Christening gifts for a baby girl almost always come down to one thing: something small, personal and made to be kept. A cross. A pendant with her name on it. A birthstone or birth flower marking the month she arrived. Most guests spend £25 to £45, godparents and grandparents closer to £50 to £75. We wrap and post a lot of these between June and September, and the ones people come back to reorder years later are always the engraved ones.
Say the obvious part first: she won't wear any of it for a decade. That's fine, and it's rather the point. You're buying for the girl who opens the box at thirteen and finds out it was bought the month she was christened. Dated, engraved, personalised — those are the ones that survive the move from drawer to jewellery box to actually being worn.
The short version
Short on time? A cross is never wrong — our Cubic Zircon Cross Pendant (£44.90) is the plain, safe classic. If you want the gift to be unmistakably hers, the Birthstone Initial Necklace (£49.90) pairs her first initial with the stone for her birth month. And for something with a bit more sentiment behind it, the Personalised Birth Flower Name Bracelet (£49.90) carries her name alongside the flower for the month she was born.
The traditional choice: a cross
Crosses are still the most-given christening gift in the UK, and there's a practical reason beyond tradition. They tie directly to the day, they never look dated, and nobody has ever unwrapped one and been disappointed. The Clear Zircon Cross Necklace (£49.90) is the one families order most, usually because it photographs well in the box and reads as properly special. On a tighter budget the smaller Cubic Zircon Cross Pendant (£44.90) does the same job.
There's one that behaves differently. The Heart Cross Projection Necklace (£59.90) hides a photo inside the stone — hold it to the light and the picture appears. Families use it for a photo from the christening itself, or for a grandparent who didn't live to see the day. It reads as a keepsake far more than as jewellery.
Her birthstone, or her birth flower
This is where gifts for girls open up wider than gifts for boys, and where most people end up. Both traditions tie the piece to the month she was born, which does the personalising for you without needing a long engraving.
The Birthstone Initial Necklace (£49.90) sets her initial beside her birth month stone. The Birthstone Initial Bracelet (£39.90) is the same idea, gentler on the budget, and the easier one to actually fit a small wrist later on. If you'd rather go floral, the Horizontal Birth Flower Name Necklace (£59.90) runs her name along the bar with her birth flower beside it.
Worth knowing before you order: our birth flower sets aren't identical across every piece, and a few of the stones differ from the version you'll find on a generic birthstone chart — June is alexandrite here rather than pearl, for instance. The month selector on each product page is the accurate list. If you want the full breakdown of what belongs to which month, we've written it up in our guide to birthstones by month.
Her name, spelled out
A name piece is the safest personalisation there is, because there's no guessing involved. The Custom Cursive Name Necklace (£49.90) is the classic script version and the one most godmothers pick. The Personalised Cursive Name Bracelet (£39.90) is the same handwriting in bracelet form, and the cheapest fully personalised thing we make.
Two practical notes. Short names sit better than long ones — anything over about ten letters starts to crowd the chain. And if her name has an unusual spelling, check it twice at checkout. We make these to order, so what you type is what gets made.
Something softer than a cross
Not every christening gift needs to be religious, and plenty of families would rather it wasn't. A butterfly works beautifully for a girl and carries the same "new beginning" idea without the theology — the Dainty Birth Butterfly Name Necklace (£49.90) puts her name under a butterfly for her birth month. Pearls are the other quiet traditional choice, and the Floating Pearl Necklace (£49.90) is a single freshwater pearl on a fine chain — the sort of thing that gets worn at her own wedding thirty years later, which is not a sentence we write lightly.
If you're her godmother
The keepsake with the most weight behind it usually falls to you, and the expectation is real even if nobody says it out loud. Traditionally that's a cross, or a personalised piece built to outlast childhood. It doesn't have to be the most expensive thing on the table. A £50 necklace with her name and christening date attached to it will mean more at eighteen than a £120 piece with nothing personal on it. Two godparents clubbing together can comfortably reach a projection cross or a birth flower necklace.
If you'd like the gift to be from you specifically rather than just another box on the table, put the date and your name in the card. That's the detail that gets it filed with the christening photographs instead of the wrapping paper.
What to avoid
Toys and clothes are lovely and will be gone within the year — the parents will already have plenty of both. Anything sized for a baby is a gamble, because she'll outgrow it before she can wear it. Sterling silver, gold plate and stainless steel all age fine in a box; costume pieces with glued stones don't. And if the family isn't religious, ask before buying a cross rather than assuming.
When to give it
Hand it over at the service or at the gathering afterwards. If you're posting, aim for a day or two early so it doesn't land after everyone's gone home. Write the date in the card. It sounds like nothing, and it's the single thing that most often turns a gift into a keepsake.
FAQ
What is a traditional christening gift for a girl?
A silver cross is the most common. Birthstone and birth flower jewellery, name necklaces and engraved bracelets all sit in the same keepsake category and are given just as often.
How much should you spend on a christening gift?
Guests usually spend £25 to £45. Godparents and grandparents tend to spend £50 to £75. What's engraved on it matters more than what it cost.
What does a godmother give at a christening?
Usually the most meaningful keepsake of the day — traditionally a cross, or a personalised piece meant to be kept into adulthood. Two godparents often go in together on one better gift.
Can you give jewellery to a baby girl?
Yes, as a keepsake rather than something she'll wear now. Choose engraved or dated pieces made to be grown into, and store them rather than fitting them.
Do you have to give a religious gift?
No. Butterflies, birth flowers, pearls and name jewellery are all commonly given and don't carry religious meaning. If you're unsure what the family would prefer, ask.
Buying for a boy instead? We've written a companion guide to christening gifts for boys. Or browse the full range of personalised keepsakes — most can be engraved with a name, an initial or the christening date.
