200+ Hippie Baby Names: Peace, Love & Flower Power

Q: What are some good hippie middle name combinations?

Some pairings that work well: Luna Sage, River Stone, Violet Rain, Orion Fox, Bodhi Cedar, Aurora Wren, Juniper Moon, Phoenix Vale. The general principle: if the first name is long and flowing (Serenity, Magnolia, Lavender), the middle name can be short and grounded (True, Fox, Bay). If the first name is spare (Ash, Rain, Free), the middle name can expand (River, Canyon, Harmony).

This post contains affiliate links.

The 1960s and 70s counterculture didn’t just change music, politics, and fashion — it gave us some of the most interesting names in the American naming canon. Names that were handed to flower-crown-wearing, commune-living, peace-sign-flashing babies in 1969 are now being claimed with deliberate nostalgia by a new generation of parents who want something that feels rooted and free at the same time.

🔍 Curious how popular a name is?

Check any name's popularity trend since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.

Popularity below is calculated from Social Security Administration data through 2024, the most recent year on record.

Here’s what’s in store –

Flower, Plant & Garden Names — The original botanicals

Earth, Water & Wilderness Names — Rooted in the land

Sky, Stars & Cosmic Names — For space-age dreamers

Peace, Love & Virtue Names — Named for what matters

Birds & Wild Creatures — Free and untamed

Mystic, Spiritual & Eastern-Inspired Names — From traditions the counterculture embraced

Counterculture Era & Musical Legacy Names — Names that were there

Gender-Neutral Tree & Herb Names — Earthy and unisex

What makes a name feel hippie? It’s not just a flower or a season — it’s a particular sensibility. These names lean toward the natural world, toward Eastern spiritual traditions that were filtering into American culture at the time, toward freedom and peace and the idea that a name could be a whole philosophy. Sage, River, Lotus, Phoenix — names that were edgy in 1971 and now feel like the most natural things in the world to name a child.

The best hippie names have aged beautifully. Unlike some trends that feel trapped in their era, names from the counterculture movement tend to have deep roots — in Old English flora, Sanskrit spirituality, Greek mythology, or simple English vocabulary — that give them staying power. You’re not just picking something retro; you’re picking something with meaning layered into every syllable.

This list covers more than 200 names across every vibe within the genre — from the gentle floral names to the cosmic, from the earthy and wild to the peacefully spiritual. Some were genuinely popular at Woodstock. Others carry the same free-spirited energy in a more subtle package. All of them feel alive.

Before we get into the full list — there are over 200 names here, which means at least a few will stop you mid-scroll. When one does, tap over to the Baby Name Checker to see how popular it is, whether it’s trending, and what real parents think of it.

Flower, Plant & Garden Names

The flower name tradition is older than the counterculture — Victorians were doing it a century before Woodstock — but the 1960s and 70s took it somewhere wilder. These weren’t the buttoned-up Rose and Lily of the parlor; these were Tansy and Rue and Bryony, names from hedgerows and meadows and apothecary shelves. They’ve aged gorgeously, and several are due for a serious comeback.

Daisy

Origin: English (Old English compound)
Pronunciation: DAY-zee · ˈdeɪzi
Meaning: flower name meaning “day’s eye”; also historically used as a nickname for Margaret
Popularity: #76 and rising (#110 → #76, 2024)

The quintessential free-spirit flower name, warm and unassuming, never trying too hard.

Violet

Origin: English (19th-century flower name, ultimately from Latin viola via French violette)
Pronunciation: VY-oh-let · ˈvaɪəlɪt
Meaning: the violet flower (purple-blue)
Popularity: #15 and rising (#16 → #15, 2024)

Jasmine

Origin: Persian
Pronunciation: JAZ-min · ˈdʒæzmɪn
Meaning: named after the jasmine flower
Popularity: #199 and falling (#191 → #199, 2024)

Iris

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: EYE-ris · ˈaɪrɪs
Meaning: rainbow; also the name of the Greek goddess/messenger of the rainbow, and the flower named after her
Popularity: #71 and rising (#78 → #71, 2024)

Timeless with a genuine wild streak.

Poppy

Origin: English (flower name, ultimately from Latin papaver via Old English popig)
Pronunciation: POP-ee · ˈpɑːpi
Meaning: named for the poppy flower
Popularity: #338 and falling (#289 → #338, 2024)

A beloved British hippie staple, now firmly crossing the Atlantic.

Clover

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KLOH-ver · ˈkloʊvər
Meaning: the clover plant (Old English clafre), popularly linked to luck
Popularity: #618 and rising (#672 → #618, 2024)

Sweet, unusual, and genuinely vintage-feeling.

Fern

Origin: English (nature name)
Pronunciation: FURN · ˈfɜːrn
Meaning: the fern plant
Popularity: #1,261 and rising (#1,428 → #1,261, 2024)

Blossom

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: BLAH-som · ˈblɑːsəm
Meaning: flower or blossoming — from Old English blōstm (‘flower’), a Victorian-era botanical name
Popularity: #1,952 and rising (#2,090 → #1,952, 2024)

Briar

Origin: English (Middle English)
Pronunciation: BRY-er · ˈbraɪər
Meaning: thorny shrub or bramble
Popularity: #522 and rising (#549 → #522, 2024)

Edgy and pretty at once, like a rose that hasn’t been tamed.

Willow

Origin: English
Pronunciation: WIL-oh · ˈwɪloʊ
Meaning: named for the willow tree
Popularity: #41, holding steady (2024)

One of the most beloved nature names of the past two decades, and it earned that affection.

Flora

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FLOR-ah · ˈflɔːrə
Meaning: Flower; from Latin flos/floris, and the name of the Roman goddess of flowers, blooming, and springtime.
Popularity: #648 and rising (#682 → #648, 2024)

Classical and earthy simultaneously — Botticelli’s Primavera energy in four letters.

Marigold

Origin: English (flower name)
Pronunciation: MAIR-ih-gold · ˈmɛrɪɡoʊld
Meaning: the marigold flower; the flower’s name is traditionally explained as ‘Mary’s gold’ (honoring the Virgin Mary), not literally ‘golden flower’
Popularity: #693 and rising (#713 → #693, 2024)

Warm, unusual, and not yet overused.

Zinnia

Origin: English (from the flower name)
Pronunciation: ZIN-ee-ah · ˈzɪniə
Meaning: named for the zinnia flower
Popularity: #1,349 and falling (#1,296 → #1,349, 2024)

Spunky, colorful, and wildly underused.

Dahlia

Origin: Swedish (via surname Dahl)
Pronunciation: DAHL-yah · ˈdɑːljə
Meaning: named for botanist Anders Dahl
Popularity: #240 and rising (#253 → #240, 2024)

Darker and richer than most florals.

Lavender

Origin: Old French / Latin
Pronunciation: LAV-en-der · ˈlævəndər
Meaning: the lavender plant
Popularity: #998 and rising (#1,179 → #998, 2024)

Soft and dreamy, with centuries of healing association behind it.

