Flower Names for Girls (with Meanings & Popularity)

This name, whose sweet and fragrant floral essence has always been widespread across the Near Eastern world, has now landed on US popularity lists in a variety of spellings. It's been dropping precipitously over the past few years, though, perhaps due to a combination of tensions in the Middle East and the fading fashion status of Jasmine itself.

Zaria, the name of the Nigerian capital city, could be another Z name for parents to consider. It currently ranks lower than variations Zariah and Zariyah.

Thallo, the Greek goddess of spring, buds, and blooms has a decidedly less flowery name than her Roman counterpart, Flora. Thallo is one of the Horae in Greek mythology: goddesses associated with the cycle of life, growth and the seasons.

Vivacious but lightweight.

Florin is one of the legion of names derived from the root word for flower, most of them like Flora and Florence used for girls. But the boys' form Florin is among the popular French names for boys, along with sister name Fleur for girls. There was a ninth century Swiss St. Florin. The related Florian was the name of a second century Roman saint.

A spin on Calia or Calla, with a lot of fashionable sounds.

The Calytrix flower is endemic to much of Australia and is part of the myrtle family. They are commonly known as star flowers, due to their dainty (usually bright white) 5 petalled flowers. The name derives from Greek calyx "cup" + trix "hair".

If you're looking for an unusual alternative to all those Rose names, Rhoswen might be a good choice. This name has the soft sounds we've come to love from the Welsh language but is still not as familiar as Bronwen and Rhiannon.

Lilium is the genus of the lily family and may make an interesting spin on Lillian, for those looking for something distinctive but familiar, wearable but with a touch of unexpected flair. Since the 2000s, a small handful of girls have been given this name in the US.

Shakespeare seems to have coined this name for the Prince of Bohemia in his late tragicomedy The Winter's Tale by drawing inspiration from the Latin floris meaning "flower". It's rarely been used as a name in real life, but we think it has potential. The flowery sound will appeal to parents looking for less conventionally masculine boys names, but the "Z" gives it an edge and cool factor lacking in, say, Florian. Plus, the Shakespeare connection obviously gives it a lot of literary cred.

Diantha, a mythological flower of the supreme Greek god Zeus, is a melodious and more unusual cousin of Diana, heard most often in The Netherlands.

Variant of Eaven, an Anglicization of Aoibheann. As a botanical name, it refers to a type of pretty white flower which thrives in mountainous regions.

Like many a popular name, Ornella is a theatrical creation. Italian playwright Gabriele d'Annunzio created this name for his dramatic heroine in the 1904 play La Figlia di Iorio. Ornella is a feminization of the orno or ornello, which is the Italian word for the Fraxinus Ornus, a type of tree which produces such sweet sap that it was compared to biblical manna.

Anemone is a floral name that relates to the ancient Greek myth of the famous love story of Aphrodite and Adonis, in which Aphrodite transforms her wounded lover's blood into a flower, the crimson anemone, whose blossoms are opened by the wind — accounting for its other name, windflower.

The most popular flower name in Israel, though that popularity does not extend to the US.

Yunhee, which can be anglicized several ways including Yun-hui and Yoonhee, is a Korean name that can be used for either boys and girls. The meaning changes depending on the hanja or characters used to write each syllable of the name, but two common meanings are lotus flower and pleasure.

Known in America via the wife of Soviet head Mikhail Gorbachev; a possibility for parents of Eastern-European descent wanting to move beyond Natasha and Nadia or for parents from the Middle East looking for a name that works in both cultures.

Araluen is a beautiful Aboriginal Australian place name, used in several sites, always connected to the dainty water lily.

Jacinta, the Spanish word for hyacinth, is a lot softer and sweeter than the English version. The correct Spanish pronunciation is ha-SEEN-ta, though many English speakers would say ja-SIN-ta. Although the name is slightly different, Jacinta is largely associated at present with Australian-born actress Jacinda Barrett.

A sweet, nostalgic nosegay kind of name, Posy has been long fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is still rarely heard in the US, though it could be seen as a more unusual possible alternative to Rosy or Josie.