Flowery and Floral Names

No, the pronunciation--ro-SHEEN--isn't immediately obvious to the non-Gaelic viewer, but the sound of this shiny Irish version of Rose is pretty enough to make it worth considering. Very popular in its native Ireland, it's one of many Irish girl names finding a wider audience. Earlier generations Anglicized at as Rosaleen, but we stay stick to the original.

A variation of Romy often seen in the Netherlands. Dutch model Romee Strijd is a notable bearer.

A mashup of two of the most popular baby names today, Rose and Bella, that's still comparatively undiscovered in the US. Just 69 American baby girls were named Rosabella in 2016. It feels more Italianate and vivacious than Rosalind or Rosamund -- if also less refined.

Rosalie hit its apex in 1938 and then slid straight downhill until it fell off the U.S. Top 1000 completely in the 1980s, only to spring back to life in 2009 as the name of a character in the Twilight series. The beautiful vampire Rosalie Hale has breathed fresh life back into this mid-century name, and the fact that the character is both sympathetic and relatively minor means Rosalie has the chance to thrive again as a baby name without feeling unduly tied to Twilight.

Rosalind has a distinguished literary history – used and popularized by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare via one of his most charming heroines, in As You Like It. Along with a bouquet of other Rose names, Rosalind might be ready for a comeback.

Rosaline, which can be pronounced to rhyme with mine or mean in its final syllable, has a deeper, richer pedigree than it might seem. Rosaline was used twice by Shakespeare and was also used in the poetry of Edmund Spenser. While we prefer the stronger-sounding Rosalind or Rosamund, Rosaline deserves another contemporary look.

A French surname turned Spanish masculine given name, Rosamel likely derives from the combination of rose + Greek mel "honey".

A French surname turned Spanish masculine given name, Rosamel likely derives from the combination of rose + Greek mel "honey".

Rose is derived from the Latin rosa, which referred to the flower. There is also evidence to suggest it was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning "famous type," and also Hros, "horse". In Old English it was translated as Roese and Rohese.

Rosebud, a charming flower name, was the childhood nickname used for author Nathaniel Hawthorne's daughter Rose, who made a name for herself by founding the modern hospice movement. Rose Hawthorne Lathrop converted to Catholicism and, after her husband's death, founded a religious order called the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. As a nun and head of that order, she became known as Mother Mary Alphonsa and is now in line for sainthood in the Catholic Church.

Roselil is a sweet Danish name made famous by the song Roselil og hendes moder (Roselil and Her Mother) and the eponymous collection of children's fables written by author Josefine Ottesen. It is derived from a combination of the Danish word for "rose" plus the word for "lily" or "little".

This fairytale-esque compound name is a contraction of Rose and Lore or Eleonore. A famous bearer is the retired gymnast Roselore Sonntag.

Rosemarie had its moment in the sun back in the middle of the last century, when parents were looking for new ways to recycle traditional family names. So a child might combine her two grandma's names and become Rosemarie (or Annmarie or Maryjean), but these combination names feel dated now.

Despite appearances, Rosemary is not a "smoosh" name, not even a traditional one. The name derives from two Latin terms "Ros" meaning ‘dew’ and "Marinus" "meaning "of the sea". The plant was termed ‘dew of the sea’ due to its salty texture and its ability to thrive in coastal climes. Only after the Middle Ages did the English names of Rose and Mary become interchanged with the name Rosmarinus and give us the modern name we use today.

A quirky twist on Rosemary or a combo of the popular elements Rose and May, this would make a lovely traditional yet surprising middle name. It also works the other way around: Mayrose.

This masculine floral name literally means "burning bush", and is the Bulgarian word for the dittany plant. The name derives from the highly volatile oils produced by the plant, which can actually catch fire in hot weather. A notable bearer of the Bulgarian-form of the name is Rosen Plevneliev, a former President of Bulgaria.

The masculine version of Rosen, pronounced ROH-zen, is a German and Bulgarian name, commonly seen as an element in Ashkenazi Jewish surnames. But Rosen, pronounced ROZ-en, is a modern Cornish word name used predominantly for girls.

A rare and beautiful member of the "Rose" family of names, Rosenwyn is a modern Cornish compound name meaning "white rose" or "fair rose". There is a popular Cornish folk song titled An Rosen Wyn, which may have inspired its use as a name.

A beautiful English surname that's also a type of richly colored timber, Rosewood makes an interesting spin on the Rose names for a boy. It is also the surname of Dr Beaumont Rosewood, Jr from the Fox police drama series Rosewood.