100+ Best Holiday-Inspired Baby Names
A baby in a Santa outfit smiling at this list of holiday-inspired baby names.
It's the most wonderful time of the year—especially if you are expecting a Christmas baby! If you are thinking about giving your baby boy or baby girl a special name inspired by the Yuletide season, then you have come to the right place.
In this list, we will cover some Christmas-themed names like Joy, Eve and Carol, and some other names that are inspired by the holiday season, like Jack, Ginger and Christian. This list of Christmas baby names also has many monikers inspired by the religious aspect of the holy Christian holiday, as well as names taken from favorite Christmas-themed programming! We will also dive into what the name Noelle means and why it is so special for babies born in December.
So, if you are looking for a festive name because you love the holidays, or for your best Christmas present ever, put on some classic carols and let the flickering lights of your Christmas tree guide you as you read through this list of holiday-inspired baby names and their meanings.
Related: These 35 Christmas 'Would You Rather' Questions Are Perfect for the Whole Family
What Does the Name Noel or Noelle Mean?
At Christmas, we often see the French phrase “Joyeux Noel,” which translates to "Merry Christmas." But the name Noel—and its more feminine variation, Noelle—is a popular choice among parents with babies born around Christmastime (like me, since I chose it for my own daughter!). What does the name Noel or Noelle mean?
No?l comes from both the Old French word nael, meaning “born on Christmas” and the Latin word natalis, meaning “birth.” As far back as the Middle Ages, parents have bestowed the name upon children born during the Christmas season.
Noeleen, Noella, Nollaig, Natalie, Natalia, Natasha, Nathan, Nathaniel and Natale are all variations of this beautiful Christmas name.
Related: The Most Magical Santa Claus Quotes
Baby Names That Mean "Miracle"
A baby truly is a blessing and a miracle. And the birth of Jesus Christ to the Virgin Mary is one of the most remarkable miracles of them all! Below are some baby names that mean miracle and baby names that mean blessing.
Best Christmas Baby Names
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1. Aaron — Moses’ older brother, Aaron was a prophet who was appointed as Israel’s first high priest.
2. Asher — One of Jacob’s 12 sons in the Bible, this name means “blessing” or “happy.”
3. Barack — Arabic in origin, this name means “blessed.”
4. Bennett — A derivative of Benedict, a name with Latin origins that means “blessed.”
5. Dorothea — Hebrew in origin, meaning “gift from God.”
6. Eijaz — A popular Arabic name that means “miracle.”
7. Jane — English in origin, meaning “God is gracious.”
8. Jessa — A derivative of Jessica, a name with Hebrew roots that means “God will behold” or “blessing.”
9. Matthew — A Hebrew name that means “gift from God,” the Gospel of Matthew recounted the Nativity Story in the Bible.
10. Marvella — A French name that means “miracle to marvel at.”
11. Michael/Micayla — A name with Hebrew roots meaning “who is like God.”
12. Milagro — A name of Spanish origin meaning “wonder.”
13. Mireya — Spanish and Latin in origin, this pretty name means “miracle” or “admired.”
14. Nasya — A name with Hebrew roots that translates to “miracle of God.”
15. Thaddeus — Hebrew name meaning “valiant” and “a blessing from God.”
Related: Unusual Baby Names for Boys and Girls
Christmas Names for Girls
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16. Angelina — Along with variations like Angela, Angelica, and Angelina, this name means “angel.”
