by Tanya Glover
Giving your bundle of joy a festive name
If you are expecting your little one around the holidays, you may be tossing around the idea of giving him or her fun holiday name to celebrate. There are some fantastic names that are holiday-themed from which to choose — and given their meaning and beauty, how could you ever regret naming your child after such a special time of the year?
Popular Christmas names
If you are looking for a Christmas-themed name that proclaims, “I was named for the holiday season!” there are plenty to browse.
For little girls, Holly or Belle are charming choices. Angel is also a great choice — as what is Christmas without angels? Naming your little girl Hope, Faith or Joy all fit nicely with the season as well, those words being the main message of the holiday. Merry is also a very festive name — and maybe this will be an adjective that rubs off on your little princess later in life.
Your son need not be left out, as there are many male names that fit well with the Christmas season. The first two that pop to mind for me are Claus (or even its German variant Klaus), Nicholas and even Rudolph! Other sweet winter names for you little boy or girl are Noel (or Noelle) and Robin (after the red-breasted winter bird).
Traditional Christmas-themed names
If you are looking for more traditional name ideas for your Christmas delivery, there are lots to choose from in this area as well. Biblical names are very popular during this time of year so you may want to consider Mary or Josephine/Josie (female form of Joseph) for your girl. For your boy, you may want to consider Jesus (very popular in Hispanic families), Joseph, Gabrielle or Michael. A good unisex name representing traditional Christmas is Christian, which is the embodiment of the season for so many. There are many variants for girls — Christine, Christa, Kristy, etc.
Off the beaten path
If you are all about being unique, then there are great names for you too. Ivy is a good choice for a girl, and is representative of a winter plant. Neva, meaning snow, is also unique — as is Eira, which also means snow. Some unique choices for you little man are Elden (A Christmas elf), Jasper (one of the three kings) and Dion (a Greek name associated with holiday festivities).
Some other fantastically Christmas-y baby names include Carol, Natasha and Natalie (both mean born on Christmas), Talia, Star — and even Ealhdun (or Eldon), which means from the elves’ valley.
Want more ideas? Think winter weather. Think about Christmas storybooks. Just think about what the holidays mean to you and their new significance in your life!
