Unique Nature Names

A gem named for its green hue.

Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel.

Rare but attractive female form of Basil.

This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane.

Out-of-the-ordinary gemstone name derived from lapis lazuli, which is said to enhance awareness and intellect, impart ancient wisdom and cure many ailments, making it an interesting possibility for a blue-eyed girl. Lazuli — or Azure or Blue — are other options.

Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta.

More uncommon and powerful than garden varieties like Rose and Lily. Named for Scottish botanist Dr Alexander Garden.

Jonquil is an unusual flower name that is less outlandish than Daffodil and less common than Daisy. It just might appeal to parents seeking a singular botanical option.

Unlike most flower names, Jonquil wasn't introduced until the 1940s, and saw some usage in the U.K. during the forties and fifties.

A name heard in Puritan times -- Cotton Mather was a minister involved in the Salem witchcraft trials -- which really deserves modern consideration as it blends nature and softness into a really trendy and wearable masculine name.

Slate, Stone and Steel are on the rise, so why not Shale?

This name for the sweetbriar shrub is a bit too reminiscent of eggplant.

A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain.

Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Oak, and Willow.

Tree name with a pleasant sound and rhythm.

As likely to be tied to the detergent as to the rhythms of the ocean.

Rose and Briar are popular, and Hawthorn is cool – so why not the equally prickly Thorn? Add an E to give it a surnamey spin.

Fragrant herb often used for cooking, but scarcely as a name.

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

Branch is an attractive name with associations both with trees and with branching out into brave new worlds. Baseball's Branch (born Wesley, with Branch as his middle name) Rickey broke the color barrier by hiring Jackie Robinson for the Dodgers. Like Leaf, Branch makes a nice, not-so-obvious, addition to the tree category.

With the recent arrival of fruit names like Apple and Plum, this more traditional example, symbolic of fertility, might rise in popularity. Photographer Berry Berenson was born Berinthia.