999+ Nature Names for Babies

The thistle is the botanical emblem of Scotland and would make a good if unusual patriotic choice for people with Scottish heritage. One of the few flower names that could be worn by a boy with as much ease as a girl.

Hydra is the largest of the 88 constellations, whose name was inspired by Hydra of Lerna, a serpentine, multi-headed monster of Greek mythology who resided in Lake Lerna.

This big cat name is especially striking with its X ending.

Garland is fragrant and celebratory, and also has a celebrity-tribute tie to the star of The Wizard of Oz.

Reddish dye that sounds as if it could be a real name — of the outdated, Old World, Yetta-Hedda variety.

The name of the larger-than-life shopkeeper in Frozen makes a very on-trend nature-inspired baby name.

Grrrr.

Spring doesn't sound half as contemporary as Winter, which has become the cool season name.

The addax is a white antelope that resides in the Sahara Desert. A cool and usable addition to the pool of animal baby names.

Sweet short form of Riley. Nature lovers and whiskey fans alike can appreciate the androgynous simplicity of Rye.

The Hawaiian word for sunflower is also used figuratively for people who gaze toward the sun, and has a nice resonance with Lion King name Nala.

Isla is a contemporary gem, so why not Isle? As an English word name, it takes you straight to the literal definition — a small island — which could have an appealing, aspirational ring to it, for those wanting to raise independent children.

A daisy-esque flower, although chamomile is much more commonly associated with the tea that's made from it.

This name of a showy, lemony plant makes an unusual entry into the name garden.

Zainab—the name of a flowering tree and of a granddaughter, daughter, and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed—was a newcomer to the US Top 1000 in 2013. While simplified variations Zaina or Zayna are more Western-friendly, neither makes the US list.

Thebe is the name of more than one daughter of Zeus, according to some myths, and is also the name of a moon of Jupiter. Thebe rhymes with Phoebe and may appeal to lovers of that name.

This yellow harbinger spring bloom was named for Scottish botanist William Forsyth, and is even more unusual than such species as Acacia and Azalea.

Shakespeare seems to have coined this name for the Prince of Bohemia in his late tragicomedy The Winter's Tale. It's rarely been used as a name for a real person, but we think it has potential. The flowery flor sound will appeal to parents looking for less conventionally masculine boys names, but the "Z" gives it an edge and cool factor lacking in, say, Florian. Plus, the Shakespeare connection obviously gives it a lot of literary cred.

This kind of plainspoken nature name (think River and Sunshine) may still carry a whiff of the hippie, but this one has a nice, airy feel.