Names Categorized "English nature names"

Acacia f English (Rare)
From the name of a type of tree, ultimately derived from Greek ἀκή (ake) meaning "thorn, point".

Alder m English (Rare)
From the English word for the tree (comprising the genus Alnus), derived from Old English alor.

Amaryllis f Literature
Derived from Greek ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning "to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in Virgil's pastoral poems Eclogues. The amaryllis flower is named for her.

Anemone f English (Rare)
From the name of the anemone flower, which is derived from Greek ἄνεμος (anemos) meaning "wind".

Anise f English (Rare)
From the English word for the herb, also called aniseed.

April f English
From the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin aperire "to open", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.

Ash m & f English
Short form of Ashley. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.

Aspen f English (Modern)
From the English word for a variety of deciduous trees in the genus Populus, derived from Old English æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.

Aster f & m English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Latin from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star".

August m German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English
German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of Augustus. This was the name of three Polish kings.... [more]

Aurora f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Romanian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Roman Mythology
Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.

Autumn f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Latin autumnus. This name has been in general use since the 1960s.

Azalea f English (Modern)
From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".

Banks m English (Modern)
From an English surname that that was given to a person who lived near a hillside or a bank of land.

Basil 1 m English
From the Greek name Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.

Bear m English (Modern)
From the English word for the animal, derived from Old English bera, probably derived from a root meaning "brown".

Bee f English
Short form of Beatrix and other names beginning with B.

Belladonna f Various
From the name of a toxic plant, also called deadly nightshade (species Atropa belladonna). The plant's name is of Italian origin, probably derived from Latin bladona "mullein plant" and altered through association with the Italian words bella "beautiful, fair" and donna "lady".

Berry 2 f English (Rare)
From the English word referring to the small fruit. It is ultimately derived from Old English berie. This name has only been in use since the 20th century.

Betony f English (Rare)
From the name of the minty medicinal herb.

Birdie f English
Diminutive of Bertha, Bernice and other names with a similar sound, or sometimes simply from the English word bird.

Blossom f English
From the English word blossom, ultimately from Old English blóstm. It came into use as a rare given name in the 19th century.

Briar m & f English (Modern)
From the English word for the thorny plant.

Brook m & f English
From an English surname that denoted one who lived near a brook.

Bryony f English (Rare)
From the name of a type of Eurasian vine, formerly used as medicine. It ultimately derives from Greek βρύω (bryo) meaning "to swell".

Bunny f English
Diminutive of Berenice.

Calanthe f English (Rare)
From the name of a type of orchid, ultimately meaning "beautiful flower", derived from Greek καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower".

Calla f English
From the name of two types of plants, the true calla (species Calla palustris) and the calla lily (species Calla aethiopica), both having white flowers and growing in marshy areas. Use of the name may also be inspired by Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty".

Calliope f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Kalliope.

Camellia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering shrub, which was named for the botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel.

Cedar f & m English (Rare)
From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek κέδρος (kedros). Besides the true cedars from the genus Cedrus, it is also used to refer to some tree species in the cypress family.

Celandine f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived from Greek χελιδών (chelidon) meaning "swallow (bird)".

Cherry f English
Simply means "cherry" from the name of the fruit. It can also be a diminutive of Charity. It has been in use since the late 19th century.

Clay m English
From an English surname that originally referred to a person who lived near or worked with clay. This name can also be a short form of Clayton.

Clematis f English (Rare)
From the English word for a type of flowering vine, ultimately derived from Greek κλήμα (klema) meaning "twig, branch".

Cliff m English
Short form of Clifford or Clifton.

Clover f English (Modern)
From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English clafre.

Columbine f English (Rare)
From the name of a variety of flower. It is also an English form of Colombina, the pantomime character.

Coral f English, Spanish
From the English and Spanish word coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek κοράλλιον (korallion).

Coriander f English (Rare)
From the name of the spice, also called cilantro, which may ultimately be of Phoenician origin (via Latin and Greek).

Crystal f English
From the English word crystal for the clear, colourless glass, sometimes cut into the shape of a gemstone. The English word derives ultimately from Greek κρύσταλλος (krystallos) meaning "ice". It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.

Daffodil f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Dutch de affodil meaning "the asphodel".

