Overview
Nature-inspired baby names can be an interesting choice for your little one. You might even be surprised that many popular names, such as Anthony, Ariel, Trevor, and Daphne, actually have links with nature.
Can you guess the meaning of these names?
Find out the answers below, plus 280+ other nature names with cool meanings for your baby.
What Are Some Popular Nature Names For Boys & Girls?
35 Nature Names For Baby Boys
- Anthony – Greek boy name that comes from “anthos,” meaning “flower”
- Ariel – Biblical boy name meaning “lion of God”
- August – English and German name from the Latin name “Augustus,” a month name that also means “great” and “magnificent”
- Blaze – Latin name that means “fire”
- Branch – Nature name of English origin; relates to the branches of a tree
- Brandon – Old English boy name meaning “beacon hill” and Old Irish name for “crow”
- Caspian – Place name for a sea between Asia and Europe; also means “white”
- Clay – British name for a type of natural soil; also means “clay worker”
- Cliff – Old English name meaning “steep rock face”
- Dale – English name for “valley”
- Dustin – Powerful boy name coming from the Old Norse name “Þórsteinn,” meaning “thunderstone” or “Thor’s stone”; relates to the god of thunder in Norse mythology
- Geo – English and Greek name meaning “earth”; also a shortened version of “Giovanni,” the Italian variant of “John,” meaning “God is gracious”
- Heath – Old English name meaning “a moor”
- Huckleberry – American baby boy name for “sweet berry”
- Jarred – Hebrew name for “rose”
- Jasper – English name for a semi-precious stone
- Jay – English name for a bird species
- Leaf – English nature name for a plant part
- Lee – English name meaning “meadow”
- Lennox – Scottish name that means “elm grove”
- Leo – Latin word for “lion”
- Lynx – Greek and English name for a wild cat
- Moss – Small, green plants that carpet the woods or forest
- Nash – English name meaning “by the ash tree”
- Onyx – A usually dark-colored gemstone
- Pierce – Welsh name meaning “rock”
- Reed – English name for a tall plant that grows near the river or in marshy waters
- Ren – Japanese name meaning “water lily” or “lotus”
- Rock – English name for a solid mineral matter; comes from the German word “hrok”
- Trevor – Comes from the Persian word “shatrevar” (flower)
- William – Powerful name that means “resolute protector” and “strong-willed warrior”; relates to the sweet William flower
- Wolfe – German variant of “wolf,” a large canine that lives in the wild
- Woody – American name that means “from the lane in the woods”
- Yves – French name meaning “yew wood”
- Zephyr – Greek name meaning “west wind”; refers to the Greek god of the west wind
35 Nature Names For Baby Girls
- Amber – Latin and French girl name for a fossilized, gold-colored tree resin
- Aurora – Latin name for “dawn”; she’s the Roman goddess of the dawn and sunrise
- Bianca – Italian girl name meaning “white”
- Chloe – Greek goddess name meaning “young green shoot”; alternate name for Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, fertility, and sprouts
- Clementine – French name for a small citrus fruit
- Clover – British name meaning “meadow flower”
- Coral – English and Latin name for stone-like marine animals
- Crystal – Greek name for a clear gem; comes from the word “krystallos” (ice)
- Daisy – British flower name that means “day’s eye”
- Daphne – Goddess turned into a laurel or bay tree to escape Apollo in Greek mythology
- Dove – English nature name for the bird that symbolizes peace
- Estelle – Latin name meaning “star”
- Ester – Persian and Slavic name that means “myrtle leaf” or “star”
- Fleur – Old French name for “flower”
- Flora – Latin name meaning “flower”; she’s the Roman goddess of flowers, fertility, and spring
- Gaia – This ancient Greek name means “earth mother”; she’s the personification of the Earth in Greek mythology
- Hazel – Old English name meaning “of the hazelnut tree”
- Holly – Old English name from the word “holegn” (holly plant)
- Iris – Greek girl name meaning “rainbow”
- Isla – Scottish and Spanish girl name meaning “island”
- Ivy – British name for a climbing evergreen plant
- Jade – English name for a green gemstone
- Jasmine – English and Persian flower name
- Jewel – English name meaning “precious stone”
- Keziah – Hebrew girl name meaning “cassia tree”
- Lily – English name for a flower that symbolizes innocence and purity
- Margaret – English name of French (Marguerite), Latin (Margarita), and Ancient Greek (Margarítēs) origins; means “pearl”
- Mira – Latin, Slavic, Arabic, and Sanskrit (Indo-European language) name meaning “ocean,” “admirable,” “peace,” and “female ruler”
- Misty – British name meaning “light fog” or “mist”; also a pet name for girls
