Baby Name Meanings · Nature, Place and Word Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 28 pages
of 28
Dutch
"dove"
A peaceful Dutch name that many English speakers will find tough to pronounce.
English occupational surname
"driver of sheep or cattle"
Drover, an ancient occupational surname, is right in step with today's styles and would make a distinctive choice. Drover and brothers are fresh updates of such now-widely-used names as Carter and…
Frisian
Dyveke is related to the Frisian word düveke, which means "dove", as well as to the name Dietlinde.
Irish
"keeper of horses; brown horse"
Authentic Gaelic name with pronunciation problems in the US. In Scotland Eachann has been anglicized as Hector, not because of its sound, but because the Trojan hero Hector had the reputation as a…
"horse"
Eachna is the name of an Irish goddess renowned for her beauty, brains and stylishness; in early legend, a Connacht princess named Eachna was deemed to be one of the loveliest and cleverest women int…
Nature name
"eagle, a bird"
Solemn but soaring name with patriotic symbolism.
German
"brave boar"
Much more niche and obviously Germanic than its anglicised cousins Everard and Everett, but with the same strong meaning. Eberhard is hardly ever used in the US - it's only made the charts once so…
Hebrew
"bird, lark"
This Biblical bird name, a variant of Ephron, suddenly feels like it could be usable thanks to actor Zac Efron. However, in reality, few if any parents seem to be using it yet.
Basque
"bee"
With the exception of Deborah, names are more often related to honey than to bees. This graceful name honors the bright and busy bee, making it perfect for that energetic little girl. Leia is an…
French
"weasel"
Fur names. We don't think so.
Yiddish
"bird"
Faigel is a secret nature name deriving from the Yiddish word for "bird". Variants include Faiga and Faige.
Arabic
"butterfly"
Farasha is butterfly in Arabic, which means that to English-speakers, it feels more like a soft feminine name and less like a fluttery animal. Pretty without feeling flighty.
English
"fern clearing"
Actor Farley Granger set it in motion, now could be a gentler alternative to Harley.
"little raven"
Feeny and its alternative spelling Feeney have several origins in Irish. They are anglicised forms of the surnames Ó Fiannaidhe (descendant of Fiannaidhe, meaning warrior), and Ó Fidhne (descendant…
Latin
"cat-like"
This Late Roman name is little-used in modern times, though the feminine forms Feline and Felina are popular in Europe. While some relate it to the happy-go-lucky Felix, it actually has a cat-like…
"fisherman"
Unusual alternative to Fisher with a brisker surname appeal.
Thai
"guinea fowl"
Gaitok is a rare Thai name virtually unknown in the US before being featured in season three of The White Lotus . It is connected to the guinea fowl, which are commonly bred in Thailand.
Teutonic
"wand-wolf"
Gandolf and variant Gandulf are legitimate names used in medieval Europe, including by several bishops and dukes. From it comes the name of Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence. However, to…
"goose"
A bird name that could be thought of as an animated spin on Garrett.
Spanish and Portuguese
"bear"
This evocative Spanish surname would make an unusual but lively choice for a girl.
