Nature, Place and Word Names · Unisex Baby Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 24 pages
of 24
Word name, various origins
This is an Anglicized form of various names; the Irish Gaelic O Bruic; German, Bruck or Breck, meaning "swamp" or "wood"; Yiddish, Brik, "bridge"; and Slovenian, Bric, "dweller from a hilly place."…
Botanical name and French
"reddish brown"
A fragrant herbal and color name that could make a sensitive, distinctive choice.
Italian and Spanish from Greek
"purple dye"
This ancient saint's name was borne by the infamous midcentury playboy, Porfirio Rubirosa.
Sanskrit
"dark, black, blue"
Shyam is one of the alternate names of Hindu God Krishna.
Persian place name
Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a…
Color name
One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling.
Greek
"sea-green jewel"
Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.
Yiddish
"brown"
A name heard in the Jewish community and another addition to the color name list.
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…
English word name
"gray"
Now that Bear is becoming a hot name, can Grizzly be far behind? A handful of baby boys did get this name last year in the US.
Jewel name, from the French
One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl.
Magenta is a vivid Crayola color name, that could make a vivid, colorful choice. It was named in 1859 after the Napoleonic Battle of Magenta, a town in Northern Italy. One of J.K. Rowling's…
River name and color name
"dark blue, indigo"
Cool, serene name of the Egyptian river can make a fresh choice for a girl. The origin of river name Nile relates to the Arabic and ancient Hebrew word for dark blue or indigo; in ancient Egyptian,…
English
"animal name"
Sable is often associated with the Dynsaty soap opera, but it is actually a type of animal historically hunted for its fur. Sable is also used as a word for a warm, rich black color. Both…
Slavic
"golden dawn"
Both a first and last name, Zorina has a pretty, ballerina-like quality.
"deep reddish-brown"
A strong, warm name and a strong warm color. Would make an excellent alternative to August or Aubrey.
Latin
"gold"
A handsome alternative to Adrian or Dorian, derived from the Latin word aurum "gold".
A variation of Gray — which itself is trending in the forms Gray, Grey, Grayson, Greyson, Grayden, and more — that is surprisingly yet to be on parents' radars. Grayer is the name of a young boy in…
"golden apple"
Euphonic hybrid of the sounds of Melissa and Laura. Melora Hardin is an actress who was featured on The Office.
French
"black"
Noir is a name that would sound soigne and sophisticated on a 30-year-old, and perhaps too grown-up for a toddler. But with the popularity of so many other color names, Noir feels like a true…
