Names That Mean Water

Most parents would prefer BRADLEY or BRADFORD to get to eternally cool nickname BRAD--unless they wanted to honor cricket legend Donald Bradman, considered the greatest batsman of all time.

One of many stuffy British W surnames that would subject an American boy to years of teasing before growing into it at age fifty.

This name of the mythological mother of Achilles might suffer from English speakers making the rhyming association to the word fetus. The traditional Greek pronunciation might alleviate that problem.

Off-putting cousin of Bradley and Rodney.

Lir is the Irish god of the sea, the equivalent of the Welsh Llyr which some equate with Shakespeare's King Lear. This is one of those rare names that is simple and has a deep history with an appealing meeting and yet is completely unused in the modern world -- no baby boys were recorded as receiving the name Lir in the US last year. Maybe because it sounds like the unappealing leer?

One of the more subtle place names, Deimena is the Lithuanian word for the river Deyma, located in the Kaliningrad Oblast. It has seen small but steady use in Lithuania since the 1960s, peaking in 2005 with 12 births.

Two names meaning "river" make the Turkish Top 100 for girls — Nehir and Irmak. Irmak is the less popular of the two.

Traditionally a male name, Leith now can make a highly unusual, strong but soft, and intriguing girls' possibility.

A rugged and rare alternative to Gwen, Gwyneth, and Gwendolyn, Gwennan derives from the Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed" and nant meaning "stream". A nature name with a familiar sound, it was borne by one of the daughters of the legendary Welsh king Brychan Brycheiniog. Footballer Gwennan Harries, rugby play Gwennan Hopkins, and harp player Gwenan Gibbard are notable bearers.

Africa's fourth-longest river would make a unique name choice.

This Indian name with a Slavic sound definitely has potential.

Possibly to honor Canadian short story writer Alice -- though Alice is more far accessible and--until very recently-- nearly as distinctive.

This possible word name, which rhymes with Maia, makes an even more distinctive alternative.

A rhythmic and attractive Cherokee girl name. Immokalee is also the name of a community in Florida.

A rare choice from Greek mythology, Herse was the name of several figures including a daughter of Zeus and Selene and a consort of Danaus. Also borne by one of the Jupiter's moons, Herse may now be more familiar in its modern form, Ersi.

A succinct and elemental name, Neer derives from Sanskrit and Hindi word for "water". Used in a variety of languages across the Indian subcontinent, it is heard more popularly as part of the name Neeraj (or Niraj) meaning "lotus" or "waterlily".

Simple, succinct, and water-inspired, Neer is a unisex name of Hindi and Sanskrit origin, translating literally to "water, liquid" in English. While it more popularly appears as Neera (also said to mean "waterlily"), Neer may appeal to those who enjoy one syllable names like Noor.

Also spelled as Niraj and used across India, Neeraj comes from the Sanskrit word for "waterlily" or "lotus flower" though it may sometimes be interpreted as "water-born". Related names include the succinct Neer and the (predominantly) feminine Neera, which share the same root.

Derived from the Sanskrit word for "waterlily" or "lotus flower", Niraj is used across the Indian subcontinent. Also transcribed as Neeraj, it is related to the names Neer and Neera.