200+ Snow Baby Names Soft as First Snowfall

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If you’re expecting during the winter months, or you just love the quiet stillness of a snowy morning, this list is built for you. Snow has been a naming inspiration across Japanese, Welsh, Finnish, Norse, Slavic, and Korean traditions for centuries, showing up as a direct translation of “snow,” a nod to frost and pale winter light, or a nod to the mythological figures tied to the season. Below is the full catalog, drawn from all of those traditions.

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Popularity below is calculated from Social Security Administration data through 2024, the most recent year on record.

Here’s what’s in store –

Names That Literally Mean Snow

Names Evoking White Light and Pale Beauty

Nordic and Scandinavian Winter Names

Japanese and East Asian Snow Names

Boy Names With a Wintry Edge

From Winter Mythology and Folklore

Gentle, Poetic Names for a Snow Baby

This list casts a wide net on purpose. Some of these names say “snow” straight out loud — Neve, Yuki, Lumi, Eira. Others circle the idea through imagery: whiteness, pale winter light, frost, the Norse gods who literally governed the cold months, the folklore figures who shook feather beds to make it snow. The through line is a shared aesthetic: names that feel unhurried, clean, and quietly beautiful in the way a snowy morning is beautiful.

You will find girl names, boy names, and a handful that work easily for either. You will find names that are two syllables and easy to pronounce in any English-speaking room, and names that are deeply cultural, harder to anglicize, and entirely worth the effort. For a December or January baby — or for anyone who thinks the word neve is one of the most beautiful words in any language — here is everything.

One practical note: many of these names are tied to specific linguistic traditions, and the pronunciation guides matter. Where a name has a counterintuitive pronunciation, the phonetic note is included in the vibe line.

Names That Literally Mean Snow

If you want a name that translates directly, these names carry snow in their etymology. This is the direct, unambiguous category — every one of these means snow, ice, or first snowfall in its language of origin.

Neve

Origin: surname (multiple origins: English ‘nephew’, French place name, or Italian/Portuguese ‘snow’)
Pronunciation: NEV · ˈnɛv
Meaning: bright, radiant (as an anglicized form of the Irish name Niamh)
Popularity: #3,357 and falling (#2,667 → #3,357, 2024)

Neva

Origin: place name (Neva River, Russia)
Pronunciation: NEE-vuh · ˈniːvə
Meaning: “snow”
Popularity: #3,726 and falling (#2,692 → #3,726, 2024)

The softer variant of Neve with emphasis on the first syllable; also a river in St. Petersburg.

Nieva

Origin: Spanish (surname/place name)
Pronunciation: NYEH-vah · ˈnjeβa
Meaning: from the Spanish place name/surname Nieva
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Eira

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: EYE-ruh · ˈaɪrə
Meaning: snow
Popularity: #2,385 and rising (#2,593 → #2,385, 2024)

Pronounced EYE-rah; musical and underused outside of Wales, which is precisely its charm.

Eirwen

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: AYR-wen · ˈeɪrwɛn
Meaning: ‘snow’ + ‘white’ — i.e., ‘snow-white’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Lumi

Origin: Finnish
Pronunciation: LOO-mee · ˈluːmi
Meaning: snow
Popularity: #2,178 and rising (#2,199 → #2,178, 2024)

Three letters, zero ambiguity, and climbing name charts across Scandinavia and the Finnish diaspora.

Yuki

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: YOO-kee · ˈjuːki
Meaning: snow (from the common kanji 雪); some spellings instead give ‘happiness’ (幸)
Popularity: #4,539 and rising (#5,374 → #4,539, 2024)

Yukina

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: yoo-KEE-nah · juːkiːnɑː
Meaning: ‘snow’ plus ‘greens/vegetable,’ as in leafy greens (meaning shifts with the kanji chosen)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The -na suffix softens the syllables; it reads like a meadow dusted overnight.

Yukiko

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: yoo-KEE-koh · juːˈkiː.koʊ
Meaning: ‘snow child’ — from 雪 (‘snow’) plus 子 (‘child’), a common feminine name-forming suffix
Popularity: #13,531 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The classic -ko generation name; less common in Japan now but beloved internationally.

Hatsuyuki

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: haht-soo-YOO-kee · hɑːtsuːjuːki
Meaning: first snow of the season
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Specifically the season’s inaugural snowfall — an extraordinary name for a firstborn.

Yukimi

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: yoo-KEE-mee · juːkiːmiː
Meaning: ‘snow-viewing’ — from 雪 (‘snow’) plus 見 (‘viewing’), referencing the traditional practice of viewing snow
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

References the Japanese practice of sitting with tea to watch snow fall; deeply contemplative.

Yukiho

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: yoo-KEE-hoh · juːkiːhoʊ
Meaning: ‘snow’ plus ‘ear of grain,’ evoking a rice ear dusted with snow (meaning shifts with the kanji chosen)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Uncommon even in Japan; feels like something wrapped carefully and given once.

Miyuki

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: mee-YOO-kee · mi.jɯ.ki
Meaning: varies by kanji spelling; commonly ‘deep snow’ (深雪) or ‘beautiful happiness’ (美幸)
Popularity: #14,664 and falling (#14,599 → #14,664, 2024)

The most poetic of the yuki names, with two distinct beautiful readings.

Shirayuki

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: shee-rah-YOO-kee · ʃiːrɑːˈjuːki
Meaning: white snow
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Setsuko

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: SET-soo-koh · ˈsɛtsʊkoʊ
Meaning: meaning depends on the kanji chosen; often written with characters for ‘moderation’ or ‘season’ plus ‘child’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Iconic bearer: Setsuko Hara, perhaps the greatest Japanese film actress of the twentieth century.

Khione

Origin: Greek (mythology)
Pronunciation: kye-OH-nee · kaɪˈoʊni
Meaning: snow (Greek mythological snow goddess)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Daughter of the north wind Boreas; bold, mythological, and entirely usable.

Chione

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: ky-OH-nee · kaɪˈoʊni
Meaning: snow
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Appears in Ovid as a mortal loved simultaneously by two gods; literary and rare.

