Thanksgiving Names

Could be a sister to Trinity, Genesis, or Heaven.

A strong, warm name and a strong warm color. Would make an excellent alternative to August or Aubrey.

Alair is a lighter, more unusual form of Hilary.

Harvest has been occasionally used as a name since the eighteenth century, originally as evenly unisex, though it tips a bit in the girls' direction in the contemporary US. Given the rise of such popular baby names as Harper and August, plus new word names from Heaven to True, Harvest sounds more possible now than ever.

Israeli-born singer Keren Ann introduced this traditional Hebrew name to the US, where it could well be mistaken for Karen. Nevertheless, 100 girls were given the name in a recent year.

Oceanus was the Titan in ancient Greek mythology who rules what they thought was the body of water that surrounded the Earth. Oceanus was, appropriately enough, the name of the baby born on the Mayflower. Modern variations include Ocean, Oceana, and Oceane, a popular French name for girls.

This is an English surname dating back to 1086, but we don't see it having much of a first name future in the twenty-first century.

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.

An unusual possibility; Zea would fit right in with schoolmates named Tea and Leya.

Samhain is a traditional Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter (usually halfway between the equinox and solstice). Today it often coincides with the evening of Halloween (31st October), making it a unique option for a Halloween baby or one of the season-related names for autumn babies. The name has a slightly unflattering sound to the English-speaking ear, but might be a special choice for those with Celtic roots.

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

Aki is a simple international name from two wildly divergent cultures.

Harvest has been occasionally used as a name since the eighteenth century, originally as evenly unisex, but in the US data for last year was starting to lean more female, given to 29 girls and 11 boys. Harvest can be seen as pleasantly archaic, rich and ripe, fitting in with popular baby names like Harper and Harry, and is also a fresh take on names like Autumn and August and one of the best names for autumn babies.

One of the more unusual nature names, Maize is given to a dozen or so boys and girls each year and is almost completely unisex in terms of usage. Disclaimer: potential for "corny" jokes.

November is one of a growing list of month names that can work for a baby boy, and is also one of the ideal names for November babies.

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

Not, in fact, a spelling variation of Hazel (although it could be used as such). But Hazal is also a nature name — it refers to the dried, fallen leaves of Autumn.

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.

Thomasine is the feminine form of Thomas, a name of Aramaic origin meaning "twin." This elegant variation emerged during medieval times when feminizing male names by adding suffixes like "-ine" or "-ina" was common practice. While never achieving widespread popularity, Thomasine saw occasional use in England from the Middle Ages through the 19th century. The name carries a distinctive vintage charm with its classical derivation and melodious three-syllable structure. Thomasine offers a more elaborate alternative to the simpler Thomasa or Tomasa variants. Today, it remains quite rare, appealing to parents drawn to historical names with feminine elegance. The name combines traditional roots with an uncommon status, making it both familiar and distinctive.

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