Long before I ever had a child, or even thought of giving birth, one of my favorite things to do was make lists of names I loved. "If I ever have a baby girl," I'd muse, "Her name is going to be Imogen." Names are so special and can mean so much to both the parents and the child. Before the child is old enough to really give his or her name meaning, we name our children, often to remember a special moment, to manifest a certain quality we hope they have, or to even pay tribute to a family member. We hope our children will give the names even more value, and that they will like the name we give them (although sometimes that's not the case). We try our best, though. These are the names we will be calling and they will be hearing all their lives.
The names we choose for our children often tell others more about the parents than they do about the child. When a name is especially unusual, people may ask "What does that name mean?" or "Why did your parents name you that?" My mom's name is so uncommon, that, in addition to telling people her name upon meeting them, she has a story that she tells along with it. She knows people are going to ask, so she has the story ready to go.
For parents-to-be who love the cold weather, or the winter season, finding a name that embodies that time of the year could be a challenge.The same goes for parents who are due during the winter months, and want to mark this time with a name. In English, of course we have the words "snow" and "ice" and "cold," but they just don't have a ring to them. Celebrities can take everyday words and turn them into names, and everyone will get use to them, but we don't want to pick something too odd, do we?
I've done a bit of research on distinctive names that still sound pretty cool (no pun intended) and have meanings that are related to cold weather and winter time. Take a look and see if anything sticks!
JUNIPER
A unisex name, this name pays homage to one of many types of evergreen trees. The juniper is recognizable by its bright blue berry-like seeds.
POPPY
Another name taken from plants, this bright and sparkly name is for a baby girl who just can't stop smiling. The Iceland Poppy flower actually blooms in late fall/early winter, and dies off right before summer.
NEVADA
In Spanish, Nevada means snow-covered. For those of us from the US, I'm sure we never knew that (unless we speak Spanish), especially because the state that bears that name is thought of as being a hot desert!
EIRLYS
Eirlys is a lovely name (pronounced 'ear-lease') with Welsh origins. The definition is "snowdrop."
TUSHAR
In Sanskrit, Tushar means "frost" or "snow." And what's more beautiful than the morning layer of frosted dew on a winter day?
HOLLY
My aunt was named Holly because she was born in late December. Holly is another evergreen plant that can weather the bitter cold. Its bright red berries and spiky leaves have become a signature of the cold season.
KIRSI
Here we have another name that also means "frost," but this time, in Finnish. Kirsi is a shortened version of the name Kirsikka, and a Finnish version of the more common English-language name, Christina.
BLANCA
I'll never forget the Spanish word for white, due to a song we used to sing in class. Blanca (a derivative of the French name meaning white) is one of the most sonically palatable translations of the color, and such a feminine name!
BLANCHE
So close in spelling and meaning, yet so different in sound are the French and Spanish names for white. Blanche is the French name for white, rooting from the French word for white, blanc.
GWYN
Of all the Gwens and Gwyns that I know, I never knew the name was Welsh in origin, or that it had a wintry meaning. Gwyn is short for Gwyneira (another option, although long), and means "white snow."
HEATH
Heath is the name of an evergreen shrub that often grows in the Arctic. While some plants have dropped all their leaves, this shrub stays green in the bitter cold and under a blanket of snow. Its also the name of one of the world's favorite actors.
YUKI
The name meaning "snow" in Japanese is Yuki. A short, cute name that children will no doubt have no trouble spelling.
WYNTER
I don't know why, but spelling winter with a y just makes it all the more attractive to me. Although the pronunciation is exactly the same, Wynter with a y just makes the word for the cold season really look like a name. In Old English, the name was meant for someone born in the winter.
WILLOW
Thanks to The Smith family and Pink, the name Willow is almost an everyday name. The willow tree is also a familiar that adorns the winter landscape.
JANUARY
Deeply set into the heart of winter is the month of January. Chilling and cold, by this time of the year, there's no questioning what season it is. January is a great name for a baby girl born in the first month of the year.
PANSY
My grandmother always had a green thumb. She knew what time of year to plant which flower, and which ones were annuals versus perennials. I don't remember half of those things she taught me, but what I do remember is that every year, she would plant a bundle of pansies to fill the yard with for the winter. Somehow, the name became a teasing taunt over the years, but these hardy, multicolored blooms are the definition of tenacity, as they hold up all winter long.
OLWEN
This name means "white footprint." With a definition like that, I'm reminded of my childhood, and how my mom would tell me to step in her footprints when we'd walk in the snow to the bus stop. I'm sure we can all conjure up some memories that tin the name of Olwen.
ARCTICA
It's only right that when thinking of chilling, cold names, we pay homage to the one continent on earth that is winter all year long — Antarctica. Obviously, that name is kind of long and has lots of hard consonant sounds, but shortened to Arctica, it sounds downright regal.
CRYSTAL
Even a lover of summer, spring, or fall can admit to the beauty that the snow brings in the winter. Especially when we're looking at it from inside. After it snows, ice is everywhere — whether in small crystals or huge sheets (that I always fall on, at least once per winter season). Why not take a snapshot of those special elements of the cold, with the name Crystal?
LUMI
Last, but not least, we are traveling to Estonia to grab a winter name. Lumi, the word for snow, is one of my favorites on this list. Short like a nickname, but full of meaning and brightness. In French, the word for "light" is lumiere, so one could also use that alternative, and have Lumi be the nickname.
