Names That Mean Nature

Now that the popularity of Brooke is waning, and surname style variant Brooks is on the rise, Brook seems live a newly fresh nature-inspired option.

Captivating and appealing name — a maile is a vine used to make leis — getting noticed via writer Maile Meloy. Many pronounce it ala Miley, as in Cyrus, though native Hawaiian speakers say the correct pronunciation is more like MY-lay or MY-leh.

Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel.

Rayne may be considered a modern respelling of the nature name Rain or a variation of the surname Raine, which comes from the Old French word reine, meaning "queen."

Nimbus is a word from nature for a type of cloud that has occasionally -- very occasionally -- been used for a human. But it's evocative and upbeat and certainly makes an intriguing and stylish nature name.

Oakland is a place name associated mainly with the city near San Francisco, pretty obviously meaning "oak land". Theoretically unisex but used mainly for boys, Oakland is one of a trending group of oak-related names, led by Oakley for both genders, with Oakland and Oaklen trending for boys while baby girls are more often given spellings Oaklynn and Oaklyn.

Sóley is the Icelandic word for the buttercup flower, derived from the words meaning "sun" and "island." It is also used on the Faroe Islands as a short form of Sólja.

Zeynep is one of the most popular girls' names in Turkey, related to the also-popular Arabic Zaynab which is well-used throughout the Muslim world. But like many Turkish names, Zeynep is largely unknown in Europe and the US.

A unisex French name that ranks in the Top 200 for boys and the Top 500 for girls there, inspired by a character with the surname Swann in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time. As a given name, it was popularized by the 1984 film Un amour de Swann ("Swann in Love"), directed by Volker Schlöndorff.

Unusual and simple nature name worthy of further consideration.

This alternate spelling of Holly is still quite popular in the UK but hasn't seen use in the US since the end of the millennium.

The Norwegian word for "honeysuckle" could make for a fresh and vibrant nature-inspired choice.

Highly unusual water name -- and actor Colin surname -- with a Scottish burr. Firth derives from the Old Norse word fjord.

Soft and mellifluous nature-surname name, situated miles away from the dated Marshall.

Chrysalis is a girls' baby name derived from the state of a butterfly or moth between larva and adult. A chrysalis is a hard-shelled pupa in which the transition of the butterfly or moth takes place. As a baby name, Chrysalis came to the fore as the rumored name of the baby girl of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, who reportedly love butterflies. Chrysalis does certainly have potential as a new word name or nature name for babies, with the simple familiar nickname Chrys.

The Old Norse and modern Norwegian word name Fjord, which refers to a passage in the sea, could work for children of both genders.

The Norwegian word for "honeysuckle" could make for a fresh and vibrant nature-inspired choice.

A handsome nature name – and an intriguing alternative to Willow – that is also found as a rare English surname.

Shell has been used as a short form of Shelley for all genders and Sheldon for boys. That was then: Now, Shell can be a beachy nature name and word name turned baby name.