Nature Names for Girls

This botanical name is one of the few Dutch names that could work outside the Netherlands, especially in Germany or Scandinavia.

A highly unusual flower name that could give you Clio for short.

Stockard Channing -- "West Wing" 's first lady -- picked this strong, Waspy first name over her original, Susan.

Related to the Arabic Warda, Vered is a strong sounding nature name with a sweet floral meaing.

Turquoise is similar in hue to Aqua, which is one of the cool new color names on the palette. Other blue-hued options: Cerulean, Cyan, Indigo, or Blue itself.

Merrill, once fairly common for males, is rarely used for girls (or boys either, for that matter) with this spelling. Chef Emeril Lagasse dropped the initial E from his name and called his daughter Meril.

More modern than Helen or Helena, and an interesting alternative to Hayley and Hallie. By coincidence, heli also means "saltwater" in Welsh.

This name of the mythological mother of Achilles might suffer from English speakers making the rhyming association to the word fetus. The traditional Greek pronunciation might alleviate that problem.

Occasionally heard in Ireland, small chance of success here.

One of the rarer tree names, Birch evokes imagery of the beautiful paper-white bark tree.

Although a unisex name, the most notable people named Birch are men, such as Indiana senator Birch Evans Bayh Jr.

Birch trees are very symbolic in many cultures. In Russia, birch trees are emblematic of grace, beauty, and strength. In Celtic culture, birch trees represent growth, stability, and adaptability.

Dune is a haunting and evocative sandy-beach name, which also has sci-fi connections. Dune is a science fiction franchise that was launched by Frank Herbert's 1965 novel. Some interesting Dune character names include Alia, Leto, Siona, Bellonda,and Tamalane.

This name of one of the most romantic cities in the world could easily find its way onto an American baby girl's birth certificate.

Wildflower may be the ultimate hippie name, added to the lexicon by Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden when they chose it as one of their daughter's middle names. It's generic in the way that Flora and River are, as opposed to Iris and Nile, say. But it has a certain free and creative charm.

Destined to remain a one-person name -- in this country anyway.

Has a pleasant Scottish burr.

Ashley substitute with a slightly more unisex feel; it was picked for her daughter by TV host Nancy O'Dell.

This adorable name of the young daughter on "Big Love" might be thought of as a variation of Tansy, an obscure flower name whose star may rise on the heels of such current favorites as Lily and Daisy.

Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's trampled tourist attraction.

Finlay is a Scottish royal name (it belonged to Macbeth"s father) that was revived by several celebrity parents. Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn, Daniel Baldwin and Lisa Marie Presley all did a gender switch on Finlay when they named their daughters Finley.

Commonly heard in Israel, but here it could be an unusual way to honor Grandma Rose.