10 Holiday Inspired Baby Names That Make My Skin Crawl

santaI’ve known a few Noelles and Hollys in my day, so the trend of giving your baby a name inspired by the season when it was born””especially a magical season like Christmas””isn’t anything new. And we’ve all heard seasonal names like April, Summer, and Autumn before. (Secret confession: Autumn was my number one, all-time favorite name for a girl, no matter what season she was born in, but now I have two boys!)

But even with baby naming, you can have too much of a good thing.

With my first son, I was in the range of having a Christmas baby had he been born a few weeks earlier. But besides my obsession with the name Autumn for a girl (and my son is named Elliott), I didn’t have any thoughts of sugar plums dancing in my head as I narrowed down my baby name list.

Maybe if my baby had a December 25 due date, I would’ve considered some undeniably festive, holiday inspired baby names. Maybe not. But you better believe these holiday baby name “favorites” wouldn’t have topped my list:

1.    Dancer

On Dasher, on Dancer! Sure, you can name your kid after a reindeer if you want. But with a name like “Dancer,” don’t be surprised if she becomes one later on in life. (KIDDING!)

2.    Merri-lee

This is a real baby name suggestion I found over on Pregnancy.org. The name “Merri-lee” sounds sweet and all, but the ultra-phonetic spelling gets me every time. No thanks.

3.    Pumpkin

This was another legit holiday baby name suggestion on a top baby names list. I’ve always heard “pumpkin” as a term of endearment, but as a legal name on a birth certificate? I think not.

4.    Santa

Yes, “Santa” is a real baby name for parents totally committed to the holiday spirit. But the argument still stands””are you setting your kid up for a lifetime of playground misery with a name like “Santa” (hold the Claus), or are you just a forward-thinking, holiday-loving, hipster parent?

5.    Yule

This is a holiday baby boy name that I know has standing because of famous celebrities like Yule Brenner. But all I can think is of the many ways you can make fun of this name, like, “YULE be sorry! YULE have to try better than that!” Or maybe that’s just me.

6.    Tinsel

Tinsel is a shiny tree trimming, and””bonus””it’s also a holiday baby name! I can’t imagine some poor, unsuspecting kid walking around for the rest of her life with a name like Tinsel, but I can imagine the potential for “yoonique” spellings: Tynsel, Tinsyl, Tyynsle.

7.    Holiday

If you want to be literal and totally unimaginative, just name your kid “Holiday” or “Christmas,” while you’re at it.

8.    Christmas

Oh, wait, “Christmas” is a real holiday baby name that could work for a boy or girl””according to popular baby name website NameBerry.com. You can always get away with calling the baby Chris for short, although I have yet to meet anyone named “Christmas.”

9.    Frost

“Frost” is a festive spinoff of either Jack Frost or frosty winter weather. Even though this holiday name may come off as clever or hip, for some reason, it makes me think of an old man. It’s just hard to imagine a little baby with such a serious name like “Frost.”

10. Balthasar

This is another tough old man name to swallow, but it was the name of one of the Three Kings in the Bible. If you’re looking for a unique, spiritual name, Balthasar may be right up your alley. But I feel sorry for poor little Balthasar learning to write his name in school.

(Image: getty)

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