“Parents are pushing the envelope in lots of ways in terms of choosing names that will be different,” says Pamela Redmond Satran, author of The Baby Name Bible. “They’re looking for names that their child won’t share with anyone else.” One of the most beautiful ways to give your child a unique name is to be inspired by nature. Many nature names are new and rare, while others have actually been used for centuries. “A unique name,” Satran told Yahoo Parenting, “is part of a whole package that parents pass on to their child. It symbolizes their hopes and dreams for their kids. So if you want your child to stand out from the crowd, be independent, and a real individual, a unique name is one way to show him that you value those qualities.” To seek inspiration for a nature baby name, look at the world around you. Or find something on this list that is just what you were looking for. Many nature names are used for both boys and girls.
Popular Nature Baby Names
Learn more about the meanings, origin, and popularity of 50 nature-inspired baby names.
Amber
Origin: EnglishMeaning: The amber gemstone or its orange/red colorAlternative Spellings & Variations: Ambre, AmbraFamous Namesakes: Amber Valletta (model), Amber Heard (actor)Peak Popularity: 1986
Autumn
Origin: LatinMeaning: Fall seasonAlternative Spellings & Variations: AutumFamous Namesakes: Autumn Reeser (actor)Peak Popularity: 2013
Ava
Origin: LatinMeaning: Like a birdAlternative Spellings & Variations: Aiva, AvahFamous Namesakes: Ava Gardner (actor), Avora DuVernay (director), Ava Helen Pauling (civil rights activist), Saint Ava (9th century Roman Catholic nun)Peak Popularity: 2020
Azalea
Origin: GreekMeaning: Dry flowerAlternative Spellings & Variations: AzealiaFamous Namesakes: Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks (recording artists)Peak Popularity: 2020
Blossom
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Flower, bloomFamous Namesakes: Blossom Seeley (jazz singer), Blossom Russo (fictional TV character)Peak Popularity: 1925
Brooke
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Small streamAlternative Spellings & Variations: Brook, BrooksFamous Namesakes: Brooke Shields (model/actor), Brooke Adams (actor/producer), Brooke Hogan (musical artist)Peak Popularity: 2003
Camelia
Origin: LatinMeaning: Young, virginalAlternative Spellings & Variations: Camylia, Camellia, Camila, CamillaFamous Namesakes: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (British royal family member), Camila Cabello (recording artist)Peak Popularity: 2020 (Camila and Camilla)
Cassia
Origin: GreekMeaning: CinnamonAlternative Spellings & Variations: Kassia, CaissaFamous Namesakes: Kassia (medieval female composer/poet)Peak Popularity: Rare
Chanel
Origin: FrenchMeaning: CanalAlternative Spellings & Variations: Shanelle, ChanelleFamous Namesakes: Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (fashion designer), Chanel West Coast (television personality on MTV’s Ridiculousness)Peak Popularity: 1991
Crystal
Origin: LatinMeaning: Brilliant glassAlternative Spellings & Variations: Cristal, KrystleFamous Namesakes: Crystal Gayle (singer), Crystal Method (electronic rock group)Peak Popularity: 1982
Daisy
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Daisy flowerAlternative Spellings & Variations: Deisy, Dazy, DaisieFamous Namesakes: Daisy Fuentes and Daisy Ridley (actors), Daisy Bates (civil rights leader)Peak Popularity: 1900
Dale
Origin: GermanMeaning: ValleyFamous Namesakes: Dale Carnegie (writer), Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (race car drivers), Dale Evans (singer/songwriter/actor/wife of Roy Rogers)Peak Popularity: 1958 (for boys named Dale), 1952 (for girls)
Drake
Origin: EnglishMeaning: DragonFamous Namesakes: Drake Bell (actor/singer), Drake (recording artist)Peak Popularity: 2010
Ebony
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Dark black-wooded treeAlternative Spellings & Variations: EboniFamous Namesakes: Ebony Obsidian (actor), Ebony Hoffman (basketball player)Peak Popularity: 1982
Forest
Origin: EnglishMeaning: From the woodsAlternative Spellings & Variations: ForrestFamous Namesakes: Forest Whitaker (actor/producer/director), Forrest Gump (fictional movie character)Peak Popularity: 1904
Ginger
Origin: EnglishMeaning: The ginger spice or its reddish-orange colorAlternative Spellings & Variations: JingerFamous Namesakes: Ginger Spice (member of musical group Spice Girls), Ginger Rogers (actor/dancer)Peak Popularity: 1971
Hazel
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Hazel treeAlternative Spellings & Variations: Haizel, HazelleFamous Namesakes: Hazel Mae Clark (athlete), Hazel Blears (British politician), Hazel Mae Gagulada (Canadian sportscaster)Peak Popularity: 1907
Heather
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Heather plantFamous Namesakes: Heather Locklear and Heather Graham (actors)Peak Popularity: 1975
Holly
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Plant with red berriesAlternative Spellings & Variations: Holli, Hollie, Hollye, HolleyFamous Namesakes: Holly Hunter (actor), Holly Madison (reality-TV star), Holly Golightly (fictional character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s)Peak Popularity: 1983