17. Ariadne — A name from Greek mythology (she was the goddess of fertility) meaning “most holy.”
18. Avery — A Medieval name of English and French origin meaning “ruler of elves.”
19. Belle — Reminiscent of Christmas bells, this French name means “beauty.”
20. Bethany — Derived from Bethlehem, the city where Jesus Christ was born.
21. Cady — From the French word cadeaux, which translates to “gift.”
22. Carol — An English name that means “joyful song,” like a Christmas carol.
23. Charity — One of the three theological virtues.
24. Christine — A classic name that means “follower of Christ.”
25. Clara — The heroine of The Nutcracker Story, this name has Latin roots and means “bright, clear.”
26. Cleo — After the Clio, the Greek muse of poetry, meaning “to celebrate.”
27. December — Why not name your little girl after the month of Christmas?
28. Eira — Welsh in origin, meaning snow.
29. Elena — A variation of the Greek name Helen, which means “bright, shining light” like the Christmas Star.
30. Evangeline — “Bearer of good news” is what this name of Greek origins means.
31. Eve — Perfect for a baby girl born on December 24, this name means “life” or “living.”
32. Faith — One of the three theological virtues.
33. Farrah — An Arabic name meaning “happiness, gladness, joyful.”
34. Felicity — Derived from the Latin word felicitas, meaning “luck or good fortune.”
35. Ginger — It’s a common nickname for people with red hair, but this English name means “pure, chaste, virginal.” It’s also a key ingredient in tasty gingerbread cookies.
36. Gloria — A name with Latin roots that means “immortal glory.”
37. Grace — A Latin name used in reference to “God’s grace,” it also means “kindness, goodness, and generosity.”
38. Hermoine — Synonymous with Harry Potter’s sidekick, this name is derived from the Greek god Hermes and means “messenger” or “Earthly.”
39. Holly — After the holly plant, meaning “resilience and eternal life.”
40. Hope — One of the three theological virtues.
41. Ivy — British in origin, this name is inspired by the climbing evergreen plant and means “eternity” and “fidelity.”
42. Josephine — The female version of Joseph, who was Jesus Christ’s father on Earth.
43. Jovie — “Joyful” is what this name means in Hebrew. It is also the name of Zooey Deschanel’s character in the holiday film Elf.
44. Joy — Meaning “happiness” and “joyful.”
45. Juniper — Another flower name, meaning “young” and “evergreen.”
46. Kandi — An alternate spelling of candy, like candy canes.
47. Mariah — A variation of Mary, which means “wished-for child.” And in honor of the Queen of Christmas Pop, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” singer Mariah Carey!
48. Merri — A name with French roots meaning “joyful” and “lighthearted.”
49. Natalie — Common for baby girls born on Christmas, this name is derived from the Latin phrase natale domini, which translates to “birth of the Lord”… aka Christmas Day.
50. Natasha — The Russian variation of Natalie, meaning “born on Christmas Day” or “birth of the Lord.”
51. Nicole — After St. Nicholas, which means “victory of the people.”
52. Noelle — A French name meaning “born on Christmas.”
53. Nora — “Honor” and “shining light” are the meanings of this name, which is rooted in the Latin word honorius.
54. Paloma — Derived from palumbus, the Latin word for dove, like the bird associated with the Holy Spirit.
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55. Stella — The Latin word for “star,” like the Christmas Star that the three Magi followed to find Baby Jesus.
56. Tiffany — A variation of the Greek name Epiphany, this name means “manifestation of God.” Celebrated on January 6, the Epiphany holiday commemorates God incarnate as Jesus Christ.
Related: The Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Songs
Christmas Names for Boys
57. Alden — An Old English name meaning “old wise friend,” this moniker is a hipper variation on Elden, which also means “valley of the elves.”
58. Aster — A gender-neutral name derived from the Greek word for star.
59. Auryn — The Celtic word for gold, one of the gifts given to Jesus by the Three Kings.
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60. Axel — This Scandinavian name means “father of peace.”
61. Balthazar — Meaning “Bel protects the King,” Saint Balthazar was one of the Three Wise Men in The Nativity Story.
62. Cane — In honor of the Christmas candy canes, this name is an alternative spelling of Cain, who was Adam and Eve’s firstborn son.
63. Cannon — A Middle English surname typically given to a servant living in a house of clergymen meaning “rule” or “discipline,” in reference to the canon rules of faith.
64. Casper — Saint Caspar was one of the three wise men who visited Baby Jesus. Like Santa Claus bringing presents on Christmas morning, this old Biblical name means “treasurer.” (Gaspar and Jasper are variants of this name.)