Magnolia

Origin: English (flower name)
Pronunciation: mag-NOHL-yah · mæɡˈnoʊljə
Meaning: name of the magnolia flower, adopted as an English given name in the 19th century
Popularity: #138 and rising (#144 → #138, 2024)

Southern Gothic meets cosmic expansion.

Lotus

Origin: English (botanical name, from Greek lōtos)
Pronunciation: LOH-tuhs · ˈloʊtəs
Meaning: the lotus flower
Popularity: #1,663 and falling (#1,528 → #1,663, 2024)

One of the most spiritually loaded names on this entire list.

Ivy

Origin: English
Pronunciation: EYE-vee · ˈaɪvi
Meaning: the climbing ivy plant, a traditional symbol of fidelity
Popularity: #36 and rising (#38 → #36, 2024)

Literary, tenacious, beautiful — and it has a great nickname situation.

Rosemary

Origin: English (blend of Rose and Mary)
Pronunciation: ROHZ-mair-ee · ˈroʊzˌmɛri
Meaning: a blend of the names Rose and Mary; later also linked to the herb rosemary (from Latin ‘dew of the sea’)
Popularity: #301 and rising (#310 → #301, 2024)

The herb-as-name tradition at its most timeless.

Clementine

Origin: French (from Latin Clemens)
Pronunciation: KLEM-en-teen · ˈklɛmənˌtiːn
Meaning: merciful, mild
Popularity: #477 and rising (#542 → #477, 2024)

Sun-soaked and melodic — you can’t say it without smiling.

Tansy

Origin: English (flower name, ultimately Greek)
Pronunciation: TAN-zee · ˈtænzi
Meaning: the tansy flower; the plant name traces to Greek ‘athanasia,’ meaning immortality
Popularity: #12,007 and rising (#14,984 → #12,007, 2024)

Rare, historical, and unusually pretty.

Camellia

Origin: Latin (botanical name)
Pronunciation: kuh-MEEL-yah · kəˈmiːljə
Meaning: the camellia flower, named for the Jesuit botanist Georg Joseph Kamel
Popularity: #1,539 and rising (#1,726 → #1,539, 2024)

Elegant and slightly exotic.

Verbena

Origin: Latin (plant name)
Pronunciation: ver-BEE-nah · vərˈbiːnə
Meaning: sacred plant (vervain)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Old apothecary energy in a beautiful three-syllable package.

Primrose

Origin: English (Victorian flower name, from Latin prima rosa)
Pronunciation: PRIM-rohz · ˈprɪmroʊz
Meaning: named for the primrose flower (‘first rose’)
Popularity: #2,106 and rising (#2,118 → #2,106, 2024)

Delicate and literary.

Sorrel

Origin: Old French (via the plant name)
Pronunciation: SOR-uhl · ˈsɔːrəl
Meaning: the sorrel plant (a tart, sour-leaved herb); also a reddish-brown color
Popularity: #14,992 and falling (#11,050 → #14,992, 2024)

Spunky and unusual — sounds more like a name than it has any right to.

Yarrow

Origin: Celtic (river name) / English (plant name)
Pronunciation: YAR-oh · ˈjæɹ.oʊ
Meaning: rough (Celtic river name); also the yarrow herb
Popularity: #8,922 and rising (#9,712 → #8,922, 2024)

Used in folk medicine for thousands of years; sounds wonderfully unexpected as a name.

Rue

Origin: English
Pronunciation: ROO · ruː
Meaning: the rue plant, ‘herb of grace’; also English ‘rue’, meaning regret
Popularity: #1,241 and rising (#1,259 → #1,241, 2024)

Shakespeare gave it to Ophelia; hippie parents reclaimed it.

Eglantine

Origin: Old French
Pronunciation: EG-luhn-tyne · ˈɛɡləntaɪn
Meaning: sweetbriar, a wild thorny rose
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Shakespeare’s Titania mentions it — romantic and untamed.

Peony

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: PEE-uh-nee · ˈpiːəni
Meaning: Named after Paeon, the physician-god of Greek mythology who reputedly used the plant medicinally; the flower’s name became a given name.
Popularity: #17,033 and falling (#11,931 → #17,033, 2024)

Grand and fragrant, increasingly appearing on birth certificates.

Bryony

Origin: English (from the plant name, ultimately Greek via Latin)
Pronunciation: BRY-uh-nee · ˈbraɪəni
Meaning: named after the bryony plant, a flowering climbing vine
Popularity: #9,816 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rare and musical, with a soft woody sound.

Fleur

Origin: French
Pronunciation: FLUR · ˈflɜːr
Meaning: The French word for “flower,” used directly as a feminine given name.
Popularity: #8,592 and rising (#10,581 → #8,592, 2024)

Simple, radiant, and unmistakably French.

Wisteria

Origin: New Latin
Pronunciation: wis-TEER-ee-ah · wɪˈstɪriə
Meaning: name of the flowering vine, itself coined to honor 19th-century American anatomist Caspar Wistar
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Dreamy and romantic, genuinely rare as a name.

Calla

Origin: Latin (botanical name, root disputed)
Pronunciation: KAL-ah · ˈkælə
Meaning: uncertain (disputed ancient reading, possibly ‘cup’ or ‘husk’)
Popularity: #1,514 and rising (#1,604 → #1,514, 2024)

Simple, sleek, and quietly lovely.

Aster

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: AS-ter · ˈæstər
Meaning: star (namesake of the star-shaped flower)
Popularity: #2,745 and rising (#3,281 → #2,745, 2024)

Bridges the botanical and the cosmic perfectly.

Linnea

Origin: Swedish (Latinized)
Pronunciation: lin-AY-ah · lɪˈneɪə
Meaning: the twinflower (Linnaea borealis), a plant named in honor of botanist Carl Linnaeus
Popularity: #1,608 and falling (#1,467 → #1,608, 2024)

Common in Scandinavia, rare and charming in English-speaking countries.

Earth, Water & Wilderness Names

Beyond the garden, the counterculture was drawn to the raw landscape — the canyon, the moor, the unnamed creek running through the back of someone’s commune property. These names feel like places you’d want to live, not just sounds you’d want to carry.

River

Origin: English
Pronunciation: RIV-er · ˈrɪvər
Meaning: a naturally flowing body of water
Popularity: #112 and rising (#116 → #112, 2024)

Beautiful for any gender and now firmly in the mainstream, for good reason.

Forest

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FOR-ist · ˈfɔːrɪst
Meaning: Wooded land; from Old French forest, adopted as an English surname and later used as a given name.
Popularity: #724 and rising (#746 → #724, 2024)

Wild, spacious, and completely free.

Stone

Origin: English (surname, from Old English “stan”)
Pronunciation: STOHN · ˈstoʊn
Meaning: from the English word for stone/rock; originally a surname for someone who lived near a notable stone or worked with stone
Popularity: #1,048 and falling (#995 → #1,048, 2024)

Cool, spare, and genuinely 1970s-feeling.

Ocean

Origin: English, ultimately Greek (Ōkeanos)
Pronunciation: OH-shun · ˈoʊʃən
Meaning: the sea
Popularity: #591 and rising (#609 → #591, 2024)

Large and beautiful, for a large and beautiful child.

