193 Christmas Elf Names, With Origins

We read the elf name lists that rank on Google before writing this one. Most are random generators, or a list of names with no meanings, and the few meanings they give travel from page to page unchecked. Elwood is said to mean "elf wood" (it means elder-tree forest). Eve gets filed as a Christmas Eve name, though the two words are unrelated. Several lists say Thomas Nast drew Santa's elves; his famous workshop picture shows Santa working alone.

So the real names below link to Behind the Name for their meanings, and the folklore elves link to the story or museum that records them. The funny names, the personality names and the elf name chart are our own, and we say so.

What is a good elf name?

A good elf name is short enough for the youngest child in the house to say, and unlike anyone else's name in the family. Here are twelve favorites from across the list:

• Jingle
• Sugarplum
• Tinsel
• Sir Jingles McSnowpants
• Noel, French for Christmas
• Holly, the winter tree
• Snickerdoodle
• Nutmeg
• Klaus, the German short form of Nicholas
• Peekaboo, for an elf that hides well
• Stella, Latin for star
• Gumdrop

Classic Christmas elf names

The names most families reach for: short, sweet, and easy for a three-year-old to shout across the kitchen at 7 a.m.

• Jingle
• Tinsel
• Sprinkles
• Snowflake
• Peppermint
• Buttons
• Twinkle
• Sugarplum
• Cocoa
• Gumdrop
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Chestnut
• Pinecone
• Candy Cane
• Sparkle
• Ribbon
• Mistletoe
• Gingersnap
• Marshmallow

Funny elf names

A funny name does half the work of a funny elf. Children love a grand title on a very small person, so give the elf a rank and a ridiculous surname, or name it after a snack.

• Sir Jingles McSnowpants
• Captain Cupcake
• Professor Fizzwhistle
• Admiral Snowball
• Count Crumbs
• Lord Fluffington
• Sneaky Pete
• Tater Tot
• Snickerdoodle
• Pickles
• Meatball
• Noodle
• Waffles
• Mr. Wiggles
• Ziggy Zoom
• Bean
• Burrito
• Doodlebug
• Tinsel Toes
• Sock Thief

Girl elf names with a real Christmas meaning

These are real given names, so they suit an elf and would suit a December baby too. Each meaning is checked against Behind the Name.

• Holly. From Old English holen, the holly tree. Not from "holy", whatever some lists say. Behind the Name
• Ivy. The climbing plant, from Old English ifig, and the other half of the carol The Holly and the Ivy. Behind the Name
• Noelle. The feminine form of Noël, French for Christmas. Behind the Name
• Natalie. From Latin natalis, birthday, used especially for the birthday of Christ, so Christmas Day. Behind the Name
• Natalia. The Latin form of Natalie, with the same Christmas root. Behind the Name
• Gloria. Latin for glory, as in the angels' Gloria in excelsis. Behind the Name
• Angela. The feminine of Angelus, from the Greek for messenger, for the Nativity angels. Behind the Name
• Stella. Latin for star, made into a name by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for his sonnets Astrophel and Stella. Behind the Name
• Joy. The English word, from Latin gaudium. Behind the Name
• Merry. The English word, as in Merry Christmas. Behind the Name
• Lucia. From Latin lux, light. St. Lucy's Day, December 13, is marked with Lucia processions across Scandinavia, above all in Sweden. Behind the Name
• Ginger. The spice of gingerbread, and a short form of Virginia. Behind the Name
• Carol. A short form of Caroline. The Christmas song is a separate word that the name borrowed later. Behind the Name
• Clementine. From Clement, merciful, and the small orange that ends up in the toe of a stocking. Behind the Name
• Winter. The season, used as a given name. Behind the Name

Boy elf names with a real Christmas meaning

The three Magi supply three of these. One of the earliest surviving artworks to name them is a 6th-century mosaic in Ravenna, at Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, where they are labeled Balthassar, Melchior and Gaspar.