- Olivia – English and Latin name meaning “olive tree”
- Rose – English flower name of Latin origin (Rosa)
- Stella – Latin girl name meaning “star”
- Viola – Latin and Italian name for the violet flower
- Willow – Old English name meaning “willow tree”
- Yaelle – Hebrew girl name for “ibex,” a type of mountain goat
20 Nonbinary & Unisex Names From The Natural World
- Brooke – English and German name meaning “small stream”
- Bryn – Classic Welsh name meaning “hill”
- Canyon – Spanish name meaning “a rocky hill”
- Cove – English name meaning “inlet” or “hollow place in the rocks”
- Diamond – British name for the precious gem
- Dusty – English name for a dusty area or a German warrior name meaning “brave warrior”
- Ebony – Egyptian name meaning “black”
- June – Latin name meaning “young”; also a month name derived from Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth
- Kai – Hawaiian name for “ocean”
- Kaya – Turkish name meaning “rock” or “cliff”
- Kodiak – Russian name meaning “island”; used both as a boy’s name and a girl’s name
- Lake – Latin name that comes from “lacus,” meaning “inland body of water”
- Lotus – Greek flower name
- North – English name for the primary geographical direction
- Ocean – English name of Greek origin; relates to Okeanus, the Titan god of the ocean
- Rain – Weather-related English name
- Ridge – Old English name meaning “continuous elevated mountain crest”
- River – British name for “flowing body of water”
- Sterling – Old English meaning “little star”
- West – English name for the geographical direction
What Are Some Earthy Names (For Boys & Girls)?
Name Inspiration From Precious Stones & Natural Elements
- Amethyst – Greek girl name for a violet stone used as a lucky charm
- Beryl – Greek girl name for a green semi-precious gemstone
- Branden – English boy name meaning “brown hill”
- Cascade – Nonbinary name meaning “a steep, small waterfall”
- Eartha – Hippie girl baby name that relates to Mother Earth
- Ela – Hindu girl name meaning “earth” or Turkish name meaning “hazel”
- Emerald – English girl name for a prized green gemstone
- Flint – English boy name for a hard gray rock
- Glen – Scottish boy name meaning “a deep valley in the Highlands”
- Landon – English boy name meaning “long hill”
- Marina – Latin girl name meaning “of the sea”
- Meadow – Unisex English name meaning “field of grass”
- Pearl – English girl name for the precious gemstone from the sea
- Ruby – English girl name for a red gemstone
- Sapphire – English girl name for a blue gemstone
- Savannah – Native American girl name meaning “open plain”
- Sierra – Spanish gender-neutral name meaning “mountain”
- Terra – Ancient Roman name for “Terra Mater” or “Mother Earth,” the personification of the Earth
Name Inspiration From The Seasons, Weather, & Space Elements
- April
- Autumn
- Breeze
- Celeste
- Cloud
- Evening
- Luna (moon)
- May
- Nova
- Orion
- Skye
- Snow
- Solstice
- Spring
- Star
- Stormy
- Summer
- Sunshine
- Tempest
- Winter
13 Baby Names From The Animal Kingdom
- Bear
- Birdie
- Falcon
- Fawn
- Fox
- Hawk
- Lark
- Mavis (a bird)
- Oriel
- Raven
- Robin
- Sparrow
- Wren
Plant & Flower Names For Babies
17 Flower Names
These flower names are more often used for girls than boys:
- Amaranth
- Azalea
- Blossom
- Calla
- Camellia
- Dahlia
- Heather
- Hyacinth
- Jonquil
- Lavender
- Magnolia
- Marigold
- Petal
- Poppy
- Primrose
- Violet
- Wisteria
12 Tree Names
Many tree names are used as nonbinary or boy’s names:
- Acacia
- Alder
- Ash
- Aspen
- Birch
- Cedar
- Elm
- Linden
- Oak
- Olive (primarily used as a girl name)
- Sequoia
- Spruce
6 Herb & Spice Names
- Basil – Boy name for the “king of the herbs”; also means “kingly,” “chivalrous,” and “brave”
- Bay – Boy name for the bay leaf or water body
- Ginger – Girl name for the ginger spice or as a pet name for babies with red hair
- Laurel – Unisex name after the sweet laurel leaf
- Rosemary – English girl name after the herb; also comes from the Latin name “Rosmarinus,” which means “dew of the sea”
- Sage – English unisex name for the aromatic spice and Latin name meaning “wise”
Other Plant-inspired Names
- Acorn – Nonbinary name after the Gothic name “Akran,” meaning “fruit of the unenclosed land”
- Berry – English gender-neutral name meaning “small fruit”
- Briar – British unisex name meaning “thorny bush of wild roses”
- Fern – Old English girl name for the green plants that thrive in shaded woods
- Hawthorne – Middle name for boys; means “throne bush”
- Indigo – English and Greek unisex name for a dark blue tropical plant; also a color name
- Juniper – English and Latin name for an evergreen plant
- Plum – Middle English and North German name for a sweet fruit
- Quince – Latin name for an apple-like fruit
Nature Names With Different Meanings
What Are Cool Names For “Green”?