Neige

Origin: French
Meaning: snow (French)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pronounced NEZH; a quietly perfect French given name, more common than you might expect in France.

Nieves

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: nee-EH-vess · niˈɛvɛs
Meaning: snows (from a Marian title, Our Lady of the Snows)
Popularity: #13,712 as of 2017 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Marian name popular across Latin America and Spain; the plural form gives it fullness.

Nevada

Origin: Spanish (place name)
Pronunciation: neh-VAD-ah · nəˈvædə
Meaning: snow-covered
Popularity: #4,005 and falling (#3,565 → #4,005, 2024)

The Sierra Nevada gave the U.S. state its name; it works equally as a given name for adventurous parents.

Snezana

Origin: South Slavic (Serbian/Croatian)
Pronunciation: sneh-ZHAH-nah · snɛˈʒaːna
Meaning: built on the Slavic root for ‘snow’, roughly ‘snowy one’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Snezhana

Origin: Slavic (Bulgarian/Russian)
Pronunciation: snyeh-ZHAH-nah · snjɪˈʐanə
Meaning: snowy, snow-white
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The eastern variant; slightly softer in texture than Snezana.

Talvi

Origin: Finnish
Pronunciation: TAHL-vee · ˈtɑːlvi
Meaning: winter
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Seol

Origin: Korean
Pronunciation: SUL · sʌl
Meaning: snow
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A clean, one-syllable Korean name that sits beautifully in combination names or alone.

Seolhwa

Origin: Korean
Pronunciation: SUHL-hwah · ˈsʌlhwa
Meaning: snow flower
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

This looks like a hanja mismatch — 星 (‘star’) is read ‘seong’ in Korean, not ‘seol,’ so it doesn’t actually fit the sounds of Seolhwa; ‘snow flower’ (雪花) is the reading that does.

Tsurara

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: tsoo-RAH-rah · tsuːˈrɑːrə
Meaning: icicle
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

From Japanese folklore — the name of the icicle spirit; rare and striking.

Nix

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: NIKS · nɪks
Meaning: Night
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Snieguolė

Origin: Lithuanian
Pronunciation: snyeh-GWOH-lay · snʲeːˈɡuəleː
Meaning: ‘snow maiden’ — the traditional Lithuanian name for the Snow White fairy-tale character, built on the word for snow
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Lithuanian fairy-tale name; rare outside Lithuania but remarkable.

Nanook

Origin: Inuit (Inuktitut/Inupiaq)
Pronunciation: nah-NOOK · næˈnuːk
Meaning: polar bear (also a mythic bear-spirit figure in Inuit tradition)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Carried centuries of Arctic meaning before the 1922 documentary; strong and geographic.

Himeyuki

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: hee-may-YOO-kee · hiːmeɪˈjuːki
Meaning: princess snow (uncommon kanji ordering)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used in classical Japanese poetry for delicate snowfall; extremely rare as a given name.

Names Evoking White Light and Pale Beauty

Snow’s visual signature is luminosity — that particular brightness of reflected winter light. These names connect to whiteness, silver, moonlight, and the pale shimmer that characterizes a snowy landscape.

Bianca

Origin: Italian
Pronunciation: bee-AHN-kuh · biˈɑːŋkə
Meaning: white, pure
Popularity: #460 and rising (#467 → #460, 2024)

Shakespeare gave it to heroines in *The Taming of the Shrew* and *Othello*; still elegant, still fresh.

Blanche

Origin: French
Pronunciation: BLANCH · ˈblæntʃ
Meaning: white or pale — likely originally a descriptive nickname for someone fair-skinned or fair-haired
Popularity: #11,242 and falling (#10,439 → #11,242, 2024)

Feels vintage-chic rather than dated; reclaiming Blanche from Blanche DuBois.

Alba

Origin: Latin (via Spanish/Italian/Catalan)
Pronunciation: AL-buh · ˈælbə
Meaning: dawn/sunrise, from a Latin root meaning ‘white’
Popularity: #1,171 and rising (#1,238 → #1,171, 2024)

Also refers to the pale pre-sunrise light; two syllables, luminous and clean.

Alva

Origin: Scandinavian (Swedish/Norwegian feminine form of Alf); also a variant of the Hebrew masculine name Alvah
Pronunciation: AL-vah · ˈælvə
Meaning: elf
Popularity: #4,465 and rising (#5,255 → #4,465, 2024)

Thomas Edison’s middle name was Alva — unusual for a girl, beautiful for either gender.

Gwen

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: GWEN · ˈɡwɛn
Meaning: white/fair (also ‘blessed, holy’)
Popularity: #698 and rising (#817 → #698, 2024)

The root of Guinevere, Gwyneth, and a dozen variants; beautiful standing alone.

Gwyneth

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: GWIN-eth · ˈgwɪnəθ
Meaning: white/fair (also ‘blessed’)
Popularity: #1,788 and rising (#1,895 → #1,788, 2024)

The -eth suffix gives it gravity; Gwyneth Paltrow made it internationally recognizable.

Guinevere

Origin: Welsh (via Gwenhwyfar)
Pronunciation: GWIN-eh-veer · ˈɡwɪnəvɪr
Meaning: white/fair + a debated second element (‘phantom’ or ‘smooth’)
Popularity: #947 and rising (#1,009 → #947, 2024)

Arthurian and expansive; nicknames include Ginny, Gwen, or even Neve.

Fiona

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: fee-OH-nah · fiˈoʊnə
Meaning: fair, white
Popularity: #406 and falling (#400 → #406, 2024)

Popularized by the pen name Fiona Macleod; now globally loved without feeling overused.

Fenella

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: feh-NEL-ah · fɪˈnɛlə
Meaning: white shoulder (from fionn ‘white/fair’ + guala ‘shoulder, ‘ via the source name Fionnghuala)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Less common than its Irish counterpart; feels Highlands-crisp and distinctive.

