Nature, Place and Word Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Gemstone name
There aren't many gemstone names that are firmly masculine but Malachite is one of these. The gemstone is a rich green colour and is often used for decorative sculptures. The name is thought to…
Latin
"Roman messenger god"
Adventurous parents are starting to look back to names of ancient gods like Mercury, Zeus, and Apollo. This one is also a planet and a metallic element, and has a friendly nickname, Merc. The Roman…
Irish place-name from Caledonia
"hard or rocky land"
Caledon, the name of the arrogant Billy Zane character in "Titanic," is an Irish place-name related to Caledonia, the Latin word for Scotland thought to be derived from the ancient Celtic word for…
Word name
This recently coined respelling of Cole darkens its image.
Invented literary name
"elfstone"
This attractive name was created by JRR Tolkien for his The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. It was given to Aragorn by Galadriel and later adopted by him as King of Gondor.
Italian and Spanish from Greek
"purple dye"
This ancient saint's name was borne by the infamous midcentury playboy, Porfirio Rubirosa.
Gaelic
"rock"
The name of a type of nautical knot and the surname of an English soccer star feels very at home in a world of Kendricks and Merricks.
"silver coin"
Jewel name, for the French
"pomegranate"
One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, for both boys and girls, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl. But interestingly, Garnet means pomegranate, the fruit who shares a deep…
Japanese
"amber"
Masculine name with a gem meaning.
Hebrew
"gold"
A Middle Eastern name rarely heard here, but with a certain swashbuckling charm.
Greek
Piers was the first version of Peter to reach the English-speaking world, via the Normans, but it's never made it in the US, despite its large measure of understated panache. This might change due to…
Scandinavian
"Thor's stone"
Shades of Thurston Howell, the effete millionaire castaway on Gilligan's Island.
Spanish
Rare, with a gleaming, golden image.
Hebrew; Spanish
"gold; peace"
Paz is an appealing Spanish name meaning "peace", derived from the Latin "pax". It's usually feminine in Spanish, but could also make an interesting literary choice for a boy, honoring the writer…
"peace"
Pazel's abbreviated version, Paz, is far more modern and attractive.
Greek and Basque
"stone"
Creative variation on Peter.
Scottish
"mound of rocks"
In Scotland, a cairn is a heap of stones placed as a memorial or to support a beacon. This gives the name a rugged, timeless quality that is very appealing at present.
"fire stone"
So named because it emits sparks when struck with a stone.
Mineral name
This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.
