999+ Nature Names for Babies

Poppy is the most widely-used seed name, opening the door for Sesame. While Sesame has a pretty sound, it is not often used as a name -- fewer than five baby girls were given the name in the US in 2021. In kids' minds, this might be overly associated with Sesame Street.

Unusual and simple nature name worthy of further consideration.

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.

A sweet and simple nature name that could also be short for the surname name Odell, the vintage name Della, or the obscure saint's name Endellion.

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.

Boys' names beginning with "El" were all the rage in the 1910s, but today Elmore - along with Elwin, Ellsworth and others - has barely been used for decades. It has literary connections through writer Elmore "Dutch" Leonard. More recently, several children's book characters have given the name a cuddly feel: Holly Hobbie's Elmore the Porcupine, and Elmore Green in Lauren Child's "The New Small Person".

A handsome nature name – and an intriguing alternative to Willow – that is also found as a rare English surname.

One of the simplest, most down-to-earth yet evocative of the word names, which could work — especially as a middle.

In Greek mythology, Coronis is the name of several minor characters. The name is off-limits for the foreseeable future, due to its similarity to "corona."

This nature name hasn't escaped the hippie dippy air of others like River or Sky.

A bold, unisex virtue name that first made the charts for boys in 1990 and girls in 2008. Millennials may associate it with the Cartoon Network show Courage the Cowardly Dog, about a timid, good-natured dog by the name.

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.

The eponymous character in an Edgar Allan Poe ghost story, gothic Morella was likely based on Latin mors ("death") or Greek mauros ("black"). It’s also a subtle nature name, being an alternative name for the poisonous black nightshade plant.

Iraia is one of those uncommon names that have two different meanings and derivations, one female and one male. The girls' version is a Basque name found throughout the Mediterranean with a nature meaning. As a boys' name, Iraia is a tradtiional Maori name.

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.

A South Sea Islander name that may be adopted by the wider world, with its simple spelling and lovely nature meaning.

Rhodos was the wife of Helios, the Greek god of the Sun, in Greek mythology. The Greek island of Rhodes is named for her.

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.

As well as Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa, two Yankees ballplayers, Hideki Irabu and Hideki Matsui, made this name familiar to Americans.

The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland is a part of the largest continuous rainforest in Australia. It was named after Richard Daintree, an early Australian geologist and photographer. His surname in English in origin, derived from the Middle English dene, meaning "valley."