200+ Inspired Ocean Names for Babies

  1. Kjartan
    • Origin:

      Nordic
    • Meaning:

      "sea warrior"
    • Description:

      A short form of Mýrkjartan, an Old Norse name derived from the Irish Muircheartach "sea warrior". It is also a Nordic form of the Old Irish name Certán, possibly meaning "humming sound".
  2. Pacific
    • Origin:

      Ocean name; from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "tranquil"
    • Description:

      Pacific is an adventurous kind of place-name, with the added bonus of the association with peace.
  3. Maryn
    • Origin:

      Variation of Mary
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Adds a modern spin to old-fashioned Mary.
  4. Vaiana
    • Origin:

      Tahitian
    • Meaning:

      "sea cave"
    • Description:

      A pretty, mellifluous name from the Tahitian phrase vai ana o te mato teitei, meaning "water from the cave of the high rock". The Disney heroine Moana is called Vaiana in most European countries, for trademark reasons.
  5. Pelagios
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "from the sea"
    • Description:

      Pelagios is one of the more outre of the sea-related names. But Pel could work as a short form -- or Gus.
  6. Anamaria
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian combination of Ana and Maria
    • Meaning:

      "grace + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Variant of Annemarie
  7. Wave
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "wave"
    • Description:

      Wave made, well, waves when it was revealed to be the name of Cardi B and Offset's son. Evocative of crashing waves at the beach, large surfing barrels, and tumultuous and stormy seas, Wave is a name with a lot of personalities.
  8. Heli
    • Origin:

      Finnish, Estonian diminutive of Helena, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "torch; shining light"
    • Description:

      More modern than Helen or Helena, and an interesting alternative to Hayley and Hallie. By coincidence, heli also means "saltwater" in Welsh.
  9. Thetis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "dogmatic"
    • Description:

      This name of the mythological mother of Achilles might suffer from English speakers making the rhyming association to the word fetus. The traditional Greek pronunciation might alleviate that problem.
  10. Merrill
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "sea-bright"
    • Description:

      Merrill, once fairly common for males, is rarely used for girls (or boys either, for that matter) with this spelling. Chef Emeril Lagasse dropped the initial E from his name and called his daughter Meril.
  11. Meli
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Melissa or Cherokee variation of Mary, Greek, Hebrew or Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "honeybee; drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
  12. Marita
    • Origin:

      German and Spanish diminutive of Maria
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Derived from Maria, the meaning of which is uncertain. Theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).
  13. Mervin
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "sea hill"
    • Description:

      A blend of Mervyn and Marvin that is every bit as dated as either of the originals. That -erv sound is difficult no matter what. Mervin is still used today among Amish families.
  14. Beach
    • Origin:

      Nature name, English word name
    • Meaning:

      "a shore of a body of water"
    • Description:

      With the tide coming in on a new wave of word names, this one just might catch on, especially for parents who relish sun, sand, and surf. Forest lovers can spell it Beech, like the tree.
  15. Arnav
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "ocean"
    • Description:

      This popular Indian name is heard in the US. Bollywood actor Akshay Khanna has a son named Arnav.
  16. Meraud
    • Origin:

      Cornish
    • Meaning:

      "a profit from the sea"
    • Description:

      A medieval Cornish name which despite sounding similar to the French name Emeraude, is actually connected to the Welsh name Morfydd. Pronunciation rhymes with Herod -- and yes, the final d is pronounced.
  17. Maricela
    • Origin:

      Spanish, combination of Maria and Celia
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + heaven"
    • Description:

      A pretty and little-known Spanish smoosh name, combining Maria with Celia.
  18. Maryanne
    • Origin:

      English, combination of Mary and Anne
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
    • Description:

      Variant of Marianne or Maryann
  19. Barbeau
    • Origin:

      French occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "fisherman"
    • Description:

      How to spruce up Fisher or Beau? This French surname-name might be an option for a parent unafraid of the unusual. The name derives from Barbel, a type of fish, which is how it became a surname for some fishermen.
  20. Deniz
    • Origin:

      Turkish
    • Meaning:

      "sea"
    • Description:

      A super popular nature name in its native Turkey, currently Top 50 for both boys and girls there.