Nature Names for Girls

Spruce is a very rare tree name, given to only six baby boys last year....and no girls. But there's nothing traditionally gendered about this name, which can work just as well for baby girls.

Deriving from the name of an Australian butterfly, Eliena is also a name seen in the Bible.

An evergreen with yellow flowers, Ambretta works to modernize Amber.

This name of London's famous river (it's pronounced tehms) might be an evocative if confusing choice for a non-British child. But if you want an unmistakably British girl name, this would be a clear choice.

In botany, a catkin is a long, thin flower cluster found on trees such as willow, hazel, oak and birch. The word derives from Middle Dutch katteken "kitten", due to the resemblance to a kitten's furry tail.

One of the evocative new nature names with a simple, stylish feel.

The term "wintergreen" historically referred to plants that remain green through the winter, for which we use the word "evergreen" today. Gaultheria wintergreens, shrubs, contain the oil used to make wintergreen mint flavoring, used in chewing gum, toothpaste, and even root beer.

An overlooked floral name that would make a bold choice for a first or middle name. Hibiscus — in particular, the yellow hibiscus — is the state flower of Hawaii. Dried hibiscus is used to make tea revered for its deep magenta color. The Spanish name for the flower, Jamaica (ha-MY-kah), also makes a beautiful name.

Olympic athlete Usain Bolt introduced this unusual and electric nature name to the lexicon when he chose it for his daughter's middle name: Olympia Lightning Bolt. Now there's a name with layers of meaning!

A unique compound name taken from a variety of mint known for its medicinal properties.

Strong meaning, sweet but strong sound, fresh and earthy: a winner.

As a new set of word names washes up on the shore, names like Beach could appeal to parents with a love for the sand and the waves. If you prefer hiking and forests over surfing and dunes, Beech would be a more appropriate spelling.

A genus of tropical shrubs that bear white and pink flowers.

For the boyds. Er, boys, if only judging my the statistics, which have this rare bird name given to a handful of baby boys in the US but no recent baby girls. But it certainly would make a majestic choice for a child of either gender.

Fresh, evocative choice.

The Layke spelling of this refreshing nature name was introduced for one of the Waldrop sextuplets, Layke Bryars, who is male, but the name is gender neutral.

Fragrant herb often used for cooking, but scarcely as a name.

While Hill reads as a nickname for Hillary, adding an S puts it in the same category as plural nature names like Rivers and Brooks. It also softens the name's image: one hill is an obstacle, but many together form a lovely landscape. Hills are also a recurring image and metaphor in both the New and Old Testament.

As a name, it's linked to Sir Mulberry Hawk, a character in Charles Dicken's Nicholas Nickleby.

Briar is a rising unique unisex name and Bryars is a spin introduced as the middle name of one of the Waldrop sextuplets, Layke Bryars, who happens to be a boy. But the name works just as well for girls.