Fionnuala

Origin: Irish (Old Irish compound)
Pronunciation: fih-NOO-luh · fɪˈnuːlə
Meaning: white shoulder (fionn ‘white/fair’ + guala ‘shoulder’)
Popularity: #16,027 and falling (#12,563 → #16,027, 2024)

Olwen

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: AHL-wen · ˈɑːlwɛn
Meaning: white footprint
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Galatea

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: gal-uh-TEE-uh · ˌɡæləˈtiːə
Meaning: milk-white
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The ivory statue Pygmalion loved into life; rare, classical, unmistakable.

Gauri

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: GOW-ree · ˈɡaʊriː
Meaning: ‘white, shining, brilliant’; used as an epithet of the Hindu goddess Parvati in her Mahagauri form
Popularity: #5,660 and falling (#5,614 → #5,660, 2024)

An epithet of Parvati; deeply traditional in South Asia and striking everywhere.

Ivory

Origin: English (modern given name from the word ‘ivory’, the surname is habitational, from Ivry in Normandy, or a patronymic diminutive of Ivor)
Pronunciation: EYE-vor-ee · ˈaɪvəri
Meaning: ivory, white/pure (as the tusk material)
Popularity: #404 and rising (#520 → #404, 2024)

The warm-white material name used as a given name; tactile and unusual.

Pearl

Origin: English
Pronunciation: PURL · ˈpɜːrl
Meaning: from the gemstone pearl; also an English form of the Yiddish name Perle
Popularity: #802 and falling (#800 → #802, 2024)

White-pink luminescence; a given name since medieval times and long overdue for a comeback.

Crystal

Origin: English (ultimately Greek krystallos, “ice”)
Pronunciation: KRIS-tul · ˈkrɪstəl
Meaning: clear as ice; a clear, transparent mineral
Popularity: #1,176 and rising (#1,196 → #1,176, 2024)

Luna

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LOO-na · ˈluːnə
Meaning: moon
Popularity: #13 and falling (#10 → #13, 2024)

Selene

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: suh-LEE-nee · səˈliːni
Meaning: moon (as the Greek moon goddess)
Popularity: #675 and rising (#708 → #675, 2024)

The Titan goddess; more formal than Luna, equally radiant, less common.

Lunette

Origin: French
Pronunciation: loo-NET · luˈnɛt
Meaning: little moon
Popularity: #11,692 and falling (#9,358 → #11,692, 2024)

The diminutive is charming; rare in English-speaking countries.

Lilja

Origin: Swedish/Scandinavian (19th-century flower name)
Pronunciation: LIL-yə · ˈlɪljə
Meaning: lily (the flower)
Popularity: #6,274 and rising (#9,345 → #6,274, 2024)

Paloma

Origin: Spanish (from Latin)
Pronunciation: puh-LOH-mah · pəˈloʊmə
Meaning: dove
Popularity: #971 and rising (#974 → #971, 2024)

Colombe

Origin: French (from Latin columba)
Pronunciation: kuh-LOHMB · kɔˈlɔ̃b
Meaning: dove
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The French form of Columba; rarer than Paloma, equally beautiful.

Elara

Origin: Greek (mythological name)
Pronunciation: eh-LAR-ah · ɛˈlɑːrə
Meaning: “bright one”
Popularity: #1,156 and rising (#1,381 → #1,156, 2024)

One of Jupiter’s moons; pale, celestial, winter-appropriate.

Rowena

Origin: literary name (medieval pseudo-historical chronicle); root uncertain
Pronunciation: roh-WEE-nuh · roʊˈiːnə
Meaning: “white fame” or “white spear”
Popularity: #3,430 and rising (#4,028 → #3,430, 2024)

Ivanhoe’s fair-haired love; sounds both medieval and current.

Candida

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KAHN-jee-duh · ˈkɐ̃.dʒi.dɐ
Meaning: shining white
Popularity: #14,481 as of 2017 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

George Bernard Shaw named a play after her; underused and worth reviving.

Sterling

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: STUR-ling · ˈstɜːrlɪŋ
Meaning: originally a surname referring to the starling bird, or a variant of the Scottish surname/place name Stirling
Popularity: #372 and rising (#403 → #372, 2024)

Silver is snow’s nighttime color; works for either gender.

Opal

Origin: English (19th-century coinage from the gemstone name, ultimately Sanskrit)
Pronunciation: OH-pal · ˈoʊpəl
Meaning: named after the opal gemstone; the gem-word itself traces to a Sanskrit term for ‘jewel’
Popularity: #450 and rising (#486 → #450, 2024)

The white opal’s internal flash — pale fire under a surface of winter white.

Elodie

Origin: French
Pronunciation: el-OH-dee · ɛˈloʊdi
Meaning: from Alodia, a Germanic name often glossed ‘foreign riches’ or ‘property’
Popularity: #370 and rising (#738 → #370, 2024)

The soft -odie ending evokes a winter lullaby.

Nordic and Scandinavian Winter Names

Scandinavia practically invented winter names. Norse mythology gave winter its own gods, its own spirits, its own language — and the naming traditions that grew from that culture carry winter in their bones. These names do not need a snow meaning to feel like December.

Freya

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: FRAY-ah · ˈfreɪə
Meaning: noble lady, mistress
Popularity: #159 and falling (#136 → #159, 2024)

“Goddess of love and fertility” describes the mythological figure, not the word’s etymology — literally, Freya just means “noble lady/mistress,” an epithet that came to replace the goddess’s own lost name.

Astrid

Origin: Old Norse / Scandinavian
Pronunciation: AS-trid · ˈæstrɪd
Meaning: divinely beautiful (popularly also glossed ‘divine strength’)
Popularity: #383 and rising (#399 → #383, 2024)

Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking, made this name universally beloved.

Ingrid

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: ING-grid · ˈɪŋɡrɪd
Meaning: compound of the Norse god-element ‘Ing’ and a word for ‘beautiful, beloved’
Popularity: #1,092 and rising (#1,148 → #1,092, 2024)

Ingrid Bergman’s name; it carries timeless cool without trying.

Sigrid

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: SIG-rid · ˈsɪgrɪd
Meaning: Old Norse compound of ‘victory’ and ‘fair/beautiful’ – ‘beautiful victory’
Popularity: #3,866 and falling (#3,575 → #3,866, 2024)

One of the most authentically Nordic names; still rare in English-speaking countries.

