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Nature and Word names for Boys

  1. Aloe

    • Origin:

      Plant name from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "resin"
  2. Apollo

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "destroyer"

    • Description:

      With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, if high-pressure, option.
  3. Arbor

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "tree"

    • Description:

      Arbor is a quirky nature name with holiday vibes.
  4. Archer

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "bowman"

    • Description:

      Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
  5. Ashton

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "ash trees place"

    • Description:

      The recent ascent of this English surname is due to two things: the megapopular Ash beginning and TV/movie hottie Ashton Kutcher. The name peaked at Number 76 in 2004, a year after Ashton Kutcher's (both Christopher Ashton) hit TV show Punk'd made its debut.
  6. Aspen

    • Origin:

      Nature and place-name

    • Meaning:

      "a poplar tree that quakes in the breeze"

    • Description:

      As trendy as the chic Colorado ski resort, with a hint of whimsy from the shimmering trees, Aspen has been climbing the charts for boys since the early 90s. While it has always been more popular for girls, it could work for a boy too.
  7. Austin

    • Origin:

      English, shortened form of Augustine, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"

    • Description:

      Austin is one of the most attractive city names for babies, with an appealing southwestern feel and place-name panache.
  8. Basil

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "royal"

    • Description:

      Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class Britishness of Sherlock Holmes portrayer Basil Rathbone, then spiced with the fragrant aroma of the herb that entered with the Pesto generation.
  9. Birch

    • Origin:

      Tree name

    • Description:

      Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree.
  10. Bramble

    • Origin:

      Nature name

    • Meaning:

      "blackberry shrub"

    • Description:

      Related to blackberry plants and colloquially to any thorny shrub, Bramble also has history as an English surname.
  11. Bud

    • Origin:

      English nickname

    • Description:

      This is a name you get stuck with, not (we hope) one your parents choose for you.
  12. Cedar

    • Origin:

      English and French from Latin tree name

    • Meaning:

      "cedar tree"

    • Description:

      Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic.
  13. Clay

    • Origin:

      English word name; diminutive of Clayton

    • Description:

      Clay is a rich, earthy one-syllable name with a southern-inflected handsome-rogue image, featured on soap operas and reality TV. Its longer forms are Clayton and Clayborne.
  14. Comet

    • Origin:

      word name

    • Description:

      This cosmological name has a zippy feel that might work well for the galactic parent looking for the perfect name for their own little star.
  15. Cosmo

    • Origin:

      Italian, English, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "order, beauty, universe"

    • Description:

      With a touch of celestial power, a hint of clunky charm, and the totally cool -o ending, Cosmo may well be finally shaking itself free of both the Seinfeld association (which made it a punchline of a joke) and the cartoon fairy association from The Fairly OddParents. In fact, it is in the Top 1000 in the UK and a favorite on Nameberry.
  16. Cypress

    • Origin:

      botanical name

    • Description:

      Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Maple, Pine, Oak, and Willow.
  17. Dale

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "valley"

    • Description:

      A light and breezy nature name that's currently in style limbo, despite its pleasant meaning.
  18. Denver

    • Origin:

      English or French place-name and surname

    • Meaning:

      "from Anvers"

    • Description:

      Before there was Aspen, Denver was the Colorado city name of choice, and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after a 14 year absence as a stylish two-syllable boys’ name with its trendy -er ending. Its decade of greatest use was the 1920s, when it reached as high as Number 422.
  19. Elion

    • Description:

      Elion is a masculine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from Greek roots meaning "sun" or serve as a variation of Elian or Elyan. In some contexts, it can be connected to the Hebrew element "El" meaning "God" or "divine." The name has seen limited but steady usage across different cultures, appearing in Baltic, Greek, and occasionally Jewish naming traditions. In modern usage, Elion might appeal to parents seeking a name with ancient resonance but contemporary sound. The name shares phonetic qualities with more common names like Elliot or Elian while maintaining a distinctive character. While never reaching widespread popularity, Elion offers a melodic quality and cross-cultural adaptability that gives it subtle appeal in diverse communities.

  20. Elwood

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "elder tree forest"

    • Description:

      The "el-" sound is red-hot these days, and a myriad of place names and surnames give this name a wealth of possible namesakes. The main drawback is its kinship to the name of the hero of the Legally Blond series, Elle Woods, though that will fade with time.
  21. Everest

    • Origin:

      Place-name, world's tallest mountain

    • Meaning:

      "from Évreux"

    • Description:

      This twist on the popular Everett takes it to lofty heights and gives it a geographical and nature-inspired link. The snow-capped Everest could make a name that stands out without feeling too out there, and it may be seen more often in the classroom (that is, outside of the textbooks) in coming years.
  22. Evergreen

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "always green"
  23. Fern

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "plant name"

    • Description:

      A fresh, green, rising nature name for girls that would make a cool possibility for a baby boy as well. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 for boys a handful of times since naming records began.
  24. Fisher

    • Origin:

      Occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "fisherman"

    • Description:

      As a member of two trendy name categories, animal and occupational, this name broke into the Top 1000 in 2004 and would make a nice tribute to an angler Grandpa.
  25. Forest

    • Origin:

      French occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "woodsman or woods"

    • Description:

      The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.
  26. Gardner

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "keeper of the garden"

    • Description:

      Surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options.
  27. Grover

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "lives near a grove of trees"

    • Description:

      Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look.
  28. Hawk

    • Origin:

      Nature name

    • Meaning:

      "hawk, a bird"

    • Description:

      Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example.
  29. Juniper

    • Origin:

      English from Latin tree name

    • Meaning:

      "young"

    • Description:

      Juniper is a nature name that we really like. While it's trendiest for girls -- about 2500 baby girls were named Juniper in 2022 versus 34 baby boys -- the most notable Juniper in history was the saint Brother Juniper, a follower of Saint Francis renowned for his generosity. Blessed Junipero Serra, who founded the first of the California Missions, took his name from the earlier Saint Juniper.
  30. Lark

    • Origin:

      Bird name

    • Description:

      In one recent year there were 60 baby girls in the US named Lark....and only eight baby boys. But there's no reason this bird name can't also be masculine, especially given that Robin is making a comeback for boys and Sparrow is a notable starbaby boy (he's Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's son).
  31. Memphis

    • Origin:

      Greek and Coptic place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Enduring and beautiful"

    • Description:

      A place name with plenty of history, Memphis is associated with the place in Ancient Egypt where many of the pyramids were built, and with the bluesy US city that was named after it. With its lovely meaning and cool, musical vibe, it is currently in the US Top 500 names for boys.

      Deriving from the Greek form of the Egyptian name Men-nefer, Memphis has been notably borne by rapper Memphis Bleek and by Dutch footballer, known mononymously as Memphis (who likely inspired its brief appearance in The Netherlands Top 1000 in 2015). In the US, it is a unisex name, however, it is used three times more often for boys, with 610 receiving the name in 2023.
  32. Orion

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "boundary, limit"

    • Description:

      Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
  33. Orlando

    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Roland

    • Meaning:

      "famous throughout the land"

    • Description:

      Orlando, the ornate Italianate twist on the dated Roland, with a literary heritage stretching back to Shakespeare and before, has appealing book-ended o's, and is open to combination with almost any last name, a la British actor, Orlando Bloom.
  34. Pike

    • Origin:

      American animal name

    • Meaning:

      "pike, a fish"

    • Description:

      The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish. In addition to its appeal for anglers, Pike recalls Zebulon Pike, the explorer who discovered and gave his name to Pike's Peak.
  35. Robin

    • Origin:

      Bird name; or English, diminutive of Robert

    • Meaning:

      "bright fame"

    • Description:

      Now that it's no longer fashionable for girls, Robin is rising for boys again. Robin Hood, Robin Williams, Christopher Robin, and Robin the Boy Wonder are all male namesakes, after all. It reentered the US Top 1000 boys names in 2015 for the first time since 1999 and continues to bounce around the lower end of the Top 1000.
  36. Rome

    • Origin:

      Place name, Latin, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "to hurry or flow; strength"

    • Description:

      Given that Rome is arguably the most important city in European history, it has been used as a first name remarkably little. However, with Roman in the Top 100 and one-syllable choices in vogue, it was only a matter of time before parents started looking toward the city's name as a potential baby name.
  37. Summit

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "highest point of a mountain"

    • Description:

      An especially adventurous word name that conjures up mountain expeditions. As names like Everest and Zenith continue to climb, so too should Summit.
  38. Tiger

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "animal name"

    • Description:

      Other wild animals like Fox, Wolf and Bear are catching on as baby names, and Tiger is a rarer option with several famous namesakes, including golf champ Tiger Woods, who was born Eldrick. Other famous Tigers include Indian actor Tiger Shroff, born Jai, and British actor Tyger Drew-Honey, who spells his name with a Y.
  39. Vermont

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "green mountain"

    • Description:

      Place-name waiting to be discovered.
  40. Wilder

    • Origin:

      Surname or word name

    • Meaning:

      "wild, untamed, uncontrolled"

    • Description:

      Rugged, outdoorsy, and full of energy, Wilder entered the US Top 1000 back in 2015. Part bad boy, part Western, part preppy, and part nature-loving, Wilder is given to nearly 800 babies each year.
  41. barkely
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