Suzanne writes:
I know you need MORE requests like you need a hole in your head, but with Baby Girl due in just a few days we’re getting closer and closer to the holiday baby we’re (I’m) hoping for and I thought this might be a quick/easy/fun question for your readers. Although we’ve got a “probably” for the first name (Caroline) I would LOVE to do a Christmas/winter themed middle name. I know it’s kind of cheesy and some people are going to totally roll their eyes at this but I LOVE Christmas and with Baby Girl expected December 26th I figure I shouldn’t pass up this opportunity.
Besides Eve for a baby born on Christmas/New Years Eve or Natalie for a baby born ON Christmas (the internet informs me “Natalie” actually means “born on Christmas”) what else should we consider? Holly? Ivy? I feel like I’m missing a lot of options.
For the record, our last name is a common two-syllable “D” name so middle names that start with vowels may fall into the dangerous category of initials-that-spell-things – not that that is a dealbreaker for me.
Thanks so much!
Oh, I LOVE themes for middle names, I just love them. I’m the same as you: I know some people roll their eyes but I CARE NOT. It’s not like I’m suggesting the middle name Snowflake or Reindeer or something: it’s that there are some legitimate, solid, traditional names that just happen to be MORE FUN to use at a particular time of year.
ANYWAY. So you’ve got Eve and Natalie and Holly and Ivy, which are all good. I’ve seen people suggest Stella or Estelle, too, since they mean star; it’s not quite obvious enough to please my holiday-name-loving heart, but Estelle really is lovely with Caroline.
Noelle and Joy are both great with Caroline, too. I especially like Joy because it’s two-for-one: a holiday-type name and also a feelings-about-the-baby name.
Chris and Carol and Mary all work, but I feel meh about them, and Carol of course won’t work with Caroline, and Chris is awkward as a middle name. For a boy baby, Nicholas would be very nice.
When I was five I got a doll for Christmas and named her Jeanette Isabella after my favorite Christmas carol. If I were expecting a girl at Christmas I might be tempted to give her two middle names.
More suggestions for Christmassy/wintery baby names?
Name update! Suzanne writes:
Thank you to everyone for the Christmas name suggestions! I didn’t make it all to the 25th before going into labor but decided when baby girl was born on December 19th that it was close enough to go with a holiday name. Caroline Noelle joined us at 2:39 am on December 19th weighing 8 lbs 5 oz and 20.5 inches long. I am SO EXCITED about this name (and the spelling of n-o-e-l-l-e) I can’t even tell you. Thanks again for helping us choose!!
I would use Noelle. Love that!
Maybe Evangeline or Emmanuelle, for a Christian family.
Evangeline is “bearer of good news” and Emmanuelle is “God is with us.”
Use Noelle! (Or the alternate spelling, Noel.) So pretty, and it sounds great with Caroline!
ooooooh… Caroline Noelle is the name i have picked out for the Christmas baby girl i hope to someday have!! i love love love it!
our anniversary is two days after Christmas, so i’ve also thought about combining those two themes and using Calla Caroline as a Christmas baby girl name… i carried calla lilies on my wedding day, and the “carol” in Caroline just feels Christmassy to me!
other festive middle name options might be Belle, Garland, Amaryllis (if you’re bold), or Virginia (“Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus…”)
i’m so excited for you!
ooooooh… Caroline Noelle is the name i have picked out for the Christmas baby girl i hope to someday have!! i love love love it!
our anniversary is two days after Christmas, so i’ve also thought about combining those two themes and using Calla Caroline as a Christmas baby girl name… i carried calla lilies on my wedding day, and the “carol” in Caroline just feels Christmassy to me!
other festive middle name options might be Belle, Garland, Amaryllis (if you’re bold), or Virginia (“Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus…”)
i’m so excited for you!
Noelle!
I like most of the suggestions so far but I really love Caroline Noelle and Caroline Estelle. I think Caroline Christina could work, too.
Caroline Joy is an absolutely beautiful name!
I like all of these suggestions, and have no new ones, but felt I must comment to say YAY another lover of one of my favorite carols! My husband had NEVER HEARD OF IT and thought I MADE IT UP. He clearly grew up in a sad deprived household.
I found this fun list of names for a Christmas baby girl:
Angel / Angelina / Angelica – all names for Angel.
Avery – Christmas elf.
Belle – could be for Christmas bells if you wanted to theme it this way.
Carol or Carolle – from Christmas carol.
Christmas.
Christine / Christina / Kristina – ‘A Christian.’
Christy – a form of Christine, ‘A Christian.’
Eira – ‘snow’.
Gabrielle / Gabriella – feminine version of the Angel Gabriel, the angel who told Mary she was pregnant with the baby Jesus.
