Christmas Baby Names

If you are expecting a baby at Christmas, you get the best Christmas gift ever! Plus, you've got the perfect excuse to put your feet up over the festive season; no running around stuffing turkeys and washing up for you (OK, maybe you will have a few things to do!). It's also the perfect chance to give your baby a special name to reflect his or her special birthday.

Stuck for a ideas? Here are some great suggestions for Christmas baby names - some of them are traditional, some of them a little more unusual.

The Christmas story provides a number of names for boys and girls. You might have to be a little creative, but there are a number of alternatives.

Mary/Maria - the mother of Jesus, but the name also means "star of the sea".

Gabriella - feminine form of Gabriel

Christiana - feminine form of Christian

Gloria - praise to God

Emmanuelle - feminine form of Emanuel

Angela/Angeline/Angelina

Natalie/Natalia/Natasha - means "birth" - "Natal(e)" also means Christmas in several languages

Eve - for the night before Christmas

Lucia/Lucy - "light"

Star/Starr

Estella/Stella - from the Latin, means "star"

Seren - Welsh name meaning "star"

Jesus - obvious perhaps, but enduringly popular in many countries.

Emmanuel - Hebrew meaning "God is with us"

Angel

Malachi - "messenger"

Theodore - means "gift from God"

Joseph

Gabriel - the archangel who announced Christ's birth

Caspar/Kaspar - one of the Three Wise Men

Christian

Christopher

Lucian - "light"

Sterling - means "little star" in Old English

Sterne - German/Middle English meaning "star"

There are plenty of names inspired by the holiday season for boys and girls. Just don't overdo it; Rudolph is fine, but your baby won't appreciate being called Prancer!

Holly/Hollie - popular Christmas plant, together with Ivy.

Ivy - see above

Noelle - feminine form of Noel.

Joy - the season's emotion

Lowenna - Cornish for "joyful"

Carol - not just for singing!

Berry - a pretty idea if you aren't keen on Holly

Felicity/Felicia - "lucky"

Clementine - for the popular Christmas fruit

Noel - means Christmas in French

Nicholas - the saint associated with Christmas, who became Santa Claus

Celyn - Welsh for "holly"

Hollis - Old Engish for "holly tree"

Klaus - associated with Santa Claus

Yul - very close to "Yule"

Rudolph - everyone's favourite reindeer!

Felix - "lucky"

Ebenezer - Mr Scrooge, redeemed by the spirit of Christmas in A Christmas Carol

For most of us, Christmas means crisp snow, because we are all dreaming of a white Christmas. Your new baby's name could reflect the cold, snowy weather we all dream about. Here are a few seasonal Christmas baby names.

Eirwen - of Welsh origin meaning "snow"

Eira - as above

Eirlys - Welsh for "snowflake" or "snowdrop"

Blanche - "white" in French

Bianca - "white" in Spanish

Robin - for the popular winter bird

Alban/Albie - "white"

Nevada - the US state, the meaning of which is "snow-capped" in Spanish

Tannon - a modern invention, meaning "Fir tree" - as in the Carol O Tannenbaum.

Jesus Christ shares his birthday with a number of celebrities. If your baby arrives on Christmas Day, here are some Christmas babies who became famous.

• Sir Isaac Newton - English scientist born on 25 December, 1642.
• Humphrey Bogart - American actor, born 25 December, 1899.
• Helena Rubenstein - Polish-American cosmetic company founder, born Christmas Day 1870.
• Annie Lennox - Scottish singer arrived on Christmas Day 1954.
• Conrad Hilton - American hotelier, checked in on Christmas Day 1887.
• Princess Alexandra - the Queen's cousin was a royal Christmas baby in 1936
• Noel Redding - one of the members of The Jimi Hendrix Experience born 1945
• Dido - the singer was born at Christmas in 1971
• Shane MacGowan - the singer with The Pogues, was born on 25 December 1957. Fitting then that perhaps he is best known for his Christmas duet with Kirsty MacColl Fairytale of New York.