Solveig

Origin: Old Norse (via Norwegian)
Pronunciation: SOL-vayg · ˈsɑːlveɪg
Meaning: sun’s strength (traditional gloss, second element of debated meaning)
Popularity: #5,569 and falling (#5,358 → #5,569, 2024)

Grieg’s “Solveig’s Song” is one of winter music’s most moving pieces.

Ragna

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: RAHG-nah · ˈrɑɡnɑ
Meaning: counsel
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Short and powerful; the feminine form of Ragnar without the battle-show association.

Gudrun

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Divine/god’s secret knowledge
Popularity: #8,720 as of 1972 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Appears throughout the Eddas; bold, literary, and beautifully strange.

Thyra

Origin: Old Norse/Scandinavian (variant of Tyra)
Meaning: “Thor’s warrior”
Popularity: #8,358 and falling (#7,598 → #8,358, 2024)

A Danish royal name; crisp and strong and underused.

Hilda

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: HIL-dah · ˈhɪldə
Meaning: battle
Popularity: #3,053 and falling (#2,989 → #3,053, 2024)

Hild was a Valkyrie; this form feels simultaneously ancient and modern.

Ylva

Origin: Old Norse / Old Swedish
Pronunciation: IL-vah · ˈɪlvə
Meaning: she-wolf
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rare outside Scandinavia but gaining international attention; fierce and wintry.

Signe

Origin: Scandinavian
Pronunciation: SIG-nee · ˈsɪgni
Meaning: traditionally read as Old Norse ‘victory’ + ‘new’ – ‘new victory’
Popularity: #6,582 and rising (#7,996 → #6,582, 2024)

Simple, Scandinavian, elegantly short.

Helga

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: HEL-gah · ˈhɛlgə
Meaning: holy, blessed
Popularity: #15,995 as of 2020 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Older than it feels; Helga was a genuine Old Norse saint’s name.

Tove

Origin: Old Norse/Scandinavian
Pronunciation: TOO-veh
Meaning: Thor’s beauty / beautiful like Thor (from Old Norse Þórfríðr: Þór + fríðr ‘beautiful’)
Popularity: #7,891 and falling (#6,138 → #7,891, 2024)

Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins, makes this name magical.

Ulla

Origin: Scandinavian (short form of Ulrika, later also of Ursula and Hulda)
Pronunciation: OOL-lah · ˈʊla
Meaning: inherited from Ulrika — not an independent word with its own separate root
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Short, Nordic, quietly strong.

Vigdís

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: battle goddess (combines Old Norse words for ‘battle’ and ‘goddess/female deity’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Eir

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: AYR · eɪr
Meaning: help, mercy
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Sif

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: SEEF · ˈsiːf
Meaning: Old Norse word for ‘kinswoman’ or ‘relative’ (shares a root with English ‘sibling’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Thor’s golden-haired wife in the Eddas; short and luminous.

Revna

Origin: Old Norse (Faroese usage)
Pronunciation: REV-nah · ˈrɛvnɑː
Meaning: Likely a feminine form of ‘raven,’ paralleling Old Norse hrafn and Faroese ravn.
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Frida

Origin: Old Norse / Germanic (two distinct origins)
Pronunciation: FREE-dah · ˈfriːdə
Meaning: beautiful/beloved (Scandinavian) or short form of “peace” names (Germanic)
Popularity: #1,252 and falling (#1,153 → #1,252, 2024)

Frida Kahlo made this global; the Norse root means peace in winter quiet.

Birgit

Origin: Scandinavian/German
Pronunciation: BEER-git · ˈbɪərɡɪt
Meaning: exalted one; strength (a Scandinavian/German form of Bridget)
Popularity: #11,925 as of 1992 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Saint Birgitta of Sweden; feels ice-crisp and serious.

Sven

Origin: Old Norse (Scandinavian)
Pronunciation: SVEN · ˈsvɛn
Meaning: young man, boy
Popularity: #2,620 and falling (#2,531 → #2,620, 2024)

Classic Scandinavian; *Frozen* reintroduced it to a new generation.

Bjorn

Origin: Old Norse (via Swedish/Danish/Norwegian/Icelandic Björn/Bjørn)
Pronunciation: BYORN · ˈbjɔːrn
Meaning: bear
Popularity: #767 and rising (#798 → #767, 2024)

Gunnar

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: GUN-er · ˈɡʌnər
Meaning: battle warrior
Popularity: #600 and falling (#593 → #600, 2024)

Used in both the Eddas and modern Scandinavia; strong as a frozen lake surface.

Hakon

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: HAW-kohn · ˈhɔːkɒn
Meaning: high-born, of noble/high kin
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Norwegian royal name; crisp and northern.

Ivar

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: EE-var · ˈiːvɑːr
Meaning: yew/bow warrior
Popularity: #1,522 and falling (#1,440 → #1,522, 2024)

The yew stays green through winter; ancient and quietly fierce.

Ragnar

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: RAG-nar · ˈrægnɑr
Meaning: counsel of the army
Popularity: #2,272 and falling (#1,732 → #2,272, 2024)

The Eddas first, then *Vikings* — now it belongs to both worlds.

Torsten

Origin: Old Norse (Swedish/Danish)
Pronunciation: TOR-sten · ˈtɔːrstən
Meaning: Thor’s stone
Popularity: #5,408 and falling (#4,870 → #5,408, 2024)

Leif

Origin: Old Norse/Scandinavian
Pronunciation: LAYF · ˈleɪf
Meaning: heir or descendant (literally ‘relic, that which remains’)
Popularity: #925 and falling (#859 → #925, 2024)

Leif Erikson sailed into winter seas; the name feels like cold salt air.

Ullr

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: OOL-er · ˈʊlər
Meaning: ‘glory’ — from a Germanic root; also the name of a Norse god linked to winter, skiing, and archery
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Norse god of winter, skiing, and archery; rare as a given name, perfectly on-theme.

