There are names that sound especially magical in the holiday season. You may not notice this throughout the year, but we love these names, because they remind us of Christmas and the festive spirit of winter. Explore Hooray Heroes‘ list of good baby boy and girl names that can bring you the joy of Christmastime on any regular day.
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1. Natalie (f)/Natalia (f)
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Birthday of the Lord/Christmas
The names Natalie and Natalia are of Latin origin and are derived from the Latin phrase Natale Domini, meaning “birthday of the Lord” or “Christmas.”
Famous people called Natalie/Natalia:
– Natalie Portman, an Israeli-born American actress.
– Natalia Vodianova, nicknames Supernova, a Russian supermodel.
2. Noelle (f)/Noel (m)
Origin: French
Meaning: Birthday of the Lord/Christmas
Similarly, the female name Noelle and its male counterpart Noel derive from the French word noël, meaning “Christmas” and/or “the Lord’s birthday”. In English and German-speaking countries, the female name Noelle is considered a more popular form of the etymologically similar Natalie or Natalia. In Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, however, the name Noelia prevails.
Famous people called Noelle/Noel:
Noel Gallagher, an English singer, songwriter, and lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis.
3. Angela (f)
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Messenger (of God)
Despite its Christian connotation, the female name Angela is actually derived from the Greek word ángelos (ἄγγελος) which means “messenger of God”.
Famous people called Angela:
– Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury, British-Irish and American actress, famous for her main role in the whodunit series Murder, She Wrote.
– Angela Martin, is a fictional character in the series The Office, played by the actress Angela Kinsey.
FUN FACT: The Rolling Stones’ famous 1973 song Angi was speculated to be about David Bowie’s first wife Angela. But since it’s mostly been written by Keith Richards, the song was probably written for Richards’ daughter Dandelion Angela, born a year earlier.
4. Estelle (f)/Estella (f)/Stella (f)
Origin: Occitan
Meaning: Star
The female name Estelle is usually assigned the meaning “star”, although its form Eustalia suggests the name’s true root to be the Greek eustales, meaning “well-groomed”. Furthermore, Saint Estelle, the patron saint of young Christian girls should be mentioned, giving the name especially feminine allure. The name Stella is considered a short version of the name Estelle.
Famous people called Estelle/Estella/Stella:
– Estelle, a British singer and songwriter, most famous for her collab with Kanye West.
– Stella McCartney, an English fashion designer, a daughter of The Beatles’ Paul McCartney and the late photographer Linda McCartney.
5. Holly (f)
Meaning: A small evergreen tree with shiny, sharp leaves and small, round, red fruit. Holly is often used as a Christmas decoration in Europe and North America, as featured in the iconic Christmas carol:
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la, la la la la)
‘Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la, la la la la)
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la, la la la la)
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Famous people called Holly:
Holly Hunter, an American actress and Academy Award winner for her main role in the movie Piano.
6. Carol (f/m)
Meaning:
– noun: a religious folk song or popular hymn, particularly one associated with Christmas,
– verb: sing or say (something) happily.
Carol is a gender neutral given name, despite the fact that it’s more commonly used for women. It is a European continental spelling of the English Charles, the German Carl or Karl, and the Latin Carolus. Sometimes also considered a short version of the name Caroline, the spelling variations of the name Carol include Carole, Carrol and Caryll.
Famous people called Carol/Carole:
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Carole is considered the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century, having written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
7. Rudolph/Rudolf (m)
Meaning: the name derives from two ancient Germanic stems: Hruod, meaning “fame”, “glory” “honor”, “renown”, and old meaning “wolf”.
Rudolph or Rudolf is a male given name, and, less commonly, also a surname. The name is generally associated with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a fictional character created by Robert L. May. He’s the youngest of Santa Claus’s reindeer, using his luminous red nose to show Santa’s reindeer team the way on Christmas Eve. Despite being mocked by the other reindeer because of his peculiarity, his nose turns out to be an asset in harsh winter conditions.
Parents throughout the US use the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to illustrate the importance of being different and unique to their little ones. The story is considered the embodiment of the American dream for children, teaching the kids to accept and love themselves for who they are and to use their quirks to their advantage.
8. Joy (f/m)
Meaning:
– noun: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness,
– verb: rejoice.
The gender-neutral name Joy comes from the Old French joie, based on Latin gaudere, meaning “rejoice”. The name gained popularity as early as the late 19th century and is still popular in the US today, due to its positive connotations.
Famous people called Joy:
Joy Paul Guilford, an American psychologist, famous for his idea that intelligence is not a unitary concept and that IQ tests cannot be taken as a unidimensional ranking. He explored the multidimensional aspects of the human mind, and described the human intellect based on a number of different abilities. Guilford showed that the most creative people may score lower on a standard IQ test due to their approach to problems, which generates a larger number of possible solutions. Guilford’s work allows for greater appreciation of the diversity of human thinking and abilities, without attributing different value to different people.
9. Nicholas (m)
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Victory of the people
The name Nicholas is of Greek origin meaning “victory of the people.” It’s composed of the Greek word nike, meaning “victory” and laos meaning “people.” Nicholas is often associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th century bishop from Asia Minor. His wealthy parents died while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole inheritance to help those in need.
The most famous anecdote from the life of Saint Nicholas is those of a poor man with three daughters. The father couldn’t afford to provide his daughters with dowries, meaning that the girls were unlikely to get married and were destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, three bags of gold appeared in the poor man’s home, providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings left infront of the fire to dry. This was the beggining of the custom of children hanging stockings on the mantlepiece, waiting for the gifts from Saint Nicholas.
In Europe, St. Nicholas’ feast day, celebrated on December 6th, keeps the stories of the saint’s goodness and generosity alive, mostly by parents leaving out little gifts for their kids.
Did you know the story behind the protagonist of The Beach Boys’ famous song?
10. Casper (m)/Jasper (m)
Origin: Aramaic
Meaning: Keeper of the treasure
The male name Casper and its variants Caspar, Kaspar, and Jasper, come from the name Gaspar. It’s derived from Aramaic and means “Treasurer”. The origins of the name have been traced back to the Old Testament and adopted in multiple variations by languages throughout the Globe.
Along with Melchior and Balthasar, Gaspar was one of the Three Wise Men or Three Kings who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Three Wise Men are regular figures in the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of the Christian tradition.
Famous people named Casper:
Casper, the friendly ghost from the 1995 American supernatural comedy-drama starring Christina Ricci.
Can’t wait for Christmas? Check out the beautifully illustrated personalized Christmas books from Hooray Heroes to help you prepare for the holiday season in style.
