Unique Nature Names

A gem named for its green hue.

Feather, though it was used for a character in a Walter Mosley novel, seems too light and fluttery for a real-life girl.

Slate, Stone and Steel are on the rise, so why not Shale?

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 carries an image of grace, though perhaps also a bit of languor. It's a lovely and original name, right for our times.

This name for the sweetbriar shrub is a bit too reminiscent of eggplant.

A handsome, spruced-up post-Bruce tree name.

In the garden of herb names, Rosemary and Basil are perennials and Sage is a new upshoot, but Fennel is a real rarity. The aniseed-tasting plant, used to add flavor to dishes around the world, gets its name from the Latin word feniculum, meaning "little hay". With a wholesome nature feel and a similar sound to Finn, Fennel would be an interesting name to bring to the table.

The addax is a white antelope that resides in the Sahara Desert. A cool and usable addition to the pool of animal baby names.

Quirky and charming flower name. Thistle is Scotland's national symbol.

Branch is an attractive name with associations both with trees and with branching out into brave new worlds. Baseball's Branch (born Wesley, with Branch as his middle name) Rickey broke the color barrier by hiring Jackie Robinson for the Dodgers. Like Leaf, Branch makes a nice, not-so-obvious, addition to the tree category.

There's a whole quarry of rocky names parents are now considering: Slate, Flint, etc. , but this one is particularly hard-edged and problematic.

Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Oak, and Willow.

Bamboo is a plant name that you might want to save for the zoo's name-the-panda contest. It was used for a starbaby in 2000, though, the rapper Big Boi.

The bell-shaped flower Aletris is also known as Colic Root, Blazing Star, Unicorn Root, and Stargrass. Its roots have medicinal properties and are used to aid digestive and muscle problems. Its name derives from Greek aletris — an enslaved woman who ground corn — because of the mealy texture of the flowers.

Distinctive and charming nature name that blends elements of Jacqueline and Amanda.

Fragrant herb often used for cooking, but scarcely as a name.

Adventurous parents are venturing deeper into the garden in search of fresh names, but remember that this also makes for an alcoholic brunch.

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.

Tree name with a pleasant sound and rhythm.

The Old Norse and modern Norwegian word name Fjord, which refers to a passage in the sea, could work for children of both genders.