In what is fast becoming a nameberry tradition, we turn our attention to names of the new season. If you’re expecting a fall baby, these choices might inspire you.
AUTUMN — Autumn is ironically the hottest season name, the only one in the Top 100 where it’s maintained its status for over a decade now. The name Autumn first entered the U.S. Top 1000 in 1969, inspired by the hippie nature names and word names. While it’s still attractive, however, it’s hardly fresh.
Names from other cultures that provide a newer route to Autumn include the Japanese girls’ names Aki and Akiko, the Turkish girls’ name Hazan, the Vietnamese Thu, and, in Chinese, Qiu for either girls or boys.
Fall month names are not quite as usable as those of the other seasons.
SEPTEMBER – Why are March, May, August and even January hot while September (along with October, November, and December) is not? Maybe there’s something chilly about that “ber” ending. Still, this has an attractive sound and is certainly unusual. The Latin Septimus, which means “seventh son,” sounds a bit Harry Potter and is perhaps too redolent of things septic. But Seven (lets forget that September is the ninth month, since we still have November to deal with) has potential.
OCTOBER – An equally unusual month name that gets an extra helping of cool from hipster writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, who chose it for their daughter. Perhaps more attractive are the Latin pair Octavius and especially Octavia, both of which mean (as does October) “eighth.” Other Octavius and Octavia variations you might consider: Octavian, Octaviana, Octavienne, the Italian Ottavio or Ottavia, or the nicknames Tavy or Tavia.
NOVEMBER – Certainly as usable as September and October, which is to say, not very unless you’re extremely adventurous.
Nature names that summon up an image of fall include tree names, particularly:
ASH (any of the Ash names – Asher, Ashley – relate)
The following may be a stretch, but other names that mean tree in a less obvious way include:
ADAIR – Scottish and Irish unisex name that relates to oak trees.
CORMAC – This handsome Irish boys’ name means “tree trunk,” which is close enough.
DAPHNE – Classic name that means laurel tree.
KEZIAH – Beautiful Old Testament name that means cassia tree.
LENNOX – A Scottish name that relates to the elm tree.
NIMA – Middle Eastern favorite, also found as Neema and Neemah, that means margosa tree.
PERRY – Works for both boys and girls and means “pear tree.”
ROWAN – A unisex name that’s also the name of a tree with red berries and that means “little redhead.” Related names include Rowena, Rhonwen, Roan, and Rowney.
Fall’s brilliant colors might also provide baby-naming inspiration.
Names that mean red include:
If golden is the fall hue you prefer, try:
Even brown, fall’s ultimate color, relates to some appealing names:
BAIZE – A French girls’ name that means “dark brown”
KIONA – A Native American girls’ name that means “brown hills”
ROUX – Unisex and pronounced “roo,” this might make a good middle name
SORRELL – Can be spelled with one or two r’s and l’s
Tags: autumn names, color names, fall names, names that mean autumn, names that mean brown, names that mean golden, names that mean red, names that mean tree, tree names
This entry was posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 am and is filed under color names, day names, green baby names, nature names, word names . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 am
Just curious, but how do you pronounce Hazan? It looks very pretty and appealing to me (even though I’m expecting a fall boy, not girl)