Extensive List of Botanical Names

Jessamine

English from Persian

"jasmine"

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…

Linnea

Swedish

"twinflower, lime tree"

Linnea is an attractive Scandinavian name that derives from the renowned 18th century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who developed the Linnean system of classifying plants and animals. Linnea is…

Madelief

Dutch

"daisy"

Madelief is an uncommon name but not unheard of in the Netherlands, where 123 girls were called Madelief in one recent year. With its soft sounds and similarities to all those "Madeleine" type names…

Myrtle

Greek botanical 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…

Mignonette

Form of Mignon, French

"delicate, dainty"

Mignonette is kind of a diminutive of a diminutive. Mignon is the French word for cute, so Mignonette is more or less cutie.

Petal

English from Greek

"leaf"

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…

Rosamel

French and Spanish

"rose and honey"

A French surname turned Spanish masculine given name, Rosamel likely derives from the combination of rose + Greek mel "honey". As a surname, it was borne by a 19th century French naval officer with…

Wisteria

Flower name, from English surname

"Wister's flower"

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…

Saffron

Spice name

"orange-yellow color; a type of crocus"

Spice names are increasingly appealing to the senses of prospective parents; this one, belonging to a precious spice derived from the crocus has a vaguely orange-scented-incense sixties feel. English…

Sequoia

Native American, Cherokee

"sparrow"

This name of a giant tree, itself named for a nineteenth-century Cherokee who invented a way to write his tribe's language, makes a strong, stately statement.

Zenobia

Greek

"force of Zeus"

With historical roots as a beautiful and intelligent ancient queen and literary ties to Hawthorne and Edith Wharton novels, this rarity could appeal to adventurous parents seeking the romantically…

Wildflower

Nature and flower name

Wildflower may be the ultimate hippie name, added to the lexicon by Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden when they chose it as one of their daughter's middle names. It's generic in the way that Flora and…

Maple

English tree name from Latin

"maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"

Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to…

Tilia

Swedish, Norwegian, Danish

"prosperous"

Form of Ottilia

Clove

English word name

"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.

Pear

Fruit name

Pear is a new entry to the growing list of fruit names, which includes the charming Plum, Clementine, and Apple. Its one, not inconsiderable drawback is its similarity to "pair," which is sure to…

Acacia

Greek

"thorny"

Acacia is an attractive, rarely used Greek flower name enhanced by its popular beginning-and-ending-with 'a'-construct, and is gradually beginning to catch on as a new member of the stylish girl…

Hebe

Greek

"youth"

The name of the Greek goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera, is rarely used today but may be ripe for revival considering the popularity of rhyming Phoebe. Sweet as Bebe but with the…

Marjoram

botanical name

Marjoram is a herb and flower. With nicknames like Margie and Jo at the ready, we think that if Marigold can make a comeback, why not Marjoram?

Tangerine

Word name

We've had Apples, Plums, Peaches, Cherries, and Berries added to the fruit basket: you could be the first to pick a Tangerine.