- Chartreuse – French herbal liqueur (herb-infused drink) usually available in green and yellow versions
- Lime – English name for a green citrus fruit
What Names Mean “Forest”?
- Abungu – Gender-neutral African name meaning “of the forest”
- Adoette – Native American girl name meaning “the forest” and “olive tree”
- Aranya – Hindu girl name meaning “a forest”
- Dagwood – Old English boy name meaning “shining forest”
- Forrest – English boy name that means “dweller near the woods”
- Kanana – Sanskrit girl name that means “a forest”
- Keithia – Beautiful name of English origin, meaning “forest or wood”
- Lam – Vietnamese boy name that means “a forest”
- Sylvester – Latin boy name meaning “wood” or “forest”
- Sylvia – Latin name meaning “from the forest”
What Name Means “Love Of Nature”?
- Oliver – Popular baby name of Latin origin meaning “nature loving” or “love of nature”; relates to the olive tree
- Strom – German boy name for “one who loves water”
60 Nature Names From Non-English Languages
Some rare and unique baby names to pick from different languages:
- Abilene – Hebrew girl that means “meadow”
- Adair – Gaelic boy name meaning “from the oak tree ford”
- Afon – Welsh boy name that means “a river”
- Ailin – Gaelic boy name meaning “little rock”
- Ainsley – Scottish unisex name for “hermitage wood or clearing”
- Anani – Hebrew boy name for “cloud”
- Antonio – Greek boy name that comes from “anthos,” meaning “flower”
- Aria – Italian girl name meaning “air”; also a musical baby name for a piece composed for a solo voice
- Aster – Greek nonbinary name meaning “star”
- Ava – Latin girl name for “bird” and Persian name meaning “voice” or “sound”
- Ayla – Hebrew and Turkish unisex name meaning “oak tree” or “moonlight”
- Beaumont – French boy name meaning “beautiful mountain”
- Birk – Scottish boy name meaning “birch tree”
- Brier – Unisex French name for “nature” or “heather” (a purple-colored flower)
- Brin – Unisex Welsh name meaning “like a hill”
- Cephas – Greek boy name for “rock” or “stone”
- Cerise – French girl name meaning “cherry”
- Chrysanthe – Greek girl name for “Marigold” or “flower of gold”
- Citron – French unisex name meaning “lemon”
- Colm – Gaelic boy name meaning “dove”
- Conall – Scottish and Irish boy name meaning “wolf”
- Darya – Persian girl that means “ocean”
- Deniz – Turkish unisex name that means “sea”
- Dillon – Welsh boy name meaning “the great sea”
- Dzovag – American boy name for “lake”
- Eben – Biblical name for boys of Hebrew origin, means “stone”
- Eira – Welsh girl name meaning “snow”
- Elon – Hebrew boy name meaning “oak tree”
- Elowen – Cornish girl name meaning “elm”; also spelled as “Elowynn” or “Elowyn”
- Gachie – Black boy name of African Kikuyu origin, meaning “river” or “small pond”
- Gelso – Italian boy name for “mulberry tree”
- Ghadir – Arabic unisex name meaning “stream”
- Glyn – Welsh gender-neutral name meaning “valley”
- Gwydion – Great name of Welsh origin, meaning “born of trees”; according to Welsh mythology, he’s a powerful magician who created a woman from flowers, Blodeuwedd
- Idoya – Basque and Spanish girl name meaning “a pond”
- Ilana – Hebrew girl name meaning “tree”
- Irmak – Turkish girl name that means “river”
- Itsaso – Basque girl name meaning “ocean”
- Keita – Celtic girl name meaning “the bountiful forest”
- Kunal – Sanskrit unisex name for “lotus”
- Lana – Gaelic girl name that means “little rock”
- Leilani – Hawaiian girl name meaning “heavenly flower”
- Maisie – Scottish girl name meaning “pearl”
- Maka – Black girl name of Nigerian origin, means “rock”
- Marin – French girl for “one who loves the ocean”
- Montana – Spanish unisex name for “mountain”
- Myristica – Latin girl name for “nutmeg”
- Neva – Spanish and Mexican girl name meaning “snow”
