999+ Nature Names for Babies

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.

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.

Iraia is one of those uncommon names that have two different meanings and derivations, one female and one male. The girls' version is a Basque name found throughout the Mediterranean with a nature meaning. As a boys' name, Iraia is a tradtiional Maori name.

Model Trish Goff's Nima is a boy, but the a ending gives this name a feminine feel.

More commonly known as the Mongolian Gazelle, the Zeren is an antelope native to the steppes of Central Asia.

Ten times as many boys are named Oak as girls: about 50 boys last year to five girls. Of course, nature names don't have any traditional gender identification the way names like John and Mary do, so Oak works well for all babies. Oakley is the most popular Oak name for babies of all genders.

The unique O-ending makes this name memorable, especially for someone with ties to Texas.

A rarely heard flower name, Amapola comes from the Spanish word for "poppy", in turn associating with name with remembrance and the months of August and November. Pronounced as a-ma-POH-la, with the emphasis on the third syllable, it may feel similar enough to Amalia, Amaia, and Paula to work.

Aire is a poetic spelling of the word "air", once widely used in Middle English. Today, it's a brand new baby name, introduced to wider audiences when Kylie Jenner revealed it as the new name of her son (the baby previously known as Wolf). Aire is an exciting new choice in nature names and unisex names — one that is decidedly less materialistic than the homophone name Heir.

A bold, unisex virtue name that first made the charts for boys in 1990 and girls in 2008. Millennials may associate it with the Cartoon Network show Courage the Cowardly Dog, about a timid, good-natured dog by the name.

A tough and rugged nature name.

Icelandic nature name that may be too close to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Many traditional Russian names have ancient Greek origins, such as Kivela, which derives from Cybele. In Greek mythology, Cybele was the goddess of fertility, nature, and health.

Ersa, daughter of Zeus and the moon goddess Selene, is goddess of the morning dew, which may make this an excellent name for a child born in the early hours of the day.

One of the simplest, most down-to-earth yet evocative of the word names, which could work — especially as a middle.

Could be used in an Indian family for a garden-lover's son.

Patrin is a truly unusual yet easily comprehended choice. In Romani culture, Patrin refers to the signs and markers that were left behind for other travellers to follow. Piles of leaves and grass were often used to mark their way, making this a symbolic name in Romani culture. Ultimately, the name may derive from the Sanskrit pattra meaning "leaf".

This surname ultimately derives from a Galician place name meaning "fig tree", but has spread all over the Spanish-speaking world. It's not certain if it's ever been used as a first name, but it could work - especially as it's reminiscent of the operatic character Figaro.

People are likely to want to put that second - Cornell University inspired - L on the end of this name, when in fact it has a completely different etymology. This name is very popular in Romania though American public intellectural Cornel West and South African athlete Cornel Fredericks broadens its use beyond Eastern Europe.

Perrin has been in long use as a surname, derived from Peter, and is now used quietly as a first name. It was given to 26 boys and six girls in the US in 2023, a decrease over the year before. It has an attractive sound and feel and seems equally usable for both sexes.