Brook

Origin: English (topographic surname)
Pronunciation: BRUUK · brʊk
Meaning: a small stream
Popularity: #5,634 and falling (#4,205 → #5,634, 2024)

Gentle, melodic, and underused.

Glen

Origin: Scottish/Irish Gaelic, via English surname
Pronunciation: GLEN · ˈglɛn
Meaning: valley
Popularity: #2,315 and rising (#2,398 → #2,315, 2024)

Woodsy, calm, and thoroughly Scots-British.

Heath

Origin: English (from Old English hǣþ)
Pronunciation: HEETH · ˈhiːθ
Meaning: heathland; open, shrubby moorland
Popularity: #848 and rising (#1,053 → #848, 2024)

Wuthering Heights energy in one syllable.

Clay

Origin: English (Old English clǣġ)
Pronunciation: KLAY · ˈkleɪ
Meaning: clay, earth; occupational surname for a clay-worker
Popularity: #543 and rising (#581 → #543, 2024)

Simple and grounded.

Flint

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FLINT · flɪnt
Meaning: A hard stone historically used for tool-making and striking sparks to start fires; used as a transferred word/surname name.
Popularity: #1,970 and rising (#2,133 → #1,970, 2024)

Sturdy and wild.

Reed

Origin: English (surname, multiple disputed origins)
Pronunciation: REED · ˈriːd
Meaning: a surname of debated origin: ‘red-haired’ (variant of Reid), a clearer of land, or a place name — not the reed plant
Popularity: #421 and rising (#429 → #421, 2024)

Musical and natural — works beautifully.

Ash

Origin: Old English (word name/surname)
Pronunciation: ASH · ˈæʃ
Meaning: ash tree (one who lived near ash trees)
Popularity: #1,147 and falling (#1,064 → #1,147, 2024)

Light, sleek, and beautiful for any gender.

Elm

Origin: English (vocabulary/nature name)
Pronunciation: ELM · ɛlm
Meaning: the elm tree (nature name)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Simple and strong.

Bay

Origin: English (from a common word)
Pronunciation: BAY · ˈbeɪ
Meaning: from the ordinary English word ‘bay’ — either a coastal inlet or the bay (laurel) tree
Popularity: #6,954 and rising (#10,425 → #6,954, 2024)

Short and vivid.

Storm

Origin: English
Pronunciation: STORM · ˈstɔːrm
Meaning: taken directly from the English word ‘storm’ (tempest, violent weather)
Popularity: #1,621 and falling (#1,508 → #1,621, 2024)

Bold, fierce, unforgettable.

Rain

Origin: English
Pronunciation: RAYN · ˈreɪn
Meaning: rain, rainfall
Popularity: #1,394 and falling (#1,219 → #1,394, 2024)

Dreamy and clean.

Mist

Origin: Old Norse / Old English
Pronunciation: MIST · mɪst
Meaning: mist/fog; also a Valkyrie name meaning ‘cloud’ in Norse myth
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ethereal and rare as a name.

Canyon

Origin: English (modern word/nature name)
Pronunciation: KAN-yuhn · ˈkænjən
Meaning: A deep, steep-sided valley
Popularity: #1,433 and falling (#1,390 → #1,433, 2024)

Wide open and Western.

Dale

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: DAYL · ˈdeɪl
Meaning: topographic surname for someone who lived in a valley (dale)
Popularity: #1,306 and rising (#1,414 → #1,306, 2024)

Gentle and pastoral — used across the American Midwest for decades.

Dune

Origin: English (nature/vocabulary word)
Pronunciation: DOON · duːn
Meaning: a hill or ridge of sand shaped by the wind
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Clean and evocative.

Prairie

Origin: French (ultimately Latin pratum, “meadow”)
Pronunciation: PRAIR-ee · ˈprɛər.i
Meaning: an open, grassy meadow or grassland
Popularity: #4,434 and rising (#5,688 → #4,434, 2024)

Unusual vocabulary name with a wide-open, American feeling.

Vale

Origin: English (from Latin vallis via Old French)
Pronunciation: VAYL · ˈveɪl
Meaning: valley
Popularity: #6,886 and rising (#8,942 → #6,886, 2024)

Soft and pastoral.

Moor

Origin: Old English (mōr, “open uncultivated land”)
Pronunciation: MOR · mɔːr
Meaning: open, uncultivated upland or heath
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Brontë energy and earthy freedom.

Grove

Origin: English (surname/place name)
Pronunciation: GROHV · ɡroʊv
Meaning: small wood, grove of trees
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Quiet and wooded.

Cliff

Origin: English (diminutive of Clifford/Clifton)
Pronunciation: KLIF · klɪf
Meaning: short form of Clifford or Clifton, from Old English clif ‘cliff, steep bank’
Popularity: #2,995 and rising (#3,127 → #2,995, 2024)

Strong and natural.

Ridge

Origin: English (topographic surname)
Pronunciation: RIJ · ˈrɪdʒ
Meaning: a long, raised strip of land or hilltop
Popularity: #528 and falling (#505 → #528, 2024)

Strong and outdoorsy.

Glade

Origin: Old English/Middle English
Pronunciation: GLAYD · ɡleɪd
Meaning: an open, sunlit clearing within a forest, related to a root meaning “bright, shining”
Popularity: #12,705 as of 2020 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Peaceful and dappled, like the name itself.

Mesa

Origin: Spanish (from Latin mensa, “table”)
Pronunciation: MAY-suh · ˈmeɪsə
Meaning: a table; a flat-topped hill or plateau
Popularity: #5,533 and falling (#5,208 → #5,533, 2024)

Southwestern and strong.

Sylvan

Origin: Latin (via French Sylvain/Swedish Sylvan)
Pronunciation: SIL-van · ˈsɪlvən
Meaning: of the forest
Popularity: #1,911 and rising (#2,026 → #1,911, 2024)

More adjective than name on paper, but it lands beautifully as either.

Marsh

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: MARSH · mɑːrʃ
Meaning: from ‘marsh’ (wetland); surname for one living by a marsh
Popularity: #8,083 and rising (#8,672 → #8,083, 2024)

Unusual as a name, earthy and strong.

Sky, Stars & Cosmic Names

The counterculture was obsessed with astrology — and not just sun signs. The planets, the constellations, the cosmic order of things felt deeply spiritual to a generation that had just watched humans walk on the moon. These names carry that sense of wonder.

Luna

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LOO-na · ˈluːnə
Meaning: moon
Popularity: #13 and falling (#10 → #13, 2024)

Once the domain of Italian grandmothers, now one of the most popular names in America — and it deserves every bit of it.

Aurora

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: uh-ROR-uh · əˈrɔːrə
Meaning: dawn (name of the Roman goddess of the dawn)
Popularity: #16 and rising (#22 → #16, 2024)

Spectacular and luminous.

Stella

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: STEL-ah · ˈstɛlə
Meaning: star
Popularity: #49 and falling (#46 → #49, 2024)

From Tennessee Williams to the 1970s communes and back into the mainstream.

Nova

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: NOH-vah · ˈnoʊvə
Meaning: new
Popularity: #39 and falling (#35 → #39, 2024)

Scientific and beautiful.

