Nature Names for Girls

Fern

English

"plant name"

Of all the botanicals, Fern has been one of the slowest to move back from the front parlor into the nursery, despite the appealing girl character in the children's classic Charlotte's Web . Fern was…

Fflur

Welsh

"flower"

A rare Welsh form of Flora and Fleur, ultimately taken from the Latin flos , this floral choice is given to a handful of girls most years in Wales. To date, its peak was in 2018, when 15 babies…

Fig

Fruit name

Fig was the unlikely name of a beautiful character in Curtis Sittenfeld's Man of My Dreams . It could make a playful middle name or a sparky nickname for the likes of Philippa, Fiona, Felicity, and…

Finch

English word and nature name

"to swindle"

Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel. Only five baby girls were named Finch in the most recent year, and four times as many baby boys.

Finlay

Irish and Scottish

"fair-haired hero"

Finlay is a Scottish royal name (it belonged to Macbeth"s father) that was revived by several celebrity parents who did a gender switch when they used it for their daughters. Angie Harmon and Jason…

Finn

Irish

"white, fair"

The most enduringly popular hero of Irish myth was Finn McCool, whose name is one of the coolest ever. When used for the female protagonist of How to Make an American Quilt , Finn established its…

Fioralba

Italian

"flower of the dawn"

A lush, romantic flower name for people who think Rose, Violet and Lily are 1000 times too popular.

Firth

Scottish nature name

"estuary or arm of the sea"

Highly unusual water name -- and actor Colin surname -- with a Scottish burr. Firth derives from the Old Norse word fjord.

Fjord

Norse word name

The Old Norse and modern Norwegian word name Fjord, which refers to a passage in the sea, could work for children of both genders.

Fleur

French

"flower"

Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur…

Floortje

Dutch

"little flower"

This Dutch girls' name meaning little flower is one of the more common Dutch-origin names used in the Netherlands today.

Florentina

Latin

"blooming"

The Latin names for girls Florentina may be the most feminissima and flowery of the 'Flor" names. Another option would be Fiorentina, though you can also downshift to Flora or Florence.

Florine

French

This rare and archaic French name is a little too close to Chlorine for our liking. Despite its flowery origins, Florine has a warrior history - Florine of Burgundy was a female French crusader, who…

Forsythia

Flower name, from English surname

"Forsyth's flower"

This yellow harbinger spring bloom was named for Scottish botanist William Forsyth, and is even more unusual than such species as Acacia and Azalea.

Fox

Animal name

"fox"

Fox is a fast-rising name for boys, initially popularized by the character Fox Mulder on The X Files , and recently resurged by the TV show's revival. It was reported that the TV character's first…

Foxglove

Flower name, from English

"fox's glove"

A rare flower name that works as well for boys as it does for girls, so named because of its resemblance to a small glove.

Freesia

Flower name, from German surname

"Freese's flower"

A rare, free-feeling flower name for the parent who wants to move far, far beyond Rose and Daisy. Named for German physician Friedrich Freese.

Frost

English

"freezing"

Frost is a name parents are beginning to warm to, appreciating its icy simplicity and connection with the venerable poet Robert. Frost, along with Winter, Snow, and January, are also perfect names…

Fuchsia

Plant and color name

"vivid purplish-red; tubular flower"

A plausible color name, it was chosen by the singer Sting as a middle name for his daughter, after a character in the Gormenghast fantasy trilogy, of which he's a big fan. Another bearer is Fuchsia…