Names That Mean Stream

This British last-name-first-name could make a more masculine alternative to Shelby.

Dark.

For die-hard Fleetwood Mac fans, though Fleet is definitely a cool short form.

Gender-neutral nickname typically used for Yuval, the modern Hebrew form of Jubal.

English surname most notably used by Ashley Hebert for her son in 2014.

As passé as Hilton and Milton.

This Hebrew version of Jubal, a traditionally masculine name, is used for both boys and girls in modern Israel.

If you want a nature name with surname style that speaks to your love of basketball, we suggest Laker.

Hopewell feels like it could be a Puritan-era virtue name, but it is actually a habitational surname. It is derived from Hopwell, from the Old English elements hop, meaning "valley," and well, "stream." Hopewell could easily be adapted into a first name, with Hope or Wells as nickname possibilities.

Yarrow is a flowering herb that grows wild in Europe and North America, and has long been used in several Native American and European cultures as a healing plant. Named for the mythical god Achille, Yarrow is a symbol of enduring love.

Smoking jacket-wearing British surname, with artistic ties to Sir Henry Raeburn, Scottish romantic painter.

Irrevocably tied to long-lived, controversial South Carolina senator Strom (born James) Thurman; Strom, which sounds like an anagram of Storm, was his mother's maiden name. With a stretch, you might consider this one of the German names for boysthat's also a nature name.

Irish name with an intriguing lilt.

Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.

A male character in The Chronicles of Narnia, but could conceivably be used for a girl.

A surname with more force than most.

Beekman is derived from the Dutch element beke, meaning "stream" or "creek."

A surname that sounds stylish — given the soaring popularity of Brooks — but is surprisingly rare.

A modern alternative to Shelby.