If you have a sweet bundle of joy scheduled to arrive this month, congrats! In addition to the obvious pros of adding an adorably squishy new face to the fam, there are many benefits to having a June baby. For starters, it means you managed to miss the hottest months of summer during pregnancy (score!). And then there's the matter of baby names for June babies — there are tons of ways to go with monikers inspired by this month. There's a little something for everyone, whether you want to go classic or more creative.
I'm a big fan of people born in June, seeing as both my brother and sister have June birthdays. While their names are pretty traditional (Jonathan and Kerri), I love the idea of babies born in June having names inspired specifically by the month. A little sleuthing uncovers plenty of points of reference for June names: The birthdays of famous and historical figures, celestial events, holidays, inventions, nature... the list goes on and on. Plus, you can never go wrong with summer-inspired names, seeing as June officially kicks off this sunniest of seasons.
So whether you are expecting a little boy or a little girl in June, you've got options, my friend! If you need help getting your June-name-generating gears turning, here are a few inspired monikers to jump-start your creative juices:
1. Amaris/Amarissa
There's a full moon on June 20, 2016, so why not honor this celestial occurrence with your baby's name? This work's especially well if your due date actually falls near the lunar event. Amaris, or its derivative Amarissa, means "child of the moon."
2. Duke
On June 7, 1979, then-President Jimmy Carter designed June as Black Music Month. And while there are countless incredible black music artists in history whose names you could choose, I'll forever be a fan of the jazz/blues greats: Ella (Fitzgerald), Hazel (Scott), Etta (Jones), Billie Holiday (either name works here!), and Bessie (Smith) for girls; Louis (Armstrong), Ray (Charles), John Coltrane (again, both names work here), Miles (Davis), Charlie (Parker), and my fave, Duke (Ellington) for boys.
3. Keala
June is a month for beachin' it, and if you live near the ocean, it's a month you'll see surfers lying in wait on their boards just beyond the breakers. So any summer-lovin' girl would dig being named after Keala Kennelly, one of the world's best female surfers.
4. Dylan
Did you know that June is Aquarium Month? The name Dylan, then, seems pretty apropos given that it means "of the sea" — and, you know, the whole gist of aquariums is to learn about and view things "of the sea." If you want something a little more eclectic, you could go for Delmar, which has the same meaning.
5. Jamaica
Seeing that June is also Caribbean American Heritage Month, you can look to beloved Caribbean American author Jamaica Kincaid for inspiration. Besides, the name Jamaica conjures up images of blue seas and white sand beaches, which are iconic summer visages. (Just, y'know, be careful of cultural appropriation here.) If Jamaica is a little too unique for your taste, the author's original middle name of Potter would work well for little boys.
6. Christopher
For the fan of more classic names, I give you Christopher — the patron saint of travel. Since June 19 is World Sauntering Day, or a day of travel, this saint serves as an ideal June namesake.
7. Camille
This name works for June on myriad levels. It hearkens Camille Flammarion, a French astronomer and writer born in June 1925 who was the first to suggest the names Triton and Amalthea for the moons of Neptune and Jupiter — which also ties into the lunar activity on the 20th. Lastly, it calls to mind the big beautiful blooms of the camellia bush.
8. Harvey
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to serve in public office in California and was a fierce advocate for LGBT rights. Since June is LGBT Pride Month, why not pay homage to Milk by naming your little tyke Harvey? It's a name to be, well, proud of.
9. Meadow
June 5 is World Environment Day, which is aimed at calling attention to important environmental issues. If you want to pay tribute to Mother Earth every day, consider giving your little girl a name inspired by Her. I like Meadow for June babies especially, since it feels decidedly summery.
10. Cohan/Cohen
Confession: I love the name Cohan/Cohen in any form. It just sounds cool, you know? If you've been considering it for your baby boy who is due in June, I say go for it — it was in June of 1906 when George M. Cohan trademark registered the historic song, "You're a Grand Old Flag."
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