Nameberry Favorites · Nature, Place and Word Names
Nameberry's Favorite Nature Names
Across 4 pages
of 4
Rue
Botanical names or word name
"herb; regret"
Rue has gone from Golden Girls actress to Hunger Games heroine to a fresh alternative to beloved middle name Rose. This botanical name is also a coincidental double word name, meaning "regret" in…
Rye
Diminutive of Ryder or Riley or word name, English
"cavalryman, messenger; rye"
Rye has the potential to become the masculine version of Rue—a short and sweet name for nature lovers (and whiskey fans too!). Rye might be short for Ryder or Riley or Rylan or any Ry-beginning name,…
Saffron
Spice name
"orange-yellow color; a type of crocus"
Spice names are increasingly appealing to the senses of prospective parents; this one, belonging to a precious spice derived from the crocus has a vaguely orange-scented-incense sixties feel. English…
Sapphira
Greek variation of Sapphire, Hebrew jewel name
"sapphire"
Sapphira is a lovely name which unfortunately has an unsavory Biblical history. The New Testament Sapphira was killed by God for lying about a tax payment. There's a Willa Cather novel called…
Senna
Botanical name; Arabic
"brightness"
Senna is a flowering bush common in the tropics, with bright yellow flowers. In herbal medicine, Senna has gained some notice as the active ingredient in so-called "dieter's teas," which works mainly…
Seren
Welsh, Turkish
"star or sail mast"
Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs. Seren only recently fell out of the girls'…
Sky
Nature name
Sky is an ambigender nature name that was first legitimized as the character of Sky Masterson in the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls , played in the film version by Marlon Brando. It's a name we…
Slate
Word name
One of the more unusual of the current crop of strong, single-syllable boys' names, evoking the images of both old-fashioned blackboards and modern stepping-stones and countertops.
Snow
English word name
There's definitely a cold front of names for winter babies moving in, with Summer, Spring and Autumn giving way to Winter--plus North, January, Frost--and Snow. This name feels brisk, fresh, pure,…
Sorrel
Botanical name and French
"reddish brown"
Sorrel is a gentle, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. Sorrell is a variant spelling. Both make excellent names for autumn babies and can be…
Storm
Word name
Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the…
Sunny
Nickname name
Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile, along with its soundalike Sonny. Sunny Pawar, the five-year-old star of the 2016 smash-hit movie Lion , was cast from among thousands of young…
Vega
Arabic, Spanish
"swooping eagle; meadow"
Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 girls' names . Although still…
Violetta
Italian, Russian and Hungarian variation of Violet, English
"purple"
With Violet in vogue, this vibrant international variation has been on the rise since the 2010s. Vintage and floral like its more popular sister, Violetta has a slightly softer sound and a touch of…
Wisteria
Flower name, from English surname
"Wister's flower"
A frilly southern-accented flower name yet to be planted on many birth certificates. In the language of flowers, the wisteria is a symbol of devotion. It is named for American horticulturalist John…
Wolf
Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, German
" traveling wolf"
Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer…
Xochitl
Nahuatl, Aztec
"flower"
Xochitl is a Nahuatl or Aztec floral name used in southern Mexico and pronounced SO-chee-tl or SHO-chee-tl, although sometimes the "tl" at the end is not pronounced, making it SO-Chee. A Nameberry…
Zinnia
Flower name, from German surname
"Zinn's flower"
Zinnia is an unusual floral choice with a bit more edge and energy than most and beginning to find its way onto namers' wish lists of botanical possibilities. Named after the 18th-century German…