The Ultimate Christmas Baby Names

Are you anticipating a festively-timed new addition to the family? Take inspiration from our Christmas baby name suggestions

A Christmas-inspired baby name doesn’t have to be tacky or blatantly festive. There are lots of baby names that mark the season of your little one’s birth and lovely choices, too.

Best Christmas baby names for girls

Carol: We all love singing a Christmas carol, so why not name your little girl after this festive tradition?
Holly: Festive and feminine, this English name comes from the Christmas prickly plant and is a lovely option.
Mary: Old fashioned names have made a huge comeback this year, making Mary the perfect on-trend and Christmas-appropriate name for your baby.
Joy: Another traditional name choice, Joy is short, simple and oh-so-sweet for a baby.
Gloria: Taken from the word Glory (which makes an appearance in many a Christmas hymn), this girl’s name is the first name of I Will Survive signer Gloria Gaynor.
Noelle: If you’ve been playing around with French names, take Noelle into consideration. A play on Noel, it mean’s ‘born on Christmas day.’ Perfect for your festive tot.
Ivy: Ivy’s made quite a lot of top baby names in the last few years. Meaning ‘faithfulness’, it’s a really cute baby name option.
Faith: Since Nicole Kidman named her daughter Faith, the name has risen in popularity and is a lovely, feminine name.
Angel: If you like this angelic name but worry that it may spur some teasing, how about opting for one of its lengthier versions Angelica or Angelina?
Snow: If you fancy selecting a slightly more unusual name for your Christmas, Snow could be for you. Just so long as your surname isn’t White…
Pepper: According to the time-old fairytale, Pepper is actually the name of one of Santa's elves.
North: Inspired by Kim and Kanye, this modern baby name is a cute festive choice!
Donna: An adorable, festive baby name - Donna is not only Santa's reindeer, it's a cute Italian name for your new arrival, meaning 'lady'.
Belle: 'Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?' Give yourself a subtle reminder of this special season with this cute name, meaning 'beautiful'.
Wish: A baby name that could work for both girls and boys, this lovely little name will definitely stand out on the school register.

Best Christmas baby names for boys

Nicholas: Named after Father Christmas himself (St. Nicholas) this traditional boy’s name can be affectionately shortened to ‘Nick’ or ‘Nicky’.
Joseph: Another traditional option, Joseph is a good sturdy Hebrew baby name – and, obvs, Jesus’ old man’s name.
Casper: One of the three wise men, Casper can be spelt ar or er, depending on which you prefer.
Rudolph: Not just Santa’s head reindeer’s name, this Germanic name has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Gabriel: You could name your baby boy after the angel of Christmas, Gabriel, which is another Hebrew name.
Noel: …Coward, Gallagher, Edmonds – quite a few male celebs rock this festive name effortlessly.
Balthazar: If you’re after a name that’s a bit more unusual, this could be perfect. Another of the three wise men’s names, Balthazar can be adorably shortened to ‘Baz’.
Christian: The ultimate spiritual name, Christian means ‘follower of Christ’. And hey, if it’s good enough for Batman actor Christian Bale…
Comet: Another of Santa’s reindeers, Comet is a really cute baby name and we reckon this astronomical name could become popular.
Buddy: If you’re a fan of Elf (and who isn’t?!), then Buddy could be a great choice for your festive arrival.
Robin: A cute baby name meaning 'bright and shining', can also be used as a girls name.
Star: An alternative, but adorable choice for your new arrival this Christmas.
Pine: A cute, festive nature name!
Shepherd: A name that is traditionally used as a surname, Shepherd has recently been making a comeback as a more unusual baby name.
Night: Take inspiration from the traditional 'Silent Night' and choose this cute, mysterious name.

Read next: The do's and don'ts of choosing a baby name:

Don't: Pick the name of an ex

No matter how lovely you think your ex’s name is, it would take a very understanding partner to allow you to pick it for your kid. Just steer clear of any names you know will cause problems to other people, paying particular attention to your partner and loved ones.

Do: Fall in love with the name(s) you’ve chosen

Pick a name that makes you smile, because if you love it, hopefully your child will too – and won’t grow up resenting and hating you with all their being. (That was a little joke.) Relax and get picking.

Do: Try it out

While you’re pregnant, talk to your baby using their name to see if they respond. You can also try writing names down, practising a few signatures, or saying one out loud enough times to see if you ever get sick of it. Don’t forget to say it aloud with the surname attached to make sure it feels right.

Don’t: Listen to other people

Sometimes grandparents and friends offer baby- naming advice, which may not always be welcome. If you’ve got your heart set on a name, keep it a secret until after the birth to avoid any unnecessary criticism. Trust your own instincts – they’ll come in handy for parenting in general.

Do: Find a name with meaning

Choosing a name that is rooted in history or folklore might just inspire your little one to be as great as their namesake. There’s research to suggest this inspirational rub- off effect has real legs, so even if you pick a name out of the air, consider making something up to tell them later!

Do: Have fun

Picking out names should be fun. Laughing at the ones you’d never dream of choosing can really help you to narrow it down to the ones you would. There’s time later for thinking through whether bizarre names will actually give your little one a headache when they have to spell it every time they say it. See page 48 for more on this.

Do: Expand your mind

Don’t rule out the weird ones just yet! Be brave and bold if that’s what you want, but just in case you get it massively wrong (definitely a possibility, let’s face it) you might want to give them a simpler middle name so they can jump ship to that instead.

Do: Try and agree

This is probably the trickiest problem to solve. Research a number of names that you and your partner both like, and make a point of discussing them long before the baby is due. Arguing about it in the delivery room isn’t a great first impression to give to junior.

Do: Compromise

Pick two middle names so that you each have one in there that you love, or you could each have five names that you’re allowed to veto – but no more. Whichever way you go about it, it’s important that you eventually agree on the name you are giving your baby, even if it means losing out on the one you’ve had your heart set on for a while.