Names That Mean Sea

The beguiling Darya is the name of a character in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. As a Russian name, it's a spelling variation of Daria, while in Iran, it's a girl's name that means "the sea".

Out playing shuffleboard at his condo and not expected back for several generations -- unless it morphs into a girls' name, a la Sydney.

Another culture's take on the Hailey/Halle phenomenon.

The popular Irish name Muireann comes from a mythical mermaid who was tranformed into a woman by a saint. Pronunciation is like the surname of the actress Helen Mirren, but with the spin of a w sound after the initial M.

Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik notably chose this name for their daughter in 2020, as a variation of Gigi's grandmother's name, Khairiah. In 2021, the name caught on for boys — Khai was a new debut on the Top 1000 and one of the fastest-rising names that year.

Marine is an extremely popular and fashionable name in France that's virtually unknown here — and is ready to set sail. Marine feels more contemporary than Marina and less hippie-esque than Oceane, another popular name for girls in France.

This Maori name, often heard in New Zealand, is an attractive, evocative choice for lovers of the ocean made famous – perhaps too famous – by the Disney heroine. Moana was also an alternate name for the heroine Ofelia in Pan's Labyrinth. Moana may also be a color name for a deep ocean blue ("lanu moana"). Moana and other Disney Princess Names are the subject of a featured blog.

Used for a free-spirited character on a 1990s sitcom, this name of a beautiful Southern California canyon does have an unconventional aura.

Sparingly used since the 2000s, Zealand shot of the charts in 2021 after YouTube family The Labrants gave it to their son the previous year. By 2022, it had quadrupled in popularity since 2020, and while a recent count has shown a slight decline in use, around 100 boys and 10 girls were given the name.

A bold and energetic Hawaiian name which blends two fashionable favorites: Kai and Koa.

A captivating, watery name found primarily in Australia and New Zealand. Used by Raquel Welch for her daughter.

Popular Dutch name derived from a combination of Maria (Ria) + Anne, or as a short form of Marianne.

Amphitrite is a mysterious Greek mythological figure, most often cited as a sea goddess who was the wife of Poseidon. She was said to be the personification of the sea water itself and was said to be present at the birth of Apollo.

The name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, marine animals, and the underworld. There is also a dwarf planet in the outer solar system called 90377 Sedna, discovered in 2003 and named after the goddess because: "Our newly discovered object is the coldest, most distant place known in the Solar System, so we feel it is appropriate to name it in honor of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea, who is thought to live at the bottom of the frigid Arctic Ocean."

A rare and refined Irish place name (Cinn Mhara) turned baby name, belonging to a picturesque harbor town. As a given name, it has received occasional use especially amongst the upper classes in Britain. Lady Kinvara Balfour is an English playwright and novelist.

Asherah is probably one of the most ancient of mother goddess symbols, recorded in the pantheons of several civilisations from the tenth century BCE. As the mother to innumerable gods and goddesses, she is often depicted as having the capacity to walk on water, which makes Asherah an excellent choice for a baby born under one of the water signs of the zodiac, including names for Scorpio babies, as well as those born under Pisces and Cancer.

Cormorant is definitely one of the most unusual of the newly fashionable animal names, and one of the rare bird names for boys.

This bright and breezy Spanish nature name sounds fresher than its inverse, Marisol.

The Spanish and Portuguese word for "sea" is a Top 100 name in Spain. In America, it's sometimes used as a nickname for names like Martina and Marina, but it could also plausibly stand on its own.

Cross-cultural name with a great nautical meaning. It boomed in the 1930s and has potential for revival now.