Soleil

Origin: French
Pronunciation: soh-LAY · soʊˈleɪ
Meaning: sun
Popularity: #824 and rising (#975 → #824, 2024)

Celeste

Origin: Latin (via French)
Pronunciation: suh-LEST · səˈlɛst
Meaning: heavenly
Popularity: #198 and rising (#275 → #198, 2024)

Light and ethereal.

Lyra

Origin: Ancient Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: LY-rah · ˈlaɪrə
Meaning: a lyre, the stringed musical instrument
Popularity: #482, holding steady (2024)

Musical and celestial simultaneously.

Orion

Origin: Ancient Greek (etymology uncertain)
Pronunciation: oh-RY-un · oʊˈraɪən
Meaning: uncertain; possibly ‘heaven’s light’ (a speculative Akkadian derivation, not firmly established)
Popularity: #325 and rising (#373 → #325, 2024)

‘Hunter’ isn’t an etymological meaning — it describes the mythological figure, not the word’s origin, which is actually uncertain (a speculative Akkadian ‘heaven’s light’ derivation remains unproven).

Phoenix

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: FEE-niks · ˈfiːnɪks
Meaning: the mythical firebird symbolizing rebirth and renewal
Popularity: #275 and falling (#269 → #275, 2024)

Zephyr

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: ZEF-er · ˈzɛfər
Meaning: the west wind
Popularity: #1,133 and falling (#1,121 → #1,133, 2024)

Breezy, free, and genuinely beautiful.

Cosmo

Origin: Greek (via Italian Cosimo)
Pronunciation: KAHZ-moh · ˈkɑːzmoʊ
Meaning: order, the ordered universe (and by extension, beauty/adornment)
Popularity: #1,683 and rising (#1,746 → #1,683, 2024)

Wearing the whole universe as a name.

Solstice

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SOL-stiss · ˈsɒlstɪs
Meaning: the sun standing still (astronomical solstice)
Popularity: #6,870 and rising (#7,199 → #6,870, 2024)

A bold vocabulary name with deep cosmic resonance.

Halcyon

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: HAL-see-uhn · ˈhælsiən
Meaning: the mythical kingfisher of Greek legend, whose story gave rise to the figurative sense ‘calm and peaceful’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Sirius

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: SEER-ee-uhs · ˈsɪriəs
Meaning: the scorching one
Popularity: #2,657 and falling (#2,530 → #2,657, 2024)

For the stargazing parent who means it.

Vega

Origin: Arabic (via the star name)
Pronunciation: VAY-gah · ˈveɪgə
Meaning: falling eagle (referring to the star Vega’s Arabic name)
Popularity: #3,944 and falling (#3,470 → #3,944, 2024)

Clean, strong, and deeply starry.

Seren

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: SEH-ren · ˈsɛrɛn
Meaning: star
Popularity: #4,631 and rising (#4,638 → #4,631, 2024)

Small, perfect, and increasingly used beyond Wales.

Vesper

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: VES-per · ˈvɛspər
Meaning: evening; the evening star (the planet Venus at dusk)
Popularity: #2,789 and falling (#2,265 → #2,789, 2024)

Darkly beautiful and underused in North America.

Electra

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: ih-LEK-trah · ɪˈlɛktrə
Meaning: amber, shining
Popularity: #9,068 and falling (#7,748 → #9,068, 2024)

Dramatic and luminous.

Callisto

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: kuh-LIS-toh · kəˈlɪs.toʊ
Meaning: most beautiful (superlative of Greek ‘kalos, ‘ beautiful)
Popularity: #12,592 and falling (#9,112 → #12,592, 2024)

Feminine and cosmic.

Sol

Origin: Spanish/Latin (‘sun’), or a short form of Solomon (Hebrew)
Pronunciation: SOHL · ˈsoʊl
Meaning: sun; also used as a short form of Solomon
Popularity: #819 and rising (#892 → #819, 2024)

Zenith

Origin: English word name (ultimately Arabic, via Old Spanish/Medieval Latin)
Pronunciation: ZEE-nith · ˈziː.nɪθ
Meaning: the highest point; peak
Popularity: #2,906 and rising (#3,289 → #2,906, 2024)

Aspirational in the most literal sense.

Cressida

Origin: Greek (via medieval literary tradition)
Pronunciation: KRESS-ih-dah · ˈkrɛsɪdə
Meaning: golden
Popularity: #12,408 and falling (#10,569 → #12,408, 2024)

Literary and unusual, with a timeless sound.

Comet

Origin: Greek (via Latin cometa)
Pronunciation: KOM-it · ˈkɒmɪt
Meaning: ‘long-haired star’ — a celestial body with a glowing tail
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rare and vivid as a name.

Aether

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: EE-ther · ˈiːθər
Meaning: the bright upper sky/air, personified as a primordial Greek god of light
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Celestial and philosophical.

Estella

Origin: Latin (via French Estelle)
Pronunciation: es-TEL-uh · ɛˈstɛlə
Meaning: star
Popularity: #501 and rising (#611 → #501, 2024)

Dickens’s Estella gets an icy reputation; the name itself is warm.

Meridian

Origin: Latin (English word name)
Pronunciation: muh-RID-ee-un · məˈrɪdiən
Meaning: The arc the sun traces at solar noon
Popularity: #9,982 and falling (#7,913 → #9,982, 2024)

Unusual and striking.

Vela

Origin: Latin (astronomical/constellation name)
Pronunciation: VEE-luh · ˈviːlə
Meaning: sails (of a ship)
Popularity: #5,925 and falling (#5,113 → #5,925, 2024)

Rare and quietly beautiful.

Reverie

Origin: French (loanword into English)
Pronunciation: REV-er-ee · ˈrɛvəri
Meaning: a daydream; being pleasantly lost in thought
Popularity: #2,291 and rising (#2,875 → #2,291, 2024)

Not a celestial name technically, but nothing feels more cosmic.

Polaris

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: poh-LAIR-is · pəˈlɛərɪs
Meaning: of the pole star; the fixed northern star
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Directional, ancient, and strong.

Peace, Love & Virtue Names

Some parents in the 1960s and 70s named their children directly for the values they were living and fighting for. These are real names with real histories — some very old, some genuinely coined by the counterculture. What they share is an aspiration: a name as a wish.

Harmony

Origin: Greek (via Latin harmonia)
Pronunciation: HAR-muh-nee · ˈhɑːrməni
Meaning: harmony, concord, agreement
Popularity: #264 and falling (#231 → #264, 2024)

Sweet and balanced; occasionally surprising in how well it wears.

Serenity

Origin: English (modern coinage from the vocabulary word ‘serenity’)
Pronunciation: suh-REN-ih-tee · səˈrɛnɪti
Meaning: peacefulness, calm
Popularity: #117 and falling (#103 → #117, 2024)

Spiritually inclined and beautiful.

– **Peace** — English vocabulary, from Latin *pax*. Rare and powerful, genuinely used in the counterculture era.

Freedom

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: FREE-dəm · ˈfriːdəm
Meaning: liberty; the state of being free
Popularity: #6,255 and rising (#7,036 → #6,255, 2024)

Bold and unmistakably 1970s commune energy.

Liberty

Origin: English
Pronunciation: LIB-ur-tee · ˈlɪbərti
Meaning: freedom
Popularity: #982 and falling (#890 → #982, 2024)

Has strong early-American and counterculture layers at once.

Unity

Origin: English
Pronunciation: YOO-nih-tee · ˈjuːnəti
Meaning: oneness; the state of being undivided, harmony
Popularity: #4,098 and falling (#3,467 → #4,098, 2024)

Simple, powerful, and meaningful.

– **True** — Old English vocabulary meaning faithful, genuine. Spare and sincere — says everything in four letters.

Bliss

Origin: Old English (bliss/blīþs, ‘joy’)
Pronunciation: BLIS · ˈblɪs
Meaning: perfect joy or happiness
Popularity: #2,192 and falling (#2,061 → #2,192, 2024)

Short, sweet, and completely on-theme.

Joy

Origin: English
Pronunciation: JOY · ˈdʒɔɪ
Meaning: great happiness or delight
Popularity: #442 and rising (#454 → #442, 2024)

One of the most enduring virtue names, never fully out of fashion.

Amity

Origin: English (virtue name from Latin amicitia ‘friendship’)
Pronunciation: AM-ih-tee · ˈæmɪti
Meaning: friendship
Popularity: #3,045 and falling (#2,616 → #3,045, 2024)

Genuinely rare and historic-feeling.

Verity

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: VER-ih-tee · ˈvɛrəti
Meaning: truth (a Puritan virtue name)
Popularity: #1,875 and falling (#1,706 → #1,875, 2024)

British vintage with philosophical weight.

Grace

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: GRAYS · ˈgreɪs
Meaning: virtue name from Latin ‘grace/favor’, evoking both divine favor and physical elegance
Popularity: #40 and falling (#39 → #40, 2024)

A virtue name that transcends any single era.

Faith

Origin: English (virtue name, ultimately from Latin via Old French)
Pronunciation: FAYTH · ˈfeɪθ
Meaning: trust, confidence, belief
Popularity: #249 and falling (#239 → #249, 2024)

Foundational and warm.

Hope

Origin: English (Middle English hope, from Old English hopian)
Pronunciation: HOHP · ˈhoʊp
Meaning: positive expectation, trust in a desired outcome (a Puritan virtue name)
Popularity: #317 and falling (#303 → #317, 2024)

The most essential of the virtue names.

Dove

Origin: English
Pronunciation: DUV · ˈdʌv
Meaning: dove (the bird), a symbol of peace
Popularity: #1,625 and rising (#2,143 → #1,625, 2024)

Rare as a given name but perfectly on-theme.

Solace

Origin: Latin (via Old French ‘solas’)
Pronunciation: SAH-lis · ˈsɑːlɪs
Meaning: comfort, consolation
Popularity: #6,399 and falling (#5,216 → #6,399, 2024)

Unusual and deeply meaningful.

Noble

Origin: English (word name, from Latin nobilis)
Pronunciation: NOH-bul · ˈnoʊbəl
Meaning: noble, distinguished
Popularity: #1,233 and rising (#1,262 → #1,233, 2024)

Vocabulary-as-name tradition at its most direct.

Justice

Origin: English (virtue name, from Latin)
Pronunciation: JUS-tis · ˈdʒʌstɪs
Meaning: justice, fairness (virtue name)
Popularity: #1,079 and falling (#899 → #1,079, 2024)

Now very much a name, especially for boys.

Clarity

Origin: English, ultimately from Latin claritas
Pronunciation: KLAIR-ih-tee · klæɹɪti
Meaning: clearness; clarity of thought or vision
Popularity: #2,887 and rising (#2,943 → #2,887, 2024)

Unusual and purposeful.

Earnest

Origin: English (variant spelling of Ernest, from Germanic)
Pronunciation: UR-nist · ˈɜːrnɪst
Meaning: serious, resolute (variant of Ernest)
Popularity: #5,489 and falling (#4,374 → #5,489, 2024)

Victorian but sincere — Oscar Wilde notwithstanding.

Valor

Origin: Latin (via Old French/Middle English)
Pronunciation: VAL-er · ˈvælər
Meaning: bravery, courage
Popularity: #1,463 and rising (#1,470 → #1,463, 2024)

Strong and meaningful, especially for boys.

Loyal

Origin: English (from French ‘loyal’)
Pronunciation: LOY-al · ˈlɔɪəl
Meaning: faithful, devoted
Popularity: #877 and falling (#739 → #877, 2024)

More name than adjective when it lands right.

Serene

Origin: English (from Latin, via the name Serena)
Pronunciation: suh-REEN · səˈriːn
Meaning: calm, tranquil, clear-skied
Popularity: #1,708 and falling (#1,695 → #1,708, 2024)

Quieter and more contained than Serenity.

Tender

Origin: Old French (tendre), ultimately from Latin tener (‘soft, delicate’)
Pronunciation: TEN-der · ˈtɛndər
Meaning: gentle, caring
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Unusual as a name, but it has been used — and the meaning is the most beautiful thing imaginable to name someone.

Birds & Wild Creatures

There’s something perfectly hippie about naming a child after a creature that can’t be owned — that belongs to the sky and the field and the forest floor. These animal names carry that same free-ranging energy.

Wren

Origin: English (Middle English)
Pronunciation: REN · ˈrɛn
Meaning: the small songbird
Popularity: #213 and falling (#195 → #213, 2024)

Compact and musical.

Robin

Origin: Old French (diminutive of Robert)
Pronunciation: RAH-bin · ˈrɑːbɪn
Meaning: pet form of Robert, whose Germanic roots mean roughly ‘bright fame’; the female/modern use is also commonly linked directly to the robin bird
Popularity: #799 and falling (#787 → #799, 2024)

Classic in England; the counterculture had it before gender-neutral naming was mainstream.

Lark

Origin: English
Pronunciation: LARK · ˈlɑːrk
Meaning: the songbird
Popularity: #3,534 and falling (#3,501 → #3,534, 2024)

Cheerful and literary — Edith Wharton used it.

Sparrow

Origin: Middle English
Pronunciation: SPAIR-oh · ˈspɛroʊ
Meaning: the sparrow bird
Popularity: #3,554 and falling (#2,840 → #3,554, 2024)

Captain Jack Sparrow complicated this briefly; it’s recovering beautifully.

Starling

Origin: English (surname, from a nickname)
Pronunciation: STAR-ling · ˈstɑːrlɪŋ
Meaning: chattering, sociable person (nickname from the flocking starling bird)
Popularity: #10,730 and falling (#6,459 → #10,730, 2024)

Musical and free.

Cricket

Origin: English (word name, from the insect)
Pronunciation: KRIK-it · ˈkrɪkɪt
Meaning: the chirping insect
Popularity: #8,148 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Small, lively, and unexpected.

Fox

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FOKS · ˈfɑːks
Meaning: The fox, the animal; a transferred use of the English surname/word, occasionally chosen in tribute to Quaker founder George Fox.
Popularity: #1,111 and rising (#1,122 → #1,111, 2024)

Cool, sleek, and increasingly popular.

Wolf

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: WOOLF · ˈwʊlf
Meaning: from the wolf; or short for Germanic ‘wolf’ names
Popularity: #1,812 and falling (#1,783 → #1,812, 2024)

Powerful and untamed.

Bear

Origin: English
Pronunciation: BAIR · ˈbɛr
Meaning: bear (the animal)
Popularity: #826 and falling (#820 → #826, 2024)

Strong, warm, and protective — this one has grandpa energy in the best way.

Hawk

Origin: English (word/nature name)
Pronunciation: HAWK · hɔːk
Meaning: the bird of prey (hawk)
Popularity: #3,343 and falling (#3,137 → #3,343, 2024)

Sharp, free, and strong.

Raven

Origin: English (word name, masculine use parallels Old Norse Hrafn)
Pronunciation: RAY-vuhn · ˈreɪvən
Meaning: the black-feathered bird
Popularity: #388 and falling (#361 → #388, 2024)

Dark and mythological.

Finch

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: FINCH · ˈfɪntʃ
Meaning: named for the finch bird
Popularity: #5,101 and rising (#7,030 → #5,101, 2024)

Gentle and musical; Atticus Finch gave it moral weight.

Swift

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: SWIFT · swɪft
Meaning: Quick-moving, fast; originally a nickname for an agile person (the swift bird takes its name from this same adjective).
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Quick and free — a bird that barely touches the ground.

Crane

Origin: English (surname from the bird name)
Pronunciation: KRAYN · ˈkreɪn
Meaning: crane (the bird)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Graceful and ancient.

Fawn

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FAWN · ˈfɔːn
Meaning: young deer (also echoes the verb ‘to fawn, ‘ meaning to show affection or flatter)
Popularity: #5,656 and falling (#5,444 → #5,656, 2024)

Gentle, delicate, and nature-rooted.

Linnet

Origin: English (from the bird name)
Pronunciation: LIN-it · ˈlɪnɪt
Meaning: a small songbird (the linnet)
Popularity: #19,315 as of 2007 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Martin

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: MAR-tin · ˈmɑːrtɪn
Meaning: belonging to Mars, the Roman god of war (possibly ‘little Mars’)
Popularity: #308 and falling (#288 → #308, 2024)

A saint’s name that doubles as a bird, with civil rights movement resonance through Dr. King.

Colt

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KOHLT · ˈkoʊlt
Meaning: young horse
Popularity: #276 and falling (#264 → #276, 2024)

Free, Western, and genuinely strong.

Mystic, Spiritual & Eastern-Inspired Names

Perhaps the most distinctive contribution of the counterculture to baby naming: the wave of Sanskrit, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi-influenced names that came west with the Maharishi, Ram Dass, and a generation of seekers. These names carry extraordinary depth of meaning. They deserve to be used thoughtfully — and when they are, they’re among the most beautiful names in any tradition.

Shanti

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: SHAHN-tee · ˈʃɑːntiː
Meaning: peace, calm, tranquility
Popularity: #6,339 and rising (#10,194 → #6,339, 2024)

From the Hindu and Buddhist closing mantra *shanti, shanti, shanti* — peace at every level of being.

Ananda

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: uh-NAHN-duh · əˈnɑːn.də
Meaning: bliss, joy
Popularity: #13,561 and falling (#9,660 → #13,561, 2024)

The name of the Buddha’s most devoted disciple; means joy that doesn’t depend on circumstances.

Karma

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: KAR-muh · ˈkɑːrmə
Meaning: action, deed
Popularity: #1,464 and falling (#1,203 → #1,464, 2024)

Now so thoroughly in Western vocabulary that it functions easily as a name.

Maya

Origin: Multiple unrelated origins (Sanskrit, also Hebrew/Latin via Maria, or Greek Maia)
Pronunciation: MY-ah · ˈmaɪə
Meaning: illusion (in the Sanskrit-origin usage); in Western usage often a variant of Maria
Popularity: #51 and falling (#50 → #51, 2024)

Richly layered across three traditions.

Bodhi

Origin: Sanskrit/Pali (Buddhist term)
Pronunciation: BOH-dee · ˈboʊdi
Meaning: awakening or enlightenment
Popularity: #302 and falling (#294 → #302, 2024)

The Bodhi tree was where the Buddha became enlightened — this is the moment of becoming.

Kiran

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: KEER-un · ˈkɪrən
Meaning: ray of light / beam of light
Popularity: #1,344 and rising (#1,597 → #1,344, 2024)

Warm and luminous, widely beloved in South Asia.

Nirvana

Origin: Sanskrit/Pali
Pronunciation: neer-VAH-nuh · nɪərˈvɑːnə
Meaning: extinguishing of craving/suffering; liberation
Popularity: #2,204 and falling (#1,995 → #2,204, 2024)

The ultimate spiritual goal — and one of the greatest bands ever. Both meanings land.

Tara

Origin: Irish (place name); also Sanskrit (‘star’)
Pronunciation: TAIR-ah · ˈtɛrə
Meaning: named after the Hill of Tara, ancient seat of Irish kings (the place name’s own root meaning is disputed); a separate Sanskrit-origin sense means ‘star’
Popularity: #1,021 and rising (#1,163 → #1,021, 2024)

This name holds multiple traditions in one word.

Gaia

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: GAY-ah · ˈɡeɪə
Meaning: earth
Popularity: #1,147 and falling (#1,122 → #1,147, 2024)

The planet as deity — the name that best embodies ecological consciousness.

Isis

Origin: Ancient Egyptian (via Greek Isis, from Egyptian Aset)
Pronunciation: EYE-sis · ˈaɪsɪs
Meaning: traditionally glossed as ‘throne’ (from the throne symbol in her name), though the exact root is debated among Egyptologists
Popularity: #1,082 and rising (#1,464 → #1,082, 2024)

A name of extraordinary power and antiquity — parents today often use it as a middle name given recent associations, but its 5,000-year history is profound.

Rumi

Origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: ROO-mee · ˈruːmi
Meaning: The 13th-century Sufi poet and mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī; the name means “from Rum”
Popularity: #1,718 and rising (#1,932 → #1,718, 2024)

Literary and spiritual.

Amara

Origin: modern coinage (popularized by fantasy fiction)
Pronunciation: ah-MAR-ah · əˈmɑːrə
Meaning: Eternal, immortal — appears in Igbo, Sanskrit, Greek, and Yoruba traditions
Popularity: #121 and rising (#123 → #121, 2024)

Beautifully multi-rooted.

Priya

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: PREE-ah · ˈpriːə
Meaning: beloved, dear
Popularity: #1,857 and falling (#1,678 → #1,857, 2024)

Warm and tender, one of the most common names in South Asia for good reason.

Prem

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: PREM · ˈprɛm
Meaning: love, affection
Popularity: #6,376 and rising (#8,754 → #6,376, 2024)

Deva

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: DAY-vuh · ˈdeɪvə
Meaning: A god or heavenly/divine being
Popularity: #10,457 and rising (#12,459 → #10,457, 2024)

Celestial and powerful.

Surya

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: SOOR-yuh · ˈsʊərjə
Meaning: the sun, as the Hindu solar deity
Popularity: #2,696 and rising (#2,837 → #2,696, 2024)

Radiant and mythological.

Chandra

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: CHAHN-drah · ˈtʃʌndrə
Meaning: moon
Popularity: #11,381 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Beautiful and cosmic — the gentle counterpart to Surya.

Arjuna

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: AR-juh-nuh
Meaning: bright, white or silver-hued, shining
Popularity: #7,785 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Strong and storied.

Dhruva

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: DROO-vuh · ˈdruːvə
Meaning: Fixed, steadfast; the pole star
Popularity: #2,794 and falling (#2,772 → #2,794, 2024)

In Hindu mythology, the boy Dhruva became the north star for his devotion — celestial and profound.

Indra

Origin: Sanskrit; also Latvian (independent usage)
Pronunciation: IN-drah · ˈɪndrə
Meaning: name of the Vedic/Hindu god of rain, thunder, and war; used independently as a feminine given name in Latvia
Popularity: #5,736 and rising (#7,059 → #5,736, 2024)

Powerful and cosmic.

Astarte

Origin: Phoenician/Canaanite (via Greek, ultimately Semitic)
Pronunciation: uh-STAR-tee · əˈstɑːrti
Meaning: name of the ancient Semitic goddess of fertility, sexuality, and war
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

One of the oldest goddess names in recorded history.

Zara

Origin: English/Hebrew (variant of Sarah) or Arabic
Pronunciation: ZAR-ah · ˈzɑːrə
Meaning: uncertain — either from Sarah (‘princess’) or Arabic zahra (‘flower’)
Popularity: #234 and rising (#236 → #234, 2024)

Translucent and beautiful across two traditions.

Hafiz

Origin: Arabic (via Persian/South Asian usage)
Pronunciation: hah-FEEZ · hɑːˈfiːz
Meaning: guardian, keeper (by extension, an honorific for one who has memorized the Quran)
Popularity: #10,221 and falling (#8,542 → #10,221, 2024)

Literary, reverential, and profound.

Sufi

Origin: Arabic (via Ottoman Turkish)
Pronunciation: SOO-fee · ˈsuːfi
Meaning: a practitioner of Islamic mysticism (Sufism); from Arabic for ‘wool,’ referring to the plain wool garments early Muslim ascetics wore
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rare and deeply meaningful, especially for families with a connection to this tradition.

Siddha

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: SID-huh · ˈsɪdhə
Meaning: one who has attained spiritual or yogic perfection through practice
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Unusual, profound, and genuinely beautiful.

Counterculture Era & Musical Legacy Names

Some names are inseparable from the era itself — they were coined by commune-dwellers, popularized by musicians, or became symbols of the movement so thoroughly that to use them now is a deliberate act of nostalgia. A few are surnames reclaimed as first names, honoring specific figures who shaped the counterculture sound.

Moon

Origin: English / multiple (surname & word-name)
Pronunciation: MOON · muːn
Meaning: the moon (Earth’s satellite)
Popularity: #3,355 and falling (#3,124 → #3,355, 2024)

Frank Zappa named his daughter Moon Unit in 1967; nothing is more deliberately counterculture.

Rainbow

Origin: English
Pronunciation: RAYN-boh · ˈreɪnboʊ
Meaning: rainbow
Popularity: #9,392 and falling (#6,105 → #9,392, 2024)

Joyful, colorful, and definitively 1970s.

Sunshine

Origin: English (word name, ‘sun’ + ‘shine’)
Pronunciation: SUN-shyn · ˈsʌnʃaɪn
Meaning: sunlight; warmth and happiness
Popularity: #2,682 and falling (#2,392 → #2,682, 2024)

Warm and optimistic — and there were genuinely children named this.

Saffron

Origin: English (flower/spice name)
Pronunciation: SAF-run · ˈsæfrən
Meaning: named for the saffron crocus flower and its golden spice
Popularity: #5,564 and falling (#4,718 → #5,564, 2024)

Indigo

Origin: Greek (via the color/dye name)
Pronunciation: IN-dih-goh · ˈɪndɪˌɡoʊ
Meaning: named after the deep-blue indigo dye/color
Popularity: #923 and rising (#961 → #923, 2024)

Rich and unusual; increasingly popular now.

Crystal

Origin: English (ultimately Greek krystallos, “ice”)
Pronunciation: KRIS-tul · ˈkrɪstəl
Meaning: clear as ice; a clear, transparent mineral
Popularity: #1,176 and rising (#1,196 → #1,176, 2024)

Quintessentially 1970s and experiencing a genuine revival.

Amber

Origin: English
Pronunciation: AM-bur · ˈæmbər
Meaning: from the gemstone amber (fossilized tree resin)
Popularity: #541 and rising (#574 → #541, 2024)

Warm, golden, and deeply 1970s — one of the defining names of the era.

Summer

Origin: English (modern given name, from Old English ‘sumor’, the season)
Pronunciation: SUM-er · ˈsʌmər
Meaning: the summer season
Popularity: #142 and falling (#141 → #142, 2024)

Nostalgic and warm, always feels sun-drenched.

Autumn

Origin: English (from Latin autumnus)
Pronunciation: AW-tum · ˈɔːtəm
Meaning: named for the fall season
Popularity: #79 and falling (#75 → #79, 2024)

Melancholy and beautiful, beloved by the more literary end of the counterculture.

Breeze

Origin: English (word-name, documented only as a surname)
Pronunciation: BREEZ · ˈbriːz
Meaning: a light, gentle wind, used directly as a nature word-name
Popularity: #3,794 and rising (#4,125 → #3,794, 2024)

Light and carefree.

Sky

Origin: English
Pronunciation: SKY · ˈskaɪ
Meaning: sky, the heavens
Popularity: #828 and falling (#785 → #828, 2024)

Simple and expansive — few words carry more freedom.

Free

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: FREE · friː
Meaning: free, unbound — the English word used directly as a given name
Popularity: #14,000 and falling (#11,448 → #14,000, 2024)

Pure and direct — it was genuinely used in the 1970s.

Sonnet

Origin: Italian (via Old French ‘sonet’)
Pronunciation: SAH-nit · ˈsɑːnɪt
Meaning: a fourteen-line poem (literally ‘little song’)
Popularity: #6,106 and rising (#8,000 → #6,106, 2024)

Literary and musical.

Lyric

Origin: English (word name, ultimately Greek lyrikos, ‘of the lyre’)
Pronunciation: LIR-ik · ˈlɪrɪk
Meaning: words of a song
Popularity: #594 and falling (#537 → #594, 2024)

Poet

Origin: Greek (via Latin and French)
Pronunciation: POH-it · ˈpoʊɪt
Meaning: a writer of poetry
Popularity: #4,822 and rising (#5,857 → #4,822, 2024)

Rare and intentional — for the parent who means it.

Story

Origin: English (word name, ultimately from Latin ‘historia’)
Pronunciation: STOR-ee · ˈstɔːri
Meaning: a narrative or tale
Popularity: #1,590 and rising (#2,087 → #1,590, 2024)

Warm, open, and deeply meaningful for a generation that believed in personal narrative.

