Christmas Names: Ultimate Guide (and Quiz!)

Christmas Names: Ultimate Guide (and Quiz!)

Christmas names range from the literal – like Natalie and Noel, which both mean “Christmas” – to symbolic choices like Piper, Cassia, Felix and Shepherd.

Christmas is a magical time to welcome a new baby into the family, and choosing a name with a festive meaning or connection is a great way to honor the special season of their birth. You may also want to consider the wider range of December baby names and Capricorn names.

Here you’ll find a wide selection of our favorite Christmas names for boys and girls, as well as advice on where to look for further festive naming inspiration. Happy holidays!

What's Your Christmas Name?

Need a glitzy name for the holiday season? Or inspiration for naming your family elf or angel? Just for fun, take our quiz to find festive new names for yourself and all your nearest and dearest.

Top Christmas Names

The top Christmas baby names tend to be evergreen choices like Angel, Joseph, Natalie and Stella, which are popular year round.

Each year, the name data reveals a big boost for festive names like Holly, Ivy and Robin in December. And our site stats for December do show a significant increase in searches for seasonal names.

The top Christmas names below all rank within the current popular names in the US, and cover a range of styles. They include Biblical figures, names with festive meanings, names with Christmas connections, and winter nature names.

Theodore – Theodore means "gift of God," and names that mean gift are perfect for Christmas babies.

Felix – Felix means "happy" or "joy", appropriate for a Christmas baby boy.

Clara – Clara is the name of the little girl in The Nutcracker, the ultimate Christmas production.

Ivy – Ivy is one of the plants associated with Christmas.

Angel – Angel, a name that works for girls or boys, symbolizes the angel of Christmas.

Joseph – The classic boys' name Joseph is the name of the Virgin Mary's husband, Jesus's earthly father. Any form of Mary or Maria is of course also associated with Christmas.

Natalie – Natalie is the French form of the Russian Natalia, which means born on Christmas Day.

Jasper – Jasper is traditionally the name of one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

Lucy or Lucia – St. Lucy's Day or the Feast of Santa Lucia is celebrated on December 13 as a precursor to Christmas.

Scarlett – Scarlett references the bright red color traditionally associated with Christmas.

Christmas Names for Girls

Cool Christmas names for girls include some beautiful international choices with Christmassy meanings, like Anjali “gift”, Chiara “light” and Irina “peace”.

Some of these lovely festive girl names are among the hottest names on Nameberry this month – Evangeline and Seraphina both make our Top 100 for girls, despite ranking much lower on the official charts.

Here are some of the best Christmas names for girls.

Evangeline – Angel-related names rank highly during the holidays. Other popular choices include Seraphina and Gabriel.

Noelle – Noelle, French for Christmas, is a relative of Natalie and a classic Christmas name.

Nova – Nova means new, but it’s also the sudden appearance of a bright new star. Several other star-related names rank among the most popular at this time of year, including Astra and Estelle.

Evie — Christmas Evie? That's one original way to go

Belle – The Christmas bell.

Magnolia The magnolia flower and leaves are associated with Christmas, especially in the American South.

Jovie — The name of the adorable elf played by Zooey Deschanel in Elf is a new Christmas favorite.

Dorothy — Yes, Dorothy, there is a Santa Claus.

Holly — Holly may no longer be the favorite Christmas name, but it’s a perennial Christmas classic.

Christina — One of the OG Christmas names, still ranked highly.

Christmas Names for Boys

Cool Christmas names for boys include some familiar faces: (Bing) Crosby, (Jacob) Marley and Eben – most of us aren't quite ready for the full Ebenezer yet! You could also consider one of Nicholas’ many modern nicknames, like Nico or Cole.

Other Christmas boy names include names that mean "peace" or "joy", as well as names that bring to mind snowy Christmas scenes, like Robin, Shepherd and Douglas (fir).

Here is a selection of Christmas boy names, to suit a variety of tastes.

Nico – Old Saint Nico has a new namesake. Nicholas is also popular.

Kane – Candy? Can also be spelled Cain, but that has another not-so-festive connotation.

Clarence – Clarence is the name of the guardian angel in the Christmas classic movie, It’s A Wonderful Life.

Noel – The French word for Christmas is one of the oldest gender neutral Christmas names.

Messiah – It's not for everyone, but Messiah is now a popular boys' name and has undeniable ties to Christmas.

Cole – Another traditional nickname for Nicholas with festive musical ties to Nat King Cole.

