There’s something about autumn that makes everything feel more intentional. The air gets crisp, the leaves put on their final show before winter, and pumpkin spice takes over every grocery store aisle. If you’re expecting a baby during this season, you might want a name that carries a little of that warmth with it.
Autumn baby names aren’t just about calling your child “Pumpkin” for eighteen years (although, no judgment if you do). They pull from mythology, nature, old languages, and even birthstones. This list breaks down real, sourced meanings so you can pick a name that actually means something — not just one that sounds trendy on Pinterest.
Let’s fall into it.
Why Parents Choose Autumn-Inspired Names
Autumn is the only season name that regularly lands in the U.S. Top 100 baby names, with Summer and Winter trailing not far behind.Autumn is currently the most popular season name in the US and the only one that ranks in the Top 100 in recent years.
The name Autumn itself has legs, too. It’s a female name of Latin origin meaning “Fall Season,” and it currently sits around #46 on baby name popularity charts, with different sources placing it in the high double digits to low hundreds depending on the year and dataset. The name comes from the Latin word “autumnus,” symbolizing change, harvest, and the shift from summer into winter.
Here’s the fun part: this name has been sitting around for centuries and nobody used it much. Autumn has technically been used as a personal name since the 17th century, but it didn’t actually catch on until the 1970s in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries. So while it feels like a modern, nature-loving choice, it’s been quietly waiting in the wings for 300 years.
Beyond the name “Autumn” itself, parents also reach for names tied to the season’s colors, its holidays, its harvest symbolism, and the mythology built around it. Below, we’ve grouped everything so you can browse by what actually matters to you.
Autumn Girl Names and Their Meanings
If you want a name that whispers “fall” without shouting it, these are worth a look.
Aurelia — A Latin name meaning “golden,” a nod to the golden hue of falling leaves.
Amber — English in origin, referring to fossilized tree resin or the color orange-red, one of autumn’s signature shades.
Dahlia — Of Scandinavian origin, named after the flower that blooms in a range of colors from late summer through autumn.
Marigold — English for “golden flower,” and also a traditional fall bloom.
Opal — The birthstone for October, meaning “precious stone” in Sanskrit.
Ceres — The Roman goddess of the harvest.
Demeter — The Greek goddess of agriculture, fertility, and grain.
Persephone — The Greek goddess of the underworld, tied to the end of the harvest season. A dramatic pick for parents who want their daughter to have a built-in mythology lesson ready by kindergarten.
Pomona — The Roman goddess of fruit trees; the name itself means “apple.”
Orla — An Irish name meaning “golden princess.”
Aster — Greek for “star,” and also the name of a flower that blooms in fall.
Hazel — An old-fashioned English name that evokes the colors of the season.
Ivy — English for the green climbing plant.
Jora — A Hebrew name that literally means “autumn rain.”
Fern — Simply English for the green plant.
Elowen — A Cornish name meaning “elm tree.”
Aki — Means “autumn” in Japanese.
Goldie — English for “made of gold.”
Autumn Boy Names and Their Meanings
Boy names for this season tend to lean earthy, woodsy, and occupational — think trees, hunters, and open fields.
Hunter — English for “one who hunts,” symbolizing strength and adventure.
Forrest — English for “dweller near the woods,” about as literal a fall name as you can get.
Cedar — Named directly after the cedar tree, with American roots and a timeless feel.
Oak / Oakley — A boy’s name meaning “tree from the genus Quercus,” with Oakley as a popular longer form.
Bruno — German for “brown,” a solid pick for a baby born under all that fall foliage.
Fox — Old English, associated with the fox-catching trade and also the color red.
Garner — Latin for “to harvest wheat.”
Heath — Old English for someone who lives near the moor or heath.
Hollis — Related to the holly tree, which stays green through autumn and winter.
Ewan — A Scottish name meaning “from the yew tree,” a tree whose berries are a popular winter food source for birds.
Ash — English for “of the Ash tree,” and it doubles as a nickname for Asher, Ashley, or Ashton.
Phoenix — From the Greek word phoinix, meaning “rebirth and renewal,” mirroring autumn’s own cycle.
Gender-Neutral Autumn Names
Not every parent wants to commit to “boy” or “girl” energy, and autumn names are full of options that work either way.
Briar — English for a thorny bush of wild roses.
Linden — English, tied to the linden tree.
Blair — Scottish for “field or plain.”
Blaine — A Gaelic name meaning “yellow.”
Hadley — English for “field of heather.”
Henley — English for “high meadow.”
Nova — Latin for “light.”
Ember — Refers to the still-glowing parts of a fire after most of it has burned down, which is honestly a beautiful metaphor for a baby.
Paisley — An old Scottish name meaning “church” or “place of worship,” also linked to the fall-associated pattern of the same name.
Fenn — English for “marsh or wetland.”
Marlowe — English for “driftwood.”
What Autumn’s Nicknames Actually Look Like
If you land on “Autumn” itself but want flexibility, there are more nickname routes than most parents realize. Common shortenings include Auti and Auty, while some families go with the playful Tumtum for young kids. For a more grown-up feel, some Autumns adopt Aura. Others lean into the season with Ember, Auburn, or Rusty for the warm color palette, or Amber and Goldie for the golden tones fall is known for. Teens sometimes prefer Audi or Tumi as a modern twist.
International Variants, If You Want a Twist
The name Autumn changes shape depending on where you are in the world. The French version is Autumne, which adds a silent “e” for a softer finish. In Germany, the equivalent is Herbst. Spanish speakers use Otoño, and in Italy, it becomes Autunno. Some English-speaking parents also choose Autum, dropping the second “n” for a cleaner look, or the more decorative Autumnne.
A Quick Reality Check on “Popularity”
Here’s where we have to be honest with you: baby name ranking sites don’t always agree with each other, because they pull from different data windows and different countries. One source lists Autumn at #46 overall. Another puts it at #226 overall and #88 specifically for girls. A third cites 3,030 U.S. births in 2023. None of these numbers are wrong exactly — they’re just measuring different things at different times.
The takeaway? Autumn is popular, but it’s not so common that your child will be one of five Autumns in their kindergarten class. It sits in that sweet spot of “recognizable but not overused.”
Autumn Names Tied to Halloween and Thanksgiving
Since fall comes packaged with two major holidays, some parents lean into that connection on purpose. Names referencing the harvest, the color palette of October, or mythological harvest figures (Ceres, Demeter, Pomona) all nod to Thanksgiving. Names with a slightly spookier edge — Raven, for instance, drawn from the Old English word for the bird, with gothic and literary associations — lean more Halloween. If your due date lands close to either holiday, this is a fun (and low-stakes) way to make the name feel extra personal.
Choosing Between a Literal and a Symbolic Name
Broadly, autumn names fall into two camps.
Literal names name the season directly — Autumn, Aki, Herbst, Otoño. These are the most straightforward option if you want zero ambiguity about the inspiration.
Symbolic names point at fall without saying its name — think Ember, Hazel, Marigold, Hunter, or Forrest. These give you more flexibility if your child ends up loving summer more than autumn as they grow (kids are unpredictable like that).
Neither approach is “more correct.” It really comes down to whether you want the connection to be obvious to everyone, or a quiet detail only your family knows about.
Final Thoughts
Autumn baby names carry more depth than a lot of trend lists give them credit for. Behind the pumpkin spice aesthetic, there’s real etymology — Latin harvest gods, Japanese seasonal words, Old English tree names, and centuries of naming history. Whether you go with something as direct as Autumn itself or something quieter like Fern or Heath, you’re choosing a name with genuine roots, not just a seasonal aesthetic.
Take your time with the list, say a few out loud with your last name, and trust whichever one feels right when you picture actually calling it across a room in fifteen years.