An unusual flower name deriving from the Latin word for lily (lilium), this variant has always been popular in Scotland.

Sonny is one of the term of endearment names on the rise, and it feels like a fresh option for girls as an alternative spelling of bright nature name Sunny or a cute gender-bending nickname name.

Gardener is surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options, calling up images of green grass and budding blooms. The name can also be spelled without the first 'e', as in Gardner (born George Cadogan Gardner) McCay, a hunky TV heartthrob of the 1950s and 60s. Gardner is a much more common surname spelling, associated with screen legend Ava, mystery writer Erle Stanley and art collector and patron Isabella Stewart, founder of Boston's Gardner Museum.

A striking Nordic name with ancient roots, Svala (and its less common variant form Svale) derive from the Old Norse name for the swallow. This could be a great choice for nature lovers and fans of Edith Piaf (piaf being a term for a swallow).

Would you really want to name your child after a Japanese anime movie called Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space.

For the parent who genuinely wants something different, this nature choice is popular in Spain. Downside: connection to words irate and irritation.

This pretty Turkish nature name is borne by actress Almila Bagriacik, who has appeared in various German films and TV series.

A genus of tropical shrubs that bear white and pink flowers.

This herb is also known as cilantro. It's meaning, "bed bug" is on account of its smell, characterized by the ancient Greeks as bed bug-like.

Primula is related to Primrose, the name and the flower, and would make a quirky yet charming (or is it charming yet quirky?) botanical name for a first daughter.

The final s turns a nature name into a Waspy surname.

A star in the constellation Triangulum Australe, also the name of a publishing imprint and an assisted living corporation, probably because it has that streamlined corporate I-could-be-a-car-name feel. Atria is the plural of the more familiar term for an entry hall or foyer, atrium.

A cool and breezy nature name with a stylish sound, used by Volkswagen for one of its cars.

A popular flower, but as a name we don't expect it to reach the heights of Lily or Violet. Its origins are not entirely clear: it may come directly from the French word carnation "complexion" (because of the flower's pale pink color), or it may be a corruption of English "coronation".

This charming spelling of Lillie had its heyday in the late 1800s and ranked in the Top 100 until the end of the 1920s. It dropped off the Top 1000 completely in the 1980s and 1990s but is now back in play.

Reddish dye that sounds as if it could be a real name — of the outdated, Old World, Yetta-Hedda variety.

Acker is a surname name that has not seen much use to date, but given it's lush nature meaning (and the fact that it also means "friend" in Somerset slang) this could be a cute choice for parents looking for something fresh. An added bonus its link to English "Master of the Clarinet" Acker Bilk. The Dutch version, Akker, is also an option.

Musician Ry Cooder brought this short form into the lexicon -- his full name is Ryland -- and it feels more familiar now that more Ry- beginning names such as Ryder and Riley are, ahem, riding up the ranks. The Rye spelling makes it more of a word or a nature name and less of a nickname.

Layke is one of the names of the Waldrop sextuplets: Layke Bryars. Though this Layke happens to be a boy, the nature name works equally well for girls.

No - not a creative spelling of Katy. This name, which can be used for boys or girls, means maple tree. Kaede is unusual in Japan although it has been gaining more popularity after it has been used for several anime and manga characters, such as Kaede Akamatsu from Danganronpa.