Robin – Robin, the Christmas bird with the red breast, is growing in use for both genders, especially boys.

Crosby – Surname of Bing, the ultimate Christmas crooner.

Lucian – Lucian is the masculine form of Lucy or Lucia, also meaning "light".

Pax – Pax means "peace", one of the qualities that symbolizes Christmas.

Shepherd – According to the Bible, an angel announced Jesus's birth to shepherds.

Unique Christmas Names

Unique Christmas names range from novel word names like Drummer and Holiday to overlooked Biblical figures like Balthasar and Melchior (why should Jasper have all the fun?)

If you’re looking for unique baby names with a Christmas connection, another great place to start is by browsing lists of names by meaning. You’ll find plenty of overlooked international gems with seasonal meanings, like Bijou “jewel”, Elouan “light” and Sidra “star”.

The unique Christmas baby names below all rank below the US Top 1000 and would make for great quirky middle names for a Yuletide baby. Or even a first, if you’re feeling adventurous!

Cassiel – The angel who protects those born under the sign of Capricorn.

Holiday – A word name that encompasses all the end-of-year holidays.

Sidra A more unique spin on Stella or Estelle, symbolizing the Christmas star.

Drummer – The little drummer boy of the Christmas song. Related reindeer name: Dancer.

Melchior – Magi name, meaning "king of light".

Balthazar – Another Wise Man, with a Greek name that can also be spelled Balthasar.

Navidad – Spanish for nativity.

Lucero – Another Spanish name, meaning "light".

Christmas – Christmas has long been quietly used as a baby name, for girls or boys.

Zuzu The little girl in the classic Christmas movie It's A Wonderful Life. Short for Susan or Suzanne.

Names With Festive Meanings

Names with festive meanings – such as joy, peace, light or miracle – hold a lot of appeal all year round, but they feel especially fitting at Christmastime. Choosing a baby name with a positive meaning is one of the subtlest ways to honor the season in your child’s name.

Many Christmas names, like Beatrix, Felicity, and Benedict, also fit in that stylish naming “sweet spot” – not too popular, not too wild. Word names tend to be more unusual.

Here is a selection of the best under-the-radar Christmas names for boys and girls, all with positive meanings related to the season.

Joy – What we wish for you this holiday season.

Melody – Has picked up where Carol left off.

Merry Can be short for Meredith, a related name like Merrilee, or stand merrily on its own.

Revel A new word name that's getting a lot of attention for both girls and boys.

Alba – Alba means white, as in White Christmas.

Beatrice or Beatrix – The meaning of "blessed" or "happy" makes this a perfect Christmas name.

Benedict – A blessed name for a Christmas baby.

Chiara – Italian form of Claire, meaning "light".

Felicity The feminine form of Felix, with a joyful meaning.

Winter Nature Names

Lovers of botanical baby names might like to consider Rowan, with its seasonal red berries, or types of Christmas tree, like Cedar and Cypress, or winter blooms, like Amaryllis and Magnolia (a Christmas tradition in the South).

Move from the garden to the kitchen and there are also plenty of fruit, herb and spice names which evoke the Christmas season. Anise, Bay, Clementine, Marron, Plum, Rosemary and Sage, to name just a few.

Below are some of our favorite wintery, secular nature names for a Yuletide baby.

Winter The season itself, getting more popular for girls and boys.

Eira – This Welsh name meaning "snow" is newly on the hot list.

Amaryllis – A gorgeous flower that blooms at Christmastime.

Neve The Italian and Portuguese word for snow.

Lux – A new spin on light names.

Lumi – Another snow-related name, this one from Finland.

Frost In honor of Frosty the Snowman.

Dove A dove symbolizes peace and works as a stylish first name for girls or boys.

Stella, Estelle or Star Any name that means "star" relates to Christmas.

Clementine Oranges were traditionally placed in Christmas stockings. Clementine or its brother name Clement also have a peaceful meaning.

Snow – Cool and fresh middle name material for a Christmas baby.

Juniper Trendy winter berry name for girls or boys.

About the Author

Pamela Redmond

Pamela Redmond

Pamela Redmond is the cocreator and CEO of Nameberry and Baby Name DNA. The coauthor of ten groundbreaking books on names, Redmond is an internationally-recognized baby name expert, quoted and published widely in such media outlets as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, CNN, and the BBC. She has written about baby names for The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, and People.

Redmond is also a New York Times bestselling novelist whose books include Younger, the basis for the hit television show, and its sequel, Older. She has three new books in the works.