Spring Baby Names

Lissa might be an abbreviation of Melissa, but it's more substantial in its own right: Lissa is the name of a supreme mother goddess in African mythology and an Arabic symbol of rebirth.

Middle name possibility for a nature-loving family -- Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke used it for their son's middle name.

Moa is among the Top 100 Swedish baby names but virtually unknown in the US. Might Moa be a substitute for Mia or Maya? An intriguing idea. There is a Swedish author named Moa Martinson.

Damek, which you might think of as Adam with a Slavic accent, considerably freshens up the original.

Refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.

Astarte is the ancient goddess of sexuality, fertility, and war, associated with Ishtar as well as Venus.

A handsome, spruced-up post-Bruce tree name.

Medora is a Greek name much less common here than, say, Melanie or Melissa. It has some literary references, including as the beautiful and passionate heroine of Lord Byron's poem The Corsair, and in Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, there is a character named Marchioness Melora Manson.

Astrological sign with enough rhythm to make a plausible astral name.

Diminutive for all the Slavic names that start with Jar-. If for family or cultural reasons you're seeking such a name, then this is a reasonable short form.

If you find Grover too fusty and furry, this is a much cooler-sounding alternative.

A bright and optimistic middle name choice.

Spring doesn't sound half as contemporary as Winter, which has become the cool season name.

Appealing, upbeat name used mainly in Spanish-speaking countries.

March has never been popular as a month name, possibly because of its slightly abrupt sound. But with all kinds of month (and season, day, and holiday) names, from January to December, Sunday to Easter, Winter to Midnight, coming to the fore, March is beginning to seem eminently baby-ready.

The spoiled only son of the richest family in town in a fifties movie.

This floral name, related to bloom and Blossom, is common in the Jewish community, but not often heard outside it. Other Yiddish nature names are Ita (star), Masha (rising water), and Mayim (water).

A Czech surname derived from the word for "green", which has a certain spark.

Iridiana is related to the Greek name Iris, who in Greek mythology was the personification of the Rainbow. Iridiana is a frillier version of the name, likely to appeal to people who prefer Isabella to Isobel and Delphinia to Delphi.