First names referring to winter or the end-of-year holidays are charming. Which ones stand out? Here is the list.
The winter season is full of common names or holidays that inspire many parents when choosing a baby’s first name. If the most traditional set their sights on the first name Noël for babies who were born on December 25, or on the first name Sylvestre, others lean more towards first names taken from nature. But are they still rare or popular?
If we look, for example, at the first name Noël, which refers to the birth of Christ, you should know that it is given less and less in France (the same goes for its feminine version Noëlle). After experiencing a peak in 1948 (with 1,268 births), the first name Noël is in constant decline and there were only 12 babies named that in 2022. However, it is the derivatives of this first name which are more successful. The invented first names are original and rare, while retaining their history and that’s what pleases them. This is particularly the case for Noëlya, who is skyrocketing, going from 3 births in 2022 to 106 births in 2023. Other derivatives of the first name Noël may also experience great success in the coming years: Noëlan for a boy, and for girls: Noëlynn, Noëlys, Noëlline or Noëllyne. In the same vein, the first name Sylvestre seems to have had its day: INSEE recorded only three births in 2023 and the popularity of the first name continues to decline over the years.
However, other first names referring to winter and coming from nature are very trendy. If the first names Neige and Blanche are now rarely given in France, their derivative Neva and Bianca are on the rise, like other first names with beautiful meanings which are more successful. For little boys, for example, the first name Alban (Albane for girls) or Albin, of Arabic origin, means “white”. We can also appreciate the first name of Celtic origin Olwen, which means “white footprint”. For girls, the first name Chiara which translates as “clear” is also very popular for its Italian sound, just like Candice from Latin. candidus which relates to the whiteness of the snow. Téa means “white” in Tahitian and is another original option for these winter names.
Certain retro first names steeped in history are also still given in France, such as Gaspard, worn by one of the three wise men and which is celebrated just after Christmas and the New Year, on January 6 on the occasion of Epiphany.