Parts of the country are about to be buried in snow, which means areas affected will probably see a bit of a baby boom nine months from now (hey, you'll needsomethingto keep you warm during the storm). Those babies will be born in early fall, but what better way to remember the hot chocolate foreplay and Yankee candle ambiance that led to baby-making in the first place than to give him or her a snow-themed name?
Winter is the mother name of this category, and definitely the season name du jour, sounding brighter than Summer or Autumn or even Spring. Winter first came under the spotlight when Nicole Ritchie and Joel Madden used it as a middle name for daughter Harlow in 2008, then Gretchen Mol moved it into first place three years later. And if you find Winifred a bit stuffy, Winter is a more modern path to adorable nickname Winnie.
Aspen, Cortina and Vail
Three world-class ski resorts -- two in Colorado and one in the Italian Alps -- that could schuss right onto birth announcements. Aspen, which is also a tree name, could be a more creative alternative to Ashton, the distinctive Cortina has a dash of Italian eleganza, and Vail has the fashionable V-beginning.
Demeter
Yes, Demeter is the ancient Greek goddess of fertility and the harvest, but she was also the deity responsible for creating winter (and the mother of Persephone, whose name is an emerging Nameberry fave). The variant Demetria is the full name of actress Demi Moore.
Eira
Though there isn’t an over-abundance of snow in Wales, there is a Welsh word for it, and this name, pronounced AY-ra -- which has never made the Atlantic crossing possibly due to potential pronunciation probs -- has that meaning. The related Eirwen means ‘white as snow.’ There is a famous welsh harpist named Eira Lynn Jones.
Frost
This icy word name is much more familiar as a surname, as in poet Robert and British TV personality David and the season’s symbolic Jack, but it has recently come under the baby name radar, in particular as a middle name. Could open the door to some Frosty the Snowman teasing, however.
Jack
This could be your secret seasonal name, as few people would catch the reference to Mr. Frost. Currently the Number 1 name in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland and Number 2 in England and Wales, this friendly, long independent nickname for John is rapidly climbing in this country as well, now in the Top 50.
January
Firmly attached now to "Mad Men" actress January Jones, this month name was actually heard earlier -- in the 1973 bestselling Jacqueline Susann novel "Once is Not Enough," a leading character is named January Wayne. Some other, international, possibilities: the Spanish Jenara, the Italian Gennaio.
March
Skipping over the unlikely-to-be-used February, we move on to the other windy, wintry month of March. One of the few month names suitable for a boy, March, also a high-stepping word name, could make for an intriguing, energetic middle.
Neve
Neve, from the Latin word for snow, came into view via actress Neve Campbell -- it is the maiden name of her Dutch-born mom -- and makes a sophisticated choice. Also related to the Irish Niamh, Neve was chosen by Conan O’Brien for his daughter. Other such possibilities: Neva and Nevada.
North
Word names have been moving in a new direction, as in West, Weston, Easton, and now North. Unusual but usable, North might be an interesting option for a winter baby born in a northern state. In 1994, Elijah Wood played the eponymous young protagonist of the film North.
Snow
The association with "Snow White" -- seen lately in a number of popular films and TV shows -- gives this name a magical, fairy tale feel, as well as conjuring up pure white snowscapes. Still occasionally used as a middle name, Snow could flutter up to center stage.
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