Anders

Origin: Scandinavian (form of Andrew/Andreas)
Pronunciation: AHN-durz · ˈɑːndərz
Meaning: manly, brave
Popularity: #830 and rising (#845 → #830, 2024)

Crisp and Scandinavian; the Nordic version of Andrew with more edge.

Japanese and East Asian Snow Names

Japan has a specific cultural relationship to snow — there are words in Japanese for things English doesn’t name, like komorebi for light through leaves and yuki-onna for the snow woman of folklore. These names come from Japanese, Korean, and Chinese traditions where winter imagery is deeply embedded in naming culture.

Fuyumi

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: foo-YOO-mee · fuːˈjuːmi
Meaning: winter beauty (kanji-dependent Japanese compound)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The kanji read *fuyu* (winter) + *mi* (beauty); a clean and lovely compound.

Fuyuko

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: foo-YOO-koh · fuːˈjuːkoʊ
Meaning: ‘winter child,’ combining the characters for winter and child
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The -ko suffix means child; a classic Japanese name structure that ages beautifully.

Fuyuka

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: foo-YOO-kah · fuːˈjuːkə
Meaning: winter flower or winter fragrance (kanji-dependent)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Less common than Fuyumi; equally poetic.

Setsu

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: SET-soo · ˈsɛtsuː
Meaning: snow, or season/integrity (kanji-dependent)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Austere and beautiful; Setsuko is its more complete form.

Yukari

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: yoo-KAH-ree · juːˈkɑː.ri
Meaning: indeterminate without a specific kanji spelling; the standalone word ‘yukari’ (ゆかり) means ‘connection, relation’, while the most common name spellings (e.g. 由香里) are unrelated to ‘snow’
Popularity: #15,477 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

This relies on an uncommon kanji spelling; most people named Yukari use unrelated characters, and the word ゆかり on its own means ‘connection/affinity’, not anything to do with snow.

Hyouka

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: HYOH-kah · çoːka
Meaning: ice flower (kanji-dependent, also a homograph meaning ‘ice confection’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The kanji 氷 = ice + 花 = flower; extremely rare but striking as a name.

Arare

Origin: unclear (possibly Japanese)
Pronunciation: ah-RAH-reh · ɑːˈrɑːreɪ
Meaning: “hail, ice pellets”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Touka

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: TOH-kah · ˈtoʊkə
Meaning: as commonly written 冬花, literally ‘winter flower’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name that combines winter and flower with quiet grace.

Haku

Origin: Japanese 白
Pronunciation: HAH-koo · ˈhɑːkuː
Meaning: “white”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The white dragon in *Spirited Away* made this name beloved internationally.

Shiro

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: SHEE-roh · ˈʃiːroʊ
Meaning: Fourth son; also commonly “white” with different kanji
Popularity: #13,868 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Shiro is popularly assumed to mean “white,” but the name follows the traditional “fourth son” naming pattern (四郎). “White” is a valid meaning with different kanji, just not this one.

Yukihiro

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: yoo-kee-HEE-roh · juː.kiːˈhiː.roʊ
Meaning: compound of 雪 (‘snow’) and 広 (‘wide, broad’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Japanese boy’s name that expands the yuki tradition.

Xue

Origin: Chinese (Mandarin Pinyin)
Pronunciation: SHWEH · ɕɥɛ
Meaning: meaning depends entirely on the character used; most commonly cited as 雪 (‘snow’) for this name, though the same spelling can render unrelated characters
Popularity: #14,968 as of 2000 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

This is only accurate if the name is written with 雪; the identical pinyin spelling ‘Xue’ can also represent unrelated characters, including the surname 薛.

Xuemei

Origin: Chinese
Pronunciation: shweh-MAY · ʃwɛˈmeɪ
Meaning: compound of 雪 (‘snow’) and 梅 (‘plum blossom’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The plum blossom blooms in snow — a classical Chinese pairing of resilience.

Xueli

Origin: Chinese
Pronunciation: shweh-LEE · ʃwɛˈliː
Meaning: compound of 雪 (‘snow’) and 丽 (‘beautiful, lovely’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Snow combined with the character for beautiful; a common feminine name element.

Dong

Origin: Chinese (Mandarin)
Pronunciation: DONG · dɒŋ
Meaning: winter
Popularity: #11,120 as of 2017 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Mandarin word for winter used as a given name; often combined as Dongxue (winter snow).

Min-Seol

Origin: Korean
Pronunciation: MIN-sul · min.sʰʌl
Meaning: clever/people + snow (hanja-dependent)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A modern compound Korean name pairing brightness with snow.

Haneul

Origin: Korean (native word)
Pronunciation: HAH-nul · ˈhɑːnəl
Meaning: sky
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The winter sky has its own personality; used for both boys and girls.

Eun

Origin: Korean
Pronunciation: UHN · ɯn
Meaning: “silver”
Popularity: #12,843 as of 2003 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Silver like fresh snow; often appears in combination: Eun-Ji, Eun-Seo.

Baek

Origin: Korean
Pronunciation: BEK · pɛk
Meaning: white
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Nuri

Origin: Arabic and Hebrew/Aramaic (shared root); also an unrelated Korean word
Meaning: “light” or “my fire” (Semitic root); a separate, unrelated Korean word means “world”
Popularity: #2,493 and falling (#2,326 → #2,493, 2024)

Can mean “world” in modern usage; in some compound names connects to snow imagery.

Hyun

Origin: Korean (Sino-Korean)
Pronunciation: HYUN · hjʌn
Meaning: profound, mysterious (if from the character meaning ‘dark/mysterious’); or ‘virtuous, worthy’ (if from a different, equally common naming character read the same way)
Popularity: #12,940 as of 2016 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

In some hanja readings the character hyun carries associations of brightness and snow.

Boy Names With a Wintry Edge

These are not necessarily names that mean snow — they are names that feel like winter: cold, crisp, spare, and striking. Some are geographic, some are sound-based, some are material. All of them read unmistakably cold.

