Nature Names for Boys

Like Sky and Sunshine, this fluffy name from the hippie 1970s has floated back onto the naming radar. It's similarity of Clyde and Claude help to ground it.

The nature boy version of the Scandinavian Leif, which actually means "heir". In the creative-naming Phoenix family, Leaf is the former name of the actor we know as Joaquin.

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.

Woods is a nature name that is a cousin to the stylish Brooks and Forest, evoking the entire world of trees. Sometimes used as a diminutive of Woodrow or Edward, Woods is rugged and outdoorsy, with a preppy surname-style feel too.

Related to blackberry plants and colloquially to any thorny shrub, Bramble also has history as an English surname.

Heron may feel like a very usable nature name -- the heron is a long-legged wading bird -- but it was also the name of a 1st century Greek inventor and of an Egyptian saint. Highly unusual yet easy to understand and meaningful on several levels, Heron is a fantastic choice.

With other bird names such as Lark and Phoenix on the rise, why not chirpy Sparrow? Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son, born in 2009, Sparrow James Midnight.

Nature names are often associated with Spring and Summer, but Glacier is ideal for a winter baby.

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

Oakland is a place name associated mainly with the city near San Francisco, pretty obviously meaning "oak land". Theoretically unisex but used mainly for boys, Oakland is one of a trending group of oak-related names, led by Oakley for both genders, with Oakland and Oaklen trending for boys while baby girls are more often given spellings Oaklynn and Oaklyn.

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.

A preppier take on Rain — you could also consider Raines. The feminine version of Raine is French, related to Reina, and means "queen."

A handsome, spruced-up post-Bruce tree name.

Rayne may be considered a modern respelling of the nature name Rain or a variation of the surname Raine, which comes from the Old French word reine, meaning "queen."

The Norwegian word for "honeysuckle" could make for a fresh and vibrant nature-inspired choice.

A geographical term for a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, caused by glaciation.

There is a whole new species of bird names open to the baby namer, from the light and feminine Lark to the sleek and powerful Falcon.

Typically used for girls, but Disney Channel show Big City Greens made it wearable for boys as well.

If not for Motown founder Berry Gordy, this name would now be totally in the girl group.

The name of a grass plant native to India, which is used in aromatherapy and for its essential oil.