I?t's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year... for naming babies.
Whether your baby is due around the holiday, or you just really love Christmas, there's a plethora of festive-inspired names.
From Natalie, meaning Christmas Day, to the names of characters from well-loved Yueltide classics, such as Clara from The Nutcracker, 9Honey Parenting rounded up the best Christmas-inspired baby names. ?
A dad-to-be has pleaded for 'honest opinions' on the baby name he'd chosen for his son.
Taking to Reddit, the man explained that he and his partner had both chosen Dasher as their preferred moniker.
However he was now having second thoughts, asking if it would leave his son 'too haunted by reindeer jokes?'. ?
He had strong reasons for choosing the name ¡ª ?that he could go by Dash as a boy, Dasher as an adult; It would set him apart, given their common surname; It was easy for both extended family's to pronounce.
However he questioned whether his son would constantly be asked about reindeer or The Incredibles after sharing his name.
Unfortunatley for the dad, very little of the 'honest' feedback ?fell in his favour.
"Immediately made me think of the reindeer ¡ª I would not. It doesn't feel like a name for a human," said one.
"I immediately thought 'You know Dasher and Prancer and Donner and Vixen," agreed a second.
"Honestly, I think it's ghastly. Dasher doesn't bring to mind a successful adult to me; it brings to mind a reindeer," said another.
A? cute one that's both very Christmassy, without it being immediately evident.
The association is biblical, as holly is said to represent Christ's crown of thorns (the red being emblematic of blood).
The green leaves surrounding the holly are also said to be symbolic of life after death.
But for many the association will be the popular Christmas carol 'Deck the Halls' (with boughs of holly).
W?hile Rudy as a standalone name doesn't scream Christmas, it does if used as a nickname for Rudolph.
The ancient Germanic name means 'famous wolf', though today is more commonly known as a 'famous reindeer'.
However as the name has been used since the middle ages ¡ª long before the Clement C. Moore poem of 1823 said to have inspired the lore of Santa's reindeer, it's still used, though not commonly.
P?erhaps one of the strongest Christmas names, Mary is an enduringly popular girl's name.
Derived from the ancient Hebrew name Miriam, it means 'beloved' or 'rebellious'.
A sacred name to Christians, Mary was the virgin mother said to have given birth to Jesus in the manager on Christmas Day. ?
A?nother strong Christmas moniker is Joseph, said to be the father of Jesus.
Derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, it means 'Jehovah shall add'.
It holds great significance to Christianity, but works as a more general festive inspired name.?
G?loria, of the Latin word for 'glory' is another name not immediately associated with Christmas.
However the name conjures the well-loved ?Christmas hymn Gloria in Excelsis Deo.
The Gloria is also said to be the first hymn sung by the angel's on the birth of Jesus. ?
N?o one wants to call their son Santa, but if you're a big fan of Christmas, Nicholas is a great way to give a nod to this time of year.
A?nother nature-inspired Chistmas name, the plant is associated with Christmas as it's green year-round.
According to Christian tradition, it's said to symbolise the immortality of Christ.
A? surprise inclusion, Jasper is not a name many would consider particularly festive.
The name, believed to be of Persian origin, means ?Treasurer and is said to have been the name of one of the three wise men who brought gifts to Jesus in the manger.
Joy to the World, need we say more?
Thanks to the popular Christmas Carol this a great option for a festive inspired name.
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Anyone who has seen the Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life will recognise this as the name of the angel sent to save George Bailey (Gregory Peck).
Clarence may have been a bit hapless, but he ends up saving both Bailey and the town, in a Christmas miracle. ?
Derived from the French word 'nael', Noel means 'born on Christmas'.
The unisex name is a great option for those born on December 25. ?
Natalie and Natalia are derived from Latin and mean 'birth of the Lord' or 'Christmas Day'.
The Greek name means 'anointed' and the moniker's name day happens to fall on December 25.
T?he Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition for many.
The ballet from 1892, scored by Tchaikovsky, is beloved by many for its tale of Clara, a young girl who befriends a nutcracker who comes to life on Christmas Eve. ??