Frost

Origin: English (surname/word name, cognate surnames also German, Swedish, Danish)
Pronunciation: FRAWST · ˈfrɔːst
Meaning: frost (icy weather phenomenon)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A surname crossing into first-name use; Robert Frost made this name literary.

North

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: NORTH · ˈnɔːrθ
Meaning: an English surname built from the compass direction ‘north’, later adopted as a given name
Popularity: #10,581 and falling (#6,789 → #10,581, 2024)

The direction winter comes from; clean and directional.

Flint

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FLINT · flɪnt
Meaning: A hard stone historically used for tool-making and striking sparks to start fires; used as a transferred word/surname name.
Popularity: #1,970 and rising (#2,133 → #1,970, 2024)

Cole

Origin: English (Middle English)
Pronunciation: KOHL · ˈkoʊl
Meaning: coal-black, swarthy
Popularity: #162 and falling (#155 → #162, 2024)

The dark complement to snow’s white; classic without feeling dated.

Birch

Origin: English (nature name/surname)
Pronunciation: BURCH · ˈbɜːrtʃ
Meaning: the birch tree
Popularity: #9,873 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The white-barked birch is the most iconic snow tree in the Northern Hemisphere.

Ash

Origin: Old English (word name/surname)
Pronunciation: ASH · ˈæʃ
Meaning: ash tree (one who lived near ash trees)
Popularity: #1,147 and falling (#1,064 → #1,147, 2024)

The gray-white ash stands bare and architectural in winter.

Stone

Origin: English (surname, from Old English “stan”)
Pronunciation: STOHN · ˈstoʊn
Meaning: from the English word for stone/rock; originally a surname for someone who lived near a notable stone or worked with stone
Popularity: #1,048 and falling (#995 → #1,048, 2024)

Monolithic and northern; winter hardens everything.

Wade

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: WAYD · ˈweɪd
Meaning: a ford, or place to cross a river
Popularity: #341, holding steady (2024)

The act of wading through deep snow; strong and spare.

Heath

Origin: English (from Old English hǣþ)
Pronunciation: HEETH · ˈhiːθ
Meaning: heathland; open, shrubby moorland
Popularity: #848 and rising (#1,053 → #848, 2024)

The heathland in winter is stark and honest.

Ridge

Origin: English (topographic surname)
Pronunciation: RIJ · ˈrɪdʒ
Meaning: a long, raised strip of land or hilltop
Popularity: #528 and falling (#505 → #528, 2024)

The snow-covered ridgeline at dusk.

Jasper

Origin: Old Persian
Pronunciation: JAS-per · ˈdʒæspər
Meaning: treasurer
Popularity: #133 and falling (#122 → #133, 2024)

The gemstone comes in white, gray, and winter-sky blue.

Caspian

Origin: English (from Latin ‘Caspius’)
Pronunciation: KAS-pee-an · ˈkæspiən
Meaning: of/from the Caspian Sea
Popularity: #578 and rising (#664 → #578, 2024)

Magnus

Origin: Latin (adopted via Scandinavian/Scottish royal usage)
Pronunciation: MAG-nus · ˈmæɡnəs
Meaning: great (Latin ‘magnus’), adopted as a name via Charlemagne’s title
Popularity: #749 and rising (#764 → #749, 2024)

Used across Norwegian and Danish royalty; big and wintry.

Soren

Origin: Danish (Scandinavian), ultimately Latin
Pronunciation: SOR-en · ˈsɔːrən
Meaning: stern, severe
Popularity: #571 and falling (#542 → #571, 2024)

Kierkegaard’s name; it has a Nordic clarity that feels like cold air.

Lars

Origin: Scandinavian (via Latin)
Pronunciation: LARZ · ˈlɑːrz
Meaning: from Laurentum
Popularity: #2,244 and falling (#2,163 → #2,244, 2024)

Short, Nordic, winter-appropriate without trying.

Erik

Origin: Old Norse / Swedish
Pronunciation: EHR-ik · ˈɛrɪk
Meaning: eternal ruler
Popularity: #476 and falling (#454 → #476, 2024)

Classic Norse; used across Scandinavia for a thousand years.

Knox

Origin: Scottish/Old English (surname and place name)
Pronunciation: NOKS · ˈnɑːks
Meaning: small hill with a rounded top
Popularity: #209 and falling (#208 → #209, 2024)

The snow-dusted hills; crisp and Scottish.

Pierce

Origin: English (medieval variant of Piers/Peter)
Pronunciation: PEERSS · ˈpɪrs
Meaning: rock or stone, as a variant of Peter
Popularity: #540 and rising (#546 → #540, 2024)

Sharp and pointed; an icicle in name form.

Alistair

Origin: Scottish Gaelic (form of Alexander)
Pronunciation: AL-ih-stair · ˈælɪstɛr
Meaning: protector of men
Popularity: #905 and rising (#919 → #905, 2024)

Has a Highlands winter gravity.

Gale

Origin: English (word for a strong windstorm)
Pronunciation: GAYL · ˈgeɪl
Meaning: a strong windstorm
Popularity: #6,562 and falling (#6,026 → #6,562, 2024)

Widely assumed to come from the weather word, but some sources instead derive it as a short form of Abigail — our sources don’t settle which applies.

Everett

Origin: Old English/Germanic (Eoforheard/Eberhard)
Pronunciation: EV-er-et · ˈɛvərɪt
Meaning: wild boar + hardy, brave (a Germanic compound name)
Popularity: #85 and rising (#88 → #85, 2024)

The boar survives winter; strong and handsome.

Wynn

Origin: Welsh (surname)
Pronunciation: WIN · ˈwɪn
Meaning: fair, white, blessed, from the Welsh surname Wynn, related to Gwyn
Popularity: #1,927 and falling (#1,867 → #1,927, 2024)

Welsh for white-fair; winter-appropriate and short.

Colt

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KOHLT · ˈkoʊlt
Meaning: young horse
Popularity: #276 and falling (#264 → #276, 2024)

Energetic in the cold; crisp and short.

Remy

Origin: French
Pronunciation: REM-ee · ˈrɛmi
Meaning: oarsman, from Latin Remigius
Popularity: #400 and falling (#390 → #400, 2024)

Cool Parisian energy; a winter afternoon in the city.

