Nature, Place and Word Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 17 pages
of 17
Arabic
"sweet basil"
Many will associate Rihanna with the Barbados-born singer, known mononymously by her middle name. During her early years of fame, when "Umbrella" was on the radio and "Take a Bow" was playing through…
Feminine form of Malcolm or spelling variation of Melina or Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian
"raspberry"
Malina is a synthetic-feeling name that may be a feminization of the Scottish Malcolm or a spelling twist on the Greek Melina and that also has a fruit meaning in several Eastern European languages.…
English
"all honey"
Pam was a somewhat pampered prom queen of the sixties who was never called by her full name, which is a pity because Pamela is so mellifluous and rich in literary history. A Top 25 name from the late…
Hebrew
"date palm tree"
Tamar is a rich, strong Old Testament name sometimes given to girls born on the holiday of Sukkoth, as palm branches were used to make the roof of the sukkah. In the Bible, there are several Tamars,…
"heavy club"
Has a slight aura of danger, from its being two types of weapons and a looming character in the Star Wars films. Best left as a nickname for Mason.
Diminutive of Ryder or Riley or word name, English
"cavalryman, messenger; rye"
Rye has the potential to become the masculine version of Rue—a short and sweet name for nature lovers (and whiskey fans too!). Rye might be short for Ryder or Riley or Rylan or any Ry-beginning name,…
Italian and Spanish variation of Fabian
"bean grower"
Sounds like exactly what it is: The name of a romance novel hero.
"from a coal town"
One of the first reality show-inspired names (he was a Texas hunk on an early season of "Survivor"); hugely trendy for boys but just starting for girls.
Variation of Melinda, English
"beautiful honey"
This spelling of Melinda is used primarily in Amish communities.
Variation of Cassian or Kassiani
"hollow or cinnamon"
Kassian may be seen as a Kardashianed spelling of the rising saint's name Cassian, which is a variation of Cassius, but it could also be considered the authentic Greek male form of Kassiani, the name…
Italian and Spanish feminine variation of Fabian
The fashion for elaborate girly-girl names, especially those that end with -ella or -ana, has put this distinctive Latin favorite into play.
English from Dutch
"burnt wine"
The alcohol-laced member of the Randy-Candy-Mandy sorority of 1970s to 80s nickname names; now pretty much on the wagon.
Variation of Alani, Hawaiian
"orange tree"
Creative Alani spelling gaining traction.
English diminutive
Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels.
Greek
"sweet like honey"
Several "Mel" names are shining in the Top 1000, including Melody, Melanie, and Melina, and Melona is a sweet and unique alternative that was given to around 30 baby girls in 2022. Melona is also a…
English word name
"cherry"
With other fruity names like Clementine, Olive and Plum ripe for the picking, sweet Cherry remains remarkably underused: just 27 baby girls received the name in 2017, down from 343 at its peak in…
Japanese, Norse
"doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"
Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter…
"dairy farm"
Chadwick Boseman, the late charismatic star of Marvel's blockbuster Black Panther , brought this name to the spotlight for the first time. Though we long considered it an overwrought way to get to…
Hindi
"basil"
Tulsi is more than a simple nature name: The holy basil plant is sacred in the Hindu religion, used to honor the god Vishnu and representative of his consort, the goddess Tulsi. The Tulsi plant is…
Kazakh, Persian, and Hindi
"pomegranate flower"
Anara is a name that strikes a perfect balance between simple and unusual. It's easy to understand and pronounce for a Westerner, and yet it's highly distinctive, used for only 24 girls in the US in…