Leaf

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: LEEF · liːf
Meaning: taken directly from the plant word “leaf,” used as a nature-inspired name
Popularity: #13,277 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Turquoise

Origin: French (via Turkish trade route)
Pronunciation: TUR-kwoyz · ˈtɜːrkwɔɪz
Meaning: The blue-green gemstone; from French for ‘Turkish (stone),’ reflecting the trade route through Turkey by which it reached Europe.
Popularity: #19,394 as of 2011 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Southwestern and psychedelic; genuinely striking as a name.

Dylan

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: DIL-un · ˈdɪlən
Meaning: son of the sea
Popularity: #28 and rising (#34 → #28, 2024)

Bob Dylan gave this name its counterculture immortality in the early 1960s.

Lennon

Origin: Irish (surname)
Pronunciation: LEN-un · ˈlɛnən
Meaning: descendant of a ‘sweetheart’ — or, in an alternate surname line, descendant of a ‘little blackbird’
Popularity: #237 and rising (#243 → #237, 2024)

Peace, music, and activism all at once.

Marley

Origin: English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: MAR-lee · ˈmɑːrli
Meaning: from an Old English place name whose first element is uncertain — ‘boundary’, ‘pleasant’, or ‘marten’ — combined with ‘woodland clearing’; a surname transferred to given-name use
Popularity: #287 and falling (#285 → #287, 2024)

Warm and musical.

Hendrix

Origin: Dutch/Low German (patronymic surname, variant spelling of Hendricks, from Henry)
Pronunciation: HEN-driks · ˈhɛndrɪks
Meaning: son of Hendrick, tracing back to Henry’s ‘home ruler’
Popularity: #296 and rising (#303 → #296, 2024)

Musical and effortlessly cool.

Gender-Neutral Tree & Herb Names

Trees and herbs were the herbalists’ pharmacy, the commune garden’s backbone, and the forest walker’s constant companions. These names feel earthy and unisex, belonging to everyone and no one in particular.

Cedar

Origin: English
Pronunciation: SEE-dur · ˈsiːdər
Meaning: the cedar tree
Popularity: #1,197 and rising (#1,252 → #1,197, 2024)

Unisex and wonderfully earthy.

Juniper

Origin: English
Pronunciation: JOO-nih-per · ˈdʒuːnɪpər
Meaning: the juniper tree/shrub; occasionally a folk-etymology variant of Jennifer (from Welsh Guinevere)
Popularity: #111 and rising (#113 → #111, 2024)

Sharp, woodsy, and growing fast in popularity.

Birch

Origin: English (nature name/surname)
Pronunciation: BURCH · ˈbɜːrtʃ
Meaning: the birch tree
Popularity: #9,873 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Clean, spare, and Scandinavian-feeling.

Sage

Origin: English (from Old French/Latin)
Pronunciation: SAYJ · ˈseɪdʒ
Meaning: a wise person; also linked to the sage herb plant
Popularity: #146 and falling (#143 → #146, 2024)

Both a botanical and a virtue name at once.

Hazel

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: HAY-zel · ˈheɪzəl
Meaning: the hazel tree, and by extension its light-brown color
Popularity: #19 and falling (#18 → #19, 2024)

Perfectly balanced between vintage and modern.

Rowan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: ROH-en · ˈroʊən
Meaning: little red one
Popularity: #71 and rising (#76 → #71, 2024)

Beautiful for any gender.

Alder

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: AWL-der · ˈɔːldər
Meaning: originally a surname for someone who lived near alder trees
Popularity: #1,421 and rising (#1,464 → #1,421, 2024)

Less common than its cousins but strong and earthy.

Aspen

Origin: English (modern coinage, nature name)
Pronunciation: AS-pun · ˈæspən
Meaning: named for the aspen (quaking) tree
Popularity: #265 and falling (#215 → #265, 2024)

Delicate and musical.

Maple

Origin: English (surname from the noun “maple”)
Pronunciation: MAY-pəl · ˈmeɪpəl
Meaning: named after the maple tree
Popularity: #1,188 and rising (#1,240 → #1,188, 2024)

Sweet and strong simultaneously.

Pine

Origin: Old English (word name)
Pronunciation: PYN · paɪn
Meaning: the evergreen pine tree
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Spare and aromatic — one syllable, one image.

Linden

Origin: English
Pronunciation: LIN-den · ˈlɪndən
Meaning: the linden (lime) tree
Popularity: #1,548 and rising (#1,739 → #1,548, 2024)

Soft and melodic.

Cypress

Origin: English (nature name)
Pronunciation: SY-prus · ˈsaɪprəs
Meaning: The tall, elegant dark evergreen of Mediterranean landscapes
Popularity: #1,416 and rising (#1,550 → #1,416, 2024)

Elegant and unusual as a name.

Thistle

Origin: English/Old English (word/plant name)
Pronunciation: THIS-ul · ˈθɪsəl
Meaning: the thistle, a prickly flowering plant
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Basil

Origin: Greek (via Latin Basilius)
Pronunciation: BAY-zul · ˈbeɪzəl
Meaning: royal, kingly
Popularity: #2,009 and rising (#2,030 → #2,009, 2024)

Thyme

Origin: Greek (via Latin/Old French)
Pronunciation: TYME · taɪm
Meaning: The aromatic herb; traces to a Greek root associated with burning as a sacred offering (the herb was burned as incense), related to but distinct from ‘thymos’ (spirit/courage).
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Spare and aromatic; the meaning is hidden treasure.

Clary

Origin: English (variant of Klara, possibly a French surname)
Pronunciation: KLAIR-ee · klɛəɹi
Meaning: traces to Latin ‘clarus’ (clear/bright) via the name Klara, not directly from the sage plant
Popularity: #7,648 and rising (#15,687 → #7,648, 2024)

Rare and herbal, with a soft sound.

Anise

Origin: Greek (via Latin anisum)
Pronunciation: AN-iss · ˈæn.ɪs
Meaning: the licorice-scented anise plant/spice
Popularity: #15,431 and falling (#11,261 → #15,431, 2024)

Sweet, unusual, and quietly striking.

Heather

Origin: English (from Middle English hather)
Pronunciation: HETH-er · ˈhɛðər
Meaning: the heather plant (a flowering heath shrub)
Popularity: #1,352 and falling (#1,326 → #1,352, 2024)

A 1970s name that’s slowly, quietly returning.

Moss

Origin: English (nature word)
Pronunciation: MAWSS · ˈmɔːs
Meaning: the moss plant
Popularity: #6,065 and falling (#5,000 → #6,065, 2024)

Simple, soft, and wonderfully earthy — rare as a name but memorable.

Bracken

Origin: Surname (multiple unrelated origins)
Pronunciation: BRAK-in · ˈbrækən
Meaning: fern (one of several surname origins)
Popularity: #12,497 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Wild and unusual.

Spruce

Origin: Old French (from Pruce, “Prussia”)
Meaning: the evergreen spruce tree; the word originally meant “of Prussia,” the region the trees/goods were linked to, before shifting to name the tree itself
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings