Names That Mean River
Across 5 pages
of 5
Bradford
English
"wide river crossing"
Brad in a Brooks Brothers suit.
Bradman
English
"at the wide river"
Most parents would prefer BRADLEY or BRADFORD to get to eternally cool nickname BRAD--unless they wanted to honor cricket legend Donald Bradman, considered the greatest batsman of all time.
Brosnan
Irish
"dweller near the Brosna River"
Actor Pierce made both his first and last name appealing.
Fuji
Japanese
"dweller near the river where wisteria grows"
To honor the majestic mountain.
Holmes
English
"from the island in the river"
Possible middle name for devotees of detective Sherlock...or the actress Katie.
Innes
Scottish
"from the river island"
Innis is the name of an island (and Gaelic word for island) which became a Scottish surname and clan name before being used as a first. It hasn't been heard much in the U.S., but could attract more…
India
Place name, from the River Indus
Euphonious and long stylish in England, India was one of the fastest-rising names on the 2013 list, after jumping 240 spots back into the Top 1000. Gorgeous as it may be, the usage of India as a name…
Kendal
English
"valley of the river Kent"
Variant of Kendall
Alun
Welsh spelling of Alan; river in Wales
This name of a river in Wales represents a vowel change from Alan, which makes the name somewhat more intriguing, but still possibly not intriguing enough. Bonus points if you're a surfer, sailor, or…
Leith
Scottish river name
"wet"
This is an unusual surname and geographical name of medieval Scottish origin that might serve as a possible alternative to the aging Keith, though it's a bit tough on the tongue. More popularly spelt…
Wharton
English
"farm near the river"
Wharton is a rather stiff banker name that becomes creative as a middle name choice for lovers of the novels of writer Edith.
Loire
French river and region name
The lovely sound and image of the French river and lush valley would make this a most distinctive and captivating choice. Pronunciation: low-ahr.
Nairn
Scottish
"river with alder trees"
Scottish nature name that could prove a tongue- twister for the younger set.
Naim
Scottish; Arabic
"river with alder trees; happy"
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…
Nesbit
English
"land or river bend shaped like a nose"
A family name that wouldn't appeal to many parents.
Po
Italian river name
A river (in Italy), a writer (Bronson), a Teletubby: the Bo of the new millennium.
Varana
Hindi
"holy river"
Soft and rhythmic.
Romney
Welsh
"winding river"
With the fashion for all names Rom, this strong surname with ties to Old Master painter George has new possibilities. Obviously, it now has more political associations than artistic.
Shannon
Irish
"old and wise"
The name of the longest river in the British Isles rose to the US Top 25 for girls in the 1970s and the Top 100 for boys, but has fallen off the Top 1000 for both genders. At the latest count, the…
Munro
Scottish
"mouth of the river Ro"
Takes Monroe out of the Dead Presidents category and gives it new life.