User-created list
Less Common Flower and Plant Names
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The names
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.
Lantana
Lilac
English, from Persian
"bluish or lilac"
Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well,…
Lupin
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…
Phlox
Calliandra
Verbena
Latin
"sacred foliage"
This name of a showy, lemony plant makes an unusual entry into the name garden.
Periwinkle
Zinnia
Flower name, from German surname
"Zinn's flower"
Zinnia is an unusual floral choice with a bit more edge and energy than most and beginning to find its way onto namers' wish lists of botanical possibilities. Named after the 18th-century German…
Sakura
Japanese
"cherry blossom"
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…
Fuji
Japanese
"dweller near the river where wisteria grows"
To honor the majestic mountain.
Ajisai
Leaf
Nature name
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.
Moss
English
"descendant of Moses"
This evocative green nature name, heard much more frequently as a surname, is associated with playwright Moss Hart (born Robert), who co-wrote (with George S. Kaufman) such enduring Broadway comedies…
Vine
English nature name
Unusual and simple nature name worthy of further consideration.
Cypress
botanical name
Attractive entry into the tree name genre, joining Ash, Oak, and Juniper. Over 110 baby boys were named Cypress in the US last year, along with 70 baby girls.
Oak
English tree name
"tree from the genus Quercus"
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. If you'd prefer to take the longer route to the…
