Aside from the inevitable pregnancy jokes about giving birth to a 12-pound turkey, November is a great time to have a baby. Fall tends to bring us indoors where we sip tea, cuddle near the fire, and, of course, watch football.
If you’re expecting a November baby, you might also have Thanksgiving on your mind. The holiday is laden with religion, history, and plenty of myth. The complexity of Thanksgiving’s history has been minimized in the typical stories we hear and share, but the European colonization of North America wasn’t without consequences. Many Native Americans died from new diseases like smallpox that the settlers brought from Europe, and many were killed by colonizers.
Now, some recognize the last Thursday in November – the day Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States – as a National Day of Mourning for Native peoples. But others see it as a chance to learn the true history and to recognize Indigenous contributions to American food and culture.
These Thanksgiving names take inspiration from gratitude, spending time with loved ones, and figures in the United States’ early history.
Girl names inspired by Thanksgiving
Amity
Amity is a name of Middle English origin, and goes with other virtue names like Faith and Hope. Its meaning, “friendship,” makes it perfect for believers in the value of “Friendsgiving,” a word that was only added to American dictionaries in 2020. A blending of friends and Thanksgiving, this relatively modern adaptation to old tradition is growing in popularity. Amity perfectly captures the spirit of giving thanks and being with friends.
Ginger
Ginger is not only a warm spice that complements nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon in pumpkin pie – it’s also a diminutive form of Virginia. Virginia, then a colony, happened to be the original destination of the Mayflower, one of the earliest American colony ships, before it was ultimately forced by storms to land in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. For a pumpkin-spiced, Thanksgiving-themed baby name, Ginger comes out on top.
Jenny
Jenny is the official name used to identify a young female turkey. It’s also a nickname for Jennifer, one of the most popular names in the United States. It first broke into the top 100 in 1956, then soared to, and held, the number one spot for 15 straight years – from 1970 until 1985. Obviously timeless, this sweet nickname-name is perfect for your delicious little gobbler.
Sarah
It wouldn’t be right to leave the name Sarah off this list of Thanksgiving-inspired baby names. Sarah Josepha Buell Hale is the woman who tirelessly and successfully lobbied for the national holiday we now know as Thanksgiving Day. Her efforts took 17 years before, finally, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November to be a national holiday.
Zendaya
Zendaya couldn’t be a more perfect Thanksgiving-inspired name. When translated from Shona, the language of Zimbabwe, this name means “be thankful.” As of now, Zendaya is borne by only one person of note, actress and singer Zendaya, who is known for starring in HBO’s Euphoria and Marvel’s Spider-Man movies.
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Boy names inspired by Thanksgiving
Alden
Alden may derive from an Old English word that means “old friend” – another great name that celebrates the gratitude we feel toward the friends we invite, or who invite us, to the traditional Friendsgiving feast.
Frank
Frank makes the list in honor of the late Frank (Wamsutta) James, a leader of the Wampanoag people. James fought for the rights of his people, the tribe of Native Americans who lived on the lands that English colonists – like those on the Mayflower – claimed as their own. James’ efforts inspired the first National Day of Mourning in 1970. It’s now observed every year on Thanksgiving to honor Indigenous ancestors and acknowledge the oppression and violence they experienced at the hands of European colonists. Frank comes from Francis, and means “free man.”
Jadon
Jadon is a Hebrew name from the Old Testament and is said to mean “thankful.” This name has seen a lot of play in past years with the more popular spelling variation Jayden. Either way, this modern-sounding old name with great meaning is a fine name for a Thanksgiving baby.
Jake
Jake – who knew? – is the official word used to identify a young male turkey. It’s also a nickname for the biblical name, Jacob, which means “may God protect.” Another fun part of Jacob’s history – in the 1920s, the nickname Jake was used as a slang word meaning “cool” or “awesome.” Parents with Thanksgiving twins could pair this sweet and handsome name with Jenny and have double the homage to Thanksgiving.
Thomas
Thomas made this Thanksgiving-themed baby name list on account of two Mayflower passengers with this name, Thomas Williams and Thomas Rogers. But it’s also because male turkeys are called Toms. Regardless of the fact that turkey was not actually on the first Thanksgiving table (they likely ate venison), turkey is the meat of choice at millions of Thanksgiving tables today. According to the turkey experts, Toms are very good gobblers.
Unisex names inspired by Thanksgiving
Dallas
Dallas was a Scottish and English surname meaning “meadow dwelling” long before it became a place name. It’s best known as the name of a large city in Texas, a city that has been hosting the Thanksgiving Day football game for more than 50 years. It’s been used as a given name for boys since 1880, when baby name data was first tracked in the United States. But, this name has also been given to girls as far back as 1910.
Harvest
Harvest comes from the Old English word for autumn, or harvest-time. This noun name is a good alternative for Harper, Hunter, or Harley. Because the majority of harvesting is done in the fall, and autumn is when we expect to see a harvest moon, this cool, down-to-earth unisex baby name is just the ticket for your fall baby.
Macy
Macy is predominantly used as a girl’s name. But, since this surname name is most often associated with Macy’s, a department store in the United States, we see it as a perfect unisex-Thanksgiving-themed baby name. For anyone not familiar, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an iconic American Thanksgiving tradition that’s been held annually in New York City since 1924.
Maize
Maize has recently leaped up BabyCenter’s baby name lists for boys and girls. Maize can be a shortened name for Maisy, but it works quite well on its own. Maize is a cereal grain also known as corn – a crop associated with fall, harvests, and Thanksgiving. It’s time this moniker, a rare name that’s a nod to nature, moved from a middle name choice to a given name.