Dahlia f English (Modern)
From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.

Daisy f English
Simply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.... [more]

Dawn f English
From the English word dawn, ultimately derived from Old English dagung.

Delta f English
From the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.

Dove f English
From the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.

Ebony f African American
From the English word ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.

Eglantine f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story The Prioress's Tale (one of The Canterbury Tales).

Ember f English (Modern)
From the English word ember, ultimately from Old English æmerge.

Fawn f English
From the English word fawn for a young deer.

Fern f English
From the English word for the plant, ultimately from Old English fearn. It has been used as a given name since the late 19th century.

Flint m English
From the English vocabulary word, from Old English flint.

Flora f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, French, Greek, Albanian, Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin flos meaning "flower" (genitive case floris). Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, the wife of Zephyr the west wind. It has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, starting in France. In Scotland it was sometimes used as an Anglicized form of Fionnghuala.

Flower f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word flower for the blossoming plant. It is derived (via Old French) from Latin flos.

Forest m English
Variant of Forrest, or else directly from the English word forest.

Fox m English (Modern)
Either from the English word fox or the surname Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.

Gardenia f English (Rare)
From the name of the tropical flower, which was named for the Scottish naturalist Alexander Garden (1730-1791).

Hazel f English
From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.

Heather f English
From the English word heather for the variety of small shrubs with pink or white flowers, which commonly grow in rocky areas. It is derived from Middle English hather. It was first used as a given name in the late 19th century, though it did not become popular until the last half of the 20th century.

Holly f English
From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English holen. Holly Golightly is the main character in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) by Truman Capote.

Honey f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word honey, ultimately from Old English hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.

Hyacinth 2 f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower (or the precious stone that also bears this name), ultimately from Greek hyakinthos (see Hyacinthus).

Iris f Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, Greek
Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.

Ivy f English
From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.

Jade f & m English, French
From the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish (piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.

Jasmine f English, French
From the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.

Jasper m English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
From Latin Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning "treasurer", derived from Old Persian ganzabarah. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.

Jonquil f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of flower, derived ultimately from Latin iuncus "reed".

Juniper f English (Modern)
From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.

Kestrel f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.

Lake m & f English (Rare)
From the English word lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin lacus.

Lark f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of songbird.

Laurel f English
From the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin laurus.

Lavender f English (Rare)
From the English word for the aromatic flower or the pale purple colour.

Liana f Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, English, Georgian
Short form of Juliana, Liliana and other names that end in liana. This is also the word for a type of vine that grows in jungles.

Lilac f English (Rare)
From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.

Lily f English
From the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).

Linden m & f English
From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from Old High German linta meaning "linden tree".

Linnaea f English (Rare)
From the word for the type of flower, also called the twinflower (see Linnéa).

Linnet f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Lynette or else from the name of the small bird, a type of finch.

Lotus f English (Rare)
From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek λωτός (lotos). In Greek and Roman mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.

Magnolia f English
From the English word magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.

Maple f English
From the English word for the tree (comprising the genus Acer), derived from Old English mapul. This is the name of a girl in Robert Frost's poem Maple (1923) who wonders about the origin of her unusual name.

Marigold f English (Modern)
From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of Mary and the English word gold.

Mavis f English
From the name of the type of bird, also called the song thrush, derived from Old French mauvis, of uncertain origin. It was first used as a given name by the British author Marie Corelli, who used it for a character in her novel The Sorrows of Satan (1895).

May f English
Derived from the name of the month of May, which derives from Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a diminutive of Mary, Margaret or Mabel.

Meadow f English (Modern)
From the English word meadow, ultimately from Old English mædwe. Previously very rare, it rose in popularity after it was used as the name of Tony Soprano's daughter on the television series The Sopranos (1999-2007).

Merle m & f English, Estonian
From the English word merle or the French surname Merle, which both mean "blackbird" (from Latin merula). It was borne by the devious character Madame Merle (in fact her surname) in Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady (1880).... [more]

Merlin m Arthurian Cycle, English
Form of the Welsh name Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde "excrement".... [more]

Misty f English
From the English word misty, ultimately derived from Old English. The jazz song Misty (1954) by Erroll Garner may have helped popularize the name.

