Name of the Day: Noelle
November 25 — Christmas
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!
Noelle
Noelle and her cousin Noel are two of the most classic Christmas names, traditionally given to babies born around Christmas time dating back as far as the Middle Ages.
Noelle’s meaning is often listed as “Christmas”, but where does the name come from? As a word, Noël originated as a variant of nael, itself derived from the Latin natalis meaning “birthday” (implying the birthday of Jesus, aka Christmas). Natalia and Natalie — two more lovely Christmas names for girls — also come from these roots.
The popular Christmas carol “The First Noel” has Cornish origins (spelled “The First Nowell”) dating back to some time between 1350 and 1500 AD.
As a boy’s name, Noel is often pronounced as one-syllable and rhyming with hole or roll, whereas for girls “no-ELL” is heard more often.
Noelle first ranked in the US Top 1000 in 1964 and has charted ever since, but was at its highest standing ever in 2021 at #210 as more parents consider the name year-round. Noel has ranked for girls inconsistently but as early as 1932, never cracking the Top 500.
For boys, Noel has always charted in the US and has been surprisingly steady in popularity, currently ranking #425.