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.

10 W Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Calling all brave namers. This list is for you. Sure, some of these names are on the tamer side, but the rest of them--not for the faint of heart.

Wandely- Oh yes. Wandely. Never heard of her? Neither has anyone else, so you've got uniqueness covered. She has the same syllable pattern of such popular names as Natalie, so Wandely's not totally out of the fashion limbo. 

Waverly- If you're going for cuteness, Waverly might be the better choice. The Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place helped propel her into the spotlight. She's currently at an all time high of #1854, but I wouldn't expect to see her in the top 1000 anytime soon.

Wendeline- Wendeline (also spelled Wendaline, Wendoline, and Wendolyn), is a variant of Gwendolyn. But, with a name as scarce as this one, you get to make up your own rules. I suggest pronouncing her WEN-dah-line (rhymes with Caroline) for a modern, more unique form of the name.

Westerly- Directional names are all the rage, but Westerly is not often heard. Westerly is a unisex name, but the -ly suffix makes her a great one to consider for a girl. 

Whimsy- See what I mean? Naming your daughter Whimsy would take a lot of courage. She sounds like a name straight out of celebrity-land, but if you love her, go for it. On the other hand, you could always play it safe and stick her in the middle ;)

Willabelle- The syrupy, fantastical -belle names can be hit-or-miss, but I'm kinda liking Willabelle. She may be a bit over the top, but in this day and age, practically anything is useable. Willa is my choice of nickname. 

Winna- I was so incredibly happy when I discovered this name. I thought Winna was perfect. Then I realized she sounds like "winner" and my heart was broken. That doesn't make her totally unusable, but you better live in a place where they pronounce their R's. 

Winslet- Kate Winslet makes her surname an absolutely gorgeous and accessible option for girls. The sounds are slightly tomboyish, but the touch of Hollywood glam makes Winslet decidedly feminine. 

Wisteria- Wisteria is a beautiful flower and purple hue that you most likely recognize from your Crayola box. It's quite rare to find a four syllable name without an obvious nickname, but Wisteria fits the bill. 

Wynne- Wynn is a traditionally unisex name, but the extra E makes her much more girly. If you would prefer to use her as a nickname, some possible full forms are Gwendolyn, Wendeline, Winslet, and Winter. 

Month Names: January

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Happy New Year everybody! I'm so glad it's finally 2015. It's going to be a good year, I can feel it. If you're having a baby this month, consider sneaking a January-related name in the choice pool. I have a lot of great options for you.

Birthstone: 
Garnet- Garnet is a great gemstone name, and one of the few that works better on boys.

Birth Flower:
Camellia- Camellia is a beautiful name on her own, but you can also call her Cammie.
Carnation- I'm not sure how usable Carnation is as a name. You could call her Carnie?
Plum Blossom- In China, January's flower is the Plum Blossom. You might not want to use them as a set, but Plum or Blossom make fun names on their own.
Snowdrop- Snowdrop doesn't really work as a name, but there are names that are related to snow, like Neve.

Birth Colors: 
Black- Black itself isn't a name, but Ebony, Jet, Noir, and Onyx are.
Dark Blue- We went over dark blue names in November. I stand by my picks of Cobalt, Indigo, and Navy.

Star Sign:
Aquarius- Aquarius means water bearer, so a water name like Bay, Lake, or Oceane would be perfect.
Capricorn- Last month I suggested Caprice as an option. Does it work?

Related to January:
Jan Names- Most of the Jan- names are not in style, but Jane, January, and Janson are in vogue.
Winter- Winter is in full swing, why not name your daughter after her birth season?

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.

Month Names: December

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Holy cow, you guys. It's December. 2014 flew by. I always love December because of all the holiday festivities going on, but it would be a busy month to have a baby. That being said, if you are due this month, there is lots of baby naming inspiration. Here are some names that are related to December.

Birthstone:
Turquoise- Turquoise would be quite a name, but it's not totally unusable.

Birth Flower:
Narcissus- Narcissus, no; Narcissa, yes. Though narcissist is a pretty unpleasant word.

