November Baby Names Are Rich with Meaning
November names are full of rich meaning. The holidays of the month — Thanksgiving, Día de Los Muertos, Veteran’s Day, Election Day (how about Democracy?) — offer a number of choices that may inspire you.
Native American names are always meaningful, but they feel especially significant in November, which is Native American Heritage Month.
Or you may consider the symbolism of the month, such as the topaz birthstone and chrysanthemum flower, when naming your November baby. Sagittarius names and Scorpio names should also make your list, depending on when your due date falls.
If you’re still hunting for the perfect November baby name, take a look at our guide to naming November babies, below.
Top November Names
The most popular November names include many classics, such as Pilgrim names Elizabeth and Samson. Contemporary names also make the list — Jayden means “thankful” and Nova works as a nickname for November.
Many of the top November baby names are Thanksgiving-themed, including Grace and Macy — for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — and herb names Sage and Rosemary.
As the last full month of Fall, Autumn is well-suited to a November-born daughter. It currently ranks at Number 66 on the US popularity charts.
Below, November baby names within the US Top 800:
- Archer
- Apollo
- Aurora
- Autumn
- Charles
- Elizabeth
- Emery
- Grace
- Jayden
- Killian
- Mabel
- Macy
- Nova
- Sadie
- Sage
- Samson
- Sylvia
- Rosemary
- Theodore
- Tobias
November Girl Names
November is Native American heritage month, giving you all the more reason to choose one of the many lovely Native American names for girls — if you have Indigenous heritage. Dakota and Kaya are the two most common options, but we also love Sequoia, Topanga, Zaltana, and Tallulah — each familiar yet rare.
For a daughter born around Thanksgiving, a name that means thankful could be a perfect choice. Gratia, which means “grace” in Latin, is a name used in Germany, and Odeya is a Hebrew name derived from a phrase meaning “I will thank God.”
Marigold makes the list as it is a symbol of Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday honoring loved ones who have died, celebrated on November 1st.
Notable November-born women with fashionable names include actress Vivien Leigh (November 5), champion tennis player Billie Jean King (November 22), modernist painter Georgia O’Keeffe (November 15), and novelist Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name, George Eliot (November 22).
Here, our curated collection of the best November names for girls:
- Billie
- Eliot
- Flavia
- Flora
- Georgia
- Gratia
- Ivara
- Marigold
- Montana
- Navy
- November
- Odeya
- Sequoia
- Tallulah
- Topanga
- Una
- Vivien
- Winifred
- Zaltana
- Zendaya
November Boy Names
Veteran’s Day is celebrated on November 11 in the US in honor of those who have served in the Armed Forces. A name with a military meaning would be especially appropriate for a child born on this day — Army and Sergeant have obvious ties to the military, while Walter and Herbert are among the subtler options.
The zodiac signs of November are Scorpio and Sagittarius, symbolized by the scorpion and the archer, respectively. Sagittarius names are particularly good options for November-born sons. Bowman, Ivo, Arrow, and Kyler all have archery-related meanings.
Famous men you may consider for a November namesake include actor Leonardo DiCaprio (November 11), musician Jimi Hendrix (November 27), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill (November 30), and American frontiersman Daniel Boone (November 2).
Below, our favorite November names for boys:
- Army
- Arrow
- Aurelius
- Boone
- Bowman
- Bruno
- Clement
- Emilian
- Hendrix
- Herbert
- Ivo
- Kyler
- Leonardo
- Roland
- Rufus
- Scorpio
- Sergeant
- Shaqir
- Walter
- Winston
Unique November Names
If you’re searching for a unique November girl name, look to the gem and floral symbols of the month. Topaz, Citrine, and Chrysanthemum are ultra rare girl names, having been given to fewer than nine babies each last year.
As for boys, you may take inspiration from the Thanksgiving holiday with Pilgrim names. We’re not going to suggest you name your son Truelove or Wrestling (yep, names of actual Mayflower Pilgrims), but Oceanus, Brewster, or Peregrine are intriguing options.
There are a number of great rare saints’ names for both sexes, such as Gratia, Lucretia, and Hilda for girls, and Emeric, Cybi, and Malachy for boys.
These unique names were given to fewer than 50 babies in 2022, according to official government records Here, 20 unusual but usable names for November babies: