Christmas Names

Better known than it would otherwise be thanks to Meryl (born Mary Louise) Streep.

Kazuko is a Japanese feminine name that combines the character kazu ("harmony") with ko ("child"), creating a name that in total symbolises a child of peace. In Japan, names ending in ‘ko’ are rarely used as they now sound oldfashioned. More ‘trendy’ names are Kazumi (which means beautiful peace and can me used on both boys and girls), Kazuki (a masculine name meaning hope of peace) and Kazuo (also a masculine name meaning man of peace). The emphasis is on the first syllable, so it is said "KA-zoo-ko".

Seeley is a Medieval surname with a happy, fortunate meaning.

Used both as a given name and as a surname, Bashir is a familiar but still unusual choice in the USA and UK, even among Muslim families. In 2014, only 25 boys were named Bashir in the US. One reason for its low usage could be a connection to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes, including genocide, in Darfur.

Shula is a short form often used on its own in Israel. Sula is another, related, option. As an Arabic name, it has a bright, fiery meaning.

With the rise of all those other popular feminine W names, like Winnie, Willa and Winona, why not consider the lovely Winika? Win and Winnie are likely nicknames and it is associated with a dainty Pacific orchid that blossoms at Christmas time. If you're looking for international names for Christmas babies, this is one for the short list.

Attractive Middle Eastern choice.

Santa has an appealing sound, or maybe that's sleigh bells we hear? It's difficult to separate the Italian girls' name Santa from the association to Mr. Claus, king of Christmas. The German diminutive Senta -- or Snow or even Christmas -- might be an easier name to handle.

Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's trampled tourist attraction.

Less month, more trendy, more times needing to spell it to people. This spelling variation entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013—and doesn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon.

A wonderful meaning for a bright and musical West African name.

Beguiling cousin of Sahara.

Fading since the 1970s -- but still a lovely name.

Hollyn combines the Christmas- and nature-inspired feel of Holly, with the preppy, unisex style of Collins, all stung together with the globetrotter flair of Holland and the trendy -lyn ending of Gracelyn, Raelyn, and co. The name first appeared in the US stats back in the 70s,but remained obscure until the 2010s when it began trending upwards.

This beautiful Māori name meaning love (cognate with Hawaiian aloha) is more wearable than the English word and softer Venus or Aphrodite. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern named her daughter Neve Te Aroha in 2018. Aroha / Te Aroha was the most popular Māori baby girl name in 2023-24.

The Welsh word for "love" and a term of endearment turned modern word-name, Cariad is a sweet possibility that might work well as a name for a February or Valentines baby or a name for a Christmas baby. A famous bearer is British comedian Cariad Lloyd.

A very Christmas-y Christmas baby name, that may avoid the Santa image by instead adopting the alternative spelling Klaus.

Yeshua is often considered the "real" name of Jesus, via the Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English evolution of Yeshua to Iesous to Iesus to Jesus. It is also used as a common alternative of Yehoshua in the later parts of the Hebrew Bible, making it a variation of Joshuah.

An alternative to the more familiar Aviva.

Perfect choice for a child born on a snowy day.