Nature-inspired baby names are the trend that keeps on giving – from classic choices like Rose and Robin to contemporary picks like Aspen, Clementine, River and Sage.
But if you’re pairing with a difficult surname, looking for a name that works in multiple languages, or compromising with a more traditional partner, it can be hard to find a stylish nature name that fits the bill.
Enter the secret nature names! These are the names with a more subtle connection to the natural world. They still feel fresh and appealing, but they hide their secret nature behind a cool or classic exterior.
Nameberry’s advanced search feature is ideal if you’re looking for a baby name with a specific meaning. Alternatively, find a varied selection of the best secret nature names inspired by plants, animals, water and sky below.
Botanical baby names are one of the most fruitful categories of secret nature names. Plenty of popular choices, like Hadley “heather meadow”, Savannah "grassland" and Oliver “olive tree”, are hiding their natural associations in plain sight.
Browse hundreds of botanical baby names here, and view some of our favorite girl, boy and unisex options with a subtle natural connection below.
Abilene – Hebrew name meaning “grassy meadow”
Avalon – English name meaning “isle of apples”
Azami – Japanese name meaning “thistle”
Briallen – Welsh name meaning “primrose”
Calhoun – Gaelic name meaning “narrow wood”
Calix – Latin name meaning “flower cup”
Daphne – Greek name meaning “laurel”
Elowen – Cornish name meaning “elm tree”
Evander – Scottish name meaning “yew warrior”
Hadassah – Hebrew name meaning“myrtle tree”
Hollis – English name meaning “holly trees”
Ione – Greek name meaning“purple flower”
Javor – Croatian name meaning“maple tree”
Jessamy – English name meaning “jasmine”
Kamala – Sanskrit name meaning “lotus”
Keziah – Hebrew name meaning “cinnamon”
Kiri – Maori name meaning “tree bark”
Laleh – Persian name meaning “tulip”
Laramie – French name meaning “arbor”
Maile – Hawaiian name meaning “vine”
Millaray – Mapuche name meaning “golden flower”
Nash – English name meaning “at the ash tree”
Oren – Hebrew name meaning “pine tree”
Pomona – Latin name meaning “fruit tree”
Rosen – Bulgarian name meaning “dittany”
Sakura – Japanese name meaning “cherry blossom”
Sylvester – Latin name meaning “of the forest”
Tamar – Hebrew name meaning “date palm tree”
Xochitl – Nahuatl name meaning "flower”
Wild animal and especially bird names are having a real moment right now, with recent celebrity babies named Bear, Birdie, Dove, Fox, Wolf and Wren.
If those feel a little too… well, wild for you, there are a whole host of more traditional names with animal meanings, including Ariel “lion of god”, Callum “dove”, Tabitha “gazelle” and Una “lamb”.
Explore hundreds of baby names with animal meanings here, and view a selection of our favorites below.
Adler – German name meaning “eagle”
Ariel – Hebrew name meaning “lion of god”
Baz – Kurdish name meaning “falcon”
Benno – German name meaning “bear”
Bindi – Nyungar name meaning “butterfly”
Capri – Italian name meaning “goats”
Callum – Scottish name meaning “dove”
Corbin – French name meaning “raven”
Destry – French name meaning “war horse”
Dov – Hebrew name meaning “bear”
Drake – English name meaning “dragon" or "duck”
Elain – Welsh name meaning “fawn”
Ephron – Hebrew name meaning “small deer”
Farasha – Arabic name meaning “butterfly”
Fennec – English name meaning “fox”
Hershel – Yiddish name meaning “deer”
Jemima – Hebrew name meaning “dove”
Leander – Greek name meaning “lion man”
Lev – Russian name meaning “lion”
Lonan – Irish name meaning “blackbird”
Lupita – Spanish name meaning “little wolf”
Mariposa – Spanish name meaning “butterfly”
Orson – French name meaning “bear”
Paloma – Spanish name meaning “dove”
Phelan – Irish name meaning “little wolf”
Philip – Greek name meaning “lover of horses”
Roscoe – English name meaning “deer forest”
Rudy – German name meaning “famous wolf”
Tabitha – Aramaic name meaning “gazelle”
Una – Irish name meaning “lamb”
Water-related baby names have proved one of the hottest trends of recent years. River has seen a big increase in births for both sexes, and new names in the Top 1000 since 2020 include Rio ("river" in Spanish) for boys and Ocean for both sexes.
