Nature Names for Boys

Though some forward-looking parents are now choosing wood-related names like Oak, Pine, and Ash, this generic option would be even more avant garde.

With the tide coming in on a new wave of word names, this one just might catch on, especially for parents who relish sun, sand, and surf. Forest lovers can spell it Beech, like the tree.

Has the offbeat quality and macho feel -- like Stone and Flint -- that appeals to increasing numbers of modern parents.

Cygnus is a northern constellation of the Milky Way, derived from the Latin word for "swan".

Moss is an authentic nature name in English, but the name Moos, popular in the Netherlands, sounds like Moose in English, a not-very-complimentary animal name.

Malek may be a variation of the more popular Malik, but it's most familiar via actor Ramy Malek.

Arpad is a hero name in Hungary, belonging to the Second Grand Prince of the Maygars, who established a dynasty that ruled for four centuries. Not heard often here, but is associated with the French-born financier who got his name from an earlier Hungarian banker and who's been involved with two of the world's most beautiful women — he is, in fact the father of Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson.

The word name Camp fits into the trendy Woodsy category for boys. While it was given to only 14 baby boys in 2023, that's a 1000 percent increase over 2022, which indicates a name on the way up.

With other mountainous names on the rise, such as Everest, Summit, and Monty, Alps could be a cool, rugged option and serve as an alternative for Ace, Alvin, or Atlas.

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

Unusual and simple nature name worthy of further consideration.

nature namesare in, and even fish names like Pike and Salmon are open for consideration.

A tumultuous nature-inspired option, Storms is A bold name that conjures up imagery of fork lightning and heavy clouds, awe-inspiring in both an impressive and formidable way. This could feel like quite a heavy association to carry off, but the word itself has a gentle quality, in tune with Story, Cam, or Rory.

While Oakley is remarkable even in terms of girl-boy distribution, the Oaklee spelling variation is used much more often on girls.

Konan is a spelling twist on the more familiar Irish Conan, given to a few dozen baby boys in the US last year. In the Irish language, there is no letter K but Irish names such as Ciaran and Caitlin are often "Anglicized" with K spellings as in Kieran and Katelyn, so Konan is not a stretch.

Derived from the French word levée meaning "to raise", a levee is either a naturally formed ridge along a riverbank, made up of sediment deposited there by overflowing water, or a manmade barrier created to protect against flooding.