Birthday Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Irish
"grain or love"
Grainne is the Irish form of the name often Anglicized as Grania. It was the name of the ancient grain goddess and also of the fiancee of mythological hero Finn McCool and lover of Dermot, who was a…
English word name
"marked by kindness and courtesy"
A warm and positive English word name, used by the Puritans for both sexes but now given to only around a dozen baby girls each year.
English, African, Zulu
"meaning well"
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.
Word name
Full-hearted new virtue choice, though five syllables is a lot to handle.
"end of harvest season"
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…
Latin
"joyous, festive"
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…
Igbo
"praise, thanks"
A unisex Igbo name with a glorious meaning, perfect for a long-awaited baby.
Hindi
"born in autumn"
A pleasant seasonal name.
"time of sowing"
Winter, Summer, and Autumn are all mainstream names; this covers all bases.
Amharic
"harvest"
Variant of Seble
Also spelt Sebele, this soft-sounding name means "harvest" in the Amharic language of Ethiopia.
English
"riverside"
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…
Spelling variation of Shakir; Arabic
"thankful"
Shaquille O'Neal came almost as close as he could to a Junior when he selected this name for his son.
"thanks be to God"
A late Roman saint's name that feels perfect for a Thanksgiving baby.
Greek
"earth mother"
Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain, agriculture, and the harvest, growth and nourishment, was Zeus's sister and Persephone's mother. Variation Demetria is the full name of actress Demi Moore. Though…
"lost one"
One of the less common names that came over on the Mayflower, albeit, one with modern potential.
Hebrew
"corn, grain"
Popular in Israel for girls and boys born on Shavout, a harvest festival. In Babylonian mythology, Dagan was the god of the earth and grain.
Spanish from Greek
"golden flower, chrysanthemum"
Crisanta, while not related to Christine, would make a pretty and highly unusual alternative to that tried-and-true name. Because of its relationship to the chrysanthemum, the flower of the month of…
Shona
"thank you"
Unisex name with a gracious meaning, most often used in Zimbabwe.
A unisex Shona name most closely associated with Tatenda Taibu, captain of the Zimbabwean cricket team.
