200+ Inspired Ocean Names for Babies

Cross-cultural name with a great nautical meaning. It boomed in the 1930s and has potential for revival now.

Mary was such a common name for so long that it sprouted a whole family of chimeric name splices: Maryann, Marybeth, Mary-Lousie, ad infinitum. Spiderman's Mary Jane Watson and the common nickname for marijuana have helped keep this one especially familiar to the American ear.

This popular Indian name is heard in the US. Bollywood actor Akshay Khanna has a son named Arnav.

Mirren is a lively and attractive Scottish name, popular in its native country but best known outside Scotland as the surname of the English actor Dame Helen Mirren. It is thought to be a Scottish derivative of the name Marion, from Mary.

Halloran could be your solution if you love the nickname Hal, but not Harold or Henry.

A pretty, mellifluous name from the Tahitian phrase vai ana o te mato teitei, meaning "water from the cave of the high rock". The Disney heroine Moana is called Vaiana in most European countries, for trademark reasons.

An offbeat way to get to Gwen.

This Hawaiian name gracefully celebrates the force of nature, paying tribute to the ocean. If you're looking for unique names that mean ocean, this should be on your short list.

Marino is an Italian first and surname with distinct crossover possibilities, having pleasant seaside undertones, and is far more unusual in the U.S. than sister Marina.

When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice.

This Indian name would make the perfect choice for those looking for a strong water-based name. A variation which may seem more immediately masculine to the English-speaking ear is Varun. The feminine version is Varuni, who was Varuna's consort.

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.

Unusual alternative to Fisher with a brisker surname appeal.

Laguna Beach is a famous California spot -- though there's "goonie" teasing potential.

An undiscovered gem with clunky, buttoned-up appeal and a literary feel thanks to poet Delmore Schwartz.

Popular Dutch name derived from a combination of Maria (Ria) + Anne, or as a short form of Marianne.

How to spruce up Fisher or Beau? This French surname-name might be an option for a parent unafraid of the unusual. The name derives from Barbel, a type of fish, which is how it became a surname for some fishermen.

As a Japanese name, Umina derives from umi, meaning "sea", combined with a range of other kanji characters.

Derived from Maria, the meaning of which is uncertain. Theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Oceanus was the Titan in ancient Greek mythology who rules what they thought was the body of water that surrounded the Earth. Oceanus was, appropriately enough, the name of the baby born on the Mayflower. Modern variations include Ocean, Oceana, and Oceane, a popular French name for girls.