Summer Baby Names

African-American and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth was born as Isabelle into enslavement. She adopted her new name when she began traveling and preaching abolition in 1843. Sojourner is a heroine name that may, with the rise of spiritual word names such as Journey and Genesis, finally be ready for prime time.

Tulsi is more than a simple nature name: The holy basil plant is sacred in the Hindu religion, used to honor the god Vishnu and representative of his consort, the goddess Tulsi. The Tulsi plant is often planted in Hindu houses and is used for medicinal as well as ritualistic purposes.

Most things Jul-related – from the month of July to popular modern names Julia and Julian – originate with Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and the month name July is no exception. Fifteen girls and seven boys were named July in 2013, putting this month name into the class of gender neutral names.

Nasrin has a strong sound and lovely floral meaning. International variants include the Turkish Nesrin and Egyptian Nesreen.

A surprisingly wearable floral name for a boy.

Brisa is commonly used in Latino families, all but unheard of in others.

Wildflower may be the ultimate hippie name, added to the lexicon by Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden when they chose it as one of their daughter's middle names. It's generic in the way that Flora and River are, as opposed to Iris and Nile, say. But it has a certain free and creative charm.

Ravello is an Italian town on the Amalfi Coast. It's a popular travel destination and was a favorite spot for many notable creatives, including Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, and Tennessee Williams.

As likely to be tied to the detergent as to the rhythms of the ocean.

A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain.

The last name of Finnish moderne designer/architect makes an original, creative choice with an unexpected water-related meaning.

A Hybrid Tea Rose is a popular garden rose, developed to produce a single flower per stem. Tearose is a rare but whimsical compound that could perhaps be used as a middle for the daughter of a florist or gardener.

Margarita is an international form of Margaret that shares its meaning of "pearl", but also directly translates to "daisy" in Spanish and Greek. Despite being widely associated with the alcoholic beverage in English, it has a long history of use in Spanish, Greek and several Slavic languages — most notably being the name of the heroine of Mikhail Bulgakov's 1966 novel Master and Margarita.

Mythological water spirit with the more common spelling of Ondine, heroine of an Edith Wharton novel.

This floral name, related to bloom and Blossom, is common in the Jewish community, but not often heard outside it. Other Yiddish nature names are Ita (star), Masha (rising water), and Mayim (water).

Kauai is known as the Garden Isle of Hawaii. Ironically, it qualifies as a baby name based on spelling variation and homonym Kawhi, as in basketball star Kawhi Leonard.

A rare and evocative name which calls to mind warm, endless summer days. This is an Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði, also found in Scottish Gaelic as Somhairle (pronounced SO-ar-lee). The Sorley spelling is now more popular in Scotland.

One of the less obvious newly plausible occupational names, could instill a sense of adventure in a child.

A bold and energetic Hawaiian name which blends two fashionable favorites: Kai and Koa.

Bleuenn is virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, while in France, it is a rare choice, given to a handful of girls. Bleuenn's origins are in Brittany, in the north of France, and it's likely related to the Welsh Blodwen or Blodeuyn meaning "white flowers".