999+ Nature Names for Babies

Fresh, evocative choice.

Rice is really stretching the nature name boundary to its outer edges. But you may want to take it that far.

Sounds incomplete, like a pet form of Miranda.

We've had Apples, Plums, Peaches, Cherries, and Berries added to the fruit basket: you could be the first to pick a Tangerine.

Derived from the French word levée meaning "to raise", a levee is either a naturally formed ridge along a riverbank, made up of sediment deposited there by overflowing water, or a manmade barrier created to protect against flooding.

If you want a nature name with surname style that speaks to your love of basketball, we suggest Laker.

Shell has been used as a short form of Shelley for all genders and Sheldon for boys. That was then: Now, Shell can be a beachy nature name and word name turned baby name.

Sonny is one of the term of endearment names on the rise, and it feels like a fresh option for girls as an alternative spelling of bright nature name Sunny or a cute gender-bending nickname name.

We've seen Haven take off as a nouveau girls' name; Harbor could follow in its wake.

Naim, also sometimes spelled Naime, is a pleasant choice that may have some confusing pronunciation issues in English-speaking countries (where may will say this name as "name"). But don't let that deter you if you're in love with this moniker.

Sprightly name popular in Israel with beachy meaning and international flex.

In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association with midday has led to the word gaining an added figurative meaning of "pinnacle; culmination".

One of the more unusual nature names, that of a variety of pine tree. Tam might sleeken and modernize it.

All baby names can be made more "creative" by putting a Z at the beginning instead of what's conventionally there: B or C or H, for instance. Zaley is an adorable entry in this group, also spelled Zailey or Zayley or Zalee. The Zaley spelling attains a measure of authenticity when seen as a feminine form of Zale, a Greek name with an ocean-related meaning.

The bell-shaped flower Aletris is also known as Colic Root, Blazing Star, Unicorn Root, and Stargrass. Its roots have medicinal properties and are used to aid digestive and muscle problems. Its name derives from Greek aletris — an enslaved woman who ground corn — because of the mealy texture of the flowers.

In its native Nigeria, Agu is a surname that signifies strength and being a force of nature. Agu as a first name has some pedigree, however: most notably via Agu Casmir, a famous Nigerian-Singaporean soccer player.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Apple has opened the world of botanical names beyond flowers to trees, herbs, fruits, and — why not — nuts. Cayley and Brandon Jenner have a daughter named Joan Almond.

This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.

Perine is an uncommon masculine name with French origins, likely derived from Pierre, the French form of Peter, which means 'rock' or 'stone.' Historically, Perine, sometimes spelled Perrine, has also appeared as a surname and occasionally as a feminine name in some cultures.

Grrrr.