Baby Name Meanings · Nature, Place and Word Names
Names That Mean Ocean or Sea
Across 12 pages
of 12
Aphrodite
Greek mythology name
"foam or born from the sea"
The name of the Greek goddess of love has rarely descended to mortal use, though the Roman equivalent Venus, thanks to tennis star Williams, now seems completely possible. But with the new fashion…
Aramoana
Maori
"pathway of the sea"
A beautiful elaboration on the Polynesian name Moana "sea", made famous by the 2016 Disney film of the same name. It is also a New Zealand place name.
Arnav
Hindi
"ocean"
This popular Indian name is heard in the US. Bollywood actor Akshay Khanna has a son named Arnav.
Asherah
Sumerian
"she who treads on the sea"
Asherah is probably one of the most ancient of mother goddess symbols, recorded in the pantheons of several civilisations from the tenth century BCE. As the mother to innumerable gods and goddesses,…
Barbeau
French occupational name
"fisherman"
How to spruce up Fisher or Beau? This French surname-name might be an option for a parent unafraid of the unusual. The name derives from Barbel, a type of fish, which is how it became a surname for…
Beach
Nature name, English word name
"a shore of a body of water"
With the tide coming in on a new wave of word names, this one just might catch on, especially for parents who relish sun, sand, and surf. Forest lovers can spell it Beech, like the tree.
Bedo
Welsh
"great lord or sea lord"
Diminutive of Welsh Maredudd, the original (masculine) form of Meredith.
Beryl
Greek
"sea-green jewel"
Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.
Cormorant
English from Latin
"sea raven"
Cormorant is definitely one of the most unusual of the newly fashionable animal names, and one of the rare bird names for boys.
Danu
Celtic, goddess of fruitfulness
This sprightly Irish mythology name would make an attention-grabbing choice.
Darya
Russian or Persian, variation of Daria or feminine form of Darius
"kingly; possessing goodness; the sea"
The beguiling Darya is the name of a character in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. As a Russian name, it's a spelling variation of Daria, while in Iran, it's a girl's name that means "the sea".
Delja
Polish, diminutive of Kordelja
"daughter of the sea"
Pretty in a polka-dancing way.
Delmar
Spanish
"of the sea"
Cross-cultural name with a great nautical meaning. It boomed in the 1930s and has potential for revival now.
Delmore
French
"of the sea"
An undiscovered gem with clunky, buttoned-up appeal and a literary feel thanks to poet Delmore Schwartz.
Deniz
Turkish
"sea"
A super popular nature name in its native Turkey, currently Top 50 for both boys and girls there.
Derya
Turkish
"sea"
Derya is a unisex name in its native Turkey, though even there it is far more popular for women than for men. It is related to the Persian name Daria, which also means sea.
Devere
French
"of the fishing place"
An original choice for a fisherman's child.
Doris
Greek
"gift of the ocean"
Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…
Dwyn
Diminutive of Dwynwen
"wave"
Short, but still kind of a mouthful.
Esmarie
English, modern combination of Esme and Marie
"loved, esteemed + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Parents have been creating their own names from existing appellations since the beginning of time. So have authors, from Shakespeare to George R. R. Martin. As far as modern attempts go, Esmarie,…