Given the weight of the role, sometimes godparents need a moment to consider the position, too. Take Tyler Perry, for instance, who was picked by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to be the godfather of their daughter Princess Lilibet Diana.
While the director was "honored," he admitted in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan that he needed to "take a minute" to reflect on the decision, especially if it meant having to take part in a public royal christening in England.
The one where Courteney Cox asked Jennifer Aniston a very special question.
Cox and her ex-husband David Arquette tapped her Friends costar and real-life bestie as their daughter Coco Cox Arquette's godmother.
After Cox posted a video of her and Coco singing a cover of Demi Lovato's "Anyone" in 2020, Aniston commented, "Aww, just like her godmother taught her."
Who says you can't stay friends with your ex? While their romantic relationship ended, The Office costars remained so close that Mindy Kaling named B.J. Novak the godfather to her kids, Katherine, Spencer and Anne. While she has never publicly identified the father of her children, some fans have wondered if it's Novak. As for how they feel about the speculation?
"It doesn't bother me," Kaling told Marie Claire in August 2022. "He's the godparent to both my kids—and they have such a great relationship—and so far [the rumors haven't] affected my happiness at all, it hasn't affected my kids or B.J…If that's what is going to be titillating to people, I'll take it."
The NBA star and his wife are godparents to Lindsay Lohan and husband Bader Shammas' son Luai, as the actress revealed with a basketball jersey the athlete gifted them at a Golden State Warriors game in February 2024.
The singer announced in 2015 that Jaime King had dubbed her godmother of her son Leo Thames. The Grammy winner posted a photo of her first meeting with her godchild on Instagram, writing, "Meeting my boy."
Swift also shared in July 2024 that she is godmother to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' four kids.
Swift isn't the only celeb that King tapped to be a godparent to her children, having revealed in a 2013 Instagram post that Jessica Alba was her eldest son James' godmother.
"Thank you Jess for your unending love and light," King wrote. "We are so grateful for you." Plus, King shared That '70s Show star Topher Grace is James' godfather.
Kim Kardashian named her little sis as North West's godmother during her 2015 baptism in Israel. Three years later, Khloé Kardashian returned the favor when she named the SKIMS founder as daughter True Thompson's potential legal guardian, leading to tension with their older sister Kourtney Kardashian.
"So I can't make anything official until the baby is born…but I am going to probably have Kim as the legal guardian if, god forbid, something happens," the Good American mogul explained in a 2018 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. "I don't know my parenting style until I have a baby, but from what I envision my parenting style to be, I do think it'll be more like Kim. A little more stricter."
Kim's reaction to the title? "It is my honor," she said. "And I will take such good care of your kids."
The renowned singer-songwriter known for her big voice and big hair was named godmother to "Wrecking Ball" artist Miley Cyrus after forming a close bond with her father Billy Ray Cyrus when they worked together in the early 1990s.
"We just kind of jelled, 'cause we're both country kids. We had a lot of fun just talking about that," Parton said on SiriusXM's Just Jenny in 2019. "And then when Miley came along, I said, 'She's got to be my fairy goddaughter.'" Parton later made an appearance on Hannah Montana as the titular character's fairy godmother.
The filmmaker recalled the surprising moment when he was crowned godfather to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet Diana.
"They were pretty serious on the phone," he recalled in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan. "I go, 'OK, what's going on?' They said, 'Well, we'd like for you to be Lili's godfather.' I go, 'Whoa.' I take a minute to take that in. And I thought, 'I'd be honored. I'd be absolutely honored.'"
The English actress and author is godmother to supermodel Cara Delevingne.
The Oscar winner, once dubbed the "scream queen" due to her starring roles in the Halloween film franchise, is godmother to siblings Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
After becoming close friends with Michael Jackson as a child star, the Home Alone actor was named the godfather of Paris Jackson, the late pop legend's only daughter.
"I am close with Paris," Culkin said on Marc Maron's WTF podcast in 2018. "I'm going to warn you now I am very protective of her, so just look out. I am a very open book when it comes to things but like with her, she is beloved by me."
In September 2024, she revealed that acting legend Elizabeth Taylor was her godmother.
"There's definitely a part of him that knew that we would have a very similar experience," she explained in the first episode of the BBC docuseries Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar. "I was homeschooled and because of that, I don't know what it was like to be around other kids my age."
She added, "And I think it was just the same for her."
Nick Jonas proved he's a sucker for his niece Valentina Jonas, revealing on Snapchat in 2017 that his older brother Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle Jonas asked him to be her godfather.
The "Jealous" singer posted a photo of himself and his sister-in-law Katie Deleasa holding Valentina on her "Dedication Day," where they were officially named her godparents.
After Paul Walker's tragic death in 2013, his Fast & Furious costar Vin Diesel was first and foremost there for then 15-year-old goddaughter Meadow Walker. Their bond held fast, and the action star was there to walk Meadow down the aisle at her wedding to Louis Thornton-Allan in October 2021.
"I could say that I am so proud of the person you are becoming," Diesel wrote in a 2019 Instagram post for Meadow's 21st birthday. "But the truth is I have always been proud of you."
From costars to close friends. After starring in two films together—Friday Night Lights and Country Strong—Garrett Hedlund selected Tim McGraw to be the godfather to Rhodes Robert, the son he shares with his ex-girlfriend Emma Roberts.
"He's somebody that I admire and respect, not only as an amazing father and an amazing husband, amazing musician and amazing actor," Hedlund told Kelly Clarkson in 2021. "I've known him for a long time."
After first working together in 2006 when they played father and son, Hedlund explained, "I got to first experience him as a father...and we've remained such close friends. He's the best."
Of choosing Breaking Bad costar to be the godfather of his and Lauren Paul's two kids, Aaron Paul said, "I love the man to death. He's one of my best friends in the world, and it was just a no-brainer."
For Cranston, he said the role is "truly answering a call."
"It is truly allowing me to go through the experience of what it feels like to be a grandfather," he shared with British GQ. "My jaws hurt from [smiling]."
The actor is godfather to Matilda Williams, the daughter of his Brokeback Mountain costars Michelle Williams and the late Heath Ledger. Matilda counts her mom's Dawson's Creek costar-turned-BFF Busy Philipps as her other godparent.
That was the response Billie Lourd, daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, gave Andy Cohen when he asked what was the best part of having the Oscar winner as her godmother.
The British rock star and his wife are the godparents to Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son Rocco Ritchie.
Madonna's son, David Banda, has the My Best Friend's Wedding actor as a godfather, forever and ever.
The Garden State actor was given the title from his Scrubs costar and real-life best friend Donald Faison, who has two kids, Rocco Faison and Wilder Faison with wife CaCee Cobb.
"Thank you to @caceecobb for growing this for @donald_aison and I," Braff joked in Aril 2015 after Wilder's birth. #GodfatherII."
Angels forever! Drew Barrymore picked her Charlie's Angels costar and best friend Cameron Diaz to be the godmother to her younger daughter, Frankie Barrymore Kopelman.
The famed director gave his goddaughters their big breaks, casting Barrymore in E.T. and Gwyneth Paltrow in Hook.
And that's not Barrymore's only famed guardian angel. A scion of screen legends, she counts Italian acting icon Sophia Loren as her godmother.
A version of this story was first published on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 at 3 a.m. PT.