Among all the first names that exist in the world, several are associated with holidays. This pretty name which is on everyone’s lips is however shunned in France: it was only given to 7 babies in 2022.
Because a particular event or date has marked them, some parents will give their future child a first name that relates to it. Indeed, certain first names on the calendar have a particular symbolism, such as Valentin or Valentine, Pascal(e) for the Easter holidays or even Noël or Noëlle in reference to the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. If older generations relied on calendar dates to name their child, this is no longer really the case today. No need to be born on December 25 to be called Christmas.
And yet, this pretty holiday name is not given as much as one might think. In France, in 2022, only 7 babies will be named this way, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee). Some people will even say that it’s a bit kitsch these days to call your child Christmas. This name still had its heyday a few years ago…
If we look at history, the “record” year for this first name was 1948 with 1,272 births recorded for the first name Noël. Was it for its meaning? Because Christmas originates from the Latin first name Natalis, which in Latin means “day of the birth”, implying the birth of Christ. In terms of its characterology, we can see in the guide The Official First Names 2024 (First editions), that little Christmases generally have a sense of innovation, autonomy and ambition. They are also endowed with energy and authority.