Nature Names for Cats

Rice is really stretching the nature name boundary to its outer edges. But you may want to take it that far.

Common California place-name that could work for a girl.

Suggests the salty, windswept air of the seashore.

Shell has been used as a short form of Shelley for all genders and Sheldon for boys. That was then: Now, Shell can be a beachy nature name and word name turned baby name.

It's a nature name evocative of rushing waterfalls. But also a dishwashing detergent.

An early African-American name, along with variation Eartha.

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.

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.

Unless it was your grandmother's maiden name, and you're using it in the middle place, we don't think so. Could be confused with Hazelden, a leading rehab facility.

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!

Also know as the salt cedar, a plant known for enduring harsh conditions. This makes Tamarisk an intriguing nature name, suggesting resilience and strength, similar to the name Oak for boys.

Feather, though it was used for a character in a Walter Mosley novel, seems too light and fluttery for a real-life girl.

With River and Ocean becoming mainstream, why not consider Sea?

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.

A virtually unknown choice in the U.S. -- after 20 years of researching names, we've just heard of it ourselves -- but definitely attractive and usable for the baby namer who truly wants something different.

Simple and down-to-earth, but would probably work best as a middle name.

She may have been an appealing Chinese heroine in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, but her name won't translate for a modern American girl. Better choices: Snow, or Flora.

Offbeat flower name, sure to raise some eyebrows. But with Lily, Rose, and even Daisy starting to wilt, more alluring blooms such as Geranium, Magnolia, and Azalea may blossom.

A tough and rugged nature name.

Marjoram is a herb and flower. With nicknames like Margie and Jo at the ready, we think that if Marigold can make a comeback, why not Marjoram?