Nature, Place and Word Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Celtic
"long-winged swimming birds"
Suggests the salty, windswept air of the seashore.
Greek
"crow"
In Greek mythology, Coronis is the name of several minor characters. The name is off-limits for the foreseeable future, due to its similarity to "corona."
Latin
"like a raven"
Corvina sounds quite similar to a car model, although it has a gorgeous meaning and could be an interesting dramatic full name for the nickname Cora.
English surname
"crane"
This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane. Crane is a surname that originated for a tall…
English
"the crane town"
A surname associated these days with Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston.
German
"goose"
The meaning is kind of silly, but the name might make a distinctive update of Janet.
Hungarian from Turkish
"falcon"
English variation of Columba
"dove"
In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.
Iranian, Persian
"swallow bird"
The name Parastoo currently seems unusual to the Western ear, with that "too" ending rare in traditional English names. It is sometimes spelled Parastu. Pari or Parisa would make easier imports.
Native American, Omaha
"yellow bird"
Though unrelated, this would probably be taken as a fanciful spelling of Patsy.
English word and nature name
"to swindle"
Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel. Only five baby girls were named Finch in the most recent year, and four times as many baby boys.
French surname
"sparrow"
Possible musical tribute name to the waiflike, husky-voiced midcentury French singer who was given this last name because of her birdlike quality.
Scots Gaelic
"name of a bird species"
Ptarmigan is the common English name for the genus Lagopus, in the grouse family of birds. The name is derived from the Scottish word for the bird, tàrmachan (meaning unknown), with the initial P-…
Japanese
"Thunderbird"
Japanese feminist Raicho Hiratsuka chose the name Raicho for herself - no doubt because of its fabulously meaning. As a journalist and publisher, Raicho fought for the rights of working class women…
Irish
"crow, raven"
In Irish legend Fiachra was one of the four children of Lir who were turned into swans for 900 years. St Fiachra is the patron saint of gardeners.
"little raven"
Feeny and its alternative spelling Feeney have several origins in Irish. They are anglicised forms of the surnames Ó Fiannaidhe (descendant of Fiannaidhe, meaning warrior), and Ó Fidhne (descendant…
"falconer"
Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would…
English, from French, nature name
"falcon, a bird"
One of the bird names that's more appropriate for a boy, though it works for a girl too.
Native American
"bird woman"
Sacagawea (or, sometimes, Sakakawea or Sacajawea) was a Lemhi Shoshone woman who was instrumental to the Lewis and Clark Expedition across what is now the western part of the USA. She traveled…
Hungarian or Slavic short form of Alexandra or Sarah; Cherokee
Sasa is a simple name with complex origins. In the Cherokee language, it means goose. It might also be a Hungarian or other Easterm European short form of Sarah or Alexandra, ala Sasha. Some sources…