Huckleberry
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Sweet berryFamous Namesakes: Huckleberry ‘Huck’ Finn (fictional character).Peak Popularity: Rare
Inna
Origin: RussianMeaning: Rough streamFamous Namesakes: Inna (musical artist)Peak Popularity: Rare
Ivy
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Climbing vine plantFamous Namesakes: Ivy Queen (recording artist), Poison Ivy (fictional DC Comics character)Peak Popularity: 2020
Jade
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Green gemstoneAlternative Spellings & Variations: Jayde, JadessaPeak Popularity: 2002
Jasmine
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Jasmine flowerAlternative Spellings & Variations: Yasmine, JazmineFamous Namesakes: Yasmine Bleeth (actor)Peak Popularity: 1997
Kai
Origin: HawaiianMeaning: SeaAlternative Spellings & Variations: Cai, Chi, KyFamous Namesakes: Kai Ryssdal, radio hostPeak Popularity: 2020
Leilani
Origin: HawaiianMeaning: Heavenly flowerAlternative Spellings & Variations: LelaniPeak Popularity: 2020
Lilac
Origin: LatinMeaning: Blueish purple flowerPeak Popularity: Rare
Mavis
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Song thrush (a type of bird)Famous Namesakes: Mavis Staples (musical artist), Mavis Nicholson Leno (political activist)Peak Popularity: 1927
Meadow
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Field of grassFamous Namesakes: Meadow Soprano (fictional TV character in “The Sopranos”)Peak Popularity: 2020
Morgan
Origin: WelshMeaning: Sea circleFamous Namesakes: Morgan Freeman and Morgan Fairchild (actors)Peak Popularity: 1995 (for the male version of the name), 1997 (for the female version of the name)
Pearl
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Smooth, round bead formed by a molluskFamous Namesakes: Pearl Buck (author/foreign adoption advocate), Pearl Bailey (actor/singer)Peak Popularity: 1900
Penelope
Origin: GreekMeaning: A type of duckFamous Namesakes: Penelope Cruz and Penelope Ann Miller (actors), Penelope (fictional wife of Greek mythical hero, Odysseus), Penelope Spheeris (director), Penelope Heyns (Olympic swimmer)Peak Popularity: 2019
Phoenix
Origin: GreekMeaning: An immortal birdAlternative Spellings & Variations: PheonixFamous Namesakes: River Phoenix and Joaquin Phoenix (actors), Phoenix (fictional villain in X-Men)Peak Popularity: 2020 for both males and females
Raven
Origin: EnglishMeaning: BlackbirdAlternative Spellings & Variations: Raviyn, Ravyn, RaevynFamous Namesakes: Raven-Symone (actor/singer), Raven Goodwin (actor)Peak Popularity: 1993
Robin
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Reddish breasted thrushFamous Namesakes: Robin Williams (actor), Robin Gibb (musician, member of the Bee Gees), Robin Wright (actor), Robin Roberts (journalist)Peak Popularity: 1956 (for the male version of the name), 1963 (for the female version of the name)
Rose
Origin: English Meaning: Rose flower Famous Namesakes: Rose Kennedy (mother of U.S. president John F. Kennedy), Rose Byrne (actor) Peak Popularity: 1913
Ruby
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Red gemstone Famous Namesakes: Ruby Dee (actor), Ruby Bridges (activist, first African-American child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in Louisiana) Peak Popularity: 1911
Sage
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Sage herbAlternative Spellings & Variations: Saige, SaygeFamous Namesakes: Sage (WWE wrestler)Peak Popularity: 2018 (for the male version of the name), 2020 (for the female version of the name)
Sierra
Origin: SpanishMeaning: Saw, from the mountains Alternative Spellings & Variations: Siera, Syera, SierrahFamous Namesakes: Sierra McCormick and Sierra McClain (actors)Peak Popularity: 1999
Sky
Origin: Old NorseMeaning: Heaven, cloudAlternative Spellings & Variations: Skye, Skyy, SkaiFamous Namesakes: Sky Ferreira (recording artist)Peak Popularity: 2014
Snow
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Frozen rain, snowFamous Namesakes: Phoebe Snow (singer), Snow White (animated Disney character)Peak Popularity: Rare
Star
Origin: EnglishMeaning: StarFamous Namesakes: Star Jones (talk show host/attorney)Peak Popularity: 1980
Storm
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Weather eventAlternative Spellings & Variations: Stormy, StormiFamous Namesakes: Storm (fictional superhero character in X-Men)Peak Popularity: 1995
Summer
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Summer seasonFamous Namesakes: Summer Sanders (TV host)Peak Popularity: 1977
Sunshine
Origin: EnglishMeaning: SunshinePeak Popularity: 1975
Sylvester
Origin: EnglishMeaning: From the forestFamous Namesakes: Sylvester Stallone (actor)Peak Popularity: 1901
Tempest
Origin: EnglishMeaning: StormyAlternative Spellings & Variations: TempesttFamous Namesakes: Tempestt Bledsoe (actor)Peak Popularity: Rare
Violet
Origin: EnglishMeaning: Purple/blue flowerPeak Popularity: 2019
Wesley
Origin: EnglishMeaning: From the west fieldAlternative Spellings & Variations: WestleyFamous Namesakes: Wesley Snipes (actor)Peak Popularity: 1977
Willow
Origin: EnglishMeaning: From the willow groveFamous Namesakes: Willow Smith (recording artist)Peak Popularity: 2019