Baby names are like the latest fashion trends; they become popular, fade out and then work their way back around years later.
Whether you’re searching for names for your little one or you’re simply curious about the most popular, look no further.
With Christmas around six weeks away, Funky Pigeon has shared the UK’s most popular Christmas baby names.
The company analysed recent ONS data for baby names.
Here’s the list of girls’ names with festive links and the number of babies who were given each name in 2021.
Ivy – 2,245
Relates to the plant mentioned in the Christmas carol, the Holly and the Ivy.
Bella – 730
Relates to Christmas bells.
Holly – 568
Relates to the original Christmas tree, Holly, before the pine was introduced. It’s dubbed ‘The Crown’ in the Christmas carol, the Holly and the Ivy.
Anna – 545
Relates to one of the main characters in Disney’s Frozen and Frozen II.
Gabriella – 354
Relates to the feminine form of the name Gabriel, the name of the angel sent to tell Mary she was pregnant with the son of Christ.
Eve – 281
Relates to Christmas Eve but also the longer winter evenings.
Mary – 148
Relates to the name of the mother of Christ.
Belle – 147
Relates to Christmas bells.
Gloria – 70
Relates to “Gloria in excelsis Deo” (Latin for “Glory to God in the highest”), a Christian hymn often sung at Christmas.
Elsa – 69
Relates to one of the main characters in Disney’s Frozen and Frozen II.
Angelina – 44
Relates to a diminutive of the name Angela, meaning ‘Messenger of God’.
Noelle – 37
Relates to the feminine form of Noel or Noël meaning “of or born on Christmas.”
Star – 23
Relates to the North Star which the wise men followed to reach the birthplace of Jesus.
Jovie – 20
Relates to the name of Buddy’s love interest in the 2003 film Elf, played by Zooey Dechannel. This name has increased in popularity by 122% compared to 2020.
Snow – 11
Relates to the colder weather in the winter and a white Christmas.
Here’s the list of boys’ names with festive links and the number of babies who were given each name in 2021.
Jack – 2,847
Relates to Jack Skellington and Jack Frost.
Joseph – 1,307
Relates to the husband of Mary, the mother of Christ.
READ MORE:
Gabriel – 749
Relates to the name of the angel sent to tell Mary she is pregnant with Christ.
Luke – 496
Relates to the Gospel of Luke which contains the birth of Christ and therefore Christmas.
Nicholas – 321
Relates to St Nicholas (Father Christmas).
Kevin – 285
Relates to the main character in the Home Alone franchise.
Frank – 285
Relates to Frankincense, one of the gifts given by the Wise Men.
Christian – 190
Relates to Christmas being a Christian holiday.
Emmanuel – 125
Relates to one of the names given to Jesus Christ in the Bible.
Timothy – 113
Relates to the character Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol.
Buddy – 107
Relates to the main character in the 2003 Christmas film Elf.
Noel – 75
Relates to Noel or Noël being derived from the Old French word, “nael,” meaning “of or born on Christmas.”
Clark – 45
Relates to the National Lampoon’s Christmas protagonist Clark Griswold.
Olaf – 27
Relates to the snowman character in Disney’s Frozen and Frozen II.
READ MORE:
Clement – 17
Relates to the author of 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (commonly called The Night Before Christmas), Clement Clarke.
Ebenezer – 14
Relates to the first name of one of the main characters in A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge.
Here’s the list of unisex names with festive links and the number of babies who were given each name in 2021.
Marley – 577
Relates to the surname of Scrooge’s former business partner, Robert Marley, in A Christmas Carol.
Robin – 572
Relates to robins, the birds which we often see outside in the winter months.
Faith – 290
Relates to Christmas being a religious holiday.
READ MORE:
Winter – 189
Relates to the UK season that Christmas is celebrated.
Joy – 85
Relates to Christmas being all about joy.
Heaven – 22
Relates to the link to both angels and God and their relevance during the Christmas period.
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