Flower Names for Girls

One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May or Rae.

Begonia is a pretty flower named for French administrator and amateur horticulturalist Michel Bégon, who was an avid naturalist but also a proponent of slavery. A rare floral choice which has never really caught on as a baby name, Begonia would certainly stand out from the Lilys and Roses.

A felicitous combo of two sweet names; also a Queens, New York neighborhood.

An unusual floral -wen name which was the name of an 1878 opera by Welsh composer Joseph Parry.

Now that parents have picked virtually every name in the garden, from the common Rose to the captivating Zinnia, some are reconsidering the old, more generic names like Flora and Posy and Blossom — which was last in favor in the 1920s and still has a Floradora showgirl aura.

Bluebell is one flower name that is used very quietly. Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell joined her former Spice Sisters in creative baby-naming with this adventurous -- some might say outlandish -- choice. Distinctive and charming? Or better suited to a farmyard animal? Your call.

Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan novel Atonement is spelled Briony, which is the variation and Bryony the original.

Though most Buttercups are of the bovine persuasian, this humble flower name was given to the lovely princess in "The Princess Bride." If Buttercup still feels too lowly for you, you might consider Clover, Daffodil, or Daisy.

Another of the new Greek-accented Cal- names.

Calla is a lily name that is much more distinctive and delicate than Lily. Rarely heard today, it did appear in the popularity lists in the last decades of the nineteenth century.

Camellia is a rare flower name with distinct roots related to the Camille/Camila group and has varied associations to the moon, water, wealth, and perfection. It could be thought of as a floral replacement for Amelia.

Not as well known as Calla Lilies, the Canna Lily is a tropical plant with large leaves and showy flowers; there was a 6th century Welsh Saint Canna, and it's also the name of a Scottish island.