Beach Baby Names

  1. Merlin
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "sea fortress"
    • Description:

      This name of the famous fifth-century sorcerer and mentor of King Arthur may or may not be a bit wizardy for a real-life modern child. Its most noted modern bearer: football star turned actor Merlin Olsen, whose father was named Merle.
  2. Julie
    • Origin:

      French from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "youthful, sky father"
    • Description:

      Wildly popular in the 1960s and '70s, Julie is no longer anywhere near as stylish as the name's longer forms. Try Juliet, Juliana, or even the more grownup Julia.
  3. Sunny
    • Origin:

      English nickname
    • Description:

      Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile. You might want to use it as a short form for a more "serious" name such as Sunniva, but Sunny is undeniably, well, sunny.
  4. Jenna
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Jennifer
    • Meaning:

      "white shadow, white wave"
    • Description:

      Jenna was first noted on the 1980s TV series Dallas, later associated with one of the First Twin Daughters. Jenna is still being used, but no longer feels much fresher than Jennifer. You can also spell it Jena, but then many people will pronounce it jeen-a, as in Gina.
  5. Irving
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "green river, sea friend"
    • Description:

      It might be surprising to know that this name originated as a Scottish place and surname name, as in Washington Irving. It became a popular choice for first-generation Jewish-American boys, such as best-selling authors Irving Stone and Irving Wallace, whose parents looked to surnames from the British Isles to confer a measure of assimilation and class.
  6. Nori
    • Origin:

      Japanese, English short form or Eleanor, Leonora, Nora, Honora, or North, form of Nor or Nuri, Arabic, Turkish
    • Meaning:

      "ceremonial rites, doctrine, seaweed; unknown, honor, north; my light"
    • Description:

      Nori is one of those names with several origins that would have no trouble assimilating into a variety of cultures. It might also be associated with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi or with the nickname Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use for their daughter North.
  7. Marley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "pleasant seaside meadow"
    • Description:

      Reggae master Bob's surname was one of the biggest risers on the popularity charts for girls in 2008, with spellings Marlee and Marely also leaping in favor. Also used for boys, Marley is one of the top unisex names in the US.
  8. Malik
    • Origin:

      Arabic; Greenlandic
    • Meaning:

      "king; owner; wave"
    • Description:

      A name with many spelling variations, including Malek, Melik, and Maliq, Malik is a popular name of Arabic and Semetic origin that is used internationally as both a given name and a surname. In terms of meaning, it can be considered a royal name meaning "king", though other sources suggest it is an alternative transcription of Maalik, making "owner, possessor" a more accurate meaning.
  9. Ariel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lion of God"
    • Description:

      Ariel is a male Biblical name, seen there as the messenger of Ezra, and also used as a symbolic name for the city of Jerusalem, while Shakespeare used it for a (male) sprite in The Tempest.
  10. Cove
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small bay"
    • Description:

      Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice for either gender.
  11. Rocky
    • Origin:

      English, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "rock; rest; rook"
    • Description:

      A popular choice back in the 50s and 70s, Rocky fell into decline after Sylvester Stallone's battered but not beaten boxer character became the overwhelming association many had with the name. Now, nearly five decades on from when the first Rocky movie was released, this tough yet playful name is back in style, ready to forge an identity of its own. Given to around 420 boys in the US in 2024, it was one of the fastest rising names of the year.
  12. Fisher
    • Origin:

      Occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "fisherman"
    • Description:

      As a member of two trendy name categories, animal and occupational, this name broke into the Top 1000 in 2004 and would make a nice tribute to an angler Grandpa.
  13. Morwenna
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "maiden"
    • Description:

      Morwenna is an ancient Cornish name now being revived in Wales, deriving from a Celtic word meaning "maiden", although the Mor- syllable means that it's often associated with the sea. It's been heard in the British series Doc Martin and Poldark. Morwenna Banks is a British actress.
  14. Doris
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "gift of the ocean"
    • Description:

      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 revivals of Dorothy and Dorothea.
  15. Marvin
    • Origin:

      Welsh, variant of Mervyn
    • Meaning:

      "sea hill"
    • Description:

      Marvin has been neglected for so long that it's hard to believe that it has windswept Welsh roots. It also has some strong namesakes going for it -- singer Marvin Gaye, composer Marvin Hamlisch and boxer Marvin Hagler. It's the real name of both Neil Simon and Meatloaf. And let's not forget mention Marvin Gardens on Monopoly.
  16. Maris
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "of the sea"
    • Description:

      Maris is an unusual and appealing name that has never appeared in the U.S. Top 1000, overshadowed by its twentieth century elaboration, Marisa/Marissa. It derives from the phrase "Stella Maris," star of the sea, one of the many epithets of the Virgin Mary, and became familiar via the unseen (but unliked) character of sitcom Frasier's ex-sister-in-law.
  17. Dillon
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "loyal"
    • Description:

      Different origin from the Welsh Dylan, but increasingly used as a variant spelling to honor Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas. Still, the Dylan spelling is found 20 times as often as Dillon.
  18. Morgana
    • Origin:

      Female version of Morgan, Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "sea-circle"
    • Description:

      Since Morgan is used as--or more--frequently for girls as for boys, this feminization has fallen by the wayside. It drew some brief attention via the pop singer Morgana King.

      The similar Morgiana appears in Tales from the Thousand and One Nights.

  19. Marissa
    • Origin:

      Variation of Maris or a combination of Maria + Louisa
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
    • Description:

      Pretty feminissima name that never became as overused as cousin Melissa. The more streamlined Maris is a more modern sounding option.
  20. Kairi
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "sea"
    • Description:

      Kairi is the name of the main female character in the popular role-playing video game series, Kingdom Hearts. Voiced by Hayden Panettiere in the main series, Kairi is one of the seven Princesses of the Heart. Kairi entered the US Top 1000 in 2010 and was given to over 400 baby girls in one recent year.