Most name styles are open to parents' creative impulses. Flower names may start at Lily and Rose, but they extend out to Dahlia and Poppy--or Zinnia and Lotus. Even the Bible has some untrodden name territory like Jabez and Mehetabel.
But a few sets of names are locked down tight. There are only 12 months in the year, and the fair-weather months come at a premium. Springtime, naturally enough, is fertile ground for names, with April, May and June all popular selections over the past 150 years. Yet the months don't stick together in fashion the way they do on the calendar. Check out this extraordinary cycle:
By this every-50-years pattern, we're due for a new month to surge around the 2020s. The problem is, we've run out of Spring. One possibility is to start over at May, a name which seems due for a renaissance. Another is to branch out into more adventurous seasons. Sure, the symbolism of Spring is a natural for expectant parents: growth, promise, and fresh beginnings. Parents of girls in particular like the image of blossoms and tenderness. But you could make a case for Autumn, too. Any new mother can relate to the idea of welcoming a bountiful harvest after months of hard labor. The sounds of the Autumn months, though, are a hard sell. So my dark horse candidate is January, which is both the birth of a fresh new year and a lyrical name with a traditional nickname (Jan, as opposed to Sept or Oct.)
And there's one other possibility, which is already hitting its stride. In the past generation, parents have started to throw over the months in favor of whole seasons:
Summer and Autumn are still climbing, and Winter has time for a surprise strike by the '20s to come.
Comments
Do you have data on birth months? I wonder if Aprils are mostly born in April, or Autumns in the autumn. Are any other names likely to be seasonal?
What about the name/month August? That one's been getting some use and building up some steam already, hasn't it? It seems like an obvious candidate for the next surge, I would think.
It looks like once May and June were on their way down, the next month's name was already beginning to catch on, but this didn't seem to happen with April. I agree that seasonal names like Summer and Autumn were what came next, and know of a few parents considering the name Winter. I liked the name August since reading The Secret Life of Bees, and I like the name January, too!
I was named Jan after the month of January (but officially it's just Jan). Toby as a nickname for October works well!
Ember could be a nickname for September or November. Or December. However, I'm with you about January; I always thought that would make a pretty name.
What a cool post. Thanks, Laura!I wonder why spring months are so popular, and yet "Spring" is unheard of as a name. It's not exactly lyrical, but it doesn't sound that bad as a middle name.
I know a little girl called Winter at church. She must be about 4 or 5. She was born in August though.
I know someone who likes the name November for a girl, with the nickname Nova. Not too bad, though I much prefer May.
I once worked with a woman whose first name was September and I knew another woman named Wynter.
I know a teenaged Wynter with a sister named Summer.
i went to school with a girl, first name Spring, last name Flowers. Spring Flowers.
Interesting theories. August is an old-fashioned common male name. There was always an Augie around. [Augey doggie and Doggie Daddy?] Actually a lot of these seasonal names have appeared in pop culture/movies/TV over the past few years. The acftress January Stevens, former olympian and game show host Summer Sanders, the actress from the 50's and 60's Spring Byington [Decoember Bride-- point of trivia: On the TV version of M*A*S*H with Harry Morgan playing Col ,Potter, the picture on his desk whom he refers to as his wife Mildred is actually a photo of Spring Byington. Harry played the next door neighbor Pete on the show.] We actually had three Aprils at work here at one time. Two of them got married and changed their names, but were reffered to as big April and little April. May is more commonly spelled Mae, and is a common middle name. Good story about the girls with names that don't match the month/season. Remember the Sheryl Crowe lyric about the guy who had a daughter named Easter, born on a Tuesday night? Thanks for an always amusing read.
another great topic! i never thought you'd manage to find so much to talk about in names!
As to names being seasonal, my boss had a baby girl last year and gave her a traditional Korean name. But her American name they gave her is Summer, which was fitting because she was born in June.
What about Noelle? It seems like that is a vaery seasonal name. All the Noelles I know were born very close to Christmas.
I know an Autumn born in May. Her last name is Hayes. (Autumn Haze - get it?) Her mom wasn't trying to be funny; she'd just waited years for a girl (has two sons) and dreamed of having a girl named Autumn long before she married Mr. Hayes. Could be worse; she could have named the kid Violet.I have met a couple of Christmas babies named Natalie. It's in keeping with the season (nativity) but not as obvious as Noel or Noelle.
I also had thought of Natalie for a December girl, but we already have one in the family, so it's taken! It's a great name.I have known a Spring s well as a Winter and a January (nn Jan). I come from a hippie area, though, so those sorts of names are not as unheard of here as in other places. All three of the above are adults.
I went to high school with two girls named March. Haven't heard that one in a while though.
Parents who like this trend could combine it with another: that of borrowing from foreign languages. Think of the possibilities! Twins could be named Avril and Aprilie to reflect their parents' French and Romanian heritage. Days of the week would seem to be fair game as well. Speaking of which, I have a friend from Ghana named Kwabena, which he says means "born on Tuesday."--Elizabeth
I have a daughter named Summer Rae born in august. Always loved the name Summer. She has a sister named caneel Bay named after a resort on St john in the virgin islands...beautiful place!
I knew a girl who said her twin sister was named December. No nickname mentioned. Oddly, the other twin was named Ashley....
husband refuses to let me name our baby Poppy. pfft. He says it's a "grandfather" name. I like the month/seasonal names. Have known an October and several Autumns. Have also known a Munday & a Sunday.
