Botanical Baby Names

Katniss

Literary and botanical name

Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her…

Kerria

Kerria is a feminine name inspired by the flowering shrub of the same name, which produces bright yellow blooms and belongs to the rose family. The kerria plant was named after William Kerr, a…

Laelia

Latin family name and botanical name

Upside: it has an interesting ancient look and feel, related to the Roman family name Laelius of uncertain meaning. There is also a type of orchid called the Laelia. Downside: possible confusion with…

Lavender

English color and flower name

"purple flower"

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names…

Lilac

English, from Persian

"bluish or lilac"

Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well,…

Lotus

Greek

"lotus flower"

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. In…

Lunaria

Latin

"moonlike"

Lunaria is a magical, moon-related option that also doubles up as a floral name. It only entered the US stats in 2020 when it was chosen for six girls, while in a more recent year, that number had…

Melia

Greek mythology name, diminutive of Amelia, or Hawaiian

"ash tree; honey; work; plumeria"

This is a rich, melodic shortening of the popular girls' name Amelia that can stand on its own. There are several figures in Greek myth named Melia, most notably a daughter of Oceanus. The Meliae are…

Menodora

Greek

"gift of the moon"

A beautiful and evocative Greek mythology name which was also borne by a 4th century saint. A unique alternative to Theodora.

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.

Milla

Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hungarian

"young ceremonial attendant, gracious people"

Milla originated as a diminutive of names like Camilla and Ludmilla, but has since become well established as a name in its own right in several European countries. Milla Jovovich is a Ukrainian-born…

Mimosa

Latin plant name

Adventurous parents are venturing deeper into the garden in search of fresh names, but remember that this also makes for an alcoholic brunch.

Nerine

Greek mythology name

A new brand of eyedrop.

Nicandra

Botanical name and feminine variation of Nicander, Greek

"man of victory"

Nicandra is the name of a plant known as apple-of-peru and also shoo-fly plant. It's also the feminine form of Nicander, an ancient Greek poet, physician, and grammarian. Nicandra is the name of the…

Nigella

Feminine variation of Nigel; botanical name from Latin

"black"

A name that sounded unthinkably priggish until it became attached to Domestic Goddess British TV chef Nigella Lawson (named for her father), who gave it a big dollop of glamour.

Nolana

Nolana is a feminine name with Latin origins, derived from 'nolanus' meaning 'from Nola,' referring to an ancient city near Naples, Italy. The name also has connections to the botanical world, as…

Nyssa

Greek

"goal"

A fairly common Greek name that would fit in well here.