Flower Names for Boys Are Blooming

Flower names for boys are a rare but beautiful bunch – a subset of the fashionable group of floral baby names which have proved particularly popular for girls in recent years.

Cool nature names for boys include tree names like Rowan and Oakley, wild animal names like Fox and Bear, and water-related names like River and Brooks.

But boy names with floral meanings have never caught on in the US as the likes of Lily and Violet have for girls. However, that’s not the case everywhere!

In mainland Europe, Florian has enjoyed a long spell as one of the top boys’ names of the last few decades, making the Top 10 in Austria, Germany and France at least.

In the Netherlands, botanical Senna has been getting some attention in recent years. And in Japan, Ren is one of the most popular boys’ names of the moment.

We think it’s time to shine a light on some of the many cool flower names for boys that are out there – from rising stars like Calix and Zephyr to truly unique picks like Aletris and Oleander.

18 Fresh Flower Names for Boys

Aletris

A medicinal plant also known as “unicorn root” because of the horn-like appearance of its long stems of white flowers. Aletris shares its fashionable Al– beginning with popular picks like Alexander and Alexis.

Betony

This pretty wildflower has an equally appealing name, which could work just as well for either sex. The English surname Bettany – as in actor Paul – may derive from the plant’s name.

Calix

A botanical term for the cup of a flower (spelled calyx in Latin), Calix has seen a modest uptick in popularity as a baby name in recent years and was given to 62 boys last year, plus 20 called Calyx. Cool nickname Cal and the spiky X ending no doubt add to its appeal.

Campion

Sometimes used in Catholic families as an honor name for St Edmund Campion, this handsome name also belongs to a wildflower with bright red or pink petals.

Hawthorn

Nearly twice as many baby boys were given the E ending version of this prickly nature name in 2022 – perhaps as a tribute to author Nathaniel Hawthorne – but this pared back form has a rugged charm of its own.

Heath

The name of a family of flowering shrubs, most famously borne by Australian actor Heath Ledger. His first and last name both saw a big rise after his tragic death in 2008, but Heath remains an uncommon choice at #861 in 2022.

Florian

A classic in mainland Europe, Florian ultimately derives from the Latin flos, meaning “flower”. Other masculine names from the same root include Italian Fiore, French Florent, and Romanian Florin.

Garland

A Top 500 pick for the first half of the 20th century, Garland fell out of the Top 1000 in 1985. But it’s a strong, solid surname style name that feels ripe for revival today.

Jacinto

The Spanish form of Hyacinth: a flower name, a saint’s name, and a figure in Greek mythology.

Lupin

Most familiar as the surname of werewolf Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter books. Fittingly, it means “wolf-like” – a reference to the tendency of lupine flowers to guzzle nutrients from the soil.

Oleander

Sharing sounds with popular classics Oliver and Alexander, it’s somewhat surprising that Oleander made its very first appearance on the US extended baby names list in 2021. It was given to 14 boys last year. It’s a unique and appealing choice with a lovely lyrical sound.

Ren

Meaning “water lily”, Ren is both one of the most familiar Japanese boy names in the US and one of the most popular in its home country. Its simple, sleek, international appeal makes it a Nameberry favorite – it currently sits at #250 for pageviews on our site.

Rosen

A double botanical name, meaning “roses” in German and “dittany” in Bulgarian. It was borne by a former president of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev.

Senna

A contemporary favorite in the Netherlands, but still virtually unused elsewhere, Senna is the name of a genus of flowering plants in the legume family. Perhaps more importantly for its baby name potential, it’s the surname of Brazilian F1 legend Ayrton Senna.

Sorrel

An edible herb with reddish purple flowers, which also lends its name informally to other flowering plants. Sorrel is in rare but regular use for girls in England and Wales, with three births in the latest year on record, but it would work just as well for a boy.

Thyme

Another flowering herb with a soft and appealing name, which has featured at least once in our very own Babyberry birth announcements!

Yarrow

O-ending names are bang on trend right now, but here’s one you don’t hear often. Yarrow has sprays of tiny white or yellow flowers, and is said to have been used by Achilles to heal his soldiers’ wounds during the Trojan War.

Zephyr

Zephyr lilies are so called because they produce flowers only after heavy rainfall, which is associated with the Greek god of the west wind. Rising star Zephyr entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2021, but now sits just outside it.