120 unique nature baby names inspired by the world around us, from Ocean to Sky

Whether a new parent is looking for names for boys, names for girls, or gender-neutral names, there are certain trends that come up over and over again. While some of these cycle in and out quickly others have remarkable staying power, like nature baby names inspired by the beauty of the world around us.

"Parents may appreciate nature names for their connections to serenity or peacefulness, or see them as evoking a wild, untamed quality," says Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of baby-naming website Nameberry. "Others may opt for nature names because of their evocative images — we’ve seen many parents choose a name like River, for example, in connection to a special river in their hometown or an otherwise meaningful place."

These qualities have made nature names exceedingly popular. "We’ve identified landscape names as one of the biggest baby name trends of 2025," she adds. "These are short, streamlined names that immediately conjure a specific image. Think Coast, Ridge and Field. But the most common nature names are botanical names for girls — Violet, Hazel, Ivy, and Willow — and water names for boys, like Dylan (meaning “son of the sea”), Kai (meaning “ocean”), Brooks and River."

Ready to be inspired by nature? Check out these nature baby names.

Boy Names

1. Dylan
2. Kai
3. Brooks
4. Rowan
5. River
6. Onyx
7. Banks
8. Orion
9. Ares
10. Sage
11. Forrest
12. Reed
13. Apollo
14. Eden
15. Wells

Girl Names

1. Luna
2. Violet
3. Hazel
4. Lily
5. Aurora
6. Nova
7. Ivy
8. Willow
9. Stella
10. Ruby
11. Autumn
12. Iris
13. Jade
14. Daisy
15. Juniper

John Legend named his daughter Luna, which is the Latin word for moon.

In addition to nature names, unisex names are a huge trend among the current crop of new parents. Luckily, there are plenty of names that fit both categories. Dylan, Kai, Rowan, River, Sage, Eden and Nova actually rank on both lists. (They're included on the list where they rank higher.) Here are some other gender-neutral nature names:

1. Briar
2. Cedar
3. Cove
4. Cyprus
5. Ocean
6. Robin
7. Sequoia
8. Sunny
9. Wren
10. Zephyr

Blossoms, herbs, spices — it's all fair game for baby-name inspiration, Start with these names, which evoke a sweet scent just by looking at them.

1. Azalea
2. Basil
3. Bud
4. Clover
5. Dahlia
6. Elwood
7. Flora
8. Heath
9. Holly
10. Indigo
11. Jasmine
12. Leaf
13. Marigold
14. Oleander
15. Petunia
16. Poppy
17. Rose
18. Sorrel
19. Valerian
20. Zinnia

Among plants, trees are a sub-genre so big they get a category of their own. There are also variants of tree names — think Oakley and Oaklynn, after Oak — or you can just go with the short-and-sweet common tree name. There are also names that evoke a wooded place, like Arbor, Sylvan or Forest.

1. Alder
2. Apple
   
3. Ash
4. Aspen
   
5. Birch
   
6. Ewan
   
7. Koa
8. Laurel
   
9. Lilac
   
10. Linden
    
11. Magnolia
12. Oak
13. Olive
14. Spruce
15. Woody

Gwyneth Paltrow was ahead of the curve when she named her daughter Apple.

Some of the most popular nature names we've seen so far, like Ocean and River, call to mind a place with a view of the water. If that appeals, these names evoke the mysteries of the deep.

1. Bay
2. Caspian
3. Delta
4. Fjord/Ford
5. Hudson
6. Lake
7. Loch
8. Marina
9. Rain
10. Reef
11. Rio
12. Navy
13. Sailor
14. Tiberius
15. Wade

From the depths below to the heavens above, these celestial names look to the skies for inspiration. Think stars, planets, constellations and other up-in-the-air features, as seen in names like Luna (meaning moon), Aurora (meaning daybreak) and Nova (a kind of star).

1. Atlas
2. Andromeda
3. Castor
4. Celeste
5. Cosmo
6. Dawn
7. Elio
8. Estella
9. Leo
10. Phoebe
11. Selena
12. Skye/Skylar
13. Sol
14. Soleil
15. Vesper

If a baby name isn't found in the stars, maybe it'll come from the Earth, like jewel and gemstone names like Onyx, Ruby and Jade.

1. Amber
2. Amethyst
3. Ebony
4. Emerald
5. Coral
6. Crystal
7. Garnet
8. Jasper
9. Jem
10. Mercury
11. Obsidian
12. Opal
13. Pearl
14. Sapphire
15. Stone