999+ Nature Names for Babies

This name of one of the most romantic cities in the world could easily find its way onto an American baby girl's birth certificate.

A gentle-sounding name with a pretty meaning to match, Laylani is a close cousin to names like Lily and Layla that have been very trendy in the last few years. We're somewhat agnostic about this spelling compared to original Leilani. Though we tend to favor the original in such cases, it might be easier for non-Hawaiians to figure out how to pronounce this one.

Lots of parents choose nature names, but only a few choose Nature as a name each year. It is equally used for boys and girls in the USA.

A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelia, Oriole is extremely rare as a name: No babies were given the name in the US in 2022. But most people are aware of the Oriole bird, which makes this name uncommon yet possible.

Olympic athlete Usain Bolt introduced this unusual and electric nature name to the lexicon when he chose it for his daughter's middle name: Olympia Lightning Bolt. Now there's a name with layers of meaning!

Flower name that sounds a bit too much like a disease.

The Reid spelling is surprisingly more popular than the naturey Reed for both boys and girls, though more than 95% of little Reids are male.

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

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

Historically, the French and English name Florence was used for both sexes. And Florent is a steady classic in France, booming there in the 1980s. Maybe it's time to import it, and show that boys can be floral too.

Chrysalis is a girls' baby name derived from the state of a butterfly or moth between larva and adult. A chrysalis is a hard-shelled pupa in which the transition of the butterfly or moth takes place. As a baby name, Chrysalis came to the fore as the rumored name of the baby girl of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, who reportedly love butterflies. Chrysalis does certainly have potential as a new word name or nature name for babies, with the simple familiar nickname Chrys.

Donati is a distinguished Italian surname that can easily work as a first. The last name Donati is a patronymic from an ancestral Donato or may be a plural of Donato.

In geography, a meridian is a line drawn around the curve of the Earth between the North and South Poles. The term comes from Latin meridianus, meaning "pertaining to midday", and the association with midday has led to the word gaining an added figurative meaning of "pinnacle; culmination".

Charming French endearment, first used as a name by Goethe, that now makes an appealing choice -- though the proper feminine form is Mignonne. Note, though, that this is not actually used as a name in France, where Manon would be the closest choice.

This spice name is typically used for girls, but we see no reason it couldn't join the growing list of gender-neutral nature names.

A red spice made from dried bell peppers.

As a name, notable bearers include Danish actress Paprika Steen (born Kirsteen), and Paprika from the children's TV show Blue's Clues

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".

With River and Ocean becoming mainstream, why not consider Sea?

For any parents out there searching for a nature name starting with x -- and we doubt there are many -- this one, named for a Spanish monk called Ximenes, is a small tropical plant bearing wild limes.

Sour or sweet? Enough like Lennon, Leonard, and Clement to work, or best left in the fruit basket? That's up to you to decide, but Lemon has been appearing in the US charts for boys since the 1880s.