Botanical Beauties

Maple

English tree name from Latin

"maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"

Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to…

Margarida

Portuguese

"daisy; pearl"

This Portuguese version of Marguerite, Margherita, or Margaret has a distinctive yet familiar sound and could get you to nicknames Maggie, Daisy, Margo, Ida, and Edie.

Margosa

botanical name

Margosa derives its name from the neem tree plant, which is known for its healing qualities. The name has an attractive quality, fitting well into the 'Mar' trend (i.e. names like Marigold, Margot…

Marguerite

French variation of Margaret; also a flower name

"pearl; daisy"

Marguerite is a classic French name with a remnant of old-fashioned Gallic charm; and is also a variety of daisy. Chic again in Paris, it's definitely ripe for revival here. Another reason you might…

Marjoram

botanical name

Marjoram is a herb and flower. With nicknames like Margie and Jo at the ready, we think that if Marigold can make a comeback, why not Marjoram?

Millaray

Mapuche, Chilean

"golden flower"

A melodic and glowing name, derived from Mapuche, the language of the Indigenous people of central Chile, Millaray means "golden flower". It ranked in the Chilean Top 100 in the 2010s and remains a…

Myrtle

Greek botanical name

Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a…

Narcissa

Greek

"daffodil"

This Greek flower and mythological choice doesn't make it into the pantheon of possibilities because of its association with narcissism. But narcissa is December's flower of the month, so Narcissa…

Nyssa

Greek

"goal"

A fairly common Greek name that would fit in well here.

Olea

Latin botanical name, genus of trees

"olive"

Olea is an unusual botanical name that relates to both olive and oil, brought to public attention when it was chosen by actress Amy Adams as the middle name for her daughter Aviana. Olea is also an…

Oleanna

Oleanna is a feminine name with Scandinavian and Slavic influences. It likely developed as a variation of Oleana or Oleana, possibly derived from Helen (meaning 'bright, shining one'). In Norwegian…

Orchid

From Greek

"orchid flower"

Orchid is a hothouse bloom that has not been plucked by many modern baby namers — yet. In the language of flowers, orchids symbolize love, beauty, and sophistication. In a 1926 silent comedy, femme…

Ornella

Italian

"flowering ash tree"

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…

Orquidea

Spanish, Portuguese

"orchid"

A rare Spanish and Portuguese flower name that is rarely heard elsewhere.

Pansy

English flower name from French

"thought"

Pansy is an early floral name that lost credibility when it became a derogatory slang term for gay people. Better these days: Posy or Poppy.

Peony

Flower name; Latin

"healing"

One of the rarest of the floral names, though not without some teasing potential. Peony is a historical 1948 novel by Pearl S. Buck.

Petal

English from Greek

"leaf"

Petal is the soft and sweet-smelling name of a character in the novel and film, The Shipping News . With the rise of such flower names as Poppy and Posy, we believe Petal — down-to-earth yet romantic…

Petunia

English

"trumpet-shaped flower"

Literary heritage: the "Loony Tunes" girlfriend of Porky Pig. But with the increasing popularity of all kinds of unusual botanical names, Petunia may be a name we start to hear more of.…