I knew a rabbit named November...Which I always thought had a surprisingly nice ring to it. A little melancholy and very poetic.And I have known a human named October, nickname Toby.Then there's July, from the movie "Annie", a misspelling of Julie that stuck as it's own name.
I once worked with a guy whose daughter was named September. I went to high school with a girl named Summer who named her twin daughters Winter and Autumn if you can believe that one!
My name is Spring and I was born in May. In high school I knew a lot of girls named Summer, a few named Autumn, and one named Winter. I have also met a couple other women named Spring just not that many. Most people that I know were born in a season or month of their name. I love my name it is very unique. Other names I have heard of are Monday, April, June, Lily, and Rose.
Honest to god, I've just met a January. And I like the name a great deal in real life!Also, July has all of the similarities to Julie/Julia.
Damnit!I had always planned on naming a baby girl Winter. However, now I'm paranoid that it will be in the top 10 by the time she reaches high school.Isobel has already gone down the drain for me... too popular. And now Winter!~!!!
I have a friend who was due in December, and chose the name Nicholas after her father (that was his middle name). Wouldn't you know it, she was a few weeks late and he was born on Christmas day! Strictly coincidence.On the female side, I absolutely love the name Noelle, and I would name my daughter that regardless of what time of year she was born. Same goes for Talia, a derivitive of Natalia.
My husband and I met in October, were married a yr later and a yr after that had a little girl. We couldn't agree about a name so we came up with Autumn, for the season we met in. Her full name is Autumn Leigh (as in Autumn Leaves) and she was born the middle of November. She is nine yrs old and her best friend since 1st grade is a girl named Summer!
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My daughter's name is Autumn and she was born in April. But I loved the name so much...I was pregnant with her in the fall so I guess it fits...
I love the idea of season names and wonder if seasonal flowers or foliage might catch on. The lady whose husband won't let her name their baby Poppy should go right ahead - Poppy is a beautiful feminine name, easy to spell and with such a shimmery blossoming aura.Also there are wonderful plant names both common and Latin that would make very special names for a baby. I've met a Zinnia, Nikau, Ferne, Daisy, Paeony and Hebe to name a few.
I've met a January...her parents named her after some character in a 1970s movie.
My middle name is April--but I was born in October.
My daughter will be born in August--and we consindered Autumn and August/Augusta. I rejected Autumn and my husband rejected August/Augusta.
I think Autumn is already becoming popular and August has a lot of possibility.
What about Janus, the Roman God that January is named for (he had two faces so he could see into the new year and back into the year gone)? I think that's a fantastic name.
I named my daughter Autumn. She was born in October. My husband and I had always loved the name. Autumn is now 9 years old. She is at the age where all of her friends call each other by nicknames. She is upset because there is no nickname for Autumn. Sadly, she's been teased by some mean kids at school who have called her "Fall" or "Au-Dumb." We keep telling her that her name conjures images of one of the most beautiful season to many people. We hope she'll like her name as she gets older.
My daughter was born in October and my husband actually came up with Autumn Rain and I added an E on the end of Rain. Raine means 'queen' so she's an Autumn queen! I get many compliments on Autumn Raine.
My name is April (born in Jan.) and I have two beautiful girls Autumn (born in May) and Summer (born in Feb.). We call her Auti for short. I was worried at first about their names but now I LOVE it. People ask what we would name our 3rd child. I am open to any ideas. Thanks
Interesting post! We're debating whether to name our baby Ciara or Autumn or maybe something completely different. Little big sister's name is Aislin-Noëlle.
April - your 3rd child should be named Noelle or Noel, of course! :D (since Winter and Spring are not so nice seasonal names (in my opinion that is))
I am not a huge fan of Winter or Spring either. We were kind of thinking Mae Brieanne then calling her MaeBree. Or Mae-Sea, Mae-Lee, Mae Avery (Mavery), you get the point. That way her name is May (to fit in) but not so plain. Im not even pregnant yet so I have time to think of something. I really love the name Autumn. I like the name Aislin. Thats pretty. What is her second name? Is it NoAlle? Thanks for your ideas.
Well my name IS October with nickname Toby! I swear! I was AMAZED to see that others do know others with the same name. I am female, by the way.
I would like to name my daughter (hopefully i get one. But i dont know a good middlename.
any suggestions!!!
I named my son Wynter. It always sounded like a mans name to me, like Forest, Hunter, Walker, etc. ...I've heard quite a few men and woman named Wynter.
I am due in july! And I want a summery girls name. I dont want summer because its too original. Any ides?
My name is August (nickname Auggie) and my daughter's name is Autumn. We almost named our daughter August too. Growing up I found guys loved my name & it got me lots of attention.
My 8 year old cousins name is Rose lynn ( not to be confused with Roslynn Bakery) and She has a best Friend Daisy! I tell her she needs to meet up with Violet affleck, but she has no idea who that is. :-P
Also a comment to the name Noel, I am going to name my daughter Alanna Noel. I hope she is born around christmas ! :)
Also to say, I'm naming here Alanna, becuase the name "anna" has been in my family for 4 generations (Annebelle, Anna Lou, Anna Marie, Alanna Noel)I added the "Al" from my name. It's pronouced Ah-lane-ah. Nick-name is laney :)
William and Mary, the act which established this bounty, this establishment of the bounty, seems to deserve no part of the
My name is Rayne and I once shared an office with a Januari. The supervisor got a kick out of putting Januari & Rayne together I think. Both of us used our middle names, me because my first name is the most popular name ever and her because her first name was an unflatteringly grandma name.
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