It's not uncommon for parents to use a city-themed baby name that's significant to the child's birth, but what about giving them a name tied to their birth month? For babies born in July, there are so many options to choose from — whether parents are expecting a girl or a boy. There are significant July holidays and events to pay homage to for patriotic parents. Or there are ways to tie the name to the child's astrological sign — in July that would be Cancer and Leo. Other names are just fitting for this summery season that the baby was born in.
Need some naming help for the little one? Check out these 20 July-themed options.
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Julian
The most obvious way to pay homage to a July birth month is by giving a name with a spin on the word. There a ton of options for both baby boys and girls — like Julian, Jules, Julie, Julia, Juliette, etc. All of them function as nods to July without being overly on-the-nose.
Leo
For baby boys born under the astrological sign of Leo (July 23 until August 22), the lion-themed moniker makes for the cutest name. It could even be lengthened to Leonard or Leonardo with Leo as the nickname if parents want something a little less astrologically obvious.
Leona
Baby girls don't need to be left out of the astrology name connection. For any little Leo girls, the name Leona would be perfect: It means lioness in Latin. Another option would be Lia, which isn't an exact Leo translation, but it's still close and very cute.
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Blaze
Parents of Leo babies can also lean into the element associated with the astrological sign. According to Glamour, Leos are fire signs, which makes Blaze a great baby name. It's also unique, ranking only 765th on the Social Security Administration's baby name data for 2023. It's always helpful when our kids aren't sharing their names with a ton of other people at school.
Ember
For little girls, a fiery name option would be Ember — although it's gender-neutral enough to be used as a boys' name as well. Embers are the last remains of a fire that continue to burn. So with a name like this, a baby could grow up to have a fierce, motivated personality.
Marina
For babies born in the beginning of July until the 23rd, they'll be under the Cancer astrology sign. The Cancer element is water, per The Cut, and there are some cute water-themed monikers for babies. We love Marina as a girls' name. It comes from the Latin phrase "of the sea". It's perfect for little ones conceived or born near the coasts.
Brooks
Brooks works for boys or girls and is another water-themed name for any Cancer sign babies. Because a brook is a small stream, it's fitting for parents who have ties to smaller bodies of water like rivers or lakes versus the ocean. Another variation of the name would be Brooke.
Audrey
An attribute of both Leo and Cancer signs is being strong. In the tarot card deck, strength is represented by the lion, per Allure. And according to People magazine, Cancers are also known for their strength and power. For parents looking to represent this characteristic in their child's name, Audrey comes from the Old English term "noble strength" .
Briana
Another name option to represent being strong is Briana (or Brian for boys), which comes from the Celtic for "strength". Both Brian and Briana were in the top 500 baby names of 2023, according to the Social Security Administration. Briana can also be spelled a variety of ways to allow for parental creativity.
Ethan
For any baby boys born in July, parents can give them the strong name Ethan. The biblical moniker comes from Hebrew, meaning "firm," "strong," or "enduring." In the Bible, Ethan is considered a wise elder. It's perfect for a baby who seems to sort of have an old soul.
America
We can't forget that Independence Day is the major holiday in July. Feeling patriotic? America could be a supercute name for a little girl born this month. Especially if she's born on the Fourth. She'd be in good company with beloved actor America Ferrera from Barbie.
Liberty
Liberty is a cute name for a baby, and it pays homage to America's founding without directly mentioning the country. Per the Social Security Administration, 301 babies were given this moniker in 2023. It was 891st on the charts. Not super popular but still chart-worthy.
Glory
The nickname for the American flag is "Old Glory," but parents can name their young babies Glory to honor the iconic stars and stripes. The original Old Glory flag belonged to sea captain William Driver who proudly displayed it "rain or shine" during the 19th century, according to Smithsonian magazine. For a steadfast child, Glory makes for a great name.
Banner
Parents of baby boys can still pay patriotic homage to America with the name Banner. Like Glory, it's a flag reference — this time a nod to the country's national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner." Banner could be a girls' name as well; it's really just up to parental preference.
Ruby
The July birthstone is the red ruby, making Ruby a supercute name for baby girls born this month. Ruby was the 66th most popular baby name for girls in 2023, per the Social Security Administration data. The name comes from the Latin "rubeus," meaning "red," according to the American Gem Society. If parents want a boy version of the birthstone, Rubeus would be quite cute.
Bruce
July 14 is Shark Awareness Day, per PBS, and July also marks Discovery's annual Shark Week. So what about a sharky name for the little one? (Bonus points if the baby is a Cancer, since that's a water sign.) Bruce was the famous shark in Jaws, making it the perfect baby boy name for a shark-loving family.
Finn
A slightly less obvious shark-themed name is Finn. With Irish roots, the name is popular around the globe — coming in 30th on the Irish baby name charts for 2022. It's just slightly less used in the United States, ranking 176th for baby boys, according to Social Security Administration data.
Neil
In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon, per NASA. The infamous July 20 excursion captivated the world. For babies born on that special day (or even all month long), the name Neil would be a sweet tribute to the triumph of the human spirit in making that journey happen.
Lucky
Many consider seven to be a lucky number, and since July is the seventh month, "Lucky" is a great name for a July baby. Anyone who follows famous cooking TikToker Nara Smith knows that her husband's name is Lucky, but the name is gender-neutral and works for girls as well. Or parents can go with the variation "Lucy."
Sunny
Smack dab in the middle of summer, July is a sunshine-filled time of year. Sunny would be the perfect name for a summer baby with a bright demeanor. The moniker works for baby boys and girls. But it was more popular as girls' name in 2023, with 749 baby girls named Sunny that year, per the Social Security Administration.
