Names from Christmas Songs

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Merry almost-Christmas everybody! This is my last post for 2015--I'll see you all back after the new year. Happy happy holidays, enjoy this list of Christmas song inspired names.

Blue--"Blue Christmas"
Blue is a lovely name, but I wouldn't name my child after a sad Christmas song.

Christmas--Take your pick of Christmas song!
Christmas is definitely out-there, but still a usable name. It's obviously featured in many a Christmas song (if not all of them).

Dominick--"Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey"
The song is a silly one, but Dominick is a very nice name. Spelling it Dominic gets rid of the former grocery store chain connection.

Drummer--"Little Drummer Boy"
A classic Christmas song and a very new name. You won't meet many baby Drummers around, but it does sound very on-trend.

Holly--"Holly Jolly Christmas"
Holly is not a particularly popular name, though I suspect usage increases in December. I love her as a nickname for the whimsical Holiday.

Joy--"Joy to the World"
Joy feels quite dated, but she's an understandable choice for a holiday-time baby.

Navidad--"Feliz Navidad"
Navidad is the Spanish word for Christmas (hence the song title) and also a Spanish variation of the name Natalia. Like Christmas, she's a bold choice, but perfect for a December 25th baby.

Nick--"Little Saint Nick"
Nicholas is a modern classic, and his main nickname gets plenty of use. The Beach Boys' song "Little Saint Nick" is a cute one to be named after.

Noel--"The First Noel"
Noel is another name that is heavily associated with Christmas time, and works for a boy or a girl.

Plum--"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"
You all know how much I love the name Plum, and the song from the Nutcracker ballet makes her that much sweeter.

Rudolph--"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
Rudolph would be a hard name to wear, even though the song promotes not teasing others. Go with Rudy instead.

Silver--"Silver Bells"
Silver is a daring color name that is slightly softened by the Christmas song association. The calming melody offers a nice balance to the sparkly, intense color.

Suzy--"Suzy Snowflake"
I hadn't heard this song until a few minutes ago. If you're not familiar, the song seems to have originated in Chicago, and may not have been widely known outside of the city (though I am from Chicago, and I had never heard of it). The name Suzy would feel retro-cool on a baby today, though I prefer the softer spelling Susie.

Winter--"Winter Wonderland"
Winter is name that's rising up the charts. She's the freshest of the season names, and comes with the adorable nickname Winnie. "Winter Wonderland" is a wonderful song to have your name in, as well.

Holiday Names

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Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you guys are having a great holiday season. I've posted about holiday names many times in the past, and this year I am going to do something a little different. There are so many holiday names, but many of they are not all cohesive. I've split up 24 names into four categories--Familiar, Fashionable, Festive, and Funky--to help you pick the perfect holiday baby name based on your style. Let me know what you think!

Familiar
Bell- Do you have certain names where you hate one spelling but love the other one? For me, that's Bell. I really don't like Belle, but Bell makes me swoon.
Carol- Old fashioned; I would choose Caroline instead.
Holly- I think she's cuter as a nickname for Holiday.
Joy- Sweet, sweet, sweet. Perfect for the Holidays.
Natalie- She's not tied to Christmas anymore, so she makes for a subtle holiday name.
Nicholas- I'm not very fond of Nicholas, but that's probably because he peaked around the time I was born.

Fashionable
Eve- There's no better name for a girl born on December 24th.
Natalia- Kicks Natalie up a notch.
Neve- Gorgeous name meaning snow.
Pax- He means peace, which is a great meaning year-round.
Piper- This trendy girls name has her own line in the Twelve Days of Christmas song.
Winter- The most coveted season name.

Festive
Christmas- Might as well go big.
December- December is a unisex name, but if you use it on a girl, she can be called Ember.
Garland- One of my favorite G names for boys.
Holiday- Ooh, I adore Holiday. I would use her in a heartbeat.
Merry- I prefer Mary, but hey, Merry is better for a holiday baby.
Noel- Noel is very sophisticated, especially when pronounced (nole) on a boy.

Funky
North- Did Kim Kardashian ruin this name for everyone? Maybe stick her in the middle.
Plum- Plum is my other favorite of the list. She's just so cute!
Season- If you use her in the middle, don't make Holiday her first name.
Silver- A very festive color, seldom heard as a name.
Star- If Star is overkill, try Stella or Estelle.
Yule- Many people overlook Y names, but Yule is one of the better ones out there.



That's all for this week, thank you so much for reading. I will be off next week for the holidays. Check back on December 29th for a year in review post.

Halloween Candy Names (Updated)

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Happy Halloween, everybody! I updated my Halloween candy post from last year, enjoy.

Expected:

Henry- People probably won't get the connection unless you hand out Oh Henrys.

Joy- Slightly dated, but a lovely name nonetheless.

Kat- Stick with Kit.

Mary Jane- A nasty candy, but sweet name.

Mike- He's definitely a dad name, but I have met some young kids named Mike recently.

Reese- A great name, and who doesn't love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?

Ruth- Baby Ruths are delicious, and would be a great first Halloween costume for your baby.

Unique:

Heath- A classy name and a classy candy. It's a perfect match.

Ike- I love the nickname Ike, especially for Isaac. More people should consider him an option.

Kit- My favorite nickname for Katherine. She's simple and modern.

York- Ultra preppy. And the peppermint patties are solid.

Unheard of:

Charleston- An extravagant way to get to Charlie.

Honey- I don't think anyone gives out Bit O' Honeys on Halloween, so maybe the name should retire along with the candy.

Pixie- Strictly nickname only, and even that's a little much.

Tootsie- I happen to enjoy Tootsie Rolls, but using her as a name is a little too Dustin Hoffman.

Modern Virtue Names for Girls

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Charity? Chastity? Patience? Yeah, I don't think those qualify as modern. Many parents desire virtue names, but only know of names like the ones I listed above. Fortunately there are so many great options for girls these days. Last week we did the boys, so now it's time for the (much longer) girls list. Let me know if you would use any of these, or if I missed some.

Amity- Beautiful. She's obviously a virtue choice without being over the top.

Comfort- A little bit wordy, but I've seen people with this name, and it is definitely useable.

Divinity- If you want a name that reflects your religion without being too obvious, Divinity is a good choice.

Dream- Such a pretty word name. I'm surprised it hasn't been a celebrity baby name yet.

Faith- This one is starting to sound a little dated, but still works for the modern girl (unlike her sister Charity)

Fidelity- I really like this one. I love F names, and I think Fidelity has a gorgeous sound.

Grace- The most common virtue name. She's always pretty, but her overuse has caused Grace to lose some of the association with the virtue.

Heaven- I'm not a huge fan, but she's a better choice than Nevaeh (which didn't make the list).

Hero- You guys know I love Hero. She's perfect. Use her.

Holiday- Ooh, Holiday! She's not quite a virtue, but I think she fits with this list. No need to wait till December, I say use her whenever.

Honor- I know quite a few girls around my age named Honor. I prefer Honora, but both make great names for a daughter.

Hope- I think this one gets confusing with everyday language, but Hope is a lovely choice. She's pretty popular as a middle, so I think it's nicer to use her as a first name.

Imagine- I talked about this one last week. I think it's better on a girl, but again, stick her in the middle.

Joy- Super popular as a middle name, and a little dated for a first name. Nevertheless, she's still very useable, just don't name her sisters Hope and Faith. Please.

Karma- This is a fun one. Karma is a great name, and would be a perfect way to honor a Carmen or Carla.

Mercy- A nice name, but she will probably be serenaded a lot.

Serenity- A better choice than Tranquility. Serenity makes for a good pick if one partner likes virtue names and the other doesn't, because she shortens to the lovely Seren.

True- True is super cute, and definitely works on her own. She would also make a fun middle name.

Unity- One of the more popular U names. Uni is an adorable nickname.

Verity- Any name that ends in -ity is usually a virtue, and Verity is no exception. She's a lovely name, if you don't mind her lack of nickname options.

Virtue- Of course, why not just go with the word itself? Virtue can encompass all of these names and more, making her the ultimate virtue name.

10 G Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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G is one of those letters that offers so many unique names. G is often seen as a more masculine letter, which means there are tons of overlooked options for girls. Take a look, and tell me your opinion.

Gaeta- A pretty name that is slim, yet ultra-feminine.

Galilee- Fun, spunky, and upbeat. Many parents would choose this name for her uniqueness, but if you want a more conventional nickname, she lends herself to Lily.

Galina-Spelled Galena she's an Illinois place name (ski destination), but Galina is definitely the prettier spelling.

Garnet- This January gemstone makes the perfect name for a boy or girl born any month of the year.

Genoa- A sweet, interesting way to get to everyone's latest name crush: Noa.

Georgiana- She's a big name for a little girl, but with her length comes plenty of nickname opportunities. My favorites are Georgie, Georgia, and Gia.

Gioia- (JOY-uh) A more modern and understated way to represent the virtue Joy.

Glenna- Girly, without the frills. A nice way to honor a Glenn.

Greer- One of my favorite G names. More people need to use Greer.

Guinevere- She strikes me as the best alternative to Genevieve. Worried about nicknames? I once knew a girl called Guinnie.

Halloween Candy Names

Having a Halloween baby? Why not name them after your favorite candy? Here are some useable options.

Expected:

Henry

Jane

Joy

Kat

Mary

Mike

Reese

Ruth 

Unique:

Heath

Ike

Kit

York

 

Unheard of:

Charleston

Honey

Pixie

Tootsie

Nicknames for Josephine

Josephine is a beautiful name, but on the long side. If you want your own little Josephine, here's what you can call her.

Expected:
Jo
Joey
Jojo
Josie

Unique:
Fee
Fifi
Phiney
Posy

Unheard of:
Fina
Joan
Joy
Sephie

25 Days of Christmas: Joy

Today's Christmas Name is one that is thought of a lot when asked about holiday names- Joy.
Joy means exactly what she sounds like. She is one of the original "word names." Joy peaked in popularity during the year 1974, when she reached #109. In recent years, Joy has been on a solid decline, however she climbed almost twenty spots in 2011.

Some famous Joys include Joy Fawcett, a soccer player, Joy Harjo, a poet, and Joy-Anna Duggar, one of the Duggar family's nineteen children.

Joy would make a great Christmastime baby name. Though she is mostly used for girls, it is not unheard of to use Joy or Joi for a baby boy. She's short and sweet, has no potential nicknames, and a lovely message. Joy is absolutely darling.