Glory / Gloria – from the Glory of God.
Holly – from holly tree.
Hope.
Ivy – a Christmas plant.
Josephine / Joesphina / Josie – feminine forms of Joesph the carpenter, husband of Mary.
Mary / Maria – Jesus’ mother.
Merry – from Merry Christmas.
Michaela – feminine version of the Angel Michael, Angel of love and families.
Natalie or Natalia – Jesus’ birth.
Natasha – Jesus’ birth.
Neva – ‘Snow’.
Nicole / Nicola – from Saint Nicholas, or ‘Santa’.
Noelle – Christmas time. Feminine version of Noel.
Robyn – feminine version of Robin, the Christmas bird.
Star.
Talia – a version of Natalia, Jesus’ birth.
Tasha / Tashia – a form of Natasha, Jesus’ birth.
Virginia – ‘Virgin’, from the virgin birth.
Winter.
And here’s an excellent list of “Christmas Names: Beyond Nicholas and Noel”: http://nameberry.com/blog/christmas-names-beyond-nicholas-and-noel-2
I love Caroline Noël (or Noelle), Caroline Joy, and Caroline Holly.
But as you can see, there are many other options.
(I was born two days before Christmas and my second granddaughter was my best ‘birthday present’ ever when she was born the day before my birthday. Neither of us has a Christmas name, but still this time of year is doubly special for us because of our Christmas birthdays.)
Best wishes!
My favorite is Noelle. I love the options you’ve gotten and just wanted to add Neive or Neve, which means snow.
Good luck and congratulations!
I love Caroline with a themed mn. Caroline Joy, or Caroline Joyce is my favorite for you, followed closely by Caroline Estelle, or Caroline Estella. Caroline Holly is really great too.
Good luck!
I think Winter is a fabulous middle name, and it goes well with Caroline. Caroline Winter D.
If my May baby is a girl, her middle name will be Caroline – after my mom, Carole.
I vote for Noelle.
Oh, Caroline Gabrielle, very pretty. Good idea.
If you are religious, or even if not ’cause it’s a great name, I like Faith. Caroline Faith is so pretty, I think.
Or Felicity (happiness, reminiscent of Feliz Navidad, etc :) )
Holly Noelle.
Natalie Joy.
I like Winter or Noelle best with Caroline.
I also had a friend growing up whose middle name was Snow.
Good luck!
If she’s born on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, I think the middle name Christmas would be pretty.
Caroline Christmas
I also like Caroline Noelle and Caroline Joy.
My Mom was born on December 18. As a child she didn’t like having a birthday so close to Christmas until her Mom (my Grandma) told her that one of her best memories of being a mother was bringing Mom home as a baby to a house decorated for Christmas, with Christmas music playing, that smelled like cinnamon and baking cookies… It changed my Mom’s mind about that “close to Christmas” birthday, and she’s never disliked it for a moment since.
Congratulations on your new little Christmas girl!!
Caroline Noelle is very cute :)
Caroline Yule
Caroline Natasha
Caroline Lux
Caroline Olive or Dove (peace)
Caroline Ivy
Caroline Snow
Caroline Feliz
Caroline Celyn (means holly)
I have nothing more to add that others haven’t said, except to say I knew twin girls that were born very near Christmas that were names Holly Joy and Noelle Marie. I thought it was bold and festive and wonderful and perfect. :)
So many good suggestions! But here’s one I don’t think I’ve seen yet:
Caroline Kringle (you’d have to have a quick wink and sense of humor…its kind of goofy but I think fun and unexpected)
Noelle! It’s always been one of my favorites and it is so pretty with Caroline.
I love Caroline Winter D. (CWD)
Noelle and Eve are also wonderful!
Others that may be a little too “out there”…
Caroline Snow
Caroline Merry
Caroline Meri
Caroline White
Caroline Grace
Caroline Crystal
Good Luck!
oh I love Caroline Noelle! Caroline Snow also has a nice ring to it.
I also like Noelle or Winter for a middle name. Eve is good too!
And I love the suggestion of Emmanuelle but I’m biased because that’s our daughter’s middle name!! It is beautiful!!
I am in the same situation and have been looking online at Christmas name options. I am very taken by someone elses suggestion on another webite… Clara Estelle which means Bright Star… very pretty I thought and even my husband agreed on something for once!
I know a Noella. A slightly different spin on Noelle. :)
Ooh, Caroline Winter!
My sister just had her baby (on Wednesday) and they named her Caroline Noel! (Not sure if there’s a reason they didn’t spell is Noelle.)
Darling baby, lovely name! Caroline Noelle is perfect for a baby born near Christmas. Congratulations!
Love the name and she is beautiful!!! What a sweetheart.
Congrats! :)