65. Celyn — Pronounced Kellan, this name is the Welsh word for “holly.” While a traditionally masculine name in Wales, it also works beautifully for the boys-name-for-girls trend.
66. Christian — Derived from the Latin word that means “follower of Christ.”
67. Clem — In honor of Clement Clarke Moore, who wrote the beloved poem “’Twas The Night Before Christmas.”
Related: The Best Elf on the Shelf Names
68. Cole — As the legend goes, Santa puts coal in your stocking if you are naughty, but Cole is a charming name for a little boy with English roots meaning “swarthy” and “charcoal.”
69. Cullen — An Irish surname meaning “holly tree,” this name gained popularity as a given name thanks to the family of vampires in the Twilight books.
70. Dasher — This American name means “to run quickly”—but is also one of Santa’s fabled sleigh-pullers.
71. Emmanuel — A Hebrew name translating to “God is with us,” this was another name for Jesus in the Bible.
72. Emmett — A throwback to a beloved Muppet Christmas movie from the late 1970s, Emmet Otter’s Jug-band Christmas.
73. Frasier — In honor of the evergreen Fraser fir tree, should you feel the name Douglas is too stuffy.”
74. Felix — The masculine variation of Felicity, meaning “happy” or “lucky.”
75. Gabriel — After the archangel Gabriel, who visited Jesus’ father in a dream.
76. Galen — Greek in origin, meaning “peaceful.”
77. Hollis — An English surname meaning “near the holly bushes,” this moniker can be used for both boys or girls.
78. Jax — A variation of Jack, which itself is derived from John (meaning “God is gracious”), this name can also be in honor of Jack Frost.
79. Jedidiah — “Beloved of the Lord” is what this Old Testament Hebrew name means.
80. Jefferson — Derived from Geoffrey, a name with German and English roots that translates to “God’s peace” or “pledge of peace.”
81. Jesse — English and Dutch in origin, derived from the Hebrew name Yishai, meaning “God’s gift” or “King.”
82. Jesus — The OG Christmas name, meaning “God will help.”
83. Jonah — A Hebrew name meaning “dove.”
84. Joseph — Jesus Christ’s father on Earth, this Biblical name means “God will give.”
85. Kai — Derived from the Biblical name Malachi, meaning “messenger of God.”
86. Kevin — After Macaulay Culkin’s character in the Home Alone movies!
87. Kiefer — From the German word for evergreen trees with cones, aka pinecones.
88. Levi — A Hebrew name meaning “joined in harmony.”
89. Lucas — In the Bible, the Gospel of Luke gives one account of the Nativity Story.
90. McAllister — Name your son after the Home Alone family, and nickname him Mack for short.
91. Nathaniel — Derived from the Hebrew word natan, meaning “to give” or “given by God.”
92. Noble — Another evergreen fir tree variety, this name also has Latin roots meaning “aristocratic.”
93. Nico — A variation on Nicolas, meaning “people of victory.” And in honor of St. Nicholas, of course!
94. Noel — From the French word for Christmas, this name means “born on Christmas.”
95. Paxton — British in origin, this name was originally a surname meaning “peace town.”
96. Rory — An Anglicised version of the Gaelic name Ruadhri, meaning “red king.”
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97. Rudy — A cute nickname for Rudolph… as in the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
98. Salvatore — The Italian variation of the Latin name Salvator, meaning “savior.”
99. Shepherd — An occupational name meaning “sheep herder.” Jesus is often referred to as the Good Shepherd.
100. Solomon — Hebrew name meaning “peace.”
101. Tannon — This German name means “fir tree”—like the Christmas song “O Tannenbaum.”
102. Tate — A Norse name meaning “cheerful.”
103. Timothy — “One who honors God” or “God-fearing” is the meaning of this name of Greek origin.
104. Winter — From the Old English word wintru, the fourth and coldest season of the world.
105. Yule — An Old English name meaning “winter solstice.”
106. Zane — A variation of the name John, meaning “God is gracious.”
Next, check out the meanings of 17 traditional Christmas symbols, like ornaments, bells and wreaths!
