The Great Big List of Cottagecore Names
- Posy
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"a bunch of flowers"Description:
A sweet, nostalgic nosegay kind of name, Posy has been long fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is still rarely heard in the US, though it could be seen as a more unusual possible alternative to Rosy or Josie.
- Cadence
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"rhythm, beat"Description:
A once trendy name for girls but that's now in decline, this musical option has actually been slowly and quietly on the rise as a masculine option. Given to 115 boys in 2023, compared to 75 in 2017, it could be an alternative to Caleb or Caiden with a hint of creative flair about it.
- Tansy
Origin:
Flower name, from GreekMeaning:
"immortality"Description:
Tansy is a flower name rarer than Rose, livelier than Lily and a lot less teasable than Pansy.
- Cypress
Origin:
botanical nameDescription:
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.
- Eartha
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"earth"Description:
Used by the Puritans but off the US charts completely since the mid-1990s, Eartha is best known today as the name of American singer Eartha Kitt, as well as of the philanthropist and humanitarian Eartha M. M. White.
- Arbor
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"tree"Description:
Arbor is a quirky nature name with holiday vibes.
- Tulip
Origin:
Flower name, from PersianMeaning:
"turban"Description:
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.
- Pine
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
Worthy sibling for Oak, Elm, Juniper, and Spruce.
- Fen
Origin:
English, Dutch, FrisianMeaning:
"marshland; peace"Description:
In English, a fen is a wetland fed by surface and/or groundwater. In Dutch and Frisian, it's a traditional diminutive of names containing the element frid, meaning "peace". Either way, Fen makes a fresh alternative to fashionable Finn.
- Chrysanthemum
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gold flower"Description:
One of the rarest of the flower names, that of the blossom celebrated in Japan as a symbol of the sun and a possible object of meditation. One of the rare flower names counted among names for autumn babies, Chrysanthemum is also one of the most unusual nature-themed girl names starting with C.
- Hilda
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"battle woman"Description:
Short for Brunhilda, the operatic Valkyrie of Teutonic legend, Hilda still has not quite shaken off that image that image. Though with the resurgence of Matilda, she might just have a bit of a comeback.
- Thorne
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"thorn thicket"Description:
Rose and Briar are popular, and Hawthorn is cool – so why not the equally prickly Thorne? The E ending gives it a surnamey spin à la Hawthorne.
- Orville
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"gold town"Description:
Only if you're an aviation buff or seriously addicted to popcorn.
- Gardenia
Origin:
Flower name, from English surnameMeaning:
"Garden's flower"Description:
More uncommon and powerful than garden varieties like Rose and Lily. Named for Scottish botanist Dr Alexander Garden.
- Blossom
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"to bloom"Description:
Now that parents have picked virtually every name in the garden, from the common Rose to the captivating Zinnia, some are reconsidering the old, more generic names like Flora and Posy and Blossom — which was last in favor in the 1920s and still has a Floradora showgirl aura.
- Petal
Origin:
English from GreekMeaning:
"leaf"Description:
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.
- Birch
Origin:
Tree nameDescription:
Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree.
- Tilda
Origin:
Estonian and Spanish diminutive of Matilda, GermanMeaning:
"battle mighty"Description:
Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm.
- Acre
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"a unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards"Description:
Acre feels at home with other modern, fresh word names like Rumor, Snow and Ace. But with the feeling of wide open spaces and nature, Acre also offers a softer, earthier tone that will appeal to those seeking a unique name with a distinctly Americana feel.
- Peridot
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"a green gemstone"Description:
Peridot is the gem of the month of August, a vibrant green mineral, said to be good for helping people put the past behind them, and an interesting, undiscovered jewel name. It was regarded in ancient times as the symbol of the sun.
