Mother nature may be feminine, but she's a great source of strong, timeless names for boys. Parents have been turning to nature to name their sons for millennia. Just like the flora and fauna of the natural world, the names inspired by nature are varied, so you're bound to find one that's right for your family.
Some names like Ocean, River, or Cloud are obviously linked to nature. If that's too on-the-nose for your tastes, there are plenty of classic first names and surnames that are inspired by the natural world. Take Sawyer, for example. The English name can mean "woodcutter," but also refers to a tree bobbing on the surface of a stream – a beautiful image that pays homage to nature in a more subtle way.
Whether you're looking for a refined, sophisticated name (like Basil or Sage), a rugged new-age name (like Bear, Brock, or Blaze), or a classic name (like Leo, Dillon, or Dale), you can find inspiration in nature – and on this list.
75 earthy boy names
River
Literally, a river is a natural stream of water and is rooted in Latin. Figuratively, the name River brings to mind the power, grace, and beauty of flowing water.
Sage
Sage is a shrubby, aromatic herb whose name comes from the Latin word salvia , meaning "healthy."
Reed
Reeds are tall grasses with slender stems that grow in wet areas. As a name, Reed is thought to be rooted in the Old English word read , meaning "red."
Clay
Clay is an earthy material used for brick, tile, and pottery, and also an enduring Old English name.
Forrest
While forest means "a dense growth of trees and underbrush," it often takes a slightly different spelling as a name – Forrest .
Bear
Whether you're invoking the large, carnivorous mammal of the family Ursidae or a cute cuddly cub, Bear is an Old English name from the ancient Proto-Germanic word bero , literally meaning "the brown one."
Stone
Literally meaning "a piece of rock," the Old English name Stone conveys strength and permanence.
Dale
Dale means "valley" in Old English.
Ridge
Ridge means "a range of hills or mountains." It originates from an Old English word meaning "back of a man or beast."
Dusty
Although it literally means "covered with dust," the name Dusty feels fresh. It can also be a nickname for Dustin, which is likely a form of an Old Norse name meaning "Thor's stone."
Flint
Flint is a hard, dark quartz that produces sparks when struck. This name calls to mind fire and ruggedness.
Hawk
A bird of prey belonging to the order Falconiformes, Hawk is also an Old English name with modern appeal.
Cliff
Meaning "a steep face of rock," the English name Cliff is very masculine.
Woody
Meaning "overgrown with trees or shrubs," the English name Woody is also a nickname for Woodrow .
Wolfe
Wolfe is an alternate spelling of wolf and was originally used as a nickname, eventually became a surname, and is now on its way to becoming a given name in its own right.
Birch
The English name Birch refers to the deciduous tree in the genus Betula , known for its white bark.
Tree
The English name Tree refers to the woody perennial plant.
Onyx
Onyx is a type of quartz. It's derived from a Greek word meaning "nail" because the mineral's coloring sometimes resembles a human fingernail with pink and white streaks.
Fields
Meaning "open areas of land," the English name Fields is also a surname for someone who lived near a field.
Buck
Buck has a couple of meanings in English – it's the term for a young male deer, but it's also figuratively used to mean "a spirited young man."
Bud
Bud is the English term for a growth that'll eventually develop into a flower or leaf, though it's also a form of buddy, meaning "friend."
Canyon
Canyon is an English word now, but was originally a Spanish word for a narrow valley between cliffs.
Albion
Meaning "rock" or "crag," the Celtic word Albion is also a poetic term for Britain.
Arbor
Arbor derives from French and means "tree" or "garden."
Avon
Avon is a Celtic word meaning "river."
Aspen
Often called the "shaking tree" because of the way its leaves quiver in the wind, Aspen is rooted in Old English.
Clive
Clive was originally an English surname for someone who lived near a cliff.
Dallas
Dallas comes from a Gaelic word meaning "meadow stance," which was a meadow used as an overnight resting place for cattle herders and their cows.
Harley
The English name Harley means "stone clearing" or "hare clearing."
Heath
Heath is an English word for untilled land.
Hollis
The English name Hollis means "holly."
Juniper
Juniper is a type of coniferous tree whose berries are used to make gin.
Jade
The English name Jade refers to a precious gem whose name comes from the Spanish phrase piedra de la ijada , meaning "stone of side pain." In ancient times, it was believed that