200+ Wildflower Baby Names for Girls (Free-Spirited)

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Wildflower names skip the florist’s counter entirely and head for the ditch, the meadow, the crack in the sidewalk where something green pushed through anyway. These are plants that were never bred to be perfect — just tough enough to bloom wherever they landed, uninvited and unbothered. If that kind of scrappy, free-spirited energy feels like the right note for your daughter’s name, this list is for you.

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

Here’s what’s in store –

Meadow Names That Feel Like Sunlight

Woodland Names That Feel Like Shade and Moss

Prairie Names With Wide-Open Vowels

Names From the Old Herbalists’ Garden

Names With a British Hedgerow Hum

Names That Belong to American Wildflowers

Names With a Soft, Storybook Sound

Earthier Names With Mossy, Mineral Roots

This list is built around real meadow, prairie, and woodland flowers — the ones you might find in a field guide rather than a florist’s bouquet. You will not find Carnation or Begonia here. You will find Clover and Briar, Yarrow and Sorrel, names that smell like rain on warm soil. Some are familiar enough to wear to kindergarten. Others are rarer than the flowers they are named for, and that is part of their charm.

I have tried to give each name a true meaning and its real cultural origin, along with a quick note about how it feels in use — whether it skews vintage or modern, whether it travels well across borders, whether it has a famous bearer to anchor it. Take what you love. Skip what you don’t. There is no wrong way to fall in love with a name.

A small note before we begin: many of these names belong to flowers that bloom in specific places and seasons, which means some of them carry a regional accent. A Bluebell from the English woodlands sounds different from a Lupine from the California coast, and that is part of the fun. Let the names take you somewhere.

Meadow Names That Feel Like Sunlight

These are the names of flowers that grow in open, sunlit fields — the kind of bloom that turns its face to the warmth. They tend to sound bright, generous, and a little bit golden.

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)

A nickname-friendly classic with deep literary roots; think Daisy Buchanan and Daisy Miller, but also your grandmother’s garden.

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)

Hippie-leaning but grounded, with a built-in sense of luck baked into the leaves.

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)

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)

Bright, brisk, and beloved in the UK; a remembrance flower with surprising depth.

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)

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)

A meadow staple with a folk-medicine past; underused and ready to be discovered.

Cosmos

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: KOZ-mohs · ˈkɒzmɒs
Meaning: order, universe
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Mexican meadow flower with a name big enough to grow into.

Goldie

Origin: English (diminutive of ‘gold’), or English form of Yiddish Golda/Golde
Pronunciation: GOL-dee · ˈɡoʊldi
Meaning: golden, made of gold
Popularity: #645 and rising (#687 → #645, 2024)

Evokes black-eyed Susans and yellow coneflowers; warm and grandma-cool.

Sunny

Origin: English
Pronunciation: SUN-ee · ˈsʌni
Meaning: cheerful, full of sunshine
Popularity: #372 and rising (#406 → #372, 2024)

Lives in the same field as sunflowers and dandelions; cheerful without trying too hard.

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)

A late-summer wildflower whose name doubles as a poet’s word for star.

Coreopsis

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: kor-ee-OP-sis · ˌkɔːriˈɒpsɪs
Meaning: resembling a small bug (from its tick-shaped seed)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Better as inspiration than a first name, but lovely as Cora for short.

Cora

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: KOR-ah · ˈkɔːrə
Meaning: maiden
Popularity: #102 and falling (#93 → #102, 2024)

Hidden inside Coreopsis and a coneflower’s botanical cousin; vintage, soft, easy.

Susan

Origin: Hebrew (ultimately from Egyptian)
Pronunciation: SOO-zən · ˈsuːzən
Meaning: lily flower, via a Hebrew name traced back to an Egyptian word for lotus
Popularity: #1,136 and falling (#1,104 → #1,136, 2024)

Black-eyed Susan reclaims the name from its midcentury reputation.

Harebell

Origin: English
Pronunciation: HAIR-bel · ˈhɛərbɛl
Meaning: a bell-shaped wildflower named for the hare
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A delicate blue meadow bloom; the name has a folkloric, Brontë-sister feel.

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)

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)

A wild meadow herb with reddish leaves; a soft alternative to Scarlett.

Buttercup

Origin: English
Pronunciation: BUT-er-kup · ˈbʌtərkʌp
Meaning: small yellow, cup-shaped flower
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Once a princess name in The Princess Bride; sweetly absurd in the best way.

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)

Bridges meadow and woodland; lyrical and a touch Southern.

Mallow

Origin: English (plant name, ultimately from Latin malva)
Pronunciation: MAL-oh · ˈmæloʊ
Meaning: a flowering herb of the mallow family
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A wild pink-flowered cousin of hibiscus; gentle and uncommon.

Vetch

Origin: Old French (veche, from Latin vicia)
Pronunciation: VECH · vɛtʃ
Meaning: a climbing plant of the pea family
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Purple, prolific, and very much a meadow citizen; rare as a name and ready for a brave parent.

