Nature, Place and Word Names · Baby Name Meanings
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 13 pages
of 13
Native American
"edge of the lake"
A unique natural-wonder option, conjuring up the beauty of the lake between California and Nevada that has become a popular tourist destination.
English
"cottage near the lake"
Similar in style or sound to Prescott, Maverick and Beckett, this far rarer name feels formal and strong. Notably borne by socialist Talcott Parsons, nicknames Tal or Otto might soften it a little.…
Amharic
"raining"
Zenebe is an appealing name well-used in Ethiopia but rarely heard outside its native land. But it translates easily into English and Zen makes for a cool and attractive nickname. A winning choice…
Aboriginal Australian
"water lilies; place of the water lilies"
Araluen is a beautiful Aboriginal Australian place name, used in several sites, always connected to the dainty water lily. In terms of sound Araluen offers it all - the "Ara" beginning made popular…
Short form of Bardolph or Aboriginal
"water"
Bardo has a poetic beginning and upbeat ending, with roots in several diverse cultures. It may be most familiar today via George Saunders' novel Lincoln in the Bardo , which refers to the Tibetan…
Thai
"moon water"
An incredibly poetic name that could be worn well in many cultures.
Welsh
"bright water"
Occult name for babies born under water signs -- Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio.
Hebrew
This Hebrew water name has two main popular associations: Mayim Bialik, who played the title role in the early 90s TV series "Blossom," and the popular Israeli folk dance, "Mayim, Mayim."
Egyptian
"ancient waters"
Couldn't be simpler...or more worldly — though it could lead to some head-scratching.
Maori
"reflections on the water"
New Zealand writer Ngaio (born Edith Ngaio) Marsh is the best-known bearer of this Maori nature name, properly pronounced ng (like the end of sing) -EYE-oh. It is the name of a tree indigenous to New…
Native American, Hopi
"clear water"
A sweet and clear Hopi name with a lovely natural meaning to match.
"silver creek"
Olympic skier Picabo Street was allowed to choose her name at the age of three, and picked it possibly (a) after a nearby Idaho town or (b) because she loved to play peekaboo. No longer a…
Cornish place name
"meadow of waters"
Prideaux is a Cornish place name and surname that is occasionally attested as a girls' first name. It likely stems from the French phrase "pré de eaux", meaning meadow of waters. For fans of Margaux,…
Old English, place name
"swan stream, swan river, swan island"
This Old English name feels as if it could have stepped out of a fantasy novel, but it may be just similar enough to Everett and Elliot that it could work in the real world. Derived from the elements…
Lithuanian, river name
One of the more subtle place names, Deimena is the Lithuanian word for the river Deyma, located in the Kaliningrad Oblast. It has seen small but steady use in Lithuania since the 1960s, peaking in…
Irish, Scottish Gaelic
"river"
Aibhne is an Irish and Scottish nature name, derived from abhainn , meaning "river". Like many names, its pronunciation depends greatly on dialect and region, but it may be said as AV-neh, EHV-neh,…
"River Teifi"
Likely derived from the name of a river in Wales, Teifion has an intriguing, ancient look, but a contemporary feeling sound. It combines the suffix -on with Teifi, a name that may ultimately share…
Hindi, Sanskrit
"water, liquid"
Simple, succinct, and water-inspired, Neer is a unisex name of Hindi and Sanskrit origin, translating literally to "water, liquid" in English. While it more popularly appears as Neera (also said to…
"waterlily, lotus flower"
Also spelled as Niraj and used across India, Neeraj comes from the Sanskrit word for "waterlily" or "lotus flower" though it may sometimes be interpreted as "water-born". Related names include the…