• Noel. French Noël, Christmas, traditionally given to boys and girls born on the holiday. Behind the Name
• Nicholas. Greek for victory of the people. St. Nicholas became the Dutch Sinterklaas and then Santa Claus. Behind the Name
• Nick. The short form of Nicholas, as in Old Saint Nick. Behind the Name
• Klaus. The German short form of Nicholas, and the Claus in Santa Claus. Behind the Name
• Gabriel. Hebrew for God is my strong man; the angel who announces the birth of Jesus. Behind the Name
• Jasper. From Gaspar, perhaps Persian for treasurer, one of the three Magi. Behind the Name
• Caspar. The Latin spelling of the same Magus. Behind the Name
• Melchior. Possibly Hebrew for king of light, the second Magus. Behind the Name
• Balthazar. A form of Belshazzar, the third Magus. Behind the Name
• Joseph. Hebrew for he will add; Mary's husband in the Nativity. Behind the Name
• Emmanuel. Hebrew for God is with us, the name foretold for the Messiah. Behind the Name
• Christopher. Greek for bearing Christ, after the legend of the saint who carried the Christ child across a river. Behind the Name
• Jesse. The father of King David, and the root of the Jesse tree hung through Advent. Behind the Name
• Hollis. An English surname meaning holly trees. Behind the Name

Names that really mean elf

Old English ælf, Old High German alb and Old Norse álfr all meant elf, from the same Germanic root. These eight names carry it. Our fairy names list has more from the same family.

• Alfred. Old English ælf, elf, plus ræd, counsel. Behind the Name
• Aelfric. Old English for elf ruler. Behind the Name
• Alberich. Old High German alb, elf, plus rih, ruler, and the name of the dwarf in the Nibelungenlied. Behind the Name
• Aubrey. The Norman French form of Alberich, so elf ruler again. Behind the Name
• Oberon. Also from Alberich, by way of Auberon: the fairy king of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Behind the Name
• Elfreda. Old English Ælfþryð, elf strength. Behind the Name
• Alva. The feminine of Alf, from Old Norse alfr, elf. Behind the Name
• Alvin. One of its three possible roots is Ælfwine, elf friend. The other two mean noble friend and old friend. Behind the Name

Where do Christmas elves come from?

Christmas elves are an American idea from the 1800s, built on much older European house spirits. The poem first printed as "Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" in the Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823, calls St. Nick himself "a right jolly old elf". It is traditionally credited to Clement Clarke Moore, though the New York State Library notes the long dispute with the family of Henry Livingston.

Helpers came next. Louisa May Alcott finished a book of stories called "Christmas Elves" in 1855, illustrated by her sister May, but it was never published and, as the Library of America notes, the manuscript is lost. In print, the earliest well-documented workshop elves appear in "The Wonders of Santa Claus", a poem in Harper's Weekly in December 1857 that has Santa keeping "a great many elves at work". Thomas Nast's famous Santa Claus and His Works of 1866 shows Santa making the toys himself.

What are the 13 Yule Lads called?

Iceland's Yule Lads are the closest thing to Santa's elves with real names, though they are pranksters, not toymakers. The first comes down from the mountains on December 12 and one more arrives each night until Christmas Eve; then they leave one a night until January 6. Their mother is the troll Grýla, their father Leppalúði, and the family pet is the Yule Cat. The 13 names were fixed by Jóhannes úr Kötlum's 1932 poem "Jólasveinarnir". English translations vary; these follow Visit Reykjavík, in order of arrival.

1. Stekkjarstaur, Sheep-Cote Clod
2. Giljagaur, Gully Gawk
3. Stúfur, Stubby
4. Þvörusleikir, Spoon-Licker
5. Pottaskefill, Pot-Scraper (some lists give Pottasleikir, Pot-Licker)
6. Askasleikir, Bowl-Licker
7. Hurðaskellir, Door-Slammer
8. Skyrgámur, Skyr-Gobbler
9. Bjúgnakrækir, Sausage-Swiper
10. Gluggagægir, Window-Peeper
11. Gáttaþefur, Doorway-Sniffer
12. Ketkrókur, Meat-Hook
13. Kertasníkir, Candle-Beggar

A sock-stealing elf could do worse than Door-Slammer or Sausage-Swiper.

What is a tomte?

The tomte of Sweden, the nisse of Norway and Denmark and the tonttu of Finland began as a farm spirit who guarded the animals, and later merged with St. Nicholas into the Christmas jultomte, julenisse and joulutonttu. On Christmas Eve the farm elf was left a bowl of porridge with a knob of butter, and the Swedish Institute for Language and Folklore retells the legend of what he did to the best cow when the butter was missing. Viktor Rydberg's poem "Tomten", first printed in February 1881, and Jenny Nyström's illustrations for it shaped the Christmas tomte that Nordic families know today.

• Tomte, the Swedish farm elf
• Nisse, the Norwegian and Danish one
• Tonttu, the Finnish one, whose porridge the National Museum of Finland describes
• Fjøsnisse, the barn nisse of Norway, recorded in the Store norske leksikon
• Heinzelmännchen, the little men of Cologne who did the town's work at night until a tailor's wife scattered peas to catch them, in August Kopisch's 1836 poem
• Wichtel, from the Grimms' "Die Wichtelmänner" of 1812, known in English as The Elves and the Shoemaker: two little men sew shoes at midnight, and when they are given clothes just before Christmas they dance away for good

For two elves, Nissefar and Nissemor, father and mother nisse, are real Danish Christmas words, though the nisse only gained a wife in the 1800s; the old farm nisse lived alone.

Elf names by personality

These are our own. Most elves show their character within a week, so it can pay to wait a night or two before the name is final.

For the sneaky elf

• Tiptoe
• Peekaboo
• Whisper
• Hush
• Shadow
• Sneaker

For the baker elf

• Crumbs
• Butterscotch
• Shortbread
• Pudding
• Pretzel
• Dough

For the musical elf

• Jangle
• Piccolo
• Fiddle
• Banjo
• Chime
• Tempo

For the acrobat elf

• Zoom
• Flip
• Rocket
• Bounce
• Dash
• Skip

For the sleepy elf

• Snooze
• Pillow
• Slippers
• Cozy
• Doze
• Quilt

For the inventor elf

• Gizmo
• Sprocket
• Widget
• Cog
• Bolt
• Tinker

Names for two elves

Two elves, or a second elf for a new sibling? A matched pair makes it obvious they belong together.

• Jingle and Jangle
• Salt and Pepper
• Cookie and Milk
• Holly and Ivy
• Sugar and Spice
• Ginger and Snap
• Sleigh and Bell
• Mittens and Muffler
• Tinsel and Twine
• Pip and Pop
• Snow and Flake
• Comet and Cupid, two of the reindeer in the 1823 poem

What's my elf name?

Take your elf first name from the first letter of your own first name, and your elf last name from your birthday month. A name starting with S and a December birthday makes you Scamper Sleighbell. We made these up, and the chart is here as a table so it works on a phone without a download.

It works as a party game too: read the chart out at a holiday party and have each guest introduce themselves by their elf name. Our Christmas jokes for kids fill the gap before the cookies come out.

See them in the Christmas village

The elf gets a name; the child can get a scene of their own. Our Christmas Village world turns one photo of your child into a cinematic portrait in a snowy village at twilight, with string lights, gingerbread-house shopfronts and a knitted bobble hat, and keeps their real face, hair and skin tone. It prints as a jigsaw puzzle from $55, a canvas from $59 or a fleece blanket from $59, and the chunky 30-piece puzzle is sized for ages 3 to 5. Every piece is made to order: production takes 2 to 5 days and standard US shipping another 2 to 5, so it can arrive while the elf is still on duty. You approve a watermarked proof before anything prints, and your child's name never goes to the image model.

How do you name your elf?

The family names the elf, and in the official story the name is what gives a scout elf its magic to fly to the North Pole each night and report to Santa. The elf comes back every year, so the name has to last. A few things that help:

• Let the children choose. Read out five or six names from this list and take a vote at breakfast.
• Keep it short for little ones. A two-year-old can manage Bean, Pip or Cocoa long before Professor Fizzwhistle.
• Check it against the family. Avoid a name that sounds like a sibling's, a cousin's or the dog's.
• Give it a last name for fun. Use the chart above, or invent one with a holiday word and a body part, like Tinsel Toes.
• Write it down. Put the name in the elf's arrival letter so it is official.

What do you write in an elf arrival letter?

Keep it short and in the elf's voice: who it is, where it came from, and the one rule. Here's ours, free to copy:

The no-touching rule is from the tradition itself: the official FAQ says a touched elf "may lose their magic". The Elf on the Shelf® began as a book self-published in 2005 by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, and the name is a registered trademark of CCA and B, LLC. Their FAQ says an elf can arrive at any time, usually at the start of a family's holiday season, and goes home with Santa on Christmas Eve.

Elf name meanings the lists get wrong

These are the corrections we made most often while checking other lists. Each one links to the entry that settles it.

For more December reading with the children, our Christmas card messages include lines written from the family pet, and the elf can borrow one.

Frequently asked questions