Baby Name Meanings · Nature, Place and Word Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 28 pages
of 28
Hebrew
"fawn or gazelle"
Old Testament name of the daughter-in-law of Naomi, now eclipsed by the originally misspelled Oprah. Oprah Winfrey may have made her name more famous than this original Biblical version, but no baby…
Variation of Orpah, Hebrew
The misspelling that created an indelibly one-person name. And we mean that literally: Despite Oprah Winfrey's fame and appeal, there were no baby girls named Oprah last year, OR Orpah. The Biblical…
Arabic
"white gazelle"
Rym is one of those simple-yet-uncommon names that's extremely rare in the US , where no baby girls were given the name last year. But it certainly can travel anywhere.
English
"cattle ford"
Stuffy presidential choice: consider Hayes instead.
Native American
"bird woman"
Sacagawea (or, sometimes, Sakakawea or Sacajawea) was a Lemhi Shoshone woman who was instrumental to the Lewis and Clark Expedition across what is now the western part of the USA. She traveled…
Animal name
"salmon, a fish"
nature names are in, and even fish names like Pike and Salmon are open for consideration.
Latin
"scorpion"
Of all the astrological names —think Leo, Aries, Gemini— Scorpio probably has the most dramatically potent presence, which could prove something of a burden to a young boy. In the soap…
English word and nature name
Projects the sleek and playful image of the aquatic mammal, plus that of the striking British-born Brazilian/Nigerian/Afro-Caribbean singer (born Sealhenry).
Egyptian
"(she who) tightens the throat, (she who) causes the throat to breathe"
Also spelled Selqet, Serket and Serqet, Selket was the Ancient Egyptian goddess of the scorpions and of magic. She was a helpful goddess and protected souls on their journey to the afterlife. She is…
Indian, Sanskrit, Nepali
"moon, having a hare"
Shashi is an Indian name for the moon, giving it a shimmering quality, but its literal meaning translates to "having a hare." In India, a hare is a common image to see in the moon.
Variation of Sirkka, Finnish, Yiddish variation of Sarah, Hebrew
"grasshopper, seed leaf; princess"
While its Yiddish use has died out, Sirke is seen today in Nordic countries, most commonly Finland. Sirke is a form of Sirkka, but it may also be related to the Finnish word sirkeä, meaning "lively."
Nordic
"swallow (bird)"
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…
"swan"
Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan…
Saxon
"battle swan"
An ancient name belonging to "the most beautiful of all women" in Germanic mythology, whose tragic story features in many northern European legends. The daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun, her jealous…
Native American, Inuit
"wolf"
An interesting possibility if you're looking for a highly unusual animal name.
Finnish
"wild aurochs; energy"
Tarvo has two potential origin stories. The first is that it derives from the Old Finnish word tarvas , meaning "wild aurochs," a wild species of cattle that is now extinct. The second possible…
"like a bull"
Taura is a possibility for a girl born between mid-April and mid-May, but, if a name is destiny, its meaning does suggest stubbornness. Consider Laura, Flora, or Honora instead.
Japanese
"rice-field stork"
Tazu has a certain snazzy appeal.
"wild goat, silly old fool"
A biblical name -- he was the father of Abraham -- but the father's name is much less appealing than the son's, in both sound and meaning.
Greek
"lion honor"
This ancient name, belonging to a 4th century BCE Greek statesman and general, would be one of those unique baby names with lots of more down-to-earth nickname potential, including Tim and Leon.…
