Nature, Place and Word Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 17 pages
of 17
French
"vanilla"
While Vanilla might be too bland, the French version is more flavorful.
Finnish, Swedish, Slavic
"grain, will, fairy"
A name made most famous by the operetta The Merry Widow which features "The Vilja's Song". A vila is a woodland spirit or fairy in Slavic mythology. Vilja also means "grain" in Finnish and "will,…
English from Gaelic
"water of life"
Brandy's son, Sherry's grandson. The word whiskey was derived from the Gaelic uisce beatha , meaning "water of life."
Place name, Chinook
"berry"
The name of a state park in Washington known for its waterfalls, and the name of a lake in Oregon too, Olallie is a Chinook word meaning "berry". There is also a berry that was released in the 1950s…
Spanish, Latin
"almond"
A rare choice with familiar sounds, Almendra is a Spanish word name meaning "almond", making it a nature-inspired choice with links to Bible and to marzipan treats. With potential nickname Alma, it…
Diminutive or feminine form of Fig, Folke, Figaro, or Felicity
Associated with figgy pudding and the Christmas rhyme, Figgy is a nickname-style choice, possibly used as a diminutive (or feminine variation) of Fig (as in the fruit), Folke (an old English and…
Ugandan
"vegetable"
While some sources say Abbo means "accessory" or "accouterment", 20th-century sources on African names reveal it to mean "vegetable".
Welsh
"strawberries"
Similar enough to Mavis in sound that it might just work, Mefus is a sweet and summery choice taken directly from the Welsh word for "strawberries". Similar in sound to Mavis, in Wales, it might have…
Brazilian Portuguese fruit and tree name
The açai palm is a tree native to Brazil that produces açai berries (the base of those trendy smoothie bowls). Since US birth certificates don't allow for diacritical marks, we are unsure if people…
Fad fruit name or a trendy syllable smash? We aren't certain, but we have noticed a number of babies name Acai on the US charts. Spelled Açai, with a cedilla, it's the name of a Brazilian palm that…
Kazakh
"fire moon or pomegranate moon"
Unlike its identical male counterpart, Ainar as a feminine name derives from Kazakh ay "moon" plus either a Persian element meaning "pomegranate" or an Arabic word meaning "fire".
Slovene
"buckwheat"
A Top 20 name in Slovenia that is homophonous with Ida.
Japanese place name
"field of rice"
Also a dog breed
Phoenician
"salt"
Malaga is a province and a city in Spain, in the southern region of Andalusia. It was founded by Phoenicians, thus the origin of the name.
Flower name, from Greek
"corn grinder"
The bell-shaped flower Aletris is also known as Colic Root, Blazing Star, Unicorn Root, and Stargrass. Its roots have medicinal properties and are used to aid digestive and muscle problems. Its name…
Latin
"garlic"
Allium is the genus of all onion-y plants, including garlic, leeks, shallots, scallions, and chives. It makes an intriguing nouveau nature name or update to Allison.
Word name
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.
French, diminutive of Amanda
"much-loved"
This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter. A French diminutive of Amanda, it…