Sundrop

Origin: English
Pronunciation: SUN-drop · ˈsʌndrɒp
Meaning: a flowering plant in the evening-primrose family, known for blooms that open in sunlight
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Echinacea

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: eh-kuh-NAY-shuh · ˌɛkɪˈneɪʃə
Meaning: spiny, like a hedgehog or sea urchin
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Probably not a first name, but a beautiful middle for purple-coneflower lovers.

Verbena

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

A wild summer bloom; old-fashioned in a stained-glass way.

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)

A crocus name with global travel papers; warm and a little exotic.

Goldenrod

Origin: English (compound of golden + rod)
Pronunciation: GOHL-den-rod · ˈɡoʊldənˌrɒd
Meaning: a golden-flowered wildflower (literally ‘golden rod/stem’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Too tall as a full name, but the nickname Goldie or Rod-free Wren works beautifully.

Sunflower

Origin: English
Pronunciation: SUN-flow-er · ˈsʌnˌflaʊ.ər
Meaning: a tall flower with a large golden bloom that turns to face the sun
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Big-hearted as a middle; Sunny as a daily.

Bee

Origin: English (pet form of Beatrice, Beatrix, or Beatriz)
Pronunciation: BEE · biː
Meaning: one who brings happiness, blessed
Popularity: #11,226 and falling (#10,428 → #11,226, 2024)

Short, buzzy, and impossibly cute on a baby.

Honey

Origin: English (Old English ‘hunig’)
Pronunciation: HUN-ee · ˈhʌni
Meaning: honey, used as a term of endearment
Popularity: #935 and rising (#1,171 → #935, 2024)

Lives in the same meadow as the bees; very Southern, very loved.

Dandelion

Origin: French
Pronunciation: DAN-dih-ly-un · ˈdændɪlaɪən
Meaning: lion’s tooth (from its jagged leaves)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Audacious as a full name but charming as Lion or Dani.

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)

Wild indigo blooms across American prairies; a name with bohemian gravity.

Woodland Names That Feel Like Shade and Moss

These names belong to the flowers that bloom under trees, along trails, and in the cool damp places. They tend to have a quieter, more old-soul quality.

Briar

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

Wild roses grow on briars; the name is brambly, brave, and rising fast.

Fern

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

Charlotte’s Web gave us the definitive Fern; quiet and unfussy.

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)

Brown-eyed and witch-hazel-adjacent; the friendliest of the old-lady-name revivals.

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)

Resinous and woodsy; Juno or June as nicknames make it daily-wearable.

Willow

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

Long, loose, and movement-filled; consistently among the top nature names.

Bluebell

Origin: English
Pronunciation: BLOO-bel · ˈbluːbɛl
Meaning: the bluebell flower (a blue, bell-shaped spring flower)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

British woodland in name form; whimsical and fairy-tale.

Holly

Origin: English
Pronunciation: HAH-lee · ˈhɑːli
Meaning: the holly tree/plant
Popularity: #419 and rising (#451 → #419, 2024)

Christmas-coded but not only that; vintage in a Hepburn way.

Ivy

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

Short, sharp, and quietly Gothic.

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)

Eighties-coded but worth reclaiming; the actual plant is wild and gorgeous.

Laurel

Origin: English (from Latin ‘laurus, ‘ via the plant name)
Pronunciation: LAWR-ul · ˈlɔːrəl
Meaning: laurel tree; symbolically, honor or victory
Popularity: #728 and falling (#715 → #728, 2024)

Greek victory wreath energy; smarter and softer than Lauren.

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)

Forest-edge tree with cathedral-sized blooms; Maggie for short.

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)

Crosses meadow and woodland; calm, gender-flexible, increasingly popular.

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)

Technically a shrub, but wild and woody; Rosie or Romy for short.

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)

Trillium

Origin: Latin (New Latin plant name)
Pronunciation: TRIL-ee-um · ˈtrɪliəm
Meaning: A three-part woodland flower, its name rooted in the Latin word for ‘three,’ after its three leaves and petals.
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A three-petaled woodland wildflower; rare, lyrical, and Pacific Northwest-coded.

Foxglove

Origin: English (plant name)
Pronunciation: FAHKS-gluv · ˈfɒksɡlʌv
Meaning: the foxglove flower (Digitalis)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

‘Fairy thimble’ is a folk-nickname for the flower, not a translation of the word ‘foxglove’ itself — the compound’s own etymology is separately debated.

Periwinkle

Origin: English (nature name, from Latin)
Pronunciation: PAIR-ih-wing-kul · ˈpɛrɪˌwɪŋkəl
Meaning: the periwinkle plant (Vinca) and its pale blue-lilac flower color
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Both a flower and a color; whimsical and full of charm.

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)

A woodland classic; never trendy, never out.

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

Climbs through the woods of the American South; cascading and dreamy.

Cypress

Origin: English (nature name)
Pronunciation: SY-prus · ˈsaɪprəs
Meaning: Evergreen tree
Popularity: #2,439 and rising (#2,496 → #2,439, 2024)

Tall, quiet, and increasingly used for girls; bayou-bohemian.

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)

Mountain wildflowers grow at its feet; brisk, alpine, modern.

Cedar

Origin: English
Pronunciation: SEE-dur · ˈsiːdər
Meaning: the cedar tree
Popularity: #2,383 and falling (#2,273 → #2,383, 2024)

More often used for boys, lately gender-flexible; piney and clean.

Linden

Origin: English
Pronunciation: LIN-den · ˈlɪndən
Meaning: the linden (lime) tree
Popularity: #2,540, holding steady (2024)

A European forest classic; soft, balanced, underused.

Hawthorn

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: HAW-thorn · ˈhɔːθɔːrn
Meaning: the hawthorn tree, literally ‘hedge-thorn’
Popularity: #5,732 and rising (#10,102 → #5,732, 2024)

White spring blossom on a thorny tree; deeply folkloric.

Rowan

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: ROH-en · ˈroʊən
Meaning: little red one
Popularity: #266 and falling (#234 → #266, 2024)

The rowan tree blooms in white wildflower clusters; widely used and earthy.

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

Cool and Scandinavian-bright; a brave one-syllable choice.

Yew

Origin: Old English (word name)
Pronunciation: YOO · juː
Meaning: the yew tree
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Tiny, ancient, and quietly magical.

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

Underused British classic; sounds like a Brontë heroine.

Hellebore

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: HEL-ə-bor · ˈhɛlɪbɔːr
Meaning: an old plant name of debated origin, sometimes linked to the plant’s toxicity
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A shade-loving winter bloomer; gorgeous as a literary middle name.

Anemone

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: uh-NEM-uh-nee · əˈnɛməni
Meaning: wind
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Wood anemones carpet spring forests; lyrical and Greek-mythical.

Prairie Names With Wide-Open Vowels

These names belong to the flowers of the great open spaces — the grasslands and high plains where the wind never quite stops. They tend to sound long, loose, and a little bit windswept.

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)

A place-name with all the romance of a Willa Cather novel.

Meadow

Origin: English (vocabulary word)
Pronunciation: MED-oh · ˈmɛdoʊ
Meaning: a field of grass (grassland)
Popularity: #327 and rising (#351 → #327, 2024)

Soft, green, and consistently used since the Sopranos era.

Sky

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

Belongs as much to prairie as to mountain; light, airy.

River

Origin: English
Pronunciation: RIV-er · ˈrɪvər
Meaning: a naturally flowing body of water
Popularity: #214 and falling (#193 → #214, 2024)

Often runs through prairie country; gender-flexible and modern.

Wren

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

Sings from the prairie grass; brisk and trim.

Lark

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

The prairie’s morning singer; punchy and underused.

Lupine

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LOO-pin · ˈluːpɪn
Meaning: of the wolf, referring to the wildflower
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Tall blue-purple spikes that color prairie hillsides; bold and wolfish.

Lupita

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: loo-PEE-tah · luˈpiːtə
Meaning: pet form of Guadalupe
Popularity: #3,921 and falling (#3,555 → #3,921, 2024)

June

Origin: Latin (via Old French)
Pronunciation: JOON · ˈdʒuːn
Meaning: named for the goddess Juno, whose name traces to a root meaning ‘youthful vitality’
Popularity: #152 and rising (#171 → #152, 2024)

The peak prairie-bloom month; short, vintage, beloved.

Maeve

Origin: Irish (Anglicized form of Medb/Meadhbh)
Pronunciation: MAYV · ˈmeɪv
Meaning: intoxicating / she who intoxicates
Popularity: #75 and falling (#73 → #75, 2024)

Wild and willful like the prairie itself; an Irish queen’s name.

Dakota

Origin: Dakota (Siouan) language
Pronunciation: duh-KOH-tah · dəˈkoʊtə
Meaning: friend, ally
Popularity: #272 and falling (#262 → #272, 2024)

A prairie place-name with respectful Indigenous roots; use thoughtfully.

Cheyenne

Origin: Siouan (Dakota/Lakota) — ethnonym
Pronunciation: shy-AN · ʃaɪˈæn
Meaning: a Sioux exonym for the Cheyenne people, often explained as ‘people who speak a different/unintelligible language’
Popularity: #867 and falling (#788 → #867, 2024)

Another place-name with Indigenous origins; consider with care.

Montana

Origin: Spanish (place name)
Pronunciation: mahn-TAN-uh · mɒnˈtænə
Meaning: mountain / mountainous land (from Spanish montaña)
Popularity: #1,058 and rising (#1,309 → #1,058, 2024)

The prairie skies of Big Sky country; bold and Western.

Sierra

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: see-AIR-ah · siˈɛrə
Meaning: Spanish word for a jagged mountain range (literally ‘saw’)
Popularity: #596 and falling (#568 → #596, 2024)

Edges into prairie country; soft and Western.

Cassia

Origin: Greek/Botanical
Pronunciation: KAS-ee-uh · ˈkæsiə
Meaning: the Cassia genus of plants, which includes golden wildflowers like senna
Popularity: #2,234 and rising (#2,353 → #2,234, 2024)

Senna and partridge pea bloom golden across prairies; Cassie for short.

Mariposa

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: mah-ree-POH-sah · ˌmɑːriˈpoʊsə
Meaning: butterfly
Popularity: #4,830 and falling (#4,247 → #4,830, 2024)

Mariposa lilies dot western grasslands; lush and lilting.

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)

Wild calla lilies bloom in prairie wetlands; sleek and short.

Coneflower

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KOHN-flow-er · ˈkoʊnflaʊər
Meaning: flower with a raised, cone-shaped center
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Better as Cora or Echo for everyday wear.

Echo

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: EK-oh · ˈɛkoʊ
Meaning: sound / repeated sound
Popularity: #1,693 and falling (#1,558 → #1,693, 2024)

Echinacea’s hidden nickname; mythic and mountain-like.

Phlox

Origin: Greek
Meaning: flame (the flower genus was named for its vivid, flame-colored blooms)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A prairie wildflower in pinks and purples; quirky and pronounceable.

Asteria

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: uh-STEER-ee-uh · əˈstɪəriə
Meaning: starry, of the stars (Greek astēr, ‘star’); name of a Titan goddess of the night sky in Greek myth
Popularity: #4,115 and falling (#3,986 → #4,115, 2024)

A long-form aster; ancient Greek and lyrical.

Wynn

Origin: Welsh (surname)
Pronunciation: WIN · ˈwɪn
Meaning: fair, white, blessed, from the Welsh surname Wynn, related to Gwyn
Popularity: #1,992 and rising (#2,311 → #1,992, 2024)

Sounds like the wind across the grass; brisk and lovely.

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)

For the prairie thunderstorms that roll in low and slow; dramatic and modern.

Star

Origin: English
Pronunciation: STAR · ˈstɑːr
Meaning: star (celestial body)
Popularity: #1,904 and rising (#2,074 → #1,904, 2024)

Above every prairie at night; short and uncomplicated.

Wilder

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: WYL-dur · ˈwaɪldər
Meaning: wild one; also historically ‘a hunter of wild game’
Popularity: #3,259 and falling (#3,217 → #3,259, 2024)

The prairie itself; surname-style and increasingly used for girls.

Names From the Old Herbalists’ Garden

These names belong to flowers and herbs that have been growing wild — and being used by hand-healers — for centuries. They tend to sound timeless, slightly witchy, and a little bit holy.

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)

Tiny yellow-flowered herb; a name with literary heft from Shakespeare to The Hunger Games.

Angelica

Origin: Latin (via Italian, elaboration of Angela)
Pronunciation: an-JEL-ih-kuh · ænˈdʒɛlɪkə
Meaning: angelic
Popularity: #623 and rising (#634 → #623, 2024)

A tall white-flowered herb associated with healing; the most ethereal of the old herbs.

Camomile

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: KAM-uh-myle · ˈkæməˌmaɪl
Meaning: ground apple (from its apple-like scent)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Tea-garden classic; gentle as a lullaby.

Lavender

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

Wild on the Mediterranean hillsides; soft, sweet, slightly purple.

Mint

Origin: English (from Latin mentha)
Pronunciation: MINT · mɪnt
Meaning: the aromatic herb mint
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Wild mint grows along streambanks everywhere; brisk and modern.

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)

Healing and victorious; short and unisex.

Hyssop

Origin: Greek (ultimately Hebrew)
Pronunciation: HISS-uhp · ˈhɪsəp
Meaning: A biblical herb whose English name passed through Greek ‘hyssopos’ from an earlier Hebrew word for the plant, used in ancient purification rites
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Biblical and rare; for the bold and word-loving.

Elder

Origin: Old English (elder tree) / English word ‘elder’
Pronunciation: EL-der · ˈɛldər
Meaning: from the elder tree (Old English ‘ellærn’/’ellern’); the Spanish/Portuguese form ‘Élder’ is separately documented as a borrowing of the English word ‘elder’ used as an LDS missionary title, not the tree
Popularity: #2,396 and rising (#2,704 → #2,396, 2024)

Elderflowers and elderberries; wise-sounding.

Mugwort

Origin: Old English (plant name, root uncertain)
Pronunciation: MUG-wort · ˈmʌɡwɜːrt
Meaning: Midge plant
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Better as middle or inspiration than a daily name.

Borage

Origin: Latin (via Old French), ultimate root disputed
Pronunciation: BOR-ij · ˈbɔːrɪdʒ
Meaning: The flowering herb Borago officinalis; its deeper word root is uncertain, with candidates including a Latin word for rough or shaggy, referring to the plant’s fuzzy leaves
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A blue star-shaped wildflower; possibly too brittle as a name.

Comfrey

Origin: Latin (via Old French)
Pronunciation: KUM-free · ˈkʌmfri
Meaning: The healing herb Symphytum officinale, whose name traces to a Latin root about growing or knitting together, reflecting its traditional use for mending wounds and bones
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A folk-healing wildflower; gentle and unfamiliar.

Marjoram

Origin: Medieval Latin (ultimate root uncertain)
Pronunciation: MAHR-jer-um · ˈmɑːrdʒərəm
Meaning: The marjoram herb (Origanum majorana); its ultimate root is uncertain and pre-Latin, not a straightforward derivation from Latin ‘maior’ (greater) despite the resemblance.
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Wild oregano’s softer cousin; pretty as Mara or Jora.

Calendula

Origin: New Latin (diminutive of Latin calendae, “the calends/first of the month”)
Pronunciation: kuh-LEN-juh-luh · kəˈlɛndʒʊlə
Meaning: ‘little calendar’ — the marigold, named for its long, near-monthly blooming season
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pot marigold; sun-warmed and apothecary-toned.

Vervain

Origin: Latin (via Old French)
Pronunciation: VUR-vayn · ˈvɜːrveɪn
Meaning: The vervain herb, from Latin ‘verbena,’ a term for the sacred foliage used in ancient religious rites.
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Verbena’s witchier sister; a name for a quietly fierce daughter.

Wormwood

Origin: Old English (folk-altered spelling)
Pronunciation: WERM-wuwd · ˈwɜːrmwʊd
Meaning: bitter herb
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Probably not a name, but a setting; consider Artemisia instead.

Artemisia

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: ar-tuh-MEE-zee-uh · ˌɑːrtɪˈmiːziə
Meaning: of Artemis
Popularity: #11,179 and falling (#5,772 → #11,179, 2024)

Wormwood’s botanical name; goddess-tier and growing in popularity.

Plantain

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PLAN-tin · ˈplæntɪn
Meaning: The broad-leaved plant Plantago, named in Latin for its leaves’ resemblance to the sole of a foot
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A wild healing herb; better admired than named-for.

Mullein

Origin: Old French/Anglo-Norman (possibly related to Latin mollis, ‘soft’)
Pronunciation: MUL-in · ˈmʌlɪn
Meaning: a tall, woolly-leaved wildflower; the word may relate to ‘soft,’ referencing its leaves
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A roadside herb with candle-like blooms; too unusual for most parents.

Fennel

Origin: Old English (from Latin)
Pronunciation: FEN-əl · ˈfɛnəl
Meaning: The aromatic fennel herb, ultimately from Latin ‘faenum’ (hay), likely referencing its hay-like scent when dried.
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A wild yellow-flowered herb; sharp, fresh, and gender-flexible.

Dill

Origin: Old Norse/Old English (herb name); separately an English, Scottish, and German surname
Pronunciation: DIL · dɪl
Meaning: As a nature name, refers to the herb dill, whose word root likely means ‘to soothe’ (tied to its historic use for calming infant colic); as a surname it has unrelated origins (German ‘Diele’/floorboard, an English word ‘dill’ or ‘dull’, or an Anglicized Scottish McDowell)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Wild dill blooms in yellow umbels; tiny and bright.

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)

Wild anise grows along Mediterranean roads; trim and sweet.

Olive

Origin: English (medieval saint’s name Oliva, from Latin oliva)
Pronunciation: AH-liv · ˈɑːlɪv
Meaning: olive tree; popularly linked to peace via the olive-branch symbol
Popularity: #171 and rising (#180 → #171, 2024)

Mediterranean wildflower-adjacent; the queen of vintage revival names.

Names With a British Hedgerow Hum

These are the names of flowers and plants that grow in the lanes, hedgerows, and country gardens of the British Isles. They tend to feel a bit storybook, a bit Beatrix Potter.

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)

A pale yellow hedge-flower; sweet, vintage, slightly Hunger-Games-cool now.

Pansy

Origin: Old French (via the flower name)
Pronunciation: PAN-zee · ˈpænzi
Meaning: thought (from Old French ‘pensee’)
Popularity: #15,193 as of 2018 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A wild violet cousin; old-fashioned in a brave-to-bring-back way.

Cowslip

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: KOW-slip · ˈkaʊslɪp
Meaning: cow dung (from where the flower commonly grew)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Best as a poetic reference, not a name.

Snowdrop

Origin: English
Pronunciation: SNOH-drop · ˈsnoʊdrɒp
Meaning: a small white flower that blooms through the last snow of winter
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The first wildflower of spring; very Brontë.

Honeysuckle

Origin: English (flower name)
Pronunciation: HUN-ee-suk-ul · ˈhʌniˌsʌkəl
Meaning: the honeysuckle plant/flowering vine
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The hedgerow scent of summer evenings; long but lovely.

Speedwell

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: SPEED-wel · ˈspiːdwɛl
Meaning: ‘fare well’ or ‘prosper’ — from an old sense of ‘speed’ meaning success, not travel
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A tiny blue meadow flower with a beautiful name-meaning.

Petal

Origin: English (nature name)
Pronunciation: PET-uhl · ˈpɛtəl
Meaning: flower petal
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Light and slightly nicknamed-sounding; sweet.

Posy

Origin: English (from Middle English poesy, ‘verse’)
Pronunciation: POH-zee · ˈpoʊzi
Meaning: a small bunch of flowers
Popularity: #14,813 and falling (#7,955 → #14,813, 2024)

A friendly nickname-as-name; very The Hunger Games.

Rosalind

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: RAH-zuh-lind · ˈrɑːzəlɪnd
Meaning: from elements meaning roughly ‘horse’ and ‘soft/tender’ — something like ‘gentle horse’
Popularity: #1,475 and falling (#1,440 → #1,475, 2024)

Shakespearean and wild-rose-coded.

Rosamund

Origin: Germanic (Frankish/Lombardic)
Pronunciation: ROZ-ah-mund · ˈrɑːzəmənd
Meaning: horse protection (folk-reinterpreted as ‘rose of the world’)
Popularity: #7,858 and falling (#6,353 → #7,858, 2024)

Vintage and richly literary.

Beatrix

Origin: Latin (variant of Beatrice)
Pronunciation: BEE-uh-triks · ˈbiːətrɪks
Meaning: variant of Beatrice — brings happiness / blessed
Popularity: #1,379 and rising (#1,401 → #1,379, 2024)

Beatrix Potter herself; the patron saint of hedgerow names.

Eulalia

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: yoo-LAY-lee-ah · juːˈleɪliə
Meaning: sweetly speaking
Popularity: #2,693 and rising (#3,109 → #2,693, 2024)

A St. Eulalia’s-fair kind of name; English vintage with hidden depth.

Cordelia

Origin: uncertain (Shakespeare’s spelling of a historical British name, Cordeilla, possibly linked to the obscure saint’s name Cordula)
Pronunciation: kor-DEEL-yah · kɔːrˈdiːljə
Meaning: Heart, or daughter of the sea
Popularity: #1,065 and rising (#1,117 → #1,065, 2024)

Pulled from the hedgerow-walking heroines of English novels.

Imogen

Origin: Celtic (Scottish Gaelic), via a Shakespearean misprint
Pronunciation: IM-uh-jen · ˈɪmədʒən
Meaning: maiden, girl (from Scottish Gaelic ‘inghean’)
Popularity: #1,126 and rising (#1,213 → #1,126, 2024)

Wild-hedgerow Britain in a name; soft and increasingly known.

Florence

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FLOR-ens · ˈflɔːrəns
Meaning: flourishing, blooming (from florens, related to flos ‘flower’)
Popularity: #435 and rising (#522 → #435, 2024)

The patron flower-saint of girls’ names; nicknamed Flossie or Flo.

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)

Phoebe

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: FEE-bee · ˈfiːbi
Meaning: bright, shining
Popularity: #183 and rising (#190 → #183, 2024)

Hedgerow-bright; long-beloved.

Tess

Origin: uncertain (typically a diminutive of Theresa/Tessa, sometimes of Esther/Hester)
Pronunciation: TESS · tɛs
Meaning: Harvester
Popularity: #1,784 and falling (#1,760 → #1,784, 2024)

Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles wandered every English meadow; soft and grounded.

Effie

Origin: Greek (diminutive of Euphemia, rarely of Eftychia)
Pronunciation: EF-ee · ˈɛfi
Meaning: well-spoken, of good repute; in rare cases traced instead to a name meaning ‘good fortune’
Popularity: #2,507 and falling (#2,111 → #2,507, 2024)

A pet name with the warmth of a cottage door.

Maisie

Origin: Scottish (Gaelic pet form)
Pronunciation: MAY-zee · ˈmeɪzi
Meaning: pearl (via Mairead/Margaret)
Popularity: #255 and rising (#293 → #255, 2024)

Wildflower-bright; sweet and Scottish.

Nell

Origin: English (pet form)
Pronunciation: NEL · nɛl
Meaning: Bright
Popularity: #1,460 and rising (#1,682 → #1,460, 2024)

A short, hedgerow-walking grandmother name.

Bramble

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: BRAM-bul · ˈbræmbəl
Meaning: a thorny, tangled shrub such as a wild blackberry bush
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Brave and uncommon; for a daughter who scrambles over walls.

Names That Belong to American Wildflowers

These names come from the wildflowers of the American prairies, deserts, coasts, and mountains — the ones in your Audubon field guide.

Rocky Mountain meadows are stitched with aspen wildflowers; modern and brisk.

Western and warm.

Western brushland is full of it; gender-flexible.

The mariposa lily blooms across the western U.S.; lyrical.

Sequoia

Origin: Cherokee (named for Sequoyah, inventor of the Cherokee syllabary, later applied to the giant sequoia tree)
Pronunciation: sih-KWOY-ah · sɪˈkwɔɪə
Meaning: Cherokee leader’s name
Popularity: #2,450 and falling (#2,306 → #2,450, 2024)

Use with respect; a name with redwood weight.

Tallulah

Origin: Muscogee/Creek (place name)
Pronunciation: tuh-LOO-lah · təˈluːlə
Meaning: commonly glossed as ‘leaping/tumbling water,’ from the Tallulah River and Falls in Georgia; the precise original meaning is debated among linguists
Popularity: #815 and falling (#814 → #815, 2024)

Wild-orchid-coded; cinematic.

Camas

Origin: Nez Perce (Pacific Northwest Indigenous)
Pronunciation: KAM-us · ˈkæməs
Meaning: sweet edible bulb of a Pacific Northwest lily
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A wild blue prairie lily of the Pacific Northwest; rare and beautiful.

Yucca

Origin: Carib
Pronunciation: YUK-uh · ˈjʌkə
Meaning: the yucca plant, an evergreen desert shrub with sharp, sword-shaped leaves
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

White wild-bloomed and Southwestern; bold.

Ocotillo

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: oh-koh-TEE-yoh · ˌoʊkəˈtiːjoʊ
Meaning: little pine (from a diminutive of ‘ocote, ‘ a Spanish word for pine/torch wood)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A desert wildflower; better as a place than a name.

Manzanita

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: man-zuh-NEE-tuh · mænzəˈniːtə
Meaning: little apple
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

California chaparral wildflower-bush; lush.

Bluebonnet

Origin: English
Pronunciation: BLOO-bon-it · ˈbluːˌbɒnɪt
Meaning: blue, bonnet-shaped wildflower
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Texas state flower; too place-locked for some, perfect for Texans.

Penstemon

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: PEN-steh-mun · ˈpɛnstəmən
Meaning: five stamens
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Wild beard-tongue flowers of the West; more inspiration than name.

Larkspur

Origin: English (plant name)
Pronunciation: LARK-sper · ˈlɑːrkspɜːr
Meaning: named for the flower’s spur-shaped petal, thought to resemble a lark’s claw or spur
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A spurred blue prairie flower; possibly too unusual as a daily name but lovely as a middle.

Clementine

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

Citrus-blossom-coded; a Western frontier classic.

Winona

Origin: Dakota
Pronunciation: wih-NOH-nah · wɪˈnoʊnə
Meaning: firstborn daughter
Popularity: #738 and rising (#880 → #738, 2024)

A Dakota name from prairie country; use with respect.

Names With a Soft, Storybook Sound

These are the wildflower names that feel pulled from a chapter book — names that would belong to a girl in a long dress on a cottage doorstep, holding a basket of just-picked stems.

A meadow name with a single perfect syllable.

A nosegay of names in one little word.

Sweet and slightly improbable, in the best way.

For a Sleeping Beauty kind of daughter.

Wild and a little bit fairy-tale.

Pip

Origin: English (diminutive of Philip/Philippa), ultimately Greek
Pronunciation: PIP · pɪp
Meaning: lover of horses
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A storybook nickname-as-name; tiny and dear.

Plum

Origin: English (word/nature name)
Pronunciation: PLUM · plʌm
Meaning: the plum fruit
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Wild-plum-coded; small and round and lovely.

Jay

Origin: English (nickname from Old French “jai, ” the jay bird); also a South Asian variant of Sanskrit Jai/Jaya
Pronunciation: JAY · dʒeɪ
Meaning: Bird
Popularity: #7,043 and rising (#9,262 → #7,043, 2024)

A meadow-edge bird; gender-flexible.

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)

The first bird of spring meadows; vintage and gentle.

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)

Belongs in the woods with the wildflowers.

Wendy

Origin: English
Pronunciation: WEN-dee · ˈwɛndi
Meaning: friend
Popularity: #1,097 and rising (#1,301 → #1,097, 2024)

Peter Pan made it eternal; warm and grandmotherly now.

Sparrow

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

A field-and-hedge bird; light.

Lily

Origin: English
Pronunciation: LIL-ee · ˈlɪli
Meaning: the lily flower
Popularity: #24 and falling (#20 → #24, 2024)

Wild day-lilies and meadow lilies abound; never out of style.

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)

Wildflowers grow at its feet; modern and sugar-bright.

Juno

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: JOO-noh · ˈdʒuːnoʊ
Meaning: queen of the Roman gods (the name’s own root is linguistically uncertain)
Popularity: #1,382 and falling (#1,333 → #1,382, 2024)

A goddess name and short for Juniper.

Bea

Origin: English (short form of Beatrice)
Pronunciation: BEE · biː
Meaning: pet form of Beatrice (or Beatrix/Beatriz)
Popularity: #2,150 and rising (#2,493 → #2,150, 2024)

The smallest, sweetest name; a meadow-bee echo.

Elowen

Origin: Cornish
Pronunciation: EL-oh-wen · ˈɛloʊwɛn
Meaning: elm tree
Popularity: #898 and rising (#1,060 → #898, 2024)

Cornish wildflowers, Cornish elms; lovely and rare.

Ottilie

Origin: Germanic (via German, form of Odilia/Odile)
Pronunciation: AH-tuh-lee · ˈɑːtəli
Meaning: uncertain — likely ‘wealth’ or ‘homeland’ (Germanic aud-/odal- roots), not clearly tied to battle
Popularity: #2,315 and rising (#2,636 → #2,315, 2024)

Wildflower-bouquet vintage; pronounced OT-til-ee.

Hattie

Origin: English (pet form of Harriet)
Pronunciation: HAT-ee · ˈhæti
Meaning: home ruler (via Harriet/Henry)
Popularity: #382 and rising (#384 → #382, 2024)

A meadow-walking granny name; cozy.

Etta

Origin: English/German (diminutive suffix name)
Pronunciation: ET-ah · ˈɛtə
Meaning: ruler of the home (inherited sense, from Henrietta)
Popularity: #973 and falling (#935 → #973, 2024)

A jazz-age wildflower name; small and strong.

Mabel

Origin: English (from Latin amabilis via Amabel)
Pronunciation: MAY-bel · ˈmeɪbəl
Meaning: lovable
Popularity: #222 and rising (#278 → #222, 2024)

Hugely vintage; meadow-bright.

Earthier Names With Mossy, Mineral Roots

These names lean into the rougher edges of nature — the bark, the roots, the moss, the stones the wildflowers grow between. For parents who want the wild without the wilt.

Moss

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

Short, soft, and growing in popularity for girls.

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: #9,449 and falling (#8,423 → #9,449, 2024)

Bold; usually a surname but increasingly a first.

Brook

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

A meadow boundary; soft.

Lake

Origin: English (word name)
Pronunciation: LAYK · ˈleɪk
Meaning: a body of water
Popularity: #4,072 and falling (#3,302 → #4,072, 2024)

Clean and modern.

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)

Field-and-prairie circling; bold.

Pearl

Origin: English
Pronunciation: PURL · ˈpɜːrl
Meaning: from the gemstone pearl; also an English form of the Yiddish name Perle
Popularity: #802 and falling (#800 → #802, 2024)

Wild oysters; iridescent and vintage.

Coral

Origin: English (word name, ult. Greek/Latin)
Pronunciation: KOR-ul · ˈkɔːrəl
Meaning: named for the marine coral
Popularity: #1,893 and falling (#1,889 → #1,893, 2024)

Coral roots are a real wild orchid; warm and dusty pink.

Amber

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

Belongs in pine forests; warm and gold.

Birdie

Origin: English
Pronunciation: BUR-dee · ˈbɜːrdi
Meaning: little bird (also historically used as a pet form of Bertha)
Popularity: #754 and falling (#700 → #754, 2024)

For a small wild thing; vintage with bite.

Quill

Origin: English (word name)
Pronunciation: KWIL · kwɪl
Meaning: a feather, especially one used as a writing pen
Popularity: #3,136 and rising (#3,532 → #3,136, 2024)

Crisp and woodsy.

Tally

Origin: English
Pronunciation: TAL-ee · ˈtæli
Meaning: Variant of Talia
Popularity: #10,976 and rising (#11,066 → #10,976, 2024)

Talia means morning dew; brightness on grass.

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: #5,736 and falling (#5,347 → #5,736, 2024)

Tall and slim; gender-flexible.

Rush

Origin: English (surname, with several competing origins)
Pronunciation: RUHSH · rʌʃ
Meaning: the rush plant (a marsh reed)
Popularity: #1,493 and falling (#1,279 → #1,493, 2024)

Soft and watery.

Cattail

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KAT-tayl · ˈkætteɪl
Meaning: marsh plant with a fuzzy, tail-like flower spike
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

More an inspiration than a name; consider Cat for short.

Heron

Origin: Old English/Old French (surname); unrelated Irish surname homographs also exist
Pronunciation: HERR-un · ˈhɛrən
Meaning: The long-legged wading bird; as a surname, ‘Heron’ also has separate, unconnected origins, though its modern use as a nature name draws on the bird sense.
Popularity: #4,341 and rising (#5,754 → #4,341, 2024)

A wetland bird; rare and graceful.

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)

Surname-y but possible.

Pine

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

Brisk and resinous.

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)

The hour when wildflowers close; mysterious.

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)

The hour they open; lush and long.

Hester

Origin: English (form of Esther, Esther’s own origin is debated, often cited as Hebrew/Persian)
Pronunciation: HESS-ter · ˈhɛstər
Meaning: star
Popularity: #16,067 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Old Puritan wildflower-name; ready for revival.

Tamsin

Origin: English (medieval contraction of Thomasina, feminine form of Thomas)
Pronunciation: TAM-zin · ˈtæmzɪn
Meaning: twin (via Thomas, ultimately from Aramaic)
Popularity: #13,291 and falling (#12,061 → #13,291, 2024)

Wild Cornish and lyrical.

Saoirse

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: SEER-shah · ˈsɪərʃə
Meaning: freedom
Popularity: #1,036 and falling (#959 → #1,036, 2024)

Pronounced SUR-shuh; perfectly free-spirited.

Niamh

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: NEEV · ˈniːv
Meaning: bright, radiant
Popularity: #3,148 and rising (#4,339 → #3,148, 2024)

Pronounced NEEV; mossy and bright.

Branwen

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: BRAN-wen · ˈbrænwɛn
Meaning: blessed or white raven
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings