Noel or Noël is a given name, often given to both girls and boys born over the Christmas period.
It is a variant (and later replacement) of "nael", which itself comes from the Latin natalis, meaning "birth".
The term natalis dies (birth day) was long used in Church Latin in reference to the birthday of Christ—or in other words: Christmas.
[2][3] The spelling with a diaeresis over the "e" (Noël) is used to indicate that the two vowels are pronounced separately rather than as a diphthong.
[4] Other nicknames and modern variations include Noele, Noeline, Nowell, Noela, Noell, Noella, Noelene, Noeleen, and Noelle/Noëlle (French, feminine).