Parenting

11 Cool Names For Cold-Weather Baby Girls

by Rita Templeton

Dec. 19, 2019

Scary Mommy and Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty

My second born is a mid-January baby, and I’ll never forget the drive to the hospital amid sparkling flurries, or the way I focused intently on the crystalline snowflakes swirling past the window of my birthing room to help get my mind off the pain of labor. Ironically, on that same day 71 years before, my own grandmother was also giving birth … and she and my grandfather had been caught in a blizzard on the way to the hospital.

Looking back, the frosty winter weather — even though it was just a backdrop — was an important part of the day. After all, it was the setting of the first chapter of my baby’s life story. And it seems that many babies born in the cold winter months have this in common. That’s worth a baby-naming nod!

Whether your little one comes in like a winter storm or a gentle snowfall, these unique baby girl names inspired by the cold are the perfect way to commemorate her icy arrival. Who knew so many words for ice, frost, and snow in other languages could actually make such great winter baby names?!

1. Kirsi

The Finnish word for “frost,” it fits right in with any contemporary sounding name — especially considering that K names are extra trendy right now.

2. Eira

This pretty name is actually the Welsh word for “snow.” Also a possibility are the variations Gwyneira or Eirwen, both meaning “white snow.”

3. Talvi

Like Kirsi, this name also comes to us from the Finnish language — but instead of “frost,” it means “winter.” Tal would be a cute diminutive.

4. Winter

Speaking of winter, this name is a gender-neutral pick that can’t get any more straightforward in its meaning. As a bonus, there’s a new song by AJR called “Dear Winter,” and the lyrics say, “Dear Winter/I hope you like your name.” Your baby will have a built-in special song.

5. Lumi

Jamie Grill/Getty

The third (and final) name from Finland on our list, Lumi means “snow.” Because it shares its letters with the first part of the word “luminous,” it evokes a sense of brightness and a certain glow, too.

6. Haunani

You’d never expect a name of tropical Hawaiian origin to be on a list of cold-weather names, but — surprise! — here it is. Haunani is comprised of the Hawaiian elements hau, meaning “snow,” and nani, meaning “beauty” or “glory.”

7. Neve

This name is also a word that means “snow” — in both Italian and Portuguese. (You could also go with the Spanish word for snow, Nieve.) It’s also the anglicized version of the Irish name Niamh, which means “bright.” And if you’ve ever seen sun glistening off of a snowdrift, you’ll know that meaning works too!

8. Frost

This one packs a one-two punch, with both a literary feel (thanks to famed poet Robert Frost, whose poems include classics such as “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”) and a definite wintry vibe.

9. Karli

It may look and sound a lot like Carly, but as a word, it’s from the Turkish language and means “snowy” or “snow-covered.”

10. Elura

This pretty and feminine-sounding name is a variation of the Basque word elurra, which also means “snow.” You could theoretically use both R’s, but the one-R spelling is reminiscent of Elora, which is in the top 1,000 (officially, #724) on the Social Security baby name popularity chart.

11. Teli

The Hungarian word for winter, it’s usually written with a diacritical mark over the E — as in, téli — which makes it pronounced like TEE-lee. But as a name, it may be easier to leave the mark out (it may even cause problems with some official computer systems, at least in the U.S.), which would make it sound a little more like it looks: telly. Either way, it’s a cute, short, and sweet homage to the cold weather.

If you live in a place where wintry weather conditions are going to be a part of your baby girl’s arrival, give her a good story to tell about the meaning of her name … and let her know that it makes her a little extra cool.

For tons of baby naming inspiration, lists, advice, and meanings, check out Scary Mommy’s baby naming section!