Names with a connection to rivers, oceans, rain and streams evoke a feeling of peace and tranquility, and symbolize the giving of life. Browse 200+ baby names that mean water here, or discover some of the freshest options below.
Abadi – Ijaw name meaning “big ocean”
Asherah – Semitic name meaning “she who walks in the sea”
Bahari – Swahili name meaning “ocean”
Beck – English name meaning “small stream”
Brennan – Irish name meaning “raindrop”
Delta – Greek name meaning “mouth of the river”
Deniz – Turkish name meaning “sea”
Douglas – Scottish name meaning “dark river”
Dylan – Welsh name meaning “great tide”
Esca – Gaelic name meaning “water”
Indra – Sanskrit name meaning “possessing drops of rain”
Kainoa – Hawaiian name meaning “sea of freedom”
Kirsi – Finnish name meaning “frost”
Kinvara – Gaelic name meaning “head of the sea”
Lear – Manx name meaning “sea”
Maxwell – Scottish name meaning “Mack’s stream”
Marlowe – English name meaning “remnants of a lake”
Nahla – Arabic name meaning “drink of water”
Naia – Basque name meaning “wave”
Rafferty – Irish name meaning “flood tide”
Rio – Spanish and Portuguese name meaning “river”
Saraswati – Sanskrit name meaning “possessing water”
Tallulah – Choctaw name meaning “leaping waters”
Thalassa – Greek name meaning “sea”
Vasa – Samoan name meaning “open ocean”
Wyre – Welsh name meaning “winding river”
Yuna – Tupi name meaning “black river”
Zaire – Kongo name meaning “river that swallows all rivers”
Up is one of the coolest directions of travel for baby names right now, from starry-eyed favorites like Luna and Orion to the sleek gender-neutral name Sky, which is on the rise for both sexes.
In some cultures, such as among the Luo and Kamba people of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, babies are routinely named for the time of day, season or weather conditions at their birth.
Explore our list of celestial names for babies here, and below, discover a range of intriguing secret nature names inspired by the heavens.
Alizeh – Persian name meaning “wind”
Altair – Arabic name meaning “flying one”
Araceli – Spanish name meaning “altar of the sky”
Aster – Greek name meaning “star”
Aylin – Turkish name meaning “of the moon”
Caligo – Latin name meaning “darkness, gloom”
Citlali – Nahuatl name meaning “star”
Cosmo – Greek name meaning “cosmos”
Danica – Slavic name meaning “morning star”
Dashiell – French name meaning “of the heavens”
Elio – Greek name meaning “sun”
Evren – Turkish name meaning “universe”
Hilal – Arabic name meaning “crescent moon”
Iskra – Slavic name meaning “spark”
Nephele – Greek name meaning “cloud”
Noelani – Hawaiian name meaning “heavenly mist”
Otieno – Luo name meaning “born at night”
Raiden – Japanese name meaning “thunder and lightning”
Roxana – Persian name meaning “dawn”
Samson – Hebrew name meaning “sun”
Selene – Greek name meaning “moon”
Seren – Welsh name meaning “star”
Sora – Japanese name meaning “sky”
Stelara – Esperanto name meaning “constellation”
Tala – Tagalog name meaning “star”
Vesper – Latin name meaning “evening star”
Zephyr – Greek name meaning “west wind”
Zora – Slavic name meaning “dawn”
Emma Waterhouse joined the team in 2017, writing about everything from the top baby name trends 2023 to how not to choose the next big baby name. As Nameberry's head moderator, she also helps to keep our active forums community ticking.
Emma's articles on names and naming trends have been featured in publications including the Huffington Post, People, Today's Parent, Fatherly, and Good Housekeeping.
A linguist by background, Emma speaks several languages and lives in England's smallest county with her husband and four young children. You can reach her at [email protected].
View all of Emma Waterhouse's articlesChevron - Right
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