Baby names are forever a hot topic. And why wouldn't they be? The options are endless and it's intriguing to watch evolve over the years. Plus, a person is lying if she said she had never thought about future kids names, or pets, we'll take that. While it is scary to think about giving a human a name for life (and not have them change it!) the cool thing about naming a person is that the name can carry meaning that the person will (hopefully) appreciate throughout life. This writer (hello!) personally is named after both of my parents (they mashed their names together to form mine) and my middle name. Other parents may choose names based on things or people in pop culture they care about or even holidays. Which is why many people who love Thanksgiving also find inspiration in it for their baby name selection — to pay homage to the season or show their gratitude for this priceless gift. The main idea is giving thanks and a new baby is certainly something to be thankful for.
After doing some research, we found many words across our cultures and others, that celebrate the idea of being grateful and having gratitude. "Thank you" is a beautiful word across different languages from Spanish to Italian to Hebrew. And many well-known names have roots and meanings that translate to being appreciate, or being a gift. Other words that directly mean these things, like "Blessing" and "Gratitude" would make lovely names on their own, which is why we included them on the list below.
Thanksgiving, its history, and holiday season also have a plethora of meaningful people and terms that translate amazingly into names that fill peoples' hearts with warmth and peace. Plenty of the pilgrims and Native Americans had interesting and distinctive names (sometimes surnames) to draw inspiration from. Some of them are more modern than one would have thought.
Whether a baby is born around this time or mom and dad hold the spirit of the day in their hearts, these names nod to giving thanks in some way. Or they will remind others of the season where these feelings come to light. Either way, hopefully someday the babies who receive them will feel thanks for having them, too.
BEHOLDEN or HOLDEN
Being beholden to something means to be thankful for that thing. Holden is already a popular name, so having a little "be" in front will make it unusual and special.
GRACIAS
Yes, Gracias means thank you in Spanish, but the Spanish language is beautiful and would make a beautiful name for a girl. For a twist, simply drop the "S" on the end of the word to get "Gracia."
MERCI
Heading over to France, Merci is the French way to say thank you and it's another word that is so pretty it could also be a name. It can be pronounced "Mur-see" or "Mare-See."
GRAZIE
Grazie is the Italian version of saying "thank you," and while it is similar to Spanish, it has a "z" in there to spice things up. For those looking for a more traditional spelling, there's the option to pronounce it "Grace-ie." But "Grat-zie" sounds beautiful to us, too.
TODA
Toda means "thank you" in Hebrew and it also makes for a cute and quick baby name. Some spellings include an "H" on the end so the word is spelled "Todah."
ASANTE
The Swahili phrase for "thank you," asante, is simply gorgeous. According to the blog swahilipod101 it's a common and appropriate phrase to use when greeting someone or especially a guest.
BLESSING
Blessing has biblical implications, from being blessed in a church to being blessed by God, but it also can mean the things we are grateful for having. Lots of baby names mean "blessed" but why not go straight to the source.
AUTUMN
Autumn will always be associated with Thanksgiving. The changing leaves go hand-in-hand with the warm meals that families eat when they come together. It's a time many reflect and are thankful, so why not allude to that with a baby name like Autumn.
SEASON
Season is a less specific way to pay homage to the time of year that people feel most thankful, but it means a strong but meaningful name. Season's Greetings is on holiday cards for a reason.
GRATITUDE
Gratitude is a word that people immediately associate with thankfulness. And it's also a word that comes to mind during the Thanksgiving season.
JADON
Jadon is another Hebrew name that is meant to portray thanks, this one meaning "God will judge." Plus, it fits right in with those popular "on" and "en" ending names for boys.
ALDEN
Alden is another name that has that "en" and "on" style, but is not as popularized as Aiden or Jayden just yet. It means "old friend" which is applicable to the essence of Thanksgiving but also it is the surname of one of the first pilgrims and Thanksgiving participants, John Alden.
COOKE
Francis Cooke was another one of the first pilgrims to celebrate Thanksgiving and her last name could be used for either a boy or a girl. It's a name on its own, but we liked that it's associated with cooking, and it can't get any more Thanksgiving than that.
AIMON
Aimon is a French name (sounding similar to "Eamon" but with a cool, unusual spelling) and it means "home." According to Babble, it’s a handsome name that symbolizes the soul of the holiday.
ASHER
Asher is a fairly known name in the baby naming world, but it turns out, it's Thanksgiving-related, too. It means "blessed, fortunate, happy" which is something many people feel this time of year.
SAMOSET
The Samoset were a Native American tribe that worked with the pilgrims on the first Thanksgiving. It's a great name for those who love the name "Sam" but want something a little different.
KURON
Kuron is another great name contender. It's an African word for "thanks" or "one who gives thanks" and applicable for a boy or a girl. It's pronounced "K-RAHN."
DEMETRIA
Greek gods are huge in the baby naming world as many of them represent elegance, strength, and spirituality. Turns out, there was a god of earth and harvest and his name was Demeter, but the feminine version is Demetria, which means "mother of land."
JONATHAN
Jonathan may not seem like it has much to do with Thanksgiving, but the meaning of the name is "God has given." Which to those who believe, Jonathan is a gift to be quite thankful for.
JENDAYI
Another name to give thanks is Jendayi. It literally means "to thank" or to give thanks" and originates in Zimbabwe.
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