Babies named Christmas

Christmas tree decorations

How many humans have been named Christmas throughout history?

It’s impossible to know for sure, but records reveal that thousands of babies across the globe have been given “Christmas” as either a first or middle name over the last few centuries. As you’d expect, the majority of them were born on, or close to, December 25th. Some examples…

  • Christmas Smyth, christened in England on Dec. 29, 1622
  • Christmass Elizabeth Cattermaul, christened in England on Dec. 28, 1766
  • Christmas Dagenet, born in the U.S. (Indiana) on Dec. 25, 1799
  • Christmas Griffith, christened in Wales on Dec. 25, 1824
  • Ebenezer Christmas Matthews, christened in England on Jan. 1, 1844
  • Walter Christmas Frost, christened in England on Dec. 25, 1854
  • Horace Christmas Liddle, born in Australia on Dec. 25, 1855
  • Christmas Evans Ward, born in the U.S. (South Carolina) on Dec. 25, 1859
  • Charles Christmas Lambert, born in Australia on Dec. 25, 1866
  • Casper Christmass Kline, born in the U.S. (New York) on Dec. 25, 1866
  • Terry Christmas Donnelly, born in Ireland on Dec. 15, 1879
  • Emma Christmas Thacker, christened in England on Jan. 15, 1880
  • Christmas James Jones, born in Wales on Dec. 25, 1888
  • Earl Christmas Elmendorf, born in the U.S. (Iowa) on Dec. 25, 1892
  • Christmas Roberts, born in England on Dec. 25, 1896
  • Arnold Christmas Flett, born in Canada on Dec. 25, 1900
  • Laverna Christmas Lambas, born in the U.S. (West Virginia) on Dec. 25, 1902
  • Mabel Christmas Tidgwell, born in Canada on Dec. 25, 1903
  • Christmas Higgins, born in the U.S. (Massachusetts) on Dec. 25, 1909
  • Christmas Kaailau Kelii, born in the U.S. (Hawaii) on Dec. 25, 1915
  • Johnny Christmas Mattingly, born in the U.S. (Texas) on Dec. 24, 1945

The parents of hundreds of these babies went even further by creating names out of Christmas-related phrases. For instance…

  • Christmas Eve Flournoy, born in the U.S. (Texas) on Dec. 24, 1871
  • Christmas Carol McCloud, born in the U.S. (California) on Dec. 25, 1909
  • Christmas Day Wagstaff, christened in England on Jan. 27, 1884
  • Christmas Gift Evans, born in the U.S. (New York) on Dec. 25, 1840
  • Merry Christmas Lloyd, born in the U.S. (Ohio) on Dec. 25, 1889

Two more examples are Merry Christmas Miller (born to Conrad and Nellie Miller, the founders of Alaska’s Santa Claus House, in 1961) and Mennonite writer Christmas Carol Kauffman (born in Indiana on Dec. 25, 1902).

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Bellagio Christmas tree by Bert Kaufmann under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Alabama quadruplets: Lainey, Kali, Lennon, Koen

quadruplets and stork

In May of 2024, Alabama couple Rebecca and Lavareis Bryant welcomed quadruplets that were actually two sets of twins. (The quads born recently in Louisiana, Texas, and Massachusetts were also two sets of twins.)

The Bryants’ twin boys and identical twin girls weighed less than two pounds each when they were born at 23 weeks and 4 days gestation — 115 days before their expected due date. They arrived so early, in fact, that they’re now recognized as the most premature surviving quadruplets by Guinness World Records.

What were they named?

Lainey (girl), Kali (girl), Lennon (boy), and Koen (boy).

What are your thoughts on these names?

P.S. The Bryants also have three older children named Kendall, Laikyn, and Kainen.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Multiplication (1905) by Gordon Ross

Latvian names: Dzintars, Ligita, Parsla

Gauja National Park in Latvia

While putting together yesterday’s post on the top baby names in Latvia, I came across dozens of Latvian-origin names:

Female namesMale names
Agra, based on agrs, ” early”
Aina, “view, scene”
Ausma, “dawn”
Austra, “daybreak”		Agris, based on agrs, “early”
Ainis, based on aina, “view, scene”
Airis, “oar, paddle”
Alnis, “elk”
Atvars, “whirlpool”
Austrums, “east”
Centis, based on censties, “to aspire”
Daila, based on daile, “beauty”
Daina, “folk song”
Drosma, based on drosmigs, “brave”
Dzidra, based on dzidrs, “clear”
Dzintra, based on dzintars, “amber”		Dailis, based on daile, “beauty”
Dainis, based on daina, “folk song”
Drosmis, based on drosmigs, “brave”
Dzidris, based on dzidrs, “clear”
Dzintars, “amber”
Gaida, based on gaidit, “to wait”
Gundega, “buttercup” (a type of flower)
Guna and Gunta, based on guns/uguns, “fire”		Guntis, based on guns/uguns, “fire”
Ilga, based on ilgas, “longing”
Jautrite*, based on jautrs, “cheerful”
Lasma*, based on lasmot, “to sparkle”
Liega, based on liegs, “gentle”
Liga* and Ligita, based on ligot, “sing Ligo songs”
Liksma, based on liksms, “joyful”
Lilija, “lily”
Maiga, based on maigs, “gentle”
Meldra, based on meldrs, “bulrush”
Metra*, “mint”
Mirdza, based on mirdzet, “to glitter”
Modra, based on modrs, “watchful”
Mudite*, based on mudigs, “quick”
Mundra, based on mundrs, “brisk”		Meldris, based on meldrs, “bulrush”
Modris, based on modrs, “watchful”
Parsla*, “snowflake”
Rasa, “dew”
Rasma, “harvest”
Rozite*, based on roze, “rose”		Raitis, based on raits, “nimble”
Sarma and Sarmite*, based on sarma, “hoar frost“
Selga, “open sea” (also a brand of biscuits)
Skaidra and Skaidrite*, based on skaidrs, “clear”
Smaida, based on smaidit, “to smile”
Smuidra, based on smuidrs, “slender”
Sniedze, “snow bunting” (a type of bird)
Spodra, based on spodrs, “bright”
Spulga, based on spulgs, “bright”
Strauja, based on straujš, “rapid”		Sarmis, based on sarma, “hoar frost”
Smuidris, based on smuidrs, “slender”
Spodris, based on spodrs, “bright”
Vaira, based on vairot, “to increase”
Velta, based on velte, “gift”
Vesma*, “breeze”
Vija, “garland”
Vizma, based on vizmot, “to shimmer”		Viesturs, based on viesturis, “hospitable”
Vilnis, “wave”
Zaiga, based on zaigot, “to glisten”
Zeltite*, based on zeltits, “gilded”
Zinta, based on zinte, “witchcraft”		Ziedonis, “springtime” (based on zieds, “flower”)
Zintis, based on zinte, “witchcraft”

Hundreds of Latvian names were either invented or revived during the Latvian National Awakening, which started in the middle of the 19th century. Many of the invented names can be attributed to Latvian poet Mikelis Krogzemis (1850-79), who wrote under the pen name Auseklis.

Only about 50 of the names invented by Auseklis have survived until today, but some of those are quite common, such as Liga, Daina, Dzintars and Dzintra.

*Letters with macrons don’t render properly on my site, so please imagine they exist in the names marked with an asterisk.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Zvartes Iezis-3 by Laaciz under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Mississippi quadruplets: Kenleigh, Kristen, Kayleigh, Kelsey

quadruplets and stork

In February of 2014, Kimberly Fugate of Mississippi went into labor. She was expecting triplets, but learned in the delivery room that she would be having quadruplets.

What did she name the four identical baby girls?

Kenleigh Rosa, Kristen Sue, Kayleigh Pearl, and Kelsey Roxanne. (Kelsey was the “hidden surprise.”)

Kimberly’s first child, a daughter named Katelyn, was 10 when the quads were born.

(I’ve also blogged about quads with Sh-names and quads with Ch-names.)

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Multiplication (1905) by Gordon Ross