Nature, Place and Word Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Manx, Irish
"little blackbird"
Typically spelled as Lonán in Ireland, Lonan is its Manx form, though it could also be considered the anglicized form too. The name comes from the Irish lon meaning "blackbird", paired with a…
Latin
"hawk owl"
An unexpected nature option with a bright, on-trend sound and a totally cool bird meaning, Ninox is the name of a genus of owls, including hawk-owls and boobooks. Said as NYE-noks, it could get you…
Sinhalese
"bird"
Lihini is a word name from Sri Lanka. When used as a name, it is often interpreted as meaning "free as a bird"
Aboriginal Australian
"black swan"
Maroochy Barambah, an Australian singer, brought this name into prominence in Australia.
Bird name
Meadowlark Lemon, known as the "Clown Prince" of the Harlem Globetrotters, played professional basketball for an astonishing 40 years. Lemon's original name was Meadow, as was his father's and his…
Greek
"to chatter"
An interesting name despite the pronunciation challenge. It has literary roots, both in the classical poetry of Horace, and as a character in John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman . Appealing…
Dutch
"blackbird"
Merel is a soundalike of Meryl and may be thought of as a variation of that name, but it's also the Dutch word for blackbird and so you can make it more stylish as one of the flock of cool new bird…
Cherokee
"large white water bird; egret"
Often written in English as Cooweescoowee — a place name in Oklahoma.
"bee-eater bird"
This obscure name from Greek mythology (Merope was one of the Pleiades) is better known from J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series, as the name of Tom Riddle's ill-fated mother.
Navajo
"owl"
A Navajo nature name with a cool, fresh sound.
Hebrew
"raven"
Idiosyncratic Hebrew choice.
"golden"
A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelia, Oriole is extremely rare as a name: No babies were given the name in the US in 2022. But most people are aware of the Oriole bird, which makes this…
Spanish name
"dweller at the sign of the grouse"
Dashing Latin surname name -- but also a well-known brand of Spanish packaged foods.
Professional surfer Craig Elmer Chapman went by the avian nickname Owl. We could see it working as a given name, a la Hawk and Dove.
Japanese
"big stork"
Has good vibes via the stork's intimations of longevity.
Spanish, diminutive of Francisco; Native American
"eagle"
Another winning and relaxed but energetic o-ending Latin name, sometimes associated with designer Paco Rabanne.
Hawaiian
"a bird"
Pacific island member of the currently-in-favor Lila/Leila family and one of the most attractive and unique girls' names starting with P .
"eaglelike"
That double a invests the old Arthur nickname with fresh life.
Portuguese bird name
Candice Swanpoel and Hermann Nicoli gave this uncommon Portuguese name to their son in 2016. It's the Portuguese word for the red-fan parrot, putting it in the fashionable bird name category.
Scandinavian
"glorious raven"
The raven was a holy bird in Norse mythology, giving this choice some resonance beyond other Bart variations.