December

Origin: Latin (month name, rare English given-name use)
Pronunciation: dih-SEM-bur · dɪˈsɛmbər
Meaning: tenth month
Popularity: #5,172 and falling (#4,383 → #5,172, 2024)

Used as a given name; unmistakably seasonal and striking.

Taavi

Origin: Estonian/Finnish, short form of David (Hebrew)
Pronunciation: TAH-vee · ˈtɑːvi
Meaning: beloved
Popularity: #7,179 and falling (#6,844 → #7,179, 2024)

Has Nordic winter energy without being obviously Nordic.

Pehr

Origin: Swedish (form of Peter)
Pronunciation: PAIR · peːr
Meaning: rock, stone (via Peter)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Traditional Swedish; crisp as frozen ground.

From Winter Mythology and Folklore

Every culture that has winters has personified them. These are the names that come from that tradition — the gods, spirits, and fairy-tale figures who govern the cold months. They make for names with serious depth and story behind them.

Skadi

Origin: Old Norse (mythological)
Meaning: possibly ‘harm/damage’ (cognate with ‘scathe’); etymology debated
Popularity: #4,635 and rising (#5,925 → #4,635, 2024)

‘Shadow’ isn’t a standard scholarly gloss; linguists more often connect Skaði’s name to a root meaning ‘harm/damage’ (as in ‘scathe’).

Holda

Origin: Old High German (Swabian)
Pronunciation: HOHL-dah · ˈhɔlda
Meaning: favor, grace
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Germanic winter goddess who shakes her feather bed to make it snow; warm-hearted despite the cold association.

Perchta

Origin: Old High German (Alpine)
Pronunciation: PAIRK-tuh · ˈpɛʁçta
Meaning: bright, shining
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The midwinter goddess who walks between the worlds during the twelve nights of Christmas.

Snegurochka

Origin: Russian (folklore)
Pronunciation: snyeh-GOO-rotch-kuh · snʲɪˈɡurətɕkə
Meaning: snow maiden
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The beloved Russian fairy-tale figure, born of snow and spring’s warmth; *Snegurka* is its nickname.

Zima

Origin: Slavic
Pronunciation: ZEE-muh · ˈzʲimə
Meaning: ‘winter’ — the common Slavic word
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Sedna

Origin: Inuit (Inuktitut)
Pronunciation: SED-nuh · ˈsɛdnə
Meaning: the Inuit sea goddess, sometimes called ‘Mother of the Sea’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Her domain is the permanently frozen Arctic; a name of commanding stillness.

Boreas

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: BOR-ee-as · ˈbɔːriəs
Meaning: the north wind, personified as a Greek god
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Kari

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: KAR-ee · ˈkɑːri
Meaning: wind
Popularity: #1,841 and falling (#1,767 → #1,841, 2024)

The personification of the north wind in Norse myth; winter storms were Kari’s breath.

Idun

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: EE-dun · ˈiːdʌn
Meaning: the ever-young or rejuvenating one
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Morozko

Origin: Russian
Pronunciation: mah-ROZ-koh · mʌˈrɒzkoʊ
Meaning: little frost (Russian folklore figure)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The benevolent grandfather figure of Russian winter folklore; Grandfather Frost.

Nott

Origin: Old Norse (mythological); unrelated English abbreviation also exists
Meaning: night (Old Norse, personified as a goddess)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The personification of night who rides the sky each winter evening, leaving frost behind her horse.

Skuld

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: SKOOLD · skʊld
Meaning: ‘that which must happen’ / ‘debt, obligation’ — the Norse Norn who personifies the future
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Urd

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: fate; what has already come to pass
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The eldest Norn, who knows every winter that has passed.

Verdandi

Origin: Old Norse
Pronunciation: ver-DAHN-dee · vɛrˈdɑːndi
Meaning: becoming, or what is happening now
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The middle Norn; the present moment of becoming, including the moment snow begins to fall.

Aurvandil

Origin: unclear (Old Norse, mythological name)
Pronunciation: OWR-vahn-dil
Meaning: “gleaming traveler”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Thor carried Aurvandil across the frozen rivers; his toe became a winter star.

Mist

Origin: Old Norse / Old English
Pronunciation: MIST · mɪst
Meaning: mist/fog; also a Valkyrie name meaning ‘cloud’ in Norse myth
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

One of the Valkyries; wintry and spare as a given name.

Cailleach

Origin: Scottish/Irish Gaelic
Pronunciation: KAL-yəkh
Meaning: old woman/hag — a divine hag figure in Gaelic mythology
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The cailleach rules winter in Scottish and Irish mythology; *Caillie* as a nickname.

Iskra

Origin: Slavic
Pronunciation: EES-kruh · ˈiːskrə
Meaning: spark
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Kallik

Origin: Inuit (Inuktitut/Greenlandic)
Pronunciation: KAHL-lik · ˈkɑːlɪk
Meaning: lightning
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Lightning across a winter sky over ice; rare and powerful.

Fenrir

Origin: Old Norse (mythological name)
Pronunciation: FEN-reer · ˈfɛnrɪər
Meaning: possibly ‘fen/marsh dweller’ (disputed etymology)
Popularity: #5,499 and falling (#4,935 → #5,499, 2024)

The great wolf of Norse mythology; for a bold name with serious northern weight.

Gentle, Poetic Names for a Snow Baby

Some names evoke snow not through meaning but through sound and feeling — the way certain soft syllables (v, w, f, l, s, n, m) carry the same quietness as a snowstorm muffling the world. These are names that feel unhurried.

Wren

Origin: English (Middle English)
Pronunciation: REN · ˈrɛn
Meaning: the small songbird
Popularity: #213 and falling (#195 → #213, 2024)

The winter wren stays through the cold; compact, bright, and unsentimental.

Sylvie

Origin: French (from Latin)
Pronunciation: SIL-vee · ˈsɪlvi
Meaning: of the forest
Popularity: #360 and rising (#425 → #360, 2024)

The winter forest is still and haunted; Sylvie has that quality.

