User-created list
By ceryle · Updated May 2023
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Word name
We've seen Haven take off as a nouveau girls' name; Harbor could follow in its wake.
Russian or Persian, variation of Daria or feminine form of Darius
"kingly; possessing goodness; the sea"
The beguiling Darya is the name of a character in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. As a Russian name, it's a spelling variation of Daria, while in Iran, it's a girl's name that means "the sea".
French from Greek
"of Delphi; womb"
Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed…
Nature name or Greek
"hero"
Heron may feel like a very usable nature name -- the heron is a long-legged wading bird -- but it was also the name of a 1st century Greek inventor and of an Egyptian saint. Highly unusual yet easy…
English word name
"sand hill"
Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days. It's also assocated with Frank…
Nature name
Gale for boys is more a storm name than a short form of Abigail. Since Gale has resurfaced as the name of Liam Hemsworth's daring character in The Hunger Games , it has new force for boys.
Scottish and English diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
A sweet Scottish short form of Alexander which is feeling newly appealing now the era of Sandra is far behind us. Sandy would also work well as a nickname for a child with pale red or dark blond hair.
Greek
"violet flower"
This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…
English
"clearing on a bank"
The Shirley of the 1950s. Shelley Winters was born a Shirley.
Color name
"deep sky-blue"
Cerulean is just beginning to be heard as a name thanks to its distinctive sounds and the appealing electric-sky-blue it evokes. Reminiscent of Ocean, Aurelian, Cyrus, and Caspian, it was given to…
As likely to be tied to the detergent as to the rhythms of the ocean.
Hebrew
"wave"
This unisex Israeli name, which rhymes with ball, is sure to receive more serious international attention now that actress Gal Gadot is the new Wonder Woman.
"heavy object used to moor a ship; provide with a solid foundation"
Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.
"signal light"
A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.
"clove"
Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.
"from the sea"
An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice . Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named…
"captain"
Sure, and we hope he has a good time playing with Buster and Buddy.
Welsh
"maiden"
Morwenna is an ancient Cornish name now being revived in Wales, deriving from a Celtic word meaning "maiden", although the Mor- syllable means that it's often associated with the sea. It's been heard…
Latin
Marine was trending for a long time in France, but the far right politician Marine (born Marion) LePen has dampened the mood.
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word…
