Autumn Name Generator

Autumn names come from four places. The first is words for the season itself: Autumn has been a top-100 girls' name in the US since the late 1990s, and other languages offer Aki and Akiko (Japanese), Ga-eul (Korean), Qiu (Chinese), Sharad (Sanskrit), Stav (Hebrew), Güz (Turkish), Ruska (Finnish, for the blaze of fall color), and Hydref (Welsh). Harvest names belong here too: Minori (Japanese, 'harvest'), Kartik (the Hindu autumn month), Theresa (often traced to a Greek root meaning 'to harvest'), and Demeter, Persephone, Pomona, and Mabon from harvest myth.

The second source is color. Amber, Auburn, Sienna, Russet, Umber, Ochre, Saffron, Garnet, Copper, and Tawny are all established given names that describe October foliage, while older names like Rufus, Rory, Flannery, and Roux mean 'red' and Aurelia, Orla, and Xanthe mean 'golden'. Third are trees and harvest plants: Maple, Hazel, Rowan, Aspen, Birch, Alder, Elder, Acorn, Chestnut, Pecan, Barley, Rye, and Bramble. Last are the things people associate with the season, which is where pet names like Pumpkin, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cider, Pippin, Marmalade, and Flannel live.

For an October or November baby, birthstones and birth flowers add options too: Opal, Tourmaline, Topaz, Citrine, Marigold, Aster, Cosmos, and Chrysanthemum.