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Christmas Baby Names: Noelle, Holly, Clementine and More

Expecting a December baby? 20 Christmas baby names, from carols to the Nativity, with the real birth-record numbers behind each one.

If you are due in December, your baby may arrive wrapped in more tinsel than most. Plenty of American families lean into it, and you can see that in the birth record: the names that sound like Christmas have their own quiet history, and it is not the one you would guess.

October is when the searching starts. A December baby is only a couple of months away, and this is the stretch when people open a notes app and start typing names that feel like candlelight. So here are 20 Christmas baby names, sorted by the kind of Christmas they bring: the carols, the Nativity, the stars over the stable, and the cozy, slightly sparkly extras.

A word on the numbers before we start. Every count below is a number of real American babies, taken from the official national birth record that runs back to 1880. And a popular name is a perfectly good name. Where a name is common, we will say so plainly and move on. You are not here to dodge the crowd, only to know what you are choosing.

The carol names

These are the ones you could hum.

Noelle is the headline. It is a French spelling of the word for Christmas, and in 2025 it was given to 1,507 American girls, the most in its history and good for #202. Back in 1946 only 25 girls were named Noelle. In 2015 it was 1,284, so the climb has been steady rather than a sudden spike. If you want an unmistakably Christmas name that has never gone out of style, this is the pick.

Noel is the plainer cousin, and it works for both sexes. In 2025, 635 boys were named Noel (#478), down from a peak of 901 in 2014. For girls, Noel is rarer: 157 in 2025, with a peak of 336 back in 1987.

Carol has the most dramatic arc in this whole list. In 1946 it was the fifth most popular girl name in the country, given to 34,284 babies. In 2025 it was given to 82. That is a long way down, and it is precisely why a baby Carol today would be wonderfully unexpected: a name your great-aunt wore that almost no one has picked up since.

Holly was a 1980s favorite, with 6,388 girls in 1983 (#48). It slid for decades, down to 775 in 2010, and has crept back up: 653 in 2015, 751 in 2025 (#416). It is bright, a little prickly, and easy to spell.

Joy is about as straightforward as a name can be. It peaked at 2,929 girls in 1957 and was given to 747 in 2025 (#420). Hardly anyone mispronounces it, and it fits a December baby without even trying.

Gloria is the angelic “Gloria in excelsis” and a 1940s star: 12,627 girls in 1947 (#27). In 2025 it was 437. If you like a name with a grand-entrance sound and a real vintage pedigree, Gloria is waiting.

The Nativity names

Mary is the biggest name in American history. It was the number one girl name in 1921, with 73,984 babies, and in 2025 it was still given to 2,230 girls (#125). A classic that has outlasted every trend since the 1920s is a very safe choice, and a lovely one.

Gabriel is the angel of the announcement, and it is popular in a quiet way: 13,041 boys in 2008 (#24) and 6,569 in 2025 (#37). It is still a top-40 boy name, which means your Gabriel will have company at school, and that is fine.

Nicholas brings Saint Nicholas, the real man behind Santa. It was the seventh most popular boy name in 1995, with 29,160 babies. In 2025 it was 3,115 (#112). A classic that has gently stepped back from the spotlight.

Emmanuel means “God with us” and has been steady: 2,035 boys in 2025 (#179).

Belen is the Spanish word for Bethlehem, spelled Belén in Spanish, and a lovely, little-used pick. In 2025, 345 girls were named Belen (#785). Its record was 431 in 2024.

Angel speaks for itself. In 2025 it was given to 4,757 boys (#67), down from a high of 11,602 in 2006.

The star names

Stella means star, and it has been loved for years. In 2025, 4,136 girls were named Stella (#52), after a peak of 5,164 in 2018. It is soft, bright and nowhere near too much.

Evangeline means “good news” in Greek, which is more or less the Christmas message. And the numbers agree with the sentiment: in 2020 it was given to 1,174 girls; in 2025 it was 1,998 (#147), the highest count it has ever had.

Casper is the name of one of the three wise men in the old tradition, spelled Caspar or Gaspar in some tellings. It is far more than a friendly ghost. In 2015, 87 boys were named Casper. In 2025 it was 255, nearly three times as many. Its record is 274, set in 2024.

The cozy extras

Clementine is the orange in the toe of the stocking, and the name has been climbing hard. In 2015 it was given to 344 girls. In 2025 it was 676 (#456), its highest count ever and nearly double ten years earlier.

Eve is for the night before. It was given to 577 girls in 2025 (#519), after a record of 732 in 2017. A December 24 baby named Eve practically writes her own birthday story.

Natalie hides a Christmas secret: it traces back to the Latin word for the day of birth, and it has often been chosen for babies born around Christmas. It was a giant, with 10,951 girls in 2006 (#17), and in 2025 it was 2,736 (#89). Still a top-100 name, and still a lovely one.

Rudy is the friendly nickname for Rudolph. As a name on its own it has been climbing: 266 boys in 2015, 354 in 2025.

A note on timing

Names move slowly, but pop culture and the calendar can make them move together. A name that feels like Christmas in October will still feel like Christmas in 12 years, and that is the best test of all. If you pick one of these and your baby is born in July, the name will still be right.

The numbers tell a gentler story than the headlines do. Noelle, Evangeline and Clementine each reached an all-time high in 2025. Carol, Nicholas and Natalie are far below their old peaks. Neither direction makes a name better or worse. They only tell you how many classmates are likely to share it.

Every count on this page is a number of real American babies, taken from the official national birth record that runs back to 1880.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2025.