Arctic Baby Names

Although barely heard in the English-speaking world, this Slavic name is popular in Russia and the Balkans, and is also used in Scandinavia. It could be a snazzy name (or middle name) for a snow baby.

A name bestowed in honor of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Nieves, referring to a miracle she performed with unmelted snow in the August heat of Rome.

Canada is an undiscovered but attractive place-name possibility, up till now a masculine territory.

Nature names are often associated with Spring and Summer, but Glacier is ideal for a winter baby.

With geographical features like Savannah and Sierra and increasingly getting the baby-name treatment, could icy Tundra also see some use? It's only appeared six times on the Social Security rankings, all in the 1960s and 70s.

This appealing Russian/Nordic name has been used a handful of times since Eowyn Ivey's novel The Snow Child was published in 2012. There, Faina is a mysterious girl who loves the cold Alaskan woods.

Ptarmigan is the common English name for the genus Lagopus, in the grouse family of birds. The name is derived from the Scottish word for the bird, tàrmachan (meaning unknown), with the initial P- added by erroneous association with the Greek pteron ("wing").

If not for Motown founder Berry Gordy, this name would now be totally in the girl group.

It's a bear, it's an island, it's (almost) a camera. It's starting to catch some parents' eyes as a wild, adventurous name.

Projects the sleek and playful image of the aquatic mammal, plus that of the striking British-born Brazilian/Nigerian/Afro-Caribbean singer (born Sealhenry).

Likable addition to the list of unisex tree names.

An unusual but fairly straightforward name, with an appealing meaning conjuring up wild, graceful seabirds.

A unisex name from the snowy north.

Ptarmigan is the common English name for the genus Lagopus, in the grouse family of birds. The name is derived from the Scottish word for the bird, tàrmachan (meaning unknown), with the initial P- added by erroneous association with the Greek pteron ("wing").