Culinary names

  1. Angelica
    • Origin:

      Italian, Polish, Russian diminutive of Angela
    • Meaning:

      "angel or angelic"
    • Description:

      Angelica is by far the choicest form of the angelic names -- more delicate than Angelina, more feminine than Angel, more modern than Angela. But though Angelica is so lacy and poetic, it lags behind the bolder Angelina (probably for obvious reasons).
  2. Anise
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Name of the licorice plant, this spice comes in the shape of a star, giving this name an extra level of sweetness.
  3. Basil
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "royal"
    • Description:

      Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class Britishness of Sherlock Holmes portrayer Basil Rathbone, then spiced with the fragrant aroma of the herb that entered with the Pesto generation.
  4. Caraway
    • Cardamom
      • Cumin
        • Ginger
          • Origin:

            English diminutive
          • Description:

            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.
        • Jasmine
          • Origin:

            Flower name, from Persian
          • Meaning:

            "gift from God"
          • Description:

            Jasmine was derived from the Persian word yasmin, referring to the jasmine flower. Scented oil was made from the plant, and it was used as a perfume throughout the Persian Empire. Variants include Jazmin, Yasmin, Yasmine, and Jessamine.
        • Lavender
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "purple flower"
          • Description:

            Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold.
        • Nutmeg
          • Poppy
            • Origin:

              English from Latin
            • Meaning:

              "red flower"
            • Description:

              Poppy, unlike most floral names which are sweet and feminine, has a lot of spunk. Long popular throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Poppy is finally starting to rise toward the top in the US, where it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.
          • Rosemary
            • Origin:

              Latin or English
            • Meaning:

              "dew of the sea, or rosemary (herb)"
            • Description:

              Despite appearances, Rosemary is not a "smoosh" name, not even a traditional one. The name derives from two Latin terms "Ros" meaning ‘dew’ and "Marinus" "meaning "of the sea". The plant was termed ‘dew of the sea’ due to its salty texture and its ability to thrive in coastal climes. Only after the Middle Ages did the English names of Rose and Mary become interchanged with the name Rosmarinus and give us the modern name we use today.
          • Sage
            • Origin:

              Herb name and also Latin
            • Meaning:

              "wise and knowing"
            • Description:

              A modern, multifaceted name, Sage is short, sweet, and strong. A unisex possibility, it is also a virtuous word name associated with wisdom, and a nature name linked to a fragrant herb.
          • Saffron
            • Turmeric