Nature names have become more popular for babies with the rise of both the green movement and the quest for new kinds of unique names. Many of the best nature names, such as Sage and River, can work for either gender and also carry the advantage of being easily recognized and spelled and pronounced while at the same time moving beyond the tradition lexicon of names.

Along with Sage and River, other nature names in the US Top 1000 include Briar, Dahlia, Fox, Ivy, Laurel, Magnolia, Willow, and Wren. If you fancy baby names related to nature that are off the beaten path, Canyon, Grove, Harbor, and Prairie are stylish options that have not yet been discovered by the masses.

Nature names are drawn from all aspects of nature: the sky, the earth, flowers and animals, and the sea, among others. If you're looking for a special brand of nature names -- flowers names, say, or tree names -- you may want to consult our specialized lists for more unique selections. 

Some nature names, such as Bear and Bay, announce their connection to the natural world. Others are more subtle, with nature hidden in their meaning or their original language -- though we've gone light on those in this list given that there are so many nature names.

What's here is our master list of nature names for baby girls and baby boys from all aspects of the natural world. If there's a certain kind of nature name that interests you, you can also consult our many specialized lists of Flower Names, Tree Names, Bird Names and so on.

Nature Names for Babies

Kantuta is the Quechua name for the national flower of both Bolivia and Peru, which is known for flowering around Christmas time. With its vivid green foliage and extremely bright red bell-shaped flowers, the plant encapsulates many traditional Christmas symbols, making Kantuta one of the great unique <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/Christmas-Baby-Names">names for Christmas babies</a>.

Kantuta

This tree, famous  for the honey produced from its flowers, can be used as a masculine or feminine name.

Manuka

Suggests the salty, windswept air of the seashore. 

Gull

Dutch road cyclist Steven Kruijswijk introduced the world to this name when he chose it for his son born in 2016. It is related to the name Perry, which also means pear tree.

Perre

Columba is an early saint's name that rhumbas to a modern beat. While the original St. Columba is male, the name sounds more appropriate for a girl in the modern world. Leave variations Colm and Callum for the boys.

Columba

Udell

Offbeat flower name, sure to raise some eyebrows. But with Lily, Rose, and even Daisy starting to wilt, more alluring blooms such as Geranium, Magnolia, and Azalea may blossom.

Geranium

Marjoram is a herb and flower. With nicknames like Margie and Jo at the ready, we think that if Marigold can make a comeback, why not Marjoram?

Marjoram

Call us traditional, but for girls we still prefer flower names to trees. 

Spruce

In botany, a catkin is a long, thin flower cluster found on trees such as willow, hazel, oak and birch. The word derives from Middle Dutch katteken "kitten", due to the resemblance to a kitten's furry tail.

Catkin

Sure you could just use Meadow or Lark. But if you really want to go for it, Meadowlark is an option. Meadowlark Lemon, born Meadow Lemon, was a (male) American basketball player known as the "Clown Prince" of the Harlem Globetrotters who played professionally for nearly 40 years.

Meadowlark

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.

Nature

A virtually unknown choice in the U.S. -- after 20 years of researching names, we've just heard of it ourselves -- but definitely attractive and usable for the baby namer who truly wants something different.

Papatya

This botanical name can be used for both boys and girls.

Zumar

In Turkey, as in many countries around the world, word names are on the rise. Doğa is among the most popular for baby girls.

Doğa

Corymbia is the botanical name of many species of beautiful flowering gum trees. It is a rare, but attested, girls name in Australia.

Corymbia

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!

Lightning

Briar is a rising nature name for both girls and boys and Bryars is a spin introduced as the middle name of one of the Waldrop sextuplets, Layke Bryars, who happens to be a boy. But the name works just as well for girls.

Bryars

Rice is really stretching the nature name boundary to its outer edges. But you may want to take it that far.

Rice

Dunja is an intriguing Eastern European name that's at once striking but not difficult for English speakers.

Dunja

Nature Names - baby names from flowers, trees, ocean, and sky

Nature Names

Nature names for babies, with flower names, tree names, ocean names and sky names.