Seren

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: SEH-ren · ˈsɛrɛn
Meaning: star
Popularity: #4,631 and rising (#4,638 → #4,631, 2024)

The winter night sky is full of them; hushed -en ending, lovely to say.

Vesper

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: VES-per · ˈvɛspər
Meaning: evening; the evening star (the planet Venus at dusk)
Popularity: #2,789 and falling (#2,265 → #2,789, 2024)

The early winter dark falls fast; Vesper is the moment the sky turns violet.

Willa

Origin: American (19th-century coinage from Will/William, ultimately Germanic)
Pronunciation: WIL-ah · ˈwɪlə
Meaning: carries the ‘will, desire’ sense, from Will/William
Popularity: #423 and rising (#428 → #423, 2024)

Sounds like a winter whisper; the short form of Wilhelmina worn very lightly.

Waverly

Origin: English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: WAY-vur-lee · ˈweɪvərli
Meaning: meadow of quivering aspen trees
Popularity: #916 and falling (#882 → #916, 2024)

The W plus V combination of sounds falls like snow.

Rowan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: ROH-en · ˈroʊən
Meaning: little red one
Popularity: #71 and rising (#76 → #71, 2024)

The rowan’s berries flare brilliant red against white snow.

Maeve

Origin: Irish (Anglicized form of Medb/Meadhbh)
Pronunciation: MAYV · ˈmeɪv
Meaning: intoxicating / she who intoxicates
Popularity: #75 and falling (#73 → #75, 2024)

Soft opening consonant; the Irish fairy queen in her winter aspect.

Lumen

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LOO-men · ˈluːmən
Meaning: light
Popularity: #6,669 and rising (#7,555 → #6,669, 2024)

Isolde

Origin: Germanic or Celtic/Brythonic (disputed)
Pronunciation: ih-ZOHL-dah · ɪˈzoʊldə
Meaning: uncertain — literally ‘ice’ + ‘battle’ in the Germanic reading, or ‘she who is gazed upon’ in the Celtic/Brythonic reading
Popularity: #7,721 and falling (#5,458 → #7,721, 2024)

The Germanic elements are literally ‘ice’ (is) and ‘battle’ (hiltja), not ‘ruler’ — ‘ice ruler’ is a popular mistranslation, and a separate Celtic theory (‘she who is gazed upon’) is equally plausible per current scholarship.

Mireille

Origin: Provençal (Occitan)
Pronunciation: mih-RAY · mɪˈreɪ
Meaning: admired one; coined by poet Frédéric Mistral for his 1859 poem
Popularity: #8,245 and falling (#6,325 → #8,245, 2024)

Pronounced meer-EY; soft syllables that barely land, like snow on glass.

Elowen

Origin: Cornish
Pronunciation: EL-oh-wen · ˈɛloʊwɛn
Meaning: elm tree
Popularity: #898 and rising (#1,060 → #898, 2024)

Vale

Origin: English (from Latin vallis via Old French)
Pronunciation: VAYL · ˈveɪl
Meaning: valley
Popularity: #6,886 and rising (#8,942 → #6,886, 2024)

Nell

Origin: English (pet form)
Pronunciation: NEL · nɛl
Meaning: “light, torch”
Popularity: #1,460 and rising (#1,682 → #1,460, 2024)

Small and incandescent; the candle in the window during a storm.

Fawn

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FAWN · ˈfɔːn
Meaning: young deer (also echoes the verb ‘to fawn, ‘ meaning to show affection or flatter)
Popularity: #5,656 and falling (#5,444 → #5,656, 2024)

Sorrel

Origin: Old French (via the plant name)
Pronunciation: SOR-uhl · ˈsɔːrəl
Meaning: the sorrel plant (a tart, sour-leaved herb); also a reddish-brown color
Popularity: #14,992 and falling (#11,050 → #14,992, 2024)

The sorrel plant emerges even under frost; a botanical name with edge.

Juniper

Origin: English
Pronunciation: JOO-nih-per · ˈdʒuːnɪpər
Meaning: the juniper tree/shrub; occasionally a folk-etymology variant of Jennifer (from Welsh Guinevere)
Popularity: #111 and rising (#113 → #111, 2024)

The juniper holds its blue-gray berries through winter; botanical and crisp.

Solstice

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SOL-stiss · ˈsɒlstɪs
Meaning: the sun standing still (astronomical solstice)
Popularity: #6,870 and rising (#7,199 → #6,870, 2024)

The winter solstice; rare and precise as a name, meaningful beyond the seasonal.

Simone

Origin: French (feminine form of Simon, ultimately Hebrew)
Pronunciation: sih-MOHN · sɪˈmoʊn
Meaning: she has heard
Popularity: #1,040 and falling (#926 → #1,040, 2024)

Simone Weil, Simone de Beauvoir — this name carries weight and French winter light.

Edelweiss

Origin: German
Pronunciation: AY-duhl-vys · ˈeɪdəlvaɪs
Meaning: noble white
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Skye

Origin: Scottish (from the Isle of Skye, a place name of disputed/unresolved origin) or English (playful respelling of ‘sky’)
Pronunciation: SKY · ˈskaɪ
Meaning: “sky, cloud”
Popularity: #480 and falling (#447 → #480, 2024)

The winter sky is a whole landscape; also the Scottish island perpetually wreathed in cloud.

Meadow

Origin: English (vocabulary word)
Pronunciation: MED-oh · ˈmɛdoʊ
Meaning: a field of grass (grassland)
Popularity: #327 and rising (#351 → #327, 2024)

The snow-covered meadow in winter is all surface and silence.

Lena

Origin: Scandinavian/German/Russian (pet form of Helena, Magdalena, or Yelena)
Pronunciation: LEE-nah · ˈliːnə
Meaning: short/pet form of Helena, Magdalena, or Yelena
Popularity: #263 and rising (#270 → #263, 2024)

Clean and European; feels Nordic without being explicitly so.

Aase

Origin: Norwegian (form of Åse)
Meaning: “tree, divine”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings