Cool yule namesIf your baby is due on or around Christmas you may wish to mark their arrival with a suitably festive name. Here's a selection that Babyworld have put together, including Christmas and Jesus! But no puddings or crackers, thank goodness. Or Rennie …
>> The best names for Christmas babies Angela (or Angelica, Angelina)The feminine form of 'Angel', which used to be a male name but is now used for females except for in Spain. The origins of these names lie in the Greek language, meaning 'messenger'. Celebrity stars: Angelina Jolie, Angelica Houston, Angela LansburyCarol (or Carole, Carolina, Carolyn, Caroline, Carrie)We couldn't resist this one. Carol is either the shortened version of Caroline (the feminine form of Charles) or comes from a Welsh name meaning 'courageous in war': take your pick. We liked this because of its usage during the festivities. Celebrity star: Carol Vorderman,ChristmasBelieve it or not, Christmas is a proper girl's name, meaning 'Christ's Mass' in Greek. A possible if you're a Christmas fanatic but it could get a little wearing in the middle of summer… Celebrity star: situation vacant!Clementine (Clementina)Admittedly, this girl's name's origins don't lie in the festive season (it was first used in the 19th century and became popular with the nursery rhyme 'Oh my darling Clementine). However, that's when those delicious oranges are at their most abundant and it's a pretty name (a lot nicer, at any rate, than 'satsuma'). Celebrity star: My darling Clementine…EbenezerMade famous by Dickens' tale A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer is actually from Hebrew origin, and it means 'rock of help' after a memorial stone erected by the prophet Samuel to mark a critical defeat and a victory in Jewish history. It's not a very common first name for boys here or abroad, perhaps due to its association with the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. Celebrity star: Ebenezer ScroogeEpifanioThis name has Hispanic and Greek roots and means 'bringing light'. You're probably more familiar with the English equivalent of 'Epiphany' though we're not sure we've ever heard of anyone called by this name in the UK. In the Catholic calendar, epiphany is the season that follows Christmas, hence the relevance of it as a potential Christmas name. Celebrity star: situation vacant!Gabriel/Gabrielle (Gabriella/Gaby)Anyone familiar with the Christmas story will know that Gabriel was the archangel responsible for letting Mary know she was going to give birth to the son of God. The feminine forms are variations on Gabriel. Celebrity stars: Gabriel Byrne, Gabrielle, her from Desperate HousewivesHolly (Hollie)The evergreen plant Holly has now become synonymous with Christmas so is a popular choice with girls born around Christmas. Celebrity stars: Holly Hunter, Holly ValanceJesusThe man himself. Although this name, meaning 'God saves' isn't used very much in English-speaking countries, in Hispanic-speaking Catholic countries, it is a very popular choice for male babies. Celebrity star: Jesus of course!Joseph (Joe)Made famous by the carpenter who was chosen by God to be the father-figure
of his only son, this remains a popular choice for boys throughout the
world. Celebrity star: Earth father of son of God Mary (Marie, Maria, Mariah, Mari, Maire)Although Mary isn't always a very popular name in English-speaking countries these days, in more religious countries such as Spain and Italy Maria is a very common. Mary did, after all, give birth to Jesus so it has particular relevance at this time of year. It has been suggested that the name's origins are Egyptian and mean 'strong' and 'fertile'. Celebrity stars: mother of God, Mary Magadalen, Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Mariah Carey, There's Something About Mary, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?NatalAgain stemming from Spanish origins, Natal literally means 'birthday' and specifically refers to Jesus's birthday or, you guessed it, Christmas. Any of you keen geographers will also know that it's the name of a province in South Africa, thus called because explorer Vasco de Gama first spotted the shore on Christmas Day in 1497. Celebrity star: situation vacant!Nicholas (Nick)This boy's name certainly has prestige, meaning 'victory' and 'people' in Greek, so most probably 'conqueror'. This was the name of the fourth-century saint, who was also known as Santa Claus, and the bishop of Myra- the patron saint of Greece and Russia, and of sailors and children too. Celebrity stars: Nick Hornby, Nicholas Cage, Nick FaldoNoel/NoelleNoel is related to Natal and means 'Christmas', as we all know from those carols we like to sing. It can be given to both boys and girls and has been in use since the middle ages. Celebrity stars: Noel Coward, Noel Edmond, Noel Gallager (oh dear…), Noel StreatfieldStellaWe're using some lateral thinking here, but the Christmas tale speaks of the star of Bethlehem so why not mark your baby's arrival at this time of year with this pretty girl's name? Celebrity stars: Stella McCartney, Stella ArtoisTannonNo, not something you find in tea and red wine but an invented boy's name that is possibly based on 'Tanner' or 'Shannon' or on 'tanne' which means 'fir tree' in German. The relevance to Christmas? Think of the carol 'O Tannenbaum' and you're there. Celebrity star: situation vacant!TiffanyThis girl's name means 'appearing from God' in Greek and is the medieval English form for Theophania, meaning 'Epiphany'. It has subsequently been given to girls born on 6 January. The novel Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote (and made into a successful 1960s film with Audrey Hepburn) has made it increasingly popular. Celebrity stars: Tiffany (singer), jewellers, Breakfast at…TimothyTimothy, of Greek origin, means 'God's honour' and perhaps is best known, in Biblical terms, for the young and loyal disciple of St Paul who was martyred for denouncing Greek worshippers of the goddess Diana. More recently, the name was immortalised in Dickens' seasonal tale A Christmas Carol, which features the fate of the crippled but cheerful child Tiny Tim. Celebrity stars: Timothy West, Timothy Spall, Tim Henman, Tim Burton, Timbuktu…WaiteOf Middle-English origin, the boy's name Waite means 'guard' or 'watchman'. Its association with Christmas comes from the practice of calling Christmas carolers 'Waits' because the tradition of singing carols started with groups of watchmen who sang tunes as the night passed. Celebrity star: situation vacant!WenceslausA nightmare of a name to spell, so perhaps not the best to give a boy. However, if this Slavic name tickles your fancy, you'll be pleased to know that its meaning is 'greater glory'. Everyone knows of the name from the famous 19th-century Christmas carol 'Good King Wenceslaus', who was the patron saint of the Czech Republic and a monarch of Bohemia in the 10th century. Celebrity star: the Good King WenceslausYuleFor some reason, this sounds like a plausible boy's name for a pop star after something different. Its origins, however, are far more traditional, stemming back to Old English and meaning 'winter solstice'. Now of course its connotations are of Christmas. Celebrity star: situation vacant! (LL Yule J perhaps?) |
