Names That Mean Water

Unusual yet accessible Hawaiian choice. The Noel beginning makes it a possible name for baby girls born at Christmas.

This Maori name, often heard in New Zealand, is an attractive, evocative choice for lovers of the ocean made famous – perhaps too famous – by the Disney heroine. Moana was also an alternate name for the heroine Ofelia in Pan's Labyrinth. Moana may also be a color name for a deep ocean blue ("lanu moana"). Moana and other Disney Princess Names are the subject of a featured blog.

Cary Grant's debonair image has stood the test of time - he is still rated as one of the most handsome and admired men in Hollywood. There are not many other names that can combine good-looks, wit and such decency all in two little syllables.

Popular Spanish name that relates to the patron saint of Mexico. It could conceivably, like Soledad and Consuelo, cross the border into multicultural territory, but the name's decline since the nineties would seem to make that less likely.

A geographical name of Celtic origin, which is borne by two British rivers: the Afon Wyre in Wales and the Wyre in Lancashire.

Nahla is a lovely name chosen by Halle Berry for her daughter. Not to be confused with the Disneyfied Nala.

Pleasing crossover possibility.

The Greek god Triton was the messenger of the sea and the son of sea god Neptune. He is usually represented as a merman, the the head and upper body of a human and the lower body of a sea creature. In The Little Mermaid he is the father of Ariel.

A unisex Hebrew name often found in combination with others, as in Tal-El and Tal-Or.

Anahita is the name of the water goddess who rules, among other things, fertility and wisdom. Associated with Venue, Anahita is a stylish Iranian name for girls.

Short, but still kind of a mouthful.

Possibly a derivative variation of Yara, a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries meaning butterfly, Yareli was given to more than 400 baby girls in the US last year.

This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.

Short and feminine, Ria has a rhythmic flow.

Cool, serene name of the Egyptian river can make a fresh choice for a girl. The origin of river name Nile relates to the Arabic and ancient Hebrew word for dark blue or indigo; in ancient Egyptian, its literal meaning is river.

One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling.

Spelling of Rainey used by Andie MacDowell for her daughter, perhaps reflecting the ie ending of her own name. Rainey is the most popular spelling of the name, given to about 50 girls last year, with half as many called Rainy and a quarter named Rainie.

One of the rarer names to come from the Bible, Cherith has a fresh and modern sound despite its ancient roots. Cherith was the name of the stream that kept Elijah alive during the three years' drought which he announced to King Ahab. In English, Cherith pleasingly reminds one of the word cherish which is another plus to this underused girls' name.

This Indian name would make the perfect choice for those looking for a strong water-based name. A variation which may seem more immediately masculine to the English-speaking ear is Varun. The feminine version is Varuni, who was Varuna's consort.

The Kaveri is a prominent river in South India, where it flows through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is among the seven holy rivers of India, personified by the goddess Kaveriamma. The name was derived from kāvēri, the word for "river" in the Sankethi language. Sankethi, related to Tamil, is spoken in regions around the Kaveri. Cauvery is the Anglicized spelling.