Nature Names for Girls

Pansy is an early floral name that lost credibility when it became a derogatory slang term for gay people. Better these days: Posy or Poppy.

Commonly associated with Chinese supermodel Liu Wen.

Appropriate for a girl born between late September and late October, Libra suggests both balance and freedom.

All baby names can be made more "creative" by putting a Z at the beginning instead of what's conventionally there: B or C or H, for instance. Zaley is an adorable entry in this group, also spelled Zailey or Zayley or Zalee. The Zaley spelling attains a measure of authenticity when seen as a feminine form of Zale, a Greek name with an ocean-related meaning.

We've had Apples, Plums, Peaches, Cherries, and Berries added to the fruit basket: you could be the first to pick a Tangerine.

A lush, romantic flower name for people who think Rose, Violet and Lily are 1000 times too popular.

Prune is a fruit name loved by the French, for whom it's a Plum equivalent. In the U.S., Plum works, but Prune is not a name we'd want to inflict on a child. Prunella is slightly more plausible.

Intriguing name with great symbolic meaning in Eastern religions.

Ye is a name with a lovely meaning, which is probably just a bit short for usage outside the Chinese community. Paired with Mei, however, it could work. Ye-Mei would mean beautiful leaf, a lovely name for an autumnal daughter.

A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelia, Oriole is extremely rare as a name: No babies were given the name in the US in 2022. But most people are aware of the Oriole bird, which makes this name uncommon yet possible.

When Gail was popular, half a century ago, Gale was a plausible choice. Gale does put a slightly more masculine spin on the name, but it's dated in any version.

Perrin has been in long use as a surname, derived from Peter, and is now used quietly as a first name. It was given to 37 boys and 12 girls in the US in 2022, an increase over the year before. It has an attractive sound and feel and seems equally usable for both sexes.

Why bother to invent a new name or spelling when there are intriguing oddities like this in existence. Also in the Welsh encyclopedia of names: Ffion, Ffiona, and Ffraid, the Welsh form of Brigid.

The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.

Adventurous parents are venturing deeper into the garden in search of fresh names, but remember that this also makes for an alcoholic brunch.

Ten times as many boys are named Oak as girls: about 50 boys last year to five girls. Of course, nature names don't have any traditional gender identification the way names like John and Mary do, so Oak works well for all babies. Oakley is the most popular Oak name for babies of all genders.

Leaf is a hippieish choice that, for girls, still retains an evergreen quality.

A very popular name for boys in Ireland that's well-used throughout the British Isles, Darragh is also occasionally used for girls and certainly sounds feminine or at least unisex to the American ear. Simplified form Dara pushes it further toward the girls' side.

Dark, woody name that's brings to mind rich panelling, beautiful colors and luxury.

From the botanical name for common heather, Calluna vulgaris, which ultimately derives from the Greek kallos "beauty". A unique, nature-inspired route to the fashionable nicknames Callie and Luna.