Names That Mean Nature

A preppier take on Rain — you could also consider Raines. The feminine version of Raine is French, related to Reina, and means "queen."

Unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel; used for a character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland.

Rayne may be considered a modern respelling of the nature name Rain or a variation of the surname Raine, which comes from the Old French word reine, meaning "queen."

Nimbus is a word from nature for a type of cloud that has occasionally -- very occasionally -- been used for a human. But it's evocative and upbeat and certainly makes an intriguing and stylish nature name.

Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel.

Sóley is the Icelandic word for the buttercup flower, derived from the words meaning "sun" and "island." It is also used on the Faroe Islands as a short form of Sólja.

Captivating and appealing name — a maile is a vine used to make leis — getting noticed via writer Maile Meloy. Many pronounce it ala Miley, as in Cyrus, though native Hawaiian speakers say the correct pronunciation is more like MY-lay or MY-leh.

The Norwegian word for "honeysuckle" could make for a fresh and vibrant nature-inspired choice.

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

Chrysalis is a girls' baby name derived from the state of a butterfly or moth between larva and adult. A chrysalis is a hard-shelled pupa in which the transition of the butterfly or moth takes place. As a baby name, Chrysalis came to the fore as the rumored name of the baby girl of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, who reportedly love butterflies. Chrysalis does certainly have potential as a new word name or nature name for babies, with the simple familiar nickname Chrys.

This alternate spelling of Holly is still quite popular in the UK but hasn't seen use in the US since the end of the millennium.

Pretty and strong, Zeynep is one of the most popular girl names in Turkey, where it has ranked in the Top 10 for more than 40 years — half of which it has spent in the very top spot. Familiar in The Netherlands, the UK, Germany, and France, Zeynep is related to the Arabic Zaynab which is well-used throughout the Muslim world.

The Norwegian word for "honeysuckle" could make for a fresh and vibrant nature-inspired choice.

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."

A potential nickname for Lake, or in professional surfer Lakey Peterson's case, Laura Louise.

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

One of the bird names that's more appropriate for a boy, though it works for a girl too.

In English, a fen is a wetland fed by surface and/or groundwater. In Dutch and Frisian, it's a traditional diminutive of names containing the element frid, meaning "peace".

Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual.