Names That Mean Water
- Tahoe
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"edge of the lake"Description:
A unique natural-wonder option, conjuring up the beauty of the lake between California and Nevada that has become a popular tourist destination.
- Merton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"town by the lake"Description:
Sounds like a displaced Dr. Seuss character.
- Wharton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"farm near the river"Description:
Wharton is a rather stiff banker name that becomes creative as a middle name choice for lovers of the novels of writer Edith.
- Hancock
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"shellfish-gatherer"Description:
Surname of Declaration signer sure to present playground complications.
- Treveri
Origin:
GaulishMeaning:
"river people"Description:
The Treveri people gave their name to modern-day Trier, formerly known in English by its French name Treves, which is the oldest city in Germany and was one of the ancient capitals of the Roman Empire. This could be a novel way to honor an ancestral Trevor.
- Firth
Origin:
Scottish nature nameMeaning:
"estuary or arm of the sea"Description:
Highly unusual water name -- and actor Colin surname -- with a Scottish burr. Firth derives from the Old Norse word fjord.
- Pavati
Origin:
Native American, HopiMeaning:
"clear water"Description:
A sweet and clear Hopi name with a lovely natural meaning to match.
- Rialta
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"deep brook"Description:
Unique choice, with a pleasant antique feel.
- Agam
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"lake"
- Brosnan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dweller near the Brosna River"Description:
Actor Pierce made both his first and last name appealing.
- Picabo
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"silver creek"Description:
Olympic skier Picabo Street was allowed to choose her name at the age of three, and picked it possibly (a) after a nearby Idaho town or (b) because she loved to play peekaboo. No longer a single-person name, it is now worn by a number of satisfied bearers.
- Aarna
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"wave"Description:
Epithet of the goddess Lakshmi with a watery meaning.
- Rayburn
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"roe-deer brook"Description:
If you feel a burning need to gussy up Ray -- think again.
- Cascade
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
It's a nature name evocative of rushing waterfalls. But also a dishwashing detergent.
- Danube
Origin:
River nameDescription:
Some parents are turning to rivers and other bodies of water in the search for undiscovered place-names, and this has the feel of a Viennese waltz.
- Agasga
Origin:
CherokeeMeaning:
"rain"Description:
Traditional Cherokee choice that could work for a daughter born on a rainy day.
- Immokalee
Origin:
CherokeeMeaning:
"tumbling water"Description:
A rhythmic and attractive Cherokee girl name. Immokalee is also the name of a community in Florida.
- Irmak
Origin:
TurkishMeaning:
"river"Description:
Two names meaning "river" make the Turkish Top 100 for girls — Nehir and Irmak. Irmak is the less popular of the two.
- Saraswati
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"possessing water"Description:
Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, music, and the arts. She is also a river goddess, associated with the mythical Saraswati river, which played an important part in the Vedic texts.
- Ngaio
Origin:
MaoriMeaning:
"reflections on the water"Description:
New Zealand writer Ngaio (born Edith Ngaio) Marsh is the best-known bearer of this Maori nature name, properly pronounced ng (like the end of sing) -EYE-oh. It is the name of a tree indigenous to New Zealand, also called the Mousehole Tree.