Names That Mean Water

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.

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.

Most parents would prefer BRADLEY or BRADFORD to get to eternally cool nickname BRAD--unless they wanted to honor cricket legend Donald Bradman, considered the greatest batsman of all time.

Possibly to honor Canadian short story writer Alice -- though Alice is more far accessible and--until very recently-- nearly as distinctive.

Evian might sound elegant, if you could forget the water. But no one will.

A family name that wouldn't appeal to many parents.

Bernie, with airs.

One-of-a-kind water-related choice.

A variant of Estonian Riivo, of uncertain meaning, that fits right in with cool water names like River and Rio.

Occult name for babies born under water signs -- Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio.

One of many stuffy British W surnames that would subject an American boy to years of teasing before growing into it at age fifty.

Beautiful downtown Burbank -- about as glamorous a place-name as Akron...or Detroit.

Variant of Treveri. 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.

Off-putting cousin of Bradley and Rodney.

Revolutionary choice.

Pompous and pretentious.

Africa's fourth-longest river would make a unique name choice.

Sweet, spirited, and unexpected as a given name, reality TV star Lala Kent brought Sosa into the spotlight when she chose it for her daughter in 2024. A Spanish name deriving from the Portuguese surname Sousa, Sosa is a unique choice that still fits in with the likes of Luna, Rosa, Nova, and Luz.