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Names That Mean Water

  1. Yareli
    • Origin:

      Native American, Spanish variation of Yara, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "water lady; small butterfly"
    • Description:

      Possibly a derivative variation of Yara, a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries meaning butterfly, Yareli was given to more than 400 baby girls in the US last year.
  2. Ama
    • Origin:

      Ewe, Akan, Ghanaian, Cherokee
    • Meaning:

      "born on Saturday; water"
    • Description:

      Ama is a day name used by the Akan people of Ghana for girls born on Saturday. Names that reference a baby's birth by day of the week, time of day, or season of the year are common in many African cultures. Ama is one that can be used happily by parents who live in English-speaking countries.
  3. Devere
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "of the fishing place"
    • Description:

      An original choice for a fisherman's child.
  4. Sosa
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Portuguese
    • Meaning:

      "salty water; rocky, pebbly"
    • Description:

      Sweet, spirited, and unexpected as a given name, reality TV star Lala Kent brought Sosa into the spotlight when she chose it for her daughter in 2024. A Spanish name deriving from the Portuguese surname Sousa, Sosa is a unique choice that still fits in with the likes of Luna, Rosa, Nova, and Luz.
  5. Delta
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "fourth letter; island formed at the mouth of a river"
    • Description:

      Delta is an unusual vintage option, blending the sounds of Della and Etta. The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and a geographical term, used to describe an island formed at the mouth of a river, some may be put off by Delta's links the airline company of COVID variant on the same name.
  6. Tiberius
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "of the Tiber"
    • Description:

      The name of an important ancient Roman emperor, Tiberius might sound a bit heavy for a modern boy to carry, but with the rise of Atticus, Tiberius and brothers begin to feel more baby-friendly, much in the same way as Old Testament names like Elijah and Isaiah have been rejuvenated.
  7. Meriel
    • Origin:

      Variation of Muriel, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "of the bright sea"
    • Description:

      This pleasant modernization of a dated original is still rare but has real modern possibilities. Alternate versions include Merial and Meryl.
  8. Brooklyn
    • Origin:

      English Place name from Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "marshland"
    • Description:

      Extreme makeover: Brooklyn has gone from jokey Borough Boy name in the 1990s to a leading girls' name starting with B. The status of New York's Brooklyn as hipster heaven is ironic as few bona fide Brooklyn hipsters would choose this name.
  9. Kelvin
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "narrow or wooded river"
    • Description:

      A tributary of the River Clyde in Scotland, called in Scottish Gaelic Abhainn Cheilbhinn: caol ("narrow") or coille ("wooded") + abhainn ("river"). As a surname, it derives from the name of the river.
  10. Fisher
    • Origin:

      Occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "fisherman"
    • Description:

      As a member of two trendy name categories, animal and occupational, this name broke into the Top 1000 in 2004 and would make a nice tribute to an angler Grandpa.
  11. Araluen
    • Origin:

      Aboriginal Australian
    • Meaning:

      "water lilies; place of the water lilies"
    • Description:

      Araluen is a beautiful Aboriginal Australian place name, used in several sites, always connected to the dainty water lily.
  12. Halcyon
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "kingfisher bird"
    • Description:

      This highly unusual name -- the Halycyone was a mythic bird who could calm the seas -- conjures up images of utter peace and tranquility because of the phrase "Halycon days"...and the sleeping pill.
  13. Po
    • Origin:

      Italian river name
    • Description:

      A river (in Italy), a writer (Bronson), a Teletubby: the Bo of the new millennium.
  14. Sereia
    • Origin:

      Portuguese
    • Meaning:

      "mermaid"
    • Description:

      The lovely Sereia is the Portuguese word for mermaid but can also be used as a name. English speakers may shy away from the name because of pronunciation questions and indeed, any little Sereia growing up in London or Chicago will encounter many questions and mispronunciations. But it's not difficult to say once you know it and Sereia pay countervailing dividends with its beauty.
  15. Rilla
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "small brook"
    • Description:

      Rilla dropped out of the US Top 1000 in 1915, but it's starting to feel like an intriguing possibility again in this age of short, sweet, a-ending names for girls. It is traditionally a short form for names ending in -rilla, like Marilla from the Anne of Green Gables books (Anne's youngest daughter is Bertha Marilla, called Rilla for short). Rilla may also derive from the German word Rille, meaning "brook; stream".
  16. Alwyn
    • Origin:

      Welsh river name
    • Description:

      This Welsh river name has possibilities as a place name and nature name that is rare and uncommon.
  17. Misty
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "mist"
    • Description:

      The Play Misty for Me jokes will get old really fast.
  18. Remington
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "place on a riverbank"
    • Description:

      Remington Steele was the perfect name for an upper-crust action hero on 1980s television. Now, Remington is catching fire along with a new generation of predatory baby boy names such as Hunter, Gunner, and Colt. Or you might consider it a unisex namewith a buttoned-up British feel and the friendly short form Rem or Remy.
  19. India
    • Origin:

      Place name, from the River Indus
    • Description:

      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.
  20. Deveraux
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "of Evreux; riverbank"
    • Description:

      Swashbuckling name worthy of a hero in a romance novel. Deveraux or Devereaux is drawn from the town of Evreux in France and combined with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of that area.

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