Less Common Flower and Plant Names

To honor the majestic mountain.

With the recent arrival of fruit names like Apple and Plum, this more traditional example, symbolic of fertility, might rise in popularity. Photographer Berry Berenson was born Berinthia.

Lilium is the genus of the lily family of plants and sounds a bit botanically formal for a first name. Try Lillia or Lilias.

Strong, straight, and leafy, one of the new tree names used mostly as middles.

Yes, though it seems so extreme, girls were actually sometimes given this name a century ago; now it is so uncommon it would make a strong springtime statement. Biggest obstacle: the nickname Daffy.

A plausible color name, it was chosen by the singer Sting as a middle name for his daughter, after a character in the Gormenghast fantasy trilogy, of which he's a big fan. Another bearer is Fuchsia Voremberg, a member of the BBC Show, Antiques Roadshow who specializes in diaries and manuscripts.

A name that sounded unthinkably priggish until it became attached to Domestic Goddess British TV chef Nigella Lawson (named for her father), who gave it a big dollop of glamour.

Lovely Japanese name that would certainly be appreciated in Europe and the U.S. It was rarely used in Japan until the 1990s, and draws its current popularity from the fact that it is deeply connected to Japanese traditional culture without sounding frumpy and old-fashioned.

A Californian mountain name revered by healers and spiritualists, Shasta has a New Age, cowboy feel. The mountain takes its name from the Indigenous American tribe, the Shasta people - though this name is believed to have been given to them either by white people, or by the nearby Klamath people.

Unusual and simple nature name worthy of further consideration.

The girls have Apple, Plum, Peaches, Cherry, and Berry: here's one variety of fruit suitable for a boy.

Whether it's an Asian surname-name or short for Channing, has a sound and feel that's both simple and stand-out.

Nolana is a feminine name with Latin origins, derived from 'nolanus' meaning 'from Nola,' referring to an ancient city near Naples, Italy. The name also has connections to the botanical world, as Nolana is a genus of flowering plants native to Chile and Peru, featuring bell-shaped blooms. As a given name, Nolana remains quite rare, offering parents a unique choice that carries subtle natural associations. Its melodic sound with the soft 'n' consonants gives it an elegant, flowing quality. While uncommon in mainstream usage, Nolana appeals to those seeking a distinctive name with classical roots and botanical undertones.

A rare, free-feeling flower name for the parent who wants to move far, far beyond Rose and Daisy. Named for German physician Friedrich Freese.