Arete is a minor goddess in Greek mythology who personifies the idea of excellence or perfect virtue. There is also a mythological queen Arete, with her sister an "exacter of justice".

Arete

One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. 
 There was a character named Bay Kennish on the show Switched at Birth; conservative political commentator Bay Buchanan was born Angela Marie.
 Other associations with bay are the bay laurel tree, prized since ancient times for its medicinal and culinary (bay leaves!) properties, and the reddish-brown color usually applied to horses.

A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender. While the word feels French and has its roots in 18th century French Louisiana, it derives from the Choctaw word bayuk, which means "small stream."

Bayou

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. 

Beach

Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.

Brook

Canyon is a <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/317/unique-baby-names">unique baby name</a> evocative of natural splendor and the old Steve Canyon comic-strip heroism, making it an intriguing new word-name possibility. 
 Similar but less word-like: Kenyon.

Canyon

Cave

Did you really mean to name your child Channel, as in the body of water?  Like, you know, the English Channel?  Or were you going for the last name of the French designer Chanel, with a soft "sh" sound at the beginning and the emphasis on the last syllable?  If so, we recommend sticking with the Chanel spelling.

Channel

Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.

Cliff

Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice for either gender. 

Cove

Intriguing, when seen as a water name a la River and Ocean; less appropriate if used as a reference to the Creek tribe of Native Americans. Other downsides are its resemblance to creak, as in creaky bones or floorboards, and to unappealing words like creep and reak.

Creek

A light and breezy nature name that's currently in style limbo, despite its pleasant meaning.

Dale

A sweet and simple nature name that could also be short for the surname name Odell, the vintage name Della, or the obscure saint's name Endellion.

Dell

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.
 
It's also assocated with Frank Herbert's Dune iconic series of sci-fi novels. The name increased in popularity in 2021, when the most recent movie adaptation was released.

Dune

The Old Norse and modern Norwegian word name Fjord, which refers to a passage in the sea, could work for children of both genders. It conjures vivid blue, ice laden landscapes.

Fjord

The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.

Forest

Nature names are often associated with Spring and Summer, but Glacier is ideal for a winter baby.

Glacier

Glade

Former cool-boy name now in middle-aged limbo, but with a nice naturey meaning to endear it to modern parents.

Glen

Grove

Simple and down-to-earth, but would probably work best as a middle name. 

Hill

Evocative modern unisex choice brought into the spotlight by actress Lake Bell. 

Lake

Soft and mellifluous nature-surname name, situated miles away from the dated Marshall. 

Marsh

Meadow's upward popularity trajectory certainly suggests that the name has transcended its connection to The Sopranos.. In the US, more than 750 baby girls were named Meadow last year, a number we expect to keep rising.

If it can happen to Scarlett (O'Hara) and Atticus (Finch), it can certainly happen to lovely pastoral Meadow.

Before we let go of the Sopranos connection, how perfect was it that Tony Soprano's daughter's name was Meadow, suggesting that the TV mobster was once a kinder, gentler young dad?

Meadow

Mesa is the term for a flat-topped mountain, derived from the Spanish word for "table".

Mesa

Mountain names such as Everest and Denali are being used more frequently, but Mountain itself was unknown until Hunger Games star Jena Malone used it as a middle name for her son Ode Mountain. And really, why not? It's one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/317/unique-baby-names">unique baby names</a> in the hot nature category.

Mountain

Ocean is a nature name that comes right out and states its meaning and association. Full of power and depth, Ocean is one of the fastest-rising baby names for both girls and boys, making the US Top 1000 for both genders in 2021. Oceane, the version that's trendy in France, was used for only 11 baby girls in the US in the same year.

Ocean-lovers who want to be less obvious can choose such subtler <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/641/names-that-mean-ocean">names that mean ocean</a> as Jennifer or Marissa, but coming right out and using Ocean is a perfectly valid way to go.

Ocean

Peak

Unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel; used for a character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland.
 
Prairie is derived from the Old French word praierie, which ultimately came from the Latin pratum, meaning "meadow".

Prairie

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

Quarry

A dramatic nature name which calls to mind wild rocky landscapes and mountaineering.

Ravine

Modern surfer boy. Just don't call him Reefer. 

Reef

Ridge may be the quintessential daytime drama name, but it's still better than most. This is one word name rising rapidly through the ranks, reentering the US Top 1000 in 2015 for the first time since 1989.

Ridge

Most of the notable Rivers have been male, but this nature name certainly flows as well for a girl. The name River is still rising for both genders, with about 3500 baby boys receiving the name last year vs. 1900 baby girls.

Kelly Clarkson's choice of River for her newborn daughter further raised the profile of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">name for girls</a>. Baseball great Derek Jeter and Hannah Davis used the same name as Clarkson for their daughter born in 2021, River Rose.

River

Savanna has lost ground in recent years. It remains eclipsed by its more traditionally spelled cousin Savannah.

Savanna

With geographical features like Savannah and Sierra and increasingly getting the baby-name treatment, could icy Tundra also see some use? It's only appeared six times on the Social Security rankings, all in the 1960s and 70s.

Tundra

A natural phenomenon that makes a stylish baby name. Teen Mom's Kailyn Lowry used it for her daughter, twin to Verse.

Valley

Wood

Tabitha_Stone's list "Topographical Names" of 38 great name ideas: Arete - Wood!

Topographical Names

A list of names that are centered around different bodies of water and landforms, both specific landmarks and general terms.