Names That Mean Palm

With a soft sound, a preppy feel, and a unisex style, Palmer is a last name that's been climbing up the charts for girls in the US. Having entered the Top 1000 in 2018, more recent stats place it in the Top 300. More than four times as many girls received the name than boys in 2023, though Palmer is a name on the rise all round.

Adding a final a to Tamar lends it a more sensual Slavic tone, making it a more popular choice than the original.

Tamar is a rich, strong Old Testament name sometimes given to girls born on the holiday of Sukkoth, as palm branches were used to make the roof of the sukkah. In the Bible, there are several Tamars, including a daughter of King David and also Absalom's daughter, who is praised for her 'fair countenance'.

Palmer is a name that derives from the fact that pilgrims often carried palms, thus the double meaning. It's a fresher sounding twist other surname style names, such as Spencer, Carter, Porter and Parker.

Nikau is among the most popular Maori names for boys in New Zealand. It sounds like a cousin to Nicholas, but Nikau is actually the name of a palm tree native to the islands.

Barbossa (also spelled Barbosa) is derived from the Barbosa palm. It is also a common place name, with towns called Barbossa spread across Latin America. Film buffs might also recall that Barbossa is the name of the captain of the Black Pearl in the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean".

A Near Eastern favorite, with an agreeable, evocative sound.

Tomer was once a Top 100 name in Israel — it fell out in 2016.

In the Old Testament, Itamar (or Ithamar) was the youngest son of Aaron.

Tamar is a feminine Hebrew name, but this variation is used on girls and boys in the US. Tamari is also the name of a Japanese condiment similar to soy sauce.

If you're looking for an honor name for grandpa Tom, this could be a good choice. It's also used as a male short form of the name in Eastern Europe.

Tamari is a rare form of Tamar that used on girls and boys in the US. Beware that tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce-like condiment.

There's no shortage of quirky ways to get to hip nickname Oz -- Ozias, Osborne, Ozymandias -- but this one may appeal to parents looking for a full name with some religious significance. It was originally a name for Palm Sunday, which came from the Latin word for "hosanna."