January Baby Names: Polished Giles, Popular Aurora

January baby names combine the brightness of a new calendar, the beauty of winter, and more.

If you’re expecting a child at the very beginning of the year, this list might include the perfect name.

GIRL NAMES
BOY NAMES
UNISEX NAMES

GIRL NAMES

AJA

Like any short name, Aja occurs in several languages and cultures. But it makes this list of January baby names because it means “goat” in Sanskrit. In astrology, most of January falls during the sign of Capricorn – the goat.

AMALTHEA

Speaking of goats, in Greek mythology the god Zeus was raised by Amalthea. Some stories make her a nymph who fed goat’s milk to the baby Zeus. Other depictions show her as the goat. In Greek, her name means “to soothe.”

AURORA

This popular, romantic name isn’t specifically tied to January. But Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn, and that feels like an appropriate, optimistic name for a daughter born at the beginning of the year.

CALYPSO

The astrological sign Capricorn is associated with the planet Saturn. As you probably know, Saturn has rings and many, many moons. One of them is named Calypso. If you know your Odyssey, Calypso kept Odysseus on her island for years.

CAPELLA

In Latin, capra means female goat; Capella means “little female goat.” This is Amalthea’s equivalent in Roman myth, given to a bright star in the night sky. Another reference: in Italian, cappella means chapel. To sing “a cappella” is to sing in the style of church music. To quote the Barden Bellas, “Aca-scuse me?” Yes, the term has evolved. So it’s not the most wearable of the January baby names, but could it be a bold middle? Maybe.

DIONE

In Greek myth, Dione means “of Zeus.” It’s another of Saturn’s many moons. Legendary singer Dionne Warwick spells it with two Ns. (So did Cher’s BFF in Clueless.)

GALA

There’s some debate about this word’s origins, but the meaning is clear. A gala is a ball, a party, a bash. Think the Met Gala. Or maybe a New Year’s Eve gala, making this a festive choice for a January daughter.

HELENE

Yet another moon of Saturn, a slightly surprising take on classic Helen.

HOPE

Always appropriate, optimistic word name Hope seem especially for a new year.

JANVIER

January appears in the unisex names section, but I like this French form of the word as a girl’s name. It’s January meets Genevieve, pronounced something like zhan vee ay. I can imagine Americans saying it more like jan vee ay, a sort of twist on Genevieve. Or would we turn it into something like jan VEER? It’s been used a handful of times as a given name in recent years, possibly because it’s also sometimes heard as a surname.

JUNIPER

Several evergreens are associated with the new year. Holly and Ivy say Christmas season. But Juniper is sometimes associated with the New Year, thanks to a different legend. It’s said that, shortly after the Magi arrived at the place of Jesus’ birth, the holy family had to flee. Joseph dreamed that King Herod was coming for the new baby; he and Mary fled to Egypt. Along the way, they took shelter in a cave hidden by juniper trees.

PHOEBE

Another of Saturn’s many moons.

PROMISE

A word name that sounds old school, like it would’ve been used by Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. But it’s also a fresh update to mainstream favorites like Hope, just right for a season of resolutions and growth.

RHEA

Another of Saturn’s moons, and an intriguing choose in our age of Rowan and Remy, Mia and Leah.

SEREN

A Welsh name meaning star. Something about all of the night sky names feels just right for this season of long nights. In some languages, a similar name is related to the word serene, adding “peaceful” to Seren’s possible meanings.

BOY NAMES

ARAN

This name appears briefly in the Old Testament. It comes from a Hebrew word meaning “wild goat.” Name a child Aran today, though, and it will also bring to mind the Aran Islands of Ireland – and the cozy sweaters for which they’re famous.

BALTHASAR, BALTHAZAR

We associated the Magi with the Christmas story. But Three Kings Day is actually celebrated on January 6th. That makes the names of the kings appropriate January baby names. And while the names aren’t mentioned in the Bible, and vary by culture, Balthazar is a common choice.

BILLY

Maybe this is a little side, but if Capricorn’s symbol is the goat, then why not Billy? It’s a throwback kind of nickname for classic William that’s set for revival. As for the phrase “billy goat,” it seems to come from the given name, sort of like calling every cow Bessie.

FROST

A wintry word name perfect for the month, at least in the Northern Hemisphere.

GILES

The Latin name Aegidius from a Greek word meaning “young goat.” It was used as a given name, but when it was imported into French and then English, it became Gilles, Gil, and Giles. Giles sounds like Miles with a J. It’s a sepia-toned antique that might wear well in our Miles moment. It’s still Egidio in Italian, which is an even more daring option.

GOLDEN

A shining name inspired by one of the traditional gifts brought by the Magi: gold.

JANUS

The month name January comes from Janus, the Roman god of gateways and beginnings. Worth noting: “janus-faced” is sometimes an elaborate way of saying “two-faced.” But Janus also gets mixed up with the many, many forms of John via Johannes. So it feels a bit more traditional and buttoned-up than some borrowings from myth.

JASPER

One more of the Three Kings’ names, thanks to the January 6th celebration of Epiphany. Casper and Gaspard are two more versions of this name.

TITAN

Another of the many moons of Saturn.

WOLF

Every month’s full moon comes with a customary name. In January, it’s the Wolf Moon.

XAVIER

This name was first given in honor of Saint Francis Xavier. His surname came from a place name meaning “new house.” That meaning makes it feel especially right for the beginning of the year.

young child in blue knit hat and scarf in snowy forest, text reads "Baby Names perfect for January"

UNISEX NAMES

GARNET

The birthstone for the month, often a bright red color.

JAEL, YAEL

In the Old Testament, this name is strictly feminine. It comes from a Hebrew name referring to an ibex – a kind of mountain goat. This name is often perceived and used as masculine, particularly in Puerto Rico, where boys’ names like Gael and Aziel have been style stars.

JANUARY

While this name is used mostly for girls, it’s a calendar name with plenty of unisex potential. Actress January Jones’ parents found her name in a 1973 Jacqueline Susann novel, but the god Janus is masculine, so it works for a daughter or a son.

NEVE

From the Italian word meaning “snow.” Actress Neve Campbell means that we often hear this name as feminine, though spelled Nev it’s more typically masculine.

NOVA

A unisex favorite associated with the night sky, directly from the Latin word meaning new.

SAGE

While there are several symbols associated with January, one of them is the owl. And since owls mean wisdom, that makes Sage a very subtle choice for the month.