother to Courteney Cox's daughter Coco.
Monica and Rachel from Friends are two of TV’s most memorable BFF pairs, and in real life, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston are just as close. No wonder Aniston is Coco Arquette’s godmother. When she turned 17 earlier this month, Aniston shared a sweet throwback photo of Cox and ex David Arquette's daughter on her Instagram story, writing, “Happy birthday my sweet Cocolicious. Godmama loves you.”
5 | Cameron Diaz is godmother to Drew Barrymore's daughter Frankie.
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty ImagesAfter starring in Charlie’s Angels together, you’re bonded for life—at least, that’s how Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz must see it, anyway. Diaz is godmother to Barrymore’s youngest daughter, Frankie Kopelman, and in 2019, Barrymore described her to PureWow as “a woman you want in your daily life or any crisis or situation.”
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6 | Taylor Swift is godmother to Jaime King's son Leo.
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for EJAFHart of Dixie star Jaime King selected close friend Taylor Swift to be godmother to her son, Leo Thames Newman, a role that Swift has since taken quite seriously. She even donated to the hospital that treated Newman when he was born with a congenital heart defect, saving his life.
7 | Zach Braff is godfather to Donald Faison's kids, Rocco and Wilder.
Michael Bezjian/Getty Images for Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids FoundationThese two pals are another case of onscreen BFFs creating an off-screen friendship that's just as strong. Donald Faison chose his Scrubs co-star Zach Braff to be the godfather of two of his children, Rocco and Wilder, and his former co-star has been close to the kiddos from the start.
8 | Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley are godparents to Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham.
Dave Benett/Getty ImagesDavid and Victoria Beckham’s sons have not one but two pretty impressive godparents. Elton John was named Brooklyn and Romeo’s godfather, with actor and model Elizabeth Hurley as their godmother.
"She's very talented and an amazing woman as well, and a good mom," David told E! of Hurley in 2015.
9 | Eva Longoria and Marc Anthony are godparents to the other Beckham children.
Paul Archuleta/FilmMagicDon’t worry, the other Beckham kids have celebrity godparents of their own. When daughter Harper and son Cruz were baptized in 2019, Victoria revealed in a sweet Instagram post that longtime friend Eva Longoria had been chosen as Harper’s godmother, with singer Marc Anthony in the role of Cruz’s godfather.
10 | David Beckham is godfather to Liv Tyler's kids.
David Beckham hasn’t just asked fellow celebs to be godparents to his kids, he’s also been honored with the title as well. In April 2021, Liv Tyler revealed that her youngest kids, Lula and Sailor, have Beckham as their godfather when she posted a photo of all three of them together to congratulate him when the soccer team he owns won their first game of the season.
11 | Busy Philipps and Jake Gyllenhaal are godparents to Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger's daughter Matilda.
Kathy Hutchins/ShutterstockThe friendship between former Dawson’s Creek co-stars Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps has remained pretty legendary over the years, so it’s no wonder that Williams chose her bestie as the godmother of her daughter with the late Heath Ledger, Matilda. Ledger’s Brokeback Mountain co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal, ended up with the job of Matilda’s godfather.
12 | B.J. Novak is godfather to Mindy Kaling's daughter Katherine.
Kevin Mazur/VF20/WireImageThere’s been plenty of speculation that B.J. Novak is actually the father of Mindy Kaling’s kids, but in reality, he has a different role. He's godfather to his Office colleague's daughter Katherine—and he’s happy to do it.
"You know, he said the funniest thing because he's so attached to my older child, my daughter," Kaling told Today in December 2020. "When I said, you know, 'B.J., if something happens to me, it's not like I have a husband, like you have to just take the kids.' And he's like 'Oh, my God, don't tempt me.'"
13 | Meryl Streep is godmother to Billie Lourd.
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesWith a mother like Carrie Fisher and a grandmother like Debbie Reynolds, of course Billie Lourd’s godmother had to be a formidable woman. Meryl Streep was so close to the late Star Wars actor and her family that she delivered the eulogy for both her and Reynolds at their 2016 memorial.
14 | Lady Gaga is godmother to Elton John's kids, Elijah and Zachary.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagicElijah and Zachary Furnish-John are growing up with dads Elton John and David Furnish… and another groundbreaking musician as their godmother: Lady Gaga, who they call “Gaga-Mother.”
"She's very hands on. She comes whenever can she can and visits the boys,” John told Heart in 2018. "She bathes them, she sings to them, she reads stories to them. She's the greatest godmother. She really cares. She leads a very heavy-scheduled life, but she always finds time for them."
