27 Baby Names Inspired By Christmas Movies

You can only name your baby Kevin if you scream it like Catherine O’Hara does in both Home Alone movies, OK? Kevin was a much more popular name back in the ‘70s through the ‘90s, but I think it deserves a comeback, especially when you’re naming your baby after the great Kevin McCallister. The name Kevin also means “handsome,” which you already know your boy is.

Another Christmas movie icon? Susan Walker. Played by Natalie Wood in the original 1947 Miracle on 34th Street, Susan is a logical, smart, lovely little girl who manages to save her mother from a life of no-magic. OK, maybe that’s dramatic, but Susan’s belief in Santa and choosing to believe in at least a little bit of magic makes a big difference. The name Susan is a classic, but has fallen off popular lists in the last couple of decades. Let’s bring it back; it means “lily of the valley.”

(Susan is also the name of Buddy the Elf’s mom in Elf and he names his baby girl Susie at the end if you want an extra Christmas reason to love this name.)

“George Bailey, I’ll love you ‘til the day I die.” I agree, Mary. George is just the sweetest name, and it’s a terrific homage to Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. Does it get any more darling?

If George isn’t your style, but you want a baby name inspired by It’s a Wonderful Life, try the gender-neutral Bailey. It’s inspired by the last name of George, his brother Harry, and of course, Uncle Billy, and you can still shout “Merry Christmas you old building and loan!” whenever you see your baby.

Oh come on. “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings,” little Zuzu Bailey tells her father and lo, a Christmas icon was born. This is a must for any Christmas movie-loving parent to consider for their little one, and it’s especially fun when you learn that Zuzu was the name of a brand of ginger snap cookies.

Elizabeth Lane, played by Barbara Stanwyck in 1945’s Christmas in Connecticut, is one of my favorite Christmas movie characters. She’s real and she’s messy and she’s just the best. Elizabeth is clearly a popular girl name, but you can shorten it with Eliza, Lizzy, Betty, or even Izzy if you want something different.

Judy is one of the elves at Santa’s workshop in The Santa Clause, and she’s best known for working on a hot cocoa recipe that took her 1200 years to get exactly right. “Shaken, not stirred.” Name your baby Judy after this Christmas movie legend, I’m begging you.

Another nod to The Santa Clause is to name your baby after the big guy himself — Scott Calvin. Scott’s an obvious choice, but I like the subtle connection with Calvin. Calvin is such a fun, spunky name for your little one, although I regret to inform you that it means “the bald one.”

Sweet little Charlie from The Santa Clause is an icon. He never gives up on believing his dad has become Santa Clause, and he manages to change up his entire family dynamic for the good of everyone — especially the world’s kids at Christmas.

Oh come on. You knew this one had to be on the list. Ralphie is an excellent old man baby name, and is also an absolute must if you want to name your little guy after a Christmas movie. Ralphie is the cutest with those blue eyes and stocking cap, and his deep belief in Santa and love for his mom makes me cry every time.

The Happiest Season, a Hulu Christmas movie from 2020, is one of my absolute favorites and one of the main characters, Harper, is a delight. The movie will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you hug your family tight. Harper is a super popular baby girl name over the past decade, but it’s just darling.

I’m sorry, but Jingle All the Way’s Ted, played by the late and great Phil Hartman, is way better than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character. And I think, despite his little move at the end that gets him covered in eggnog, he deserves some love. Name your baby Ted after the guy who loves Christmas and his kid so much, he brings a reindeer home as a present.

Clark W. Griswold, Christmas fanatic. The little lights may not be twinkling, but his personality definitely does in Christmas Vacation. Name your little one after Clark and you know it’ll be real nice.

A sweet name for a sweet girl — Belle is directly inspired from all the versions of A Christmas Carol out there. Ebenezer Scrooge breaks her heart, and she is one of those sad flashbacks to Christmas Past that makes you want to shake the old bah humbug guy. Belle is of French origin and means “fair,” “beautiful,” and “lovely one.”

“She’ll see it later, honey. Her eyes are frozen.” Clark Griswold’s eldest child, Audrey, has to put up with a lot of nonsense from her family and we love her for it. Audrey means “noble” and “strength” and I feel like Audrey Griswold has tons of both.

Don’t argue with me, you know Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and if anyone deserves the honor of a baby named after them, it’s John McClane. John is a super traditional boy name — it’s been in the top 30 baby names for boys since 1900. That’s over a century of the name John (and you know it was huge before then, too). But think about the last time you met a little guy named John? And if you have met one recently, do you think he was named after a bad*ss NYPD cop who just wants to celebrate Christmas with his estranged wife?

OK, this is a deep cut: try the baby name Duncan as an homage to Mr. Duncan of Duncan’s Toy Chest in Home Alone 2. He clearly was moved by Kevin being a generous little kid, and gives Kevin the turtledoves ornament as he leaves. Duncan is an absolutely adorable little boy name, and it means “dark-skinned warrior” with a Scottish origin.

Little Cindy Lou Who, who was no more than 2! This is an absolutely iconic Christmas movie character, and the baby name Cindy deserves a comeback. It hasn’t been in the top 1000 baby girl names for nearly a decade, but it was there from 1938 to 2014. Cindy also means “light” which is super sweet and kind of a quiet nod to Christmas all on its own.

The long-suffering assistant of Bill Murray’s Frank in Scrooged, Grace is an absolute hero. She’s a loving mother, a voice of reason to Frank, and deserves the whole world. Honor all of her patience and comedic timing with the name Grace for your own baby girl.

“Russ!” You can only name your baby Russ if you promise to yell it like Clark Griswold always does. Russ is an old school name that you don’t hear a lot of anymore, but I think it’s pretty spunky and fun for your little guy.

Oh Ellen Griswold, the patience you have. Name your baby after the matriarch of the Griswold clan with the baby name Ellen, which means “sunray” or “shining light.”

For the sweetest little reindeer inspiration, consider Clarice. I know, maybe you hear Anthony Hopkins saying it all creepy-like, but I really want you to focus on the adorable reindeer, OK? Clarice is a super sweet Christmas baby name and means “bright” or “clear.”

Zooey Deschanel’s character of Jovie in Elf may not be fully invested in Christmas at first, but she definitely gets there. I love this sweet name of Jovie so much, and it actually means “joyful” so it’s pretty perfect for your babe.

Four Christmases is one of my absolute favorite movies, and Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Kate is hilarious, vulnerable, and real. Kate is a classic name, and you don’t have to make it short for Katherine or anything — just go for Kate, which means “pure.”

And if you’re going to go for Kate, you could also go for Brad from Four Christmases. I don’t recommend Brad’s given birth name of Orlando, but Brad is cute, and it means “broad, wide.”

Christmas with the Kranks is full of grumpy people, but not Blair Krank. The daughter of Luther and Nora, she’s the entire reason they give up their cruise trip and throw Christmas back on the agenda with no time to spare. A girl like that is worth naming your own baby after, right? Blair is a gorgeous baby name and means “battlefield.”

One more for Christmas Vacation: the baby name Margo. But you have to shout, “I don’t know, Margo” every time they ask you something.