Nature Names for Girls

Gwenora teeters on the line between unique gem and modern invention. But it's not a smoosh name fashioned from Gwen and Nora but an old Cornish form of Guinevere, like its much more famous sister Jennifer.

Columba is an early saint's name that rhumbas to a modern beat. While the original St. Columba is male, the name sounds more appropriate for a girl in the modern world. Leave variations Colm and Callum for the boys.

Malli is one of those simple-yet-unusual names that are intrinsically fascinating. In the US last year, only seven baby girls were named Malli.

A gentle-sounding name with a pretty meaning to match -- "heavenly flower." Laylani is a close cousin to names like Lily and Leila that have been very trendy in the last few years. We're somewhat agnostic about this spelling compared to original Leilani. Though we tend to favor the original in such cases, it might be easier for non-Hawaiians to figure out how to pronounce this one. Laylani has made the US Top 1000 in 2020 as well as 2022, but has no where close to the popularity of the original Leilani.

One of the few French words/names not attractive to the American ear. It's pronounced moo-gay, not a winner on either syllable. Alternatives: Liliane, Lily, Lilou, Manon.

Frost is a name parents are beginning to warm to, appreciating its icy simplicity and connection with the venerable poet Robert. Frost, along with Winter, Snow, and January, are also perfect names for winter babies.

Sure you could just use Meadow or Lark. But if you really want to go for it, Meadowlark is an option. Meadowlark Lemon, born Meadow Lemon, was a (male) American basketball player known as the "Clown Prince" of the Harlem Globetrotters who played professionally for nearly 40 years.

This tree, famous for the honey produced from its flowers, can be used as a masculine or feminine name.

Tupelo, the name of a Mississippi city as well as a tree with soft, light wood that grows in the swamps of the south, attracted some attention as a first name via author Tupelo Hassman. The song Tupelo Honey also brought it some notoriety.

Mawar is another of the "rose" variants that is almost unheard of outside its home country (in this case, Indonesia), but which deserves consideration given its lilting sound.

This fragrant name was sometimes seen in hippie communes in the days of flower power.

This botanical name, referring to the vivid deep red color and to the madder plant from which it derives, is almost unknown to English speakers. But it's been trending in France recently, reaching the Top 100.

In Turkey, as in many countries around the world, word names are on the rise. Doğa is among the most popular for baby girls.

More commonly known as the Mongolian Gazelle, the Zeren is an antelope native to the steppes of Central Asia.

Highly unusual water name -- and actor Colin surname -- with a Scottish burr. Firth derives from the Old Norse word fjord.

Dianella is the botanical name of a small plant which grows across Australia. It flowers in spring with a star-like purple flower which develops into a blue berry. Dianella feels wearable as an elaboration of Diana.

Karri is a beautiful Australian native tree famous for its richly-colored strong wood. It's a name that travels well - and one of the few tree names that lends itself more to girls than boys.

A hardwood tree native to Africa, India and other tropical regions, which bears sweet pod-shaped fruits which are used as a flavoring in many world cuisines, including Indian and Filipino. A rare and intriguing nature name which could honor an ancestral Tammy or Tamar.

This name has been in the Chilean popularity charts for a while. Millaray makes a good choice for those looking for a feminine floral name that manages to look and sound fresh and modern.

Panda, welcome to the baby name menagerie! Panda is an adorable animal name (after an adorable animal) that is sure to be both very rare and very cute. In Skins there was a character called Panda, which was short for Pandora. The name Panda comes from the Nepali word ponya meaning "bamboo eater".