Moon 2 f & m English (Rare)
From the English word for Earth's natural satellite, ultimately from Old English mona.

Moss m English (Archaic), Jewish
Medieval form of Moses.

Myrtle f English
Simply from the English word myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek μύρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.

Ocean f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.

Olive f English, French
From the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin oliva.

Onyx m & f English
From the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".

Opal f English
From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".

Pansy f English
From the English word for a type of flower, ultimately deriving from Old French pensee "thought".

Pearl f English
From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.

Peony f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek medical god Pæon.

Pepper f & m English (Modern)
From the English word for the spice, which is prepared from the dried berries of the pepper plant. The word is derived from Latin piper, ultimately from an Indo-Aryan source. In popular culture, Pepper is the nickname of Virginia Potts from the Iron Man series of comic books and movies, created 1963.

Peregrine m English (Rare)
From the Late Latin name Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.

Petal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower part, derived from Greek πέταλον (petalon) meaning "leaf".

Petunia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, derived ultimately from a Tupi (South American) word.

Poppy f English
From the word for the red flower, derived from Old English popæg.

Primrose f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".

Primula f English (Rare), Italian (Rare)
From the name of a genus of several species of flowers, including the primrose. It is derived from the Latin word primulus meaning "very first".

Prunella f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of flower, also called self-heal, ultimately a derivative of the Latin word pruna "plum".

Rain 1 f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word rain, derived from Old English regn.

Rainbow f English (Rare)
From the English word for the arc of multicoloured light that can appear in a misty sky.

Raven f & m English
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god Odin.

Ridge m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word denoting a continuous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.

River m & f English (Modern)
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".

Robin m & f English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech
Medieval English diminutive of Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.

Rose f English, French
Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.

Rosemary f English
Combination of Rose and Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.

Ross m Scottish, English
From a Scottish and English surname that originally indicated a person from a place called Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.

Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).

Rue f English
From the name of the bitter medicinal herb, ultimately deriving from Greek ῥυτή (rhyte). This is also sometimes used as a short form of Ruth 1.

Sable f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.

Sandy m & f English
Originally a diminutive of Alexander. As a feminine name it is a diminutive of Alexandra or Sandra. It can also be given in reference to the colour.

Savanna f English (Modern)
Variant of Savannah.

Savannah f English
From the English word for the large grassy plain, ultimately deriving from the Taino (Native American) word zabana. It came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. It was revived in the 1980s by the movie Savannah Smiles (1982).

Sequoia f & m English (Rare)
From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the 19th-century Cherokee scholar Sequoyah (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee writing system.

Shell f English
Short form of Michelle or Shelley. It can also be simply from the English word shell (ultimately from Old English sciell).

Sierra f English (Modern)
Means "mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.

Sky f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".

Snow f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.

Sorrel f English (Rare)
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.

Spring f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".

Star f English
From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.

Stone m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English stan.

Storm m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Danish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr. It is unisex as an English name, but typically masculine elsewhere.

Stormy f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.

Summer f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.

Sunny f & m English
From the English word meaning "sunny, cheerful".

Sunshine f English
From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".

Talon m English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "talon, claw", ultimately derived (via Norman French) from Latin talus "anklebone".

Tansy f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.

Tempest f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).

Tiger m English (Rare)
From the name of the large striped cat, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek τίγρις (tigris), ultimately of Iranian origin. A famous bearer is American golfer Tiger Woods (1975-).

Tigerlily f English (Rare)
From tiger lily, a name that has been applied to several orange varieties of lily (such as the species Lilium lancifolium). Tiger Lily is also the name of the Native American princess in J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904).

Valerian m Russian, Georgian, Romanian, History
From the Roman cognomen Valerianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name Valerius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman emperor (Publius Licinius Valerianus) who was captured by the Persians. Several saints have also borne this name, including a 2nd-century martyr of Lyons.

Verbena f Various (Rare)
From the name of the verbena plant, which is derived from Latin verbena meaning "leaves, twigs".

Violet f English
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.

Willow f English (Modern)
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.

Winter f English (Modern)
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.

Wisteria f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.

Wolf m German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic
Short form of Wolfgang, Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" (Proto-Germanic *wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of Zeev.

Wren f English (Modern)
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

Zinnia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.