Less Common Flower and Plant Names

Anemone

Flower name; Greek

"daughter of the wind"

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…

Daffodil

Flower name, from Greek

"asphodel"

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.…

Ianthe

Greek

"purple flower"

Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the…

Fuchsia

Plant and color name

"vivid purplish-red; tubular flower"

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…

Freesia

Flower name, from German surname

"Freese's flower"

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.

Nigella

Feminine variation of Nigel; botanical name from Latin

"black"

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.

Nolana

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…

Verbena

Latin

"sacred foliage"

This name of a showy, lemony plant makes an unusual entry into the name garden.