Birth Colors:
Green- There are so many shades of green that work as names. Some of my favorites are Olive, Moss, Laurel, Fern, Pine, Emerald, India, Jade, and Sea.
Indigo- Indigo makes a cool and unique name for a boy.

Star Sign:
Sagittarius- Like I mentioned last month, Archer is a subtle way to relate back to Sagittarius.
Capricorn- Capricorn is much harder to come up with related names for. Caprice, maybe?

Related to December:
December- She's an unconventional month name, but Demi or Ember make nice nicknames.
Holiday Names- There are so many great holiday names out there. Look for a post about them later this month.
Winter- It's the beginning of Winter! Celebrate with the hottest new season name.

Song Names: The Rolling Stones

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Happy Friday! I'm back with another installment of Song Names, this time from The Rolling Stones. These names don't have the same cutesy feel as The Beatles, but many of them are very useable. Take a look.

Girls:
Angie- She's not used much in her own right these days, but Angie would make a sweet nickname for all those Angelinas and Evangelines.
Claudine- You're more likely to meet a Claudia, but the -dine names are beginning to sound retro. Save this one for a few years.
Fanny- We're seeing a rise in Fran- names, but Fanny probably won't make a comeback. Lookout for Frannie though.
Jane- Sweet, loveable Jane. What's not to like?
Melody- Great choice for music lovers.
Mercy- One parent loves the Rolling Stones, the other loves Kanye? Name the baby Mercy, problem solved.
Ruby- Ruby is such a happy name. I expect her to break the top 100 this year.
Virginia- She's slightly dated, but call her Vivi, Gigi, or Ginger to spice her up.
Winter- This season name is newly up for consideration.

Boys:
Jack- Always a classic. You can't go wrong with Jack.

Calendar Names

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Upon hearing "Calendar Names" most people automatically think months. But what about those other neglected parts of the calendar? Here's some options, taken straight from the calendar.

Expected:
April- Your common sixties/seventies month name.
August- Getting up there in popularity, but still one of the best month names.
Autumn- One of the more popular season names.
June- So sweet and making a comeback.
May- Lovely name, currently trendy.
Summer- Trendier than you might think, but also quite nice.
Sunday- Most usable of the day names.
Winter- She's fast rising, I expect to see more of her in coming years.

Unique:
Holiday- I secretly love Holiday. She's unexpected and spunky.
January- Mostly associated with January Jones, she makes a more unique month choice.
July- Least common of all the summer month names
March- One of the few month names that works for a boy.
Season- I think Season sounds beautiful. With a slight nature vibe, what's not to love?
September- Creative month name that works for either gender.
Seven- Popular celebrity baby middle name that's not too common- yet.
Tuesday- Quirky-cute day name.

Unheard of:
Blue- As is "Blue Moon". How sweet if your baby was born on a blue moon night.
Day- Straight and to the point, Day works well as a middle name.
December- A little chilly, but usable.
Five- Daring and mysterious. Most often associated with Five Novogratz.
Friday- Why not name your baby after everyone's favorite day?
Moon- That "oo" sound is so pretty, but I might stick this one in the middle. Otherwise go with Luna.
Spring- Least common of the season names, she's seldom heard.
Wednesday- She would be a great day name, if not for Wednesday Addams.

25 Days of Christmas: Winter

Today's Christmas baby name is Winter. Winter is a seasonal name, meaning "the season of winter." She was briefly in the top 1000, ranking 1000 in 1978,  then 705 in 1979. After that she abrubtly stopped being used, she hasn't been ranked since.

Right now Winter is incredibly stylish. She has been included in several star-babie's names. Winter was chosen by Nicole Richie for Harlow's middle name. She would make the perfect choice for a baby born around now. When people think of Winter, they think of snow, ice, and the holidays. She'd be lovely on a Christmas baby.

Holiday Names

Here are some names to get you into the holiday spirit!

Atalya
Christian
Christina
Christine
Christopher
Eira
Eirwyn
Estelle
Holly
Kirsten
Kristen
Nevada
Neve
Neva
Natalia
Natalie
Natasha
Nicholas
Noel
Noelle
Soyala
Star
Stella
Tasha
Yule
Winter