Girl Flower Names

Less known than other Cornish beauties like Demelza, Elowen and Kerensa, Elestren is a pretty Cornish botanical name ripe for wider usage.

A frilly southern-accented flower name yet to be planted on many birth certificates. In the language of flowers, the wisteria is a symbol of devotion. It is named for American horticulturalist John Caspar Wister.

Azami has a prickly image and feel — reinforced by the thistle's image in Eastern mythology as one of defiance. A name that spans two widely divergent cultures, Azami might make the perfect international choice, at once unusual and easy to comprehend.

Jessamine, a charming name occasionally heard in England, is just beginning to be appreciated in the U.S. as a possible successor to all the Jess names of the past. It's also spelled Jessamyn, as in Quaker novelist Jessamyn West, author of Friendly Persuasion--who started life with Jessamyn as her middle name.

Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a plant with pink or white aromatic berries. Ruled by Venus, myrtle is a plant associated with love, peace, fertility and youth.

Posey is fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is only starting to be heard here.

Kalina, known as a girls' name throughout Eastern Europe, translates literally to viburnum in Polish, making it a botanical name. Viburnum is a flowering shrub. Some sources translate this name as simply "flower." Variations may include Kaline, Kalena, and Kalene.

Another of the new Greek-accented Cal- names.

Tansy is a flower name rarer than Rose, livelier than Lily and a lot less teasable than Pansy.

Camellia is a rare flower name with distinct roots related to the Camille/Camila group and has varied associations to the moon, water, wealth, and perfection. It could be thought of as a floral replacement for Amelia.

A flower name containing both beauty and power, Lotus has significance in both Buddhism and Hinduism, symbolizing purity, grace and spiritual growth — not to mention a familiar yoga position.

One of the rarest of the floral names, though not without some teasing potential. Peony is a historical 1948 novel by Pearl S. Buck.

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.

Literally meaning "beautiful lady" in Italian, Belladonna is the name of a poisonous flower also known as nightshade. This connection gives an otherwise flowery name a darker, more dramatic edge.

If you love Calliope and Callista, you'll love Calanthe, which combines the trendiness of the Greek 'cal' names with the equally fashionable "the" ending (like Xanthe and Evanthe) and a connection to the beautiful Christmas Orchid. Color Calantha one of the more unusual and captivating names for Christmas babies.

Petal is the soft and sweet-smelling name of a character in the novel and film, The Shipping News. With the rise of such flower names as Poppy and Posy, we believe Petal — down-to-earth yet romantic — has its own appealingly distinctive style.

One of the most unusual flower names, Tulip is cute but tough to pull off as a first. It has some celebrity cred via Charlie Tamara Tulip, twin daughter of Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell. It derives from Persian dulband "turban", due to the distinctive shape of the flowers.

Orchid is a hothouse bloom that has not been plucked by many modern baby namers — yet. In the language of flowers, orchids symbolize love, beauty, and sophistication.

The Calytrix flower is endemic to much of Australia and is part of the myrtle family. They are commonly known as star flowers, due to their dainty (usually bright white) 5 petalled flowers. The name derives from Greek calyx "cup" + trix "hair".