Names That Mean Water

Wharton is a rather stiff banker name that becomes creative as a middle name choice for lovers of the novels of writer Edith.

Highly unusual water name -- and actor Colin surname -- with a Scottish burr. Firth derives from the Old Norse word fjord.

Sounds like a displaced Dr. Seuss character.

A unique natural-wonder option, conjuring up the beauty of the lake between California and Nevada that has become a popular tourist destination.

Surname of Declaration signer sure to present playground complications.

A sweet and clear Hopi name with a lovely natural meaning to match.

Actor Pierce made both his first and last name appealing.

Unique choice, with a pleasant antique feel.

Olympic skier Picabo Street was allowed to choose her name at the age of three, and picked it possibly (a) after a nearby Idaho town or (b) because she loved to play peekaboo. No longer a single-person name, it is now worn by a number of satisfied bearers.

Epithet of the goddess Lakshmi with a watery meaning.

The Treveri people gave their name to modern-day Trier, formerly known in English by its French name Treves, which is the oldest city in Germany and was one of the ancient capitals of the Roman Empire. This could be a novel way to honor an ancestral Trevor.

Doolish (known as Douglas in English) is the largest town in the Isle of Man. The name is though to derive from a Celtic word "Duboglassio" which means "black river".

If you feel a burning need to gussy up Ray -- think again.

Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, music, and the arts. She is also a river goddess, associated with the mythical Saraswati river, which played an important part in the Vedic texts.

Two names meaning "river" make the Turkish Top 100 for girls — Nehir and Irmak. Irmak is the less popular of the two.

It's a nature name evocative of rushing waterfalls. But also a dishwashing detergent.

New Zealand writer Ngaio (born Edith Ngaio) Marsh is the best-known bearer of this Maori nature name, properly pronounced ng (like the end of sing) -EYE-oh. It is the name of a tree indigenous to New Zealand, also called the Mousehole Tree.

Some parents are turning to rivers and other bodies of water in the search for undiscovered place-names, and this has the feel of a Viennese waltz.

A rhythmic and attractive Cherokee girl name. Immokalee is also the name of a community in Florida.