Snow and holidays and arctic chill are all hallmarks of the winter, as are hot drinks, warm blankets, and cozy fires. While winter isn’t for everyone, those of us who love it really love it. In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice (and shortest day of the year) is this weekend, December 21. What better time than now for our winter baby names list?
So for all you lovers of winter, and those with winter babies on the way, here are our favorite winter-inspired names. We’ve got some real beauties that reflect the spirit of the most joyful of seasons!
Alaska
Alaska conjures up images of majestic glaciers and snow-capped mountains. For winter-loving parents, Alaska makes a show-stopping choice for a baby name. Meaning “great land,” this American Indian name could be an honor name for families with links to America’s 49th state.
Alba
Of latin origin, the name Alba means “white,” which makes it fitting for the snowy winter season. It might be known best right now as a Spanish surname, thanks to actress/businesswoman Jessica Alba, but it’s also an ancient place name with a rich history.
Aurora
A name meaning “dawn,” Aurora is also inspired by the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis. This awe-inspiring, green, atmospheric light show appears in the night sky in the far northern hemisphere, and is an association we adore. Aurora is also the name of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
Bianca
Bianca is a timeless beauty. A name meaning “white” in Italian, this name boasts royal and literary ties and just sounds elegant. It is slowly sliding down the US popularity charts, but this is a name that will always be in style.
Crispin
While the name Crispin actually means “curly haired,” for us, it evokes the crisp cool of a winter day. This name has religious and literary associations, too: St. Crispin is the patron saint of shoemakers and Shakespeare’s Henry V has the famous St. Crispin’s Day speech from where we get the turn of phrase, “We band of brothers.”
Edur
Pronounced ED-or, this Basque name means “snow.” A little bit off the beaten track, Edur is a perfect mix of familiar sounds in an unfamiliar name. Parents with proud Basque heritage may love this as a choice for their little one.
Eirwen
“Blessed snow” is the meaning behind this rare Welsh name pronounced like AIR-wyn. Similar in sound to the rising Elowen, we love the elegance and grace of this name that sounds straight out of a snowy Arthurian tale.
Freya
Freya is the Goddess of love in Norse mythology, but she is also the anti-hero of The Huntsman: Winter’s War, where she is known as the Ice Queen. Parents have been loving this name as of late: in the last 7 years since it first entered into the SSA top 1000, it’s jumped from 906 to 266 in popularity and shows no signs of slowing down.
Holly
Unlike many of the other -y ending names that fell off the charts in recent decades, Holly has persisted. A name as evergreen as the holly tree itself, the botanical name Holly is the perfect choice for a winter-born baby. A fresh holly wreath is one of our favorite symbols of the holiday season.
January
Actress January Jones has helped make this “month name” extra wearable, and we love that it’s happened. Cool as the winter weather, we love January’s air of sophistication and style.
Lumi
Lumi is a Finnish name meaning “snow.” While it’s unusual in the US, it has that -i ending that we are seeing everywhere these days (see Suri, Rumi, Stormi…). It also makes us think of the word “luminous,” which means “shining and illustrious.”
Natalia
If Christmas is what you love most about this chilly season, Natalia might be a perfect homage to the holiday. A name that means “birthday of the Lord,” or “Christmas day,” Natalia is a stunner in its full form and offers great nicknames Nat, Tally, and Talia.
Neve
Neve means “snow” in Italian and Portuguese and is the Anglicized spelling of Irish name Niamh. Most famously worn by actress Neve Campbell, Conan O’Brien also chose it for his daughter, who was born in 2003.
Noel
A French name meaning “Christmas,” Noel is a “sweet spot” name on the US charts, in that it’s familiar but uncommon. This spelling has been historically used for males, Noelle for females.
North
The Kardashian Konnection might turn off some parents when it comes to picking this name, but we think its original associations trump its celebrity association. A unisex name, we’re fans of the name’s simplicity and strength.
Whittaker
This English name conjures the image of a snow-blanketed plain, as its meaning is “white field.” It’s a “surname style” first name, loaded with preppy style. And if the name feels a bit much for every day, we love the casual wearability of nickname Whit.
Winter
Our current favorite of the “season names,” Winter is now more popular than it has ever been in the US. A cool choice no matter what, we like it styled in the middle name spot, as Nicole Richie and Joel Madden did for her daughter’s name: Harlow Winter Kate Madden.
Yuki
A Japanese name that means snow, Yuki is a popular name for both boys and girls. It is interesting to note that when used for boys versus girls, the Japanese characters are different.
Those are our favorite winter baby names! Yours?