Christmas is a unique and festive given name of English origin. Its meaning is directly tied to the holiday it represents, the birthday of Jesus Christ. The name was first used as a personal name in the mid-18th century but has gained significant popularity since the late 20th century.
The name Christmas is believed to have been popularized by the famous author and poet, Charles Dickens. His well-known work, "A Christmas Carol," which was published in 1843, contributed to the widespread usage of the name Christmas as a first name rather than just a holiday.
Although it's important to note that there isn't any historical evidence of anyone named Christmas being born on December 25th, the association with the Christmas season and the spirit it brings has made this name increasingly popular among parents who wish to honor their child's birthday with a festive touch.
In terms of its history as a given name, Christmas is quite rare. It was not listed in the Social Security Administration's list of the top 1000 most popular boys' names between 1956 and 2018. However, it has gained some popularity in recent years with celebrities like singer Ciara naming their sons Christmas.
Despite its scarcity as a given name, Christmas remains a significant cultural icon worldwide, associated with joy, family gatherings, gift-giving, and the spirit of goodwill toward all people. The name itself reflects these sentiments and serves as a symbol of the festive season it represents.
Based on the statistics provided, the name Christmas has been given to a total of 160 babies in the United States over the years from 1964 to 2018.
The popularity of the name Christmas varied throughout these decades. In the 1960s and early 1970s, there were consistently around 5 births per year with this name. However, the number of births increased significantly in the late 1970s and early 1980s, reaching a peak of 14 births in 1984.
After this peak, the popularity of the name Christmas began to decline again. From 1986 onwards, there were consistently fewer than 10 births per year with this name. However, there was a small resurgence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with around 5-9 births per year.
More recently, the name Christmas has become even less common. There were only 6 births in 2015 and another 6 births in 2018, indicating that this name is now quite rare compared to its peak popularity in the 1980s.