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 in the U.S. are botanical names for girls — Violet, Hazel, Ivy, and Willow are in the Top 50 — and water names for boys, like Dylan (meaning “son of the sea”), Kai (meaning “ocean”), Brooks and River, which are in the Top 150 for boys."
Ready to be inspired by nature? Check out these nature baby names.
Most Popular Nature Baby Names
These names rank among the most popular baby names in the United States, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). They all rank within the country's top 500 names.
Boy Names
- Dylan
- Kai
- Brooks
- Rowan
- River
- Onyx
- Banks
- Orion
- Ares
- Sage
- Forrest
- Reed
- Apollo
- Eden
- Wells
Girl Names
- Luna
- Violet
- Hazel
- Lily
- Aurora
- Nova
- Ivy
- Willow
- Stella
- Ruby
- Autumn
- Iris
- Jade
- Daisy
- Juniper
Gender-Neutral Nature Names
In addition to nature names, unisex names are a huge trend among the current crop of new parents. Luckily, there are a ton of names that fit both categories. In fact, while the SSA splits the most popular names into "boy names" and "girl names" — a distinction that's becoming increasingly irrelevant — there are so many crossovers. 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:
- Briar
- Cedar
- Cove
- Cyprus
- Ocean
- Robin
- Sequoia
- Sunny
- Wren
- Zephyr
Plant/Flower Names
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.
- Azalea
- Basil
- Bud
- Clover
- Dahlia
- Elwood
- Flora
- Heath
- Holly
- Indigo
- Jasmine
- Leaf
- Marigold
- Oleander
- Petunia
- Poppy
- Rose
- Sorrel
- Valerian
- Zinnia
Tree Names
Among plants, trees are a subgenre 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.
- Alder
- Apple
- Ash
- Aspen
- Birch
- Ewan
- Koa
- Laurel
- Lilac
- Linden
- Magnolia
- Oak
- Olive
- Spruce
- Woody
Water Names
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.
- Bay
- Caspian
- Delta
- Fjord/Ford
- Hudson
- Lake
- Loch
- Marina
- Rain
- Reef
- Rio
- Navy
- Sailor
- Tiberius
- Wade
Sky Names
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).
- Atlas
- Andromeda
- Castor
- Celeste
- Cosmo
- Dawn
- Elio
- Estella
- Leo
- Phoebe
- Selena
- Skye/Skylar
- Sol
- Soleil
- Vesper
Gemstone Names
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.
- Amber
- Amethyst
- Ebony
- Emerald
- Coral
- Crystal
- Garnet
- Jasper
- Jem
- Mercury
- Obsidian
- Opal
- Pearl
- Sapphire
- Stone
Looking for more great baby names? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides: Most Popular Names for Boys | Most Popular Names for Girls | Disney Baby Names | French Baby Names | Indian/Hindu Boy Names | Indian/Hindu Girl Names | Italian Baby Names | Hispanic Boy Names | Hispanic Girl Names | Irish Boy Names | Irish Girl Names | Japanese Baby Names | Long Names for Boys | Long Names for Girls | Short Names for Boys | Short Names for Girls
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