- Nikunja – Sanskrit girl name meaning “from the grove of trees”
- Oihane – Basque and Spanish girl name that means “from the forest”
- Rosa – Italian, Spanish, and Mexican baby name for girls, means “rose”
- Rosetta – Italian and Latin girl name for “rose blossom”
- Soleil – French girl name meaning “sun”
- Talia – Hebrew girl name meaning “morning dew”
- Vana – Polynesian girl name meaning “sea urchin”
- Vanisa – The goddess of the woodland in Hindu mythology
- Varsha – Hindu girl name for “a shower of rain”
- Vernon – French boy name meaning simply “alder grover”
- Yael – Hebrew boy name meaning “ibex,” a mountain goat
- Yasmin – Persian flower name meaning “jasmine flower”
Other Nature Names
- Ackley – English name meaning “oak meadow”
- Aegis – Protective goat-skin shield which protected Zeus in Greek mythology
- Arbor – Gender-neutral name for “tree”
- Auburn – Old English and Old French unisex name for the reddish-brown color
- Azure – French girl name for the blue color of the clear sky
- Benton – Boy name from the English word for “bent grass settlement”
- Blue – Gender-neutral color name of English origin
- Brooklyn – German country name for boys and girls, means “brook” or “stream”
- Bryce – Scottish boy name meaning “freckled” and American place name for Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah
- Dakota – Native American unisex name meaning “friendly companion” and place name for the US states (North and South Dakota)
- Denver – English boy name meaning “‘one who belongs to a green valley”
- Drake – Middle English boy name meaning “dragon”
- Ember – British girl name for “smoldering remains of a fire”
- Everest – British boy name meaning “dweller on the Eure river” and a place name for the world’s tallest mountain
- Farley – Traditional English boy name meaning “woodland clearing”
- Grove – English unisex name for “grove of trees”
- Guinevere – Welsh girl name meaning “white shadow” or “white wave”
- Haven – English unisex name meaning “place or state of safety”
- Hollis – Old English gender-neutral name that means “holly tree”
- Orchard – Unisex middle name that comes from the Old English word “ortgeard” (a yard of trees)
- Pembroke – English gender-neutral name for “headland” or “bluff”
- Phoenix – Greek name for the mythical bird reborn from its ashes and English name meaning “dark crimson”
- Raine – English name inspired by the rain
- Rowan – Irish and English name meaning “red-haired” and Celtic name for “tree of life”
- Terran – American unisex name meaning “Earth-dweller”
- Vale – English gender-neutral baby name meaning “lives in the valley”
- Vedis – Teutonic (Germanic language) girl name meaning “the soul of the jungle” or “holy spirit of the forest”
- Walker – English gender-neutral name for “someone who wanders in the forest”
- Zion – Biblical name for boys and girls, means “highest point” or “promised land”
How Do I Pick A Nature Name?
There isn’t any specific rule on picking a nature name for your baby. Here are easy naming tips to help you find the right one:
- Find name inspirations from the things in nature around you or near your home. That’s how some parents pick “Forrest” (dweller near the woods) or Brooke (small stream) as their baby’s name.
- Consider gender-related options. For example, most flower and gem names are used as baby girl names, while tree names are often linked to boy names.
- You can go for unisex names, so you don’t have to worry whether a name is for one gender or another.
- You can also choose nature names from other languages to create a rare and unique baby name for your little one.
- Some nature names, such as “Fox,” can have a negative connotation (sly fox), but some parents think they’re a cool choice for their baby.
- It’s up to you to consider nature names as first, middle, or pet names for your baby.