20 December Baby Names That Honor the Season

Though not a very popular moniker (under 500 babies were named December in the last decade), December is a unique name that could carry a lot of meaning. Perhaps the baby was conceived in December or born in December, or that month is just special for the family, etc.

All three of the December birthstones are shades of blue, making the color a great gender-neutral name choice. According to the American Gem Society, the gems dedicated to the month are zircon, tanzanite, and turquoise. Feel free to name your child any of those words as well, but we love Blue as an overarching moniker.

Parents can definitely go with the full name “Winter” if they want for their December babies, but we also like the idea of Winnie as a more subtle nod. Those in the family will understand the wintry reference, but Winnie also stands on its own as a cute moniker.

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You could always name your little December baby girl after Elsa, the queen with ice powers in Frozen. After that movie came out in 2013, the name soared in popularity for babies, according to The New York Times. Per the Social Security Administration‘s baby name data, Elsa then fell back a bit in popularity in the intervening decade since Frozen‘s release, but we still love it as an option.

Jack Frost is a popular wintertime mythical creature, making Jack a great baby name for little boys born in December. It was the 14th most popular boys’ moniker in 2023, per the Social Security Administration, but we wonder how many of those Jacks were also winter babies.

You can always hope for the best when naming your December daughter Carol that she’ll have a great singing voice. Maybe she’ll even be able to lead Christmas caroling sessions when she’s older. And, if not, well at least she’ll still have a festive seasonal moniker.

The word “noel” has been associated with Christmas for centuries. According to Parade, it’s derived from a Middle English word meaning “Christmas song,” and it has the French root for “Christmas season.” You can honor the term with the name Noelle for any December baby girls.

The holly plant, with its shiny green leaves and clusters of red berries, is popular to use for Christmas home decor. It also doubles as a very cute girls’ name. Per the Social Security Administration, 681 girls were given the name Holly in 2023. Will your December baby join them?

Chris (or any of its variations like Christopher or Christian) gives a subtle nod to the Christmas season without being too out-of-the-box. If you’re looking for a traditional moniker for your baby boy born in December, Chris is certainly a good option.

“Santa” might not necessarily make for the best baby name, but you can pull from his other moniker Saint Nick and name your December baby Nick (or Nicholas). Strangers won’t necessarily know the connection, so it passes for a traditional name with a fun backstory.

The name Mary has a biblical connection since she was Jesus’ mother. But it also doubles as a nod to the festive term “merry.” Either way, it could be a fitting traditional moniker for a baby girl conceived or born during the Christmas month.

For parents looking for a biblical name for their December boys, Joseph — Mary’s husband — makes for a good option. In 2023, the Social Security Administration reported that Joseph was the 29th most popular boys’ name. Over 7,000 babies had the moniker.

For parents who have special memories tied specifically to Christmas Eve, or for baby girls born on December 24, Eve is a perfect name choice. It’s subtle but meaningful at the same time. Nearly 500 baby girls were named Eve in 2023, per the Social Security Administration.

Clara is the name of the main character in The Nutcracker ballet. If your daughter comes from a family of dancers, or you have special memories of going to see the ballet during Christmastime, Clara could be a cute name choice for a December baby girl.

On the zodiac side of things, babies born between December 22 and January 19 are Capricorns. If you have a little girl toward the end of December, Capri could be a supercute name option. It borrows from the star sign without being too obvious of a reference.

While you can borrow from the beginning of the word “Capricorn” for a baby girl, you can reference the middle of the name for a baby boy. We like the name Ricky for a Capricorn baby because it’s super subtle. Only the people you choose to tell about the homage will make that connection.

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Per The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the planet that represents Capricorn is Saturn. It may not be a super popular baby name, but it’s cute, meaningful, and gender-neutral. If you like the idea of giving your baby a more unique moniker, Saturn is a great choice.

The Almanac also reported that one of the core personality traits of Capricorns is how goal-oriented they are. So if you have a baby girl who is a Capricorn, consider the name Nyssa. It comes from the Greek word nysa, meaning “goal or ambition.”

But what about if you have a Sagittarius baby born between November 22 and December 21? There are name options for this star sign as well. We like the moniker Darius because it has a similar sound to the end of the word “Sagittarius.” In 2023, 364 baby boys named Darius were born, per the Social Security Administration.

Sagittarius babies are known for being adventurous, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. With that in mind, you could choose the name Wilder for your little Sagittarius boy. There were 752 babies given that moniker in 2023, according to Social Security Administration data.