Nature, Place and Word Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Spelling variation of Zamir, Hebrew, Albanian, Arabic
"song, bird; good voice; mind, heart, conscience"
Zamir in its various forms is becoming more familiar in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal, its zippy Z beginning and its uplifting meanings. From its Hebrew and Albanian roots, it is a…
English
"valley of the eagle; high"
Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It , is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is…
Arden is a gender-neutral name that's sleek and stylish but always seems to bob just below the surface of popularity, despite ticking all the boxes with its fashionable two-syllable, N-ending shape…
Animal name or Basque
"beautiful"
An eider is a sea duck whose feathers make ultra-soft eiderdown. Eider is also one of the fastest-rising boys' names that's still under the radar, increasing more than a thousand places in popularity…
"small bird"
Wren may not be as time-honored a bird name choice as Robin or even Lark, but it's more fashionable and fresh, with a gentle and earthy vibe. Given to just a handful of children a decade ago, in 2024…
French
"little hawk"
Associated for half a century with Marlon Brando, who inherited the French-inflected name from his father, Marlon has been especially well used by African-Americans, including the Jackson and Wayans…
Arabic
"baby bustard"
Its most famous bearer was Prince Osman the First, founder of the Ottoman Empire, the third caliph of the Muslims, and a companion and son-in-law of Muhammad. Osman is sometimes written as Usman. And…
French word name
"large claw of a bird of prey"
Rough and rugged, Talon is often associated with birds of prey, though more generally, it refers to any large claw, whether that's physical, metaphorical, or fantastical. The name has appeared in the…
"son of the raven"
Branson is a fairly recent addition to the Top 1000, first breaking in at Number 988 in 1995. While it may not be a common sighting yet, it fits the trend of more popular cousins Mason, Grayson,…
Italian from Greek
"eagle"
An operatic Italian option via South Pacific star Pinza, one of several Italian names currently hot in France. Ezio is the Italian form of the Greek name Aetius. Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego Saldana…
Feminine variation of Faigel, Yiddish
"bird"
Faigy is notable as New York State's quirkiest favorite name, widely-used in the Hasidic community.
English from German
"ruler, strong as an eagle"
Strange as it may now seem, the venerable St. Arnold was a Greek by birth, a musician who became a member of the court of Charlemagne. The name is said to have been introduced into Britain by the…
Nature name
"dove, a bird"
One of the new bird names, like Lark and Wren, this one's associated with the billing and cooing sounds of love. Soft and gentle, Dove also has the admirable association with peace. Dove was actually…
You may well wonder what a "bustard" is, given the odd meaning of this widely-used Arabic name. It's a large bird. Usman is widely used throughout Muslim communities worldwide, particularly in South…
Various of Coe, English "jackdaw"
"jackdaw"
An intriguing surname style option, Koe blends the sounds of Krew, Kai, Koa, and Koen. It ultimately derives from the Old English word coo , itself from the Old Norse ka , both meaning "jackdaw". It…
Native American, Cherokee
"sparrow"
This name of a giant tree, itself named for a nineteenth-century Cherokee who invented a way to write his tribe's language, makes a strong, stately statement.
"ford where crows gather"
A common surname in Scotland, but a starchy first name choice.
Variation of Tziporah, Hebrew
There are many variations of this name, with or without the initial T and the final h, with one p or two. In the Bible she was the wife of Moses.
Variation of Corbin, English and French surname
"crow, raven"
Corbyn is a modern masculine name with Old French and English roots. Derived from "corbeau" meaning "raven" or possibly from a place name meaning "settlement in a deep valley." The name gained…
Indian, Sanskrit, Punjabi
"guru's bird; teacher's falcon"
A Top 100 name in BC, Canada, where there is a large Punjabi population and a fast climbing name in England and Wales in 2022, Gurbaaz has the intriguing meaning "guru's bird" or "guru's falcon". The…
