Waldorf Names: Whimsical and Wonderful
My daughter was starting her first year at our local Waldorf school when I became pregnant with my second child. One of the other moms joked that I shouldn’t name my son Oliver or Henry because there were already so many in the school! I knew she was kidding, but it planted the seed in my brain that it might actually be smart to give our new baby a name that hadn’t already been used a million times within the community. And, being a life-long name-lover, I knew I wanted something unique.
That night I opened up the online directory and almost cried. The student roster was like a baby name book — or a Nameberry ultimate name guide — of sweet, surprising and whimsical names written specifically for me! I loved every one of them and now they were all off the table. Over the years I’ve continued to be impressed with Waldorf parents’ knack for choosing great baby names, and I’ve noticed strong themes among them.
Waldorf education was developed in Germany around the turn of the 19th century by Rudolf Steiner — the same guy who brought us biodynamic farming — and in some countries it is known as Steiner education. There are many layers to the pedagogy of it, but at its core, I would say Waldorf strives to bring curricula to children at developmentally appropriate stages and enliven academic subjects with art, music and crafting.
Parents who choose Waldorf education often share its values — whether they know it or not — long before their kids start school. So it’s no surprise that their baby names have a distinct aesthetic to them, with class rosters blending some of the sweetest styles around: charming nature names, quirky choices from history, and sweet Germanic simplicity.
Sometimes ahead of the trends, sometimes completely outside them, here are real-life names and styles I’ve spotted in Waldorf communities… but which would be great for any child.
Nature and Season Names
You may have seen a sign for or even attended an event at a Waldorf school in your area. You’ll notice these tend to be celebrations of a seasonal shift, like a harvest festival or a May fair. Especially in the early childhood classes, great emphasis is placed on observing nature and the changing of the seasons, and the students’ names reflect that in a big way. In addition to the more traditional Summer and Autumn, there are also children named Winter and Spring.
Fierce animal names for boys like Griffin, Lynx, Wolf, Fox and Bear and bird names for girls such as Lark, Robin and Wren are popular in many Waldorf schools. So are natural features like Meadow, Ocean, River,and Sky. Unique flower names are popping up in every cubby room — Edelweiss, Lilac, Bluebell, Magnolia, Wildflower — as well as woodsy tree names like Cedar, Cypress, Alder, Sylvan and Oak (and Oliver could fit in this box too!). One particular Waldorfy botanical favorite of mine is Moss. My own daughter’s name, Iris, seems to fit right in with this bunch.
Sweet, Simple Classics
Waldorf early childhood classrooms have a distinct aesthetic: lots of unpainted, solid wood furniture and toys, handmade cloth dolls with muted facial features and colorful play silks adorn these spaces. There is a saying in Waldorf that play things should be “10% toy, 90% imagination.” In this vein, I’ve noticed a lot of refreshingly simple, sturdy, no-frills names I’ve not heard anywhere else on this generation of kids. Ann, John, Ruth, and Paul are some examples.
Names From Books
Another source of naming inspiration seems to be children’s literature. Many Waldorf parents and teachers have a special fondness for the Swedish author and illustrator Elsa Beskow, and her books are bursting with adorable names. The Children of the Forest follows the woodland adventures of siblings Tom, Harriet, Sam and Daisy. There’s also a bat in the story named Renata. I haven’t heard this on a child yet, but it would be stunning on a baby girl, and it comes with the cute nickname Ren.
Another Elsa Beskow book has a protagonist named Pelle, the Swedish form of Peter. This would be a fun and unexpected choice in the States. And Woody, Hazel and Pip, an autumnal story about brave little acorn children, has three delightful names right there in the title!
Olde Worlde Names
Another circle in a “Waldorf Names” Venn diagram would have to be Medieval/Renaissance names. Our fall Michaelmas pageant, which centers around the story of Saint Michael slaying the dragon, and the maypole dances at our spring fair, both exude total Ren Faire vibes. Some families have chosen cool names from the medieval and renaissance eras such as August, Baldwin, Clement, Isidore, Fiora and Minerva. There are also names with Old German roots — reflecting the Waldorf movement’s German origins — like Sander, Affra, Everold, Odolia, Renz and Ury.
Something I love about our school is that no matter how creative you get with your baby naming, no one seems to bat an eye! In the end, I went with a name for my son that happens to straddle three of these trends: Bramwell. It has a Game of Thrones-y medieval feel and shortens to the strong and simple Bram, which has a hidden botanical meaning: in Ireland it’s another word for a flowering hedge that grows wild there.
If you have friends at a Waldorf school, I highly suggest borrowing their kid’s yearbook for baby name inspiration! If you’re part of a Waldorf school community, what striking and interesting names have you encountered there?