Botanical Baby Names

Gwyneth Paltrow's Apple has opened the world of botanical names beyond flowers to trees, herbs, fruits, and — why not — nuts. Cayley and Brandon Jenner have a daughter named Joan Almond.

Almond

A rarely heard flower name, Amapola comes from the Spanish word for "poppy", in turn associating with name with remembrance and the months of August and November. Pronounced as a-ma-POH-la, with the emphasis on the third syllable, it may feel similar enough to Amalia, Amaia, and Paula to work.
 
The name appears in the title of the popular song "Amapola", originally written by Spanish American composer José Lacalle in the 1920s. It later became a huge Big Band hit in the 1940s and variations of it have since been recorded by Bing Crosby, Natalie Cole, Bradley Walsh, and Andrea Bocelli. 
 
Baseball player Francisco Lindor and his wife Katia named their daughter Amapola Chloé in 2023, which may help it catch on.

Amapola

Amaranth is a beautiful herb with bright fuchsia flowers and a tasty seed that flavors many Eastern dishes. The name is filled with potential for the more adventurous namer, with nickname potential (Ammy, Mara) and a fresh sound that still fits in with all the Amelias and Ambers in the playground.

Amaranth

Attached to one of the heroes of Christopher Paolini's megapopular fantasy novel Eragon, this name sounds strong yet sensitive. 

Paolini's character is named after another bestselling fantasy author and artist, the uni-named Brom (which is actually his last name).
The word broom in the name's meaning refers not to something you sweep with but to a yellow bush or plant that grows wild and is considered invasive.

Brom

An attractive enough name, but for die-hard Star Wars fans only.

Amidala

Anemone is a floral name that relates to the ancient Greek myth of the famous love story of Aphrodite and Adonis, in which Aphrodite transforms her wounded lover's blood into a flower, the crimson anemone, whose blossoms are opened by the wind — accounting for its other name, windflower.
 This makes an interesting, if challenging, choice for someone seeing an unusual flower name.

Anemone

A representative Japanese name with a meaning symbolizing ripeness.


Anzu

A very unique fruit name heard more often on peachy-colored dogs than on baby girls.

Apricot

Araluen is a beautiful Aboriginal Australian place name, used in several sites, always connected to the dainty water lily. 
In terms of sound Araluen offers it all - the "Ara" beginning made popular by Arabella, the spunky "Lu" sound in the middle, giving rise to great nicknames like "Lulu," and the final "en" sound which makes it fit right in with all those Viviens and Adriennes in the school yard.
Araluen is a great choice for parents looking for a fresh sounding nature-based girls name that isn't too frilly or too masculine.

Araluen

Unknown but eminently usable choice, especially for Jewish parents, with lovely meaning. 

Arava

Appearing in some versions of the Old Testament, Ardith sounds like an ethereal combination of Arden and Edith, with a sweet naturey meaning. Also appearing as Ardeth and Ardath, it was first considered as a first name after the writer Marie Corelli used Ardath as the name of her 1889 novel. It was at its peak in the 1930s, when it was given to 176 girls.

Ardith

Arpad is a hero name in Hungary, belonging to the Second Grand Prince of the Maygars, who established a dynasty that ruled for four centuries. Not heard often here, but is associated with the French-born financier who got his name from an earlier Hungarian banker and who's been involved with two of the world's most beautiful women &mdash; he is, in fact the father of Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson.

Arpad

Ashley substitute with a slightly more unisex feel; it was picked for her daughter by TV host Nancy O'Dell.

Ashby

Azami has a prickly image and feel — reinforced by the thistle's image in Eastern mythology as one of defiance. A name that spans two widely divergent cultures, Azami might make the perfect international choice, at once unusual and easy to comprehend.

Azami

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.

Bamboo

Barbossa (also spelled Barbosa) is derived from the Barbosa palm. It is also a common place name, with towns called Barbossa spread across Latin America. Film buffs might also recall that Barbossa is the name of the captain of the Black Pearl in the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean". 

Barbossa

Perfect choice if your baby has grandpas named Barry and Eric, but also a bit military. 

Barric

Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word beġ meaning "berry"

Bean is a unisex word name with a cute and quirky feel. Early reader series Ivy and Bean features a young girl named Bean, short for Bernice Blue. It has appeal as a casual nickname or middle name, but it's harder to imagine as a given name.
 
Lady Gaga chose the name for her daughter, Rose Bean, in 2026, while it also featured as a nickname for Isabel in the TV series The Summer I Turned Pretty. You could consider it as a nickname for the likes of Sabine, Sabrina, Beatrice, Bianca, Bernadette, and Briana.

Bean

If you prefer the woods to the ocean, you'll want to name your son (or daughter) Beech instead of Beach.

Beech

Botanical baby names have meanings related to plants and plant-life. Names with botanical meanings include 

, and names inspired by grasses, sprouts, and shrubs, such as Chloe and Bentley.

Along with Chloe and Bentley, other botanical names for babies in the US Top 1000 include Aspen, Briar, Daisy, Nash, Oliver, Rowan, Sylvie, and Zaria. Flower names have always been stylish for baby girls, but tree names are heating up for boys and girls. Among the many on-trend options are Acacius, Juniper, Magnolia, and Oak.

A plant-related baby name could be ideal for the child of a parent working in botany or horticulture, or one with a green thumb. Plant-related baby names come in a variety of styles, from vintage classics like Lily and Oliver to modern

If you are searching for the perfect botanical name for your son or daughter, consider one of these from our complete list.

Botanical Baby Names - baby names from flowers, trees, plants, herbs, and shrubs, with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 27)

585+ Botanical Baby Names