Names That Mean Nature

  1. Wren
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small bird"
    • Description:

      Wren, a lilting songbird name, could be the next Robin. Wren entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2012 and is among the new wave of popular English names for girls.
  2. Olive
    • Origin:

      English, from Latin, nature name
    • Meaning:

      "olive tree"
    • Description:

      Though greatly overshadowed by the trendy Olivia, Olive has a quiet, subtle appeal of its own -- and is now enjoying a remarkable comeback. Olive is one of only four girl names starting with O on the US Top 1000. Cool couple Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen chose it for their daughter, reviving the name to stylishness, and now Drew Barrymore has a little Olive too, as has country singer Jake Owen.
  3. Willow
    • Origin:

      English nature name
    • Meaning:

      "willow tree"
    • Description:

      An ancient tree that figures in literature from Shakespeare to Harry Potter and is believed to possess magical powers, Willow is a lovely name, as graceful as its inspiration.
  4. Hayes
    • Origin:

      English surname and nature name
    • Meaning:

      "hedged area"
    • Description:

      One of those simple, straightforward English surnames -- and with a presidential pedigree -- that's easy to translate into a first. Chosen by both Kevin Costner and Jessica Alba for their sons, it has been climbing the US charts since 2009.
  5. Holly
    • Origin:

      English nature name
    • Description:

      Holly ranks just in British Top 50, but it's been out of favor here since the 1970s Era of Nickname Names. Still, the name may be on her way back as a rejuvenated nature pick.
  6. Ocean
    • Origin:

      English, nature name
    • Meaning:

      "ocean"
    • Description:

      Nature names like Ocean and River are flowing back into favor, especially with nature lovers and green-oriented parents. In 2024, it was given to 483 boys and 325 girls, making this a unisex favorite in the US, while in the UK, it is considerably more popular for girls.
  7. Briar
    • Origin:

      Nature name, English word name
    • Meaning:

      "a thorny patch"
    • Description:

      This word name entered the US Top 1000 for both genders in 2015, though it premiered a little higher for girls. There are still more baby girls named Briar than baby boys -- 594 vs. 361 in 2021 -- but it's rising in popularity for both. Briar fits the trend for nature names, and it also offers a fresh option for honoring a Brian.
  8. Prairie
    • Origin:

      English nature name
    • Meaning:

      "prairie"
    • Description:

      Unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel; used for a character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland.
  9. Holly
    • Origin:

      English nature name
    • Description:

      Jolly Holly has always been among the favorite names for Christmas babies, evoking the symbolic shrub with dark green leaves and bright red berries. And Holly is the flower for the month of December, so it's also among the perfect names for December babies. Holly is scarcely heard on baby boys, but Robin Tunney and Nicky Marmet used it as the middle name for their son Oscar.
  10. Cove
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small bay"
    • Description:

      Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice for either gender.
  11. Finch
    • Origin:

      English word and nature name
    • Meaning:

      "to swindle"
    • Description:

      It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare.
  12. Dove
    • Origin:

      Color and nature name
    • Meaning:

      "dove, a bird"
    • Description:

      Subtle but clear unisex way to signal peace, especially in middle place.
  13. Rook
    • Origin:

      English nature name, Persian
    • Meaning:

      "crow; chariot"
    • Description:

      Rook is a choose-your-own-adventure type of name. It has so many meanings and associations, that you have the freedom of choice to decide what resonates with you.
  14. Cobalt
    • Origin:

      Color and nature name
    • Description:

      Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual, not to mention the most masculine.
  15. Nimbus
    • Origin:

      Latin nature name
    • Meaning:

      "dark cloud"
    • Description:

      Nimbus is a word from nature for a type of cloud that has occasionally -- very occasionally -- been used for a human. But it's evocative and upbeat and certainly makes an intriguing and stylish nature name.
  16. Fen
    • Origin:

      English, Dutch, Frisian
    • Meaning:

      "marshland; peace"
    • Description:

      In English, a fen is a wetland fed by surface and/or groundwater. In Dutch and Frisian, it's a traditional diminutive of names containing the element frid, meaning "peace". Either way, Fen makes a fresh alternative to fashionable Finn.
  17. Fauna
    • Origin:

      Roman, English word name, from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "young deer; all the animals that live in a particular area"
    • Description:

      Fauna is the Roman goddess of the earth as well as one of the fairies who protected Disney's "Sleeping Beauty". It can also be considered a word name with a scientific, nature focused feel. Used to as a way to refer to all the animals in a particular area, habitat, or time period, many might think of the phrase "Flora and Fauna" on seeing the name.
  18. Apple
    • Origin:

      English nature name
    • Meaning:

      "apple"
    • Description:

      When people talk about unique baby names, Apple is often one of the first examples they mention. Apple made international headlines when Gwyneth Paltrow chose this wholesome fruit name for her daughter. Many have called it ridiculous, but we have to admit, we find it appealing enough to list as one of our top cute baby names. Rocker Bob Geldof named one of his daughters Peaches; Banana Yoshimoto is a hipster writer. Another choice in this genre is the luscious Plum, though for different reasons, neither Prune nor Cherry will fly.
  19. Ocean
    • Origin:

      English, nature name
    • Description:

      Ocean is a nature name that comes right out and states its meaning and association. Full of power and depth, Ocean is one of the fastest-rising baby names for both girls and boys, making the US Top 1000 for both genders in 2021. Oceane, the version that's trendy in France, was used for only 11 baby girls in the US in the same year. Ocean-lovers who want to be less obvious can choose such subtler names that mean ocean as Jennifer or Marissa, but coming right out and using Ocean is a perfectly valid way to go.
  20. Maile
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian nature name
    • Description:

      Captivating and appealing name — a maile is a vine used to make leis — getting noticed via writer Maile Meloy. Many pronounce it ala Miley, as in Cyrus, though native Hawaiian speakers say the correct pronunciation is more like MY-lay or MY-leh.