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Flora and Fauna and Fae
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Elowen
Fable
Word name
Inventive name for the child of a writer.
Fennec
Animal name
"fox"
The name of an adorably small, big-eared fox native to Africa would make an inspired choice for a little boy -- though confusion with Hunger Games name Finnick is all but certain. Given the rise of…
Fennel
Vegetable and herb name
In the garden of herb names, Rosemary and Basil are perennials and Sage is a new upshoot, but Fennel is a real rarity. The aniseed-tasting plant, used to add flavor to dishes around the world, gets…
Fiorello
Italian
"little flower"
Fiorello is one of the few floral names that works well for a boy. The colorful three-term World War II New York Mayor La Guardia made this one famous -- in fact he was nicknamed "the Little Flower".…
Florent
French from Latin
"flowering"
Historically, the French and English name Florence was used for both sexes. And Florent is a steady classic in France, booming there in the 1980s. Maybe it's time to import it, and show that boys can…
Florian
Latin
"flowering"
If Flora and Florence have returned full force, then Florian, with its strong Latinate ending and its botanical meaning in one to watch out for. Popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and…
Fig
Gardener
English
"keeper of the garden"
Gardener is surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options, calling up images of green grass and budding blooms. The name can also be spelled without the first ' e ', as in…
Grayling
Grayling is an uncommon masculine name with English origins, derived from nature. The name refers to the grayling, a type of freshwater fish found in clear streams and known for its distinctive…
Hawthorn
Spelling variation of Hawthorne
The version with the e at the end relates to novelist Nathaniel, so that may be the one most parents attracted to this unusual name would choose. Hawthorn nudges it toward the nature category:…
Holly
English nature name
Jolly Holly has always been among the favorite names for Christmas babies , evoking the symbolic shrub with dark green leaves and bright red berries. And Holly is the flower for the month of…
Honey
Juniper
English from Latin tree name
"young"
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…
Kit
English, diminutive of Christopher
"bearer of Christ"
Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones , has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son back in the 2000s, while actor…
Leander
Greek
"lion-man"
Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or Alexander. In Greek legend,…
Linden
Variation of Lyndon
"linden tree hill"
The graceful, natural image of the verdant shade tree transcends any connection with President Johnson. A sturdy tree that can live for centuries, Linden was actually quite a popular boys' name from…
Lonan
Manx, Irish
"little blackbird"
Typically spelled as Lonán in Ireland, Lonan is its Manx form, though it could also be considered the anglicized form too. The name comes from the Irish lon meaning "blackbird", paired with a…
Lotus
Greek
"lotus flower"
The lotus is a meaningful symbol in many East Asian cultures, where it symbolizes purity, enlightenment, and rebirth. As a name, it's much more common among baby girls, but a small number of boys are…
Lupin
Flower, animal, and literary name, from Latin
"pertaining to the wolf"
Lupin is an unusual flower name with roots in Old French, from the Latin lupinus , meaning "pertaining to the wolf". In the literary world, it's the surname of Remus Lupin, a popular character in the…