Less Common Flower and Plant Names

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.

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.

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.

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

Oak, a symbol of solidity, strength, and longevity, is joining Cedar and Pine as a viable name, one that would work especially well in the middle.

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.

The nature boy version of the Scandinavian Leif, which actually means "heir". In the creative-naming Phoenix family, Leaf is the former name of the actor we know as Joaquin.

To honor the majestic mountain.

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.

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

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.

Unusual and simple nature name worthy of further consideration.

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

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.