Names That Mean Flower

This name is common in New Zealand and Australia, with famous bearers including TV producer Ngaire Fuata and academic and author Ngaire Woods. It is pronounced ng (like the end of sing) -EYE-ree.

Too close to violent.

A pretty pan-botanical name from the Sotho languages, spoken mainly in the southern part of Africa.

Charming name occasionally heard in England, would be a real standout here. Jessamyn is the spelling used by writer West.

This very unusual botanical name refers to flowers that have a second color around the edges, commonly found in tulips and carnations. Thomas Hardy named a character Picotee in his novel The Hand of Ethelberta.

This name was given a lithe and graceful image by ballerina Gelsey Kirkland, but was later far surpassed by Kelsey and Chelsea.

Gülce is derived from the Turkish word for "rose," gül.

Has a pleasantly fizzy, effervescent feeling.

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.

Malti is an Indian floral name from the plant madhumalti — a tropical flowering vine that is known in English as the Rangoon creeper. In India, Madhu and Malti are often used as twin names or as a first/middle name combination.

This Thai name can get shortened to Niki or Nika.

Penthia might not be the most charming flower name, but as the lovely Penelope ascends, and the lovely Cynthia fades away, a compromise may be in order.

Mawar is another of the "rose" variants that is almost unheard of outside its home country (in this case, Indonesia), but which deserves consideration given its lilting sound.

Palindromic name often heard in Ethiopia.

A Korean name that can work for either gender, Yunhee can be anglicized as Yun-hui and Yoonhee, among other variations. Like other Korean names, it has a number of meanings depending on the hanja or characters used to write the name's syllables, with lotus flower and pleasure two of the most common.

Kantuta is the Quechua name for the national flower of both Bolivia and Peru, which is known for flowering around Christmas time. With its vivid green foliage and extremely bright red bell-shaped flowers, the plant encapsulates many traditional Christmas symbols, making Kantuta one of the great unique names for Christmas babies.

Primula is related to Primrose, the name and the flower, and would make a quirky yet charming (or is it charming yet quirky?) botanical name for a first daughter.

This name has been in the Chilean popularity charts for a while. Millaray makes a good choice for those looking for a feminine floral name that manages to look and sound fresh and modern.