Nature Names for Boys

Acacius is a Latinized form of the Ancient Greek Akakios and can be interpreted to relate to the same root as the name Acacia, for the thorn bush, or Akakios which means "not evil."  With the modern taste for ancient names that end in "us," this obscure but attractive choice may have a chance of new life.  Acacius is the name of three early saints.

Acacius

Juniper is a nature name that we really like. While it's trendiest for girls -- about 2500 baby girls were named Juniper in 2022 versus 34 baby boys -- the most notable Juniper in history was the saint Brother Juniper, a follower of Saint Francis renowned for his generosity.  Blessed Junipero Serra, who founded the first of the California Missions, took his name from the earlier Saint Juniper.

Juniper

The word name Camp fits into the trendy, woodsy category for boys, where it joins Arrow, Trail, Venture, and Timber. While it was given to only 17 boys in a recent year, it has been quietly gaining more attention since the late 2010s.
 
Conjuring up imagery of summer adventures, campfires, and the great outdoors, it fits in with the more popular Ridge, Briggs, and Forrest. Alternatively, it brings to mind bright colors, bold, clashing patterns, sparkles, over-the-top looks, and the 2019 Met Gala.

Camp

Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look, similar in style to the likes of Wilder and Ranger, to Sullivan, Chester, and Stanley.
 President (Stephen) Grover Cleveland was considered well-liked and respectable in his time, notable for his integrity and fight against political corruption. As such, many children were named after him, popularizing the name and pushing it to Number 20 in the 1880s, around the time of his presidency. Today, however, some may recall his passing and enthusiastic support of the Dawes Act which was so devastating to Native Americans.
 
 Another well known Grover is jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr.
 
A recent year saw Grover used for 26 boys in the US.

Grover

The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/329/nature-baby-names">nature names</a>, for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more approachable? How about Hank or Hal instead?

Hawthorne

Konan is a spelling twist on the more familiar Irish Conan, given to a few dozen baby boys in the US last year. In the Irish language, there is no letter K but Irish names such as Ciaran and Caitlin are often "Anglicized" with K spellings as in Kieran and Katelyn, so Konan is not a stretch.

Konan

About 50 baby boys wee named Oaklyn in the US last year, vs. 600 baby girls. For girls, the Oaklynn spelling is three times more popular; for boys that's reversed.

For boys and girls, the most popular Oak name is Oakley. Oakland ranks second, then Oaklee, Oaklen, and finally Oak itself. Oaks and Oakes are up-and-coming.

Oaklyn

Fresh and surprising on a boy – and how can you not love the cool classic nickname Will?

Willow

Oisin is one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/168/irish-names">Irish baby names</a> in its native land, though largely unknown in the US. The original Oisin was the mythological son of Finn McCool and Sadb, the goddess who was changed into a deer. A legendary war hero and poet, Oisin had a name that is also reminiscent in sound of the ocean. Pronounced correctly, this name has an attractive sheen.
 Ossian is another version, reflected in the eighteenth century Ossianic poems of James Macpherson, which transformed him into a Scottish hero and also popularized the names Oscar, Fingal, Selma and Malvina.

Oisin

Perrin has been in long use as a surname, derived from Peter, and is now used quietly as a first name. It may rise higher now that it's a character name in the popular TV adaptation of Robert Jordan's fantasy novel series The Wheel of Time. 
Twenty-six baby boys were named Perrin in the US last year, along with six baby girls.

Other variations of Perry or Peter in occasional use include Perine and Perrine.

Perrin

The Greek god Triton was the messenger of the sea and the son of sea god Neptune. He is usually represented as a merman, the the head and upper body of a human and the lower body of a sea creature. In The Little Mermaid he is the father of Ariel.

Triton

Aire is a bygone spelling of "air", now reserved for poetic uses and in Kylie Jenner's case, baby names. Jenner originally announced her son's name to be Wolf, but quickly changed her mind and left the public in the dark. Weeks before his first birthday, she revealed her son's new name to be Aire.
 
Given that he is an air sign, Aquarius, born on 2.2.2022 — considered angel numbers — this skyward, heavenly name is a perfect fit. It also has a meteorological connection to his big sister's name, Stormi.
 
Aire was given to fewer than five babies of either sex the last year counted, although we expect it to make a giant leap a la Stormi's name following her birth. Another factor in its favor: the resonance with the word name Heir, itself a rising choice (and celebrity favorite).

Aire

Some sources say Artis is a form of Arthur, and it certainly has the same root and meaning of bear. But Artis is a name in its own right with a 60-year history on the US Top 1000, from about 1900 until the early 1960s.

Artis

Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example. 
Hawk is more commonly heard as a surname, represented by uber-skateboarder Tony Hawk, a pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding. Variations include Hawke, as in actor Ethan, Hawks, as in Golden Age movie director Howard, Hawking, as in scientist Stephen, and Hawkins, as in musicians Coleman, Screamin' Jay and Sophie B, and was recently given to his baby boy by quarterback Tony Romo. 

There have been characters named or nicknamed Hawk in The Revenant, The Path and Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. Hawk flirts with the lower reaches of the Nameberry Top 1000, and was given to about 40 baby boys in the US last year, the same number as were called Homer and Hardy.

Hawk

This evocative green nature name, heard much more frequently as a surname, is associated with playwright Moss Hart (born Robert), who co-wrote (with George S. Kaufman) such enduring Broadway comedies as The Man Who Came to Dinner and You Can't Take it With You.
 Never having made it onto the popularity list, Moss would make a distinctively fresh and attractive alternative to Ross.
 Prominent bearers of Moss as a surname include British auto racer Stirling, supermodel Kate, and Elisabeth Moss, star of The Handmaid's Tale and Mad Men.

Moss

Swaggering western place-name with a lot of cowboy bravado and panache. 

Laramie

The Shakespearean character Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream is King of the Fairies, but the name, with its bold 'O' beginning has plenty of strength alongside its magical qualities.
 Oberon was also seen as a fairy king in old German legend, in French heroic song, a Ben Jonson masque, and several operas. And an Oberon appeared in Disney's animated film "Gargoyles."
 The name itself likely comes from the (usually) identically pronounced Auberon, a pet form of Auberi, the Old French form of Alberich, meaning "elf ruler" or "noble bear" depending on how you interpret the elements.

Oberon

On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler and clear up the issue.

Yves

Heron may feel like a very usable nature name -- the heron is a long-legged wading bird -- but it was also the name of a 1st century Greek inventor and of an Egyptian saint. Highly unusual yet easy to understand and meaningful on several levels, Heron is a fantastic choice.

Heron

Vale is part place name, part nature name -- a poetic term for a type of valley.  Today Show coanchor Savannah Guthrie put Vale on the baby name map when she chose it for her daughter, but there's no reason the name can't work equally well for a boy.

Vale might also be a short form for Valentine or a spelling variation of the city name Vail.

Vale

 are drawn from a range of natural elements, from the sky to the sea, trees to animals.

Nature names are such a fascinating category for boys because they have been growing in so many different directions in recent years. Names like Bear, Koa, River and Orion, once relegated to the fringes, have become mainstream. And other

, like Cosmo, Wolf and Zephyr, are rising up to join them.

Parents like the evocative element of nature names. Many have clear positive meanings, as opposed to traditional names which may have meanings like "spear battle" that don't resonate much in contemporary life.

On the other hand, some of the best nature names for baby boys have their nature element disguised in the meaning. Acacius, for instance, means thorn bush, while Lennox means elm grove.

This list spotlights the cream of the nature names for boys.

The best nature names for boys including flower names plant names tree names water names and animal names for baby boys with meanings, popularity, and origins (Page 7)