Thanksgiving Names

Parents seeking a distinctive New Testament name might consider this one. Adopted by some Puritans in the seventeenth century, Persis was used in the William Dean Howells novel The Rise of Silas Lapham for the wife of the protagonist.

Also spelt Rua, Ruadh is a strong and simple Irish name with a fiery meaning. Ruadhan is a popular related name.

This name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees is also associated with a suburban town in Southern California.

A name from the ancient world that may get a mixed reception today. On the one hand, festive! On the other hand, fester. In the Bible, Porcius Festus was a Roman official who rubbed up against St Paul. In modern times, this name has had more love in African countries than anywhere else.

Also spelt Sebele, this soft-sounding name means "harvest" in the Amharic language of Ethiopia.

Thursday is named after the god Thor, itself becoming a popular baby name (who would have thought?). So why not Thursday?

Believe it or not, Prudence is on the rise for girls in both the US and UK. Could Prudent be next?

An upbeat English word name with a Puritanical feel, famously borne by Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, who reigned for over 50 years until his death in 2021.

Shaquille O'Neal came almost as close as he could to a Junior when he selected this name for his son.

Eaton's similarity to Eton gives it an upscale Old School feel, though in the U.S. a name that sound like eatin' could have teasin' potential. Eaton could also sound like the much-more-familiar Ethan with a tough-guy accent.

A late Roman saint's name that feels perfect for a Thanksgiving baby.

A name made most famous by the operetta The Merry Widow which features "The Vilja's Song". A vila is a woodland spirit or fairy in Slavic mythology. Vilja also means "grain" in Finnish and "will, intent" in Swedish, and is very popular as a girls' name in Scandinavia, ranking in the Top 100 in both Finland and Norway.

A pleasant seasonal name.

Blessed and Blessing are two new entrants in the word name and virtue name categories, gaining popularity for both boys and girls.

Fragrant herb often used for cooking, but scarcely as a name.

A name given to apple--specifically crab apple--trees. The first syllable rhymes with Cal.

This Beatrix alternate could make a good choice for globetrotting parents.

Variant of Seble

In addition to being the appellation of an ancient grain goddess, this name was also borne by two mythic Irish figures, one of whom was betrothed to legendary chieftain Finn MacCool, the other the brave sixteenth century pirate Grainne Ni Mhaille— known in English as Grace O'Malley-- whose name passed into poetry as a symbol of Ireland.

Josepha is less heard in this country than in other parts of the world, seen as a slightly awkward feminization a la Ricarda and Benjamina. In the U.S., Josephine or Joanna is the more usual feminine form of Joseph, though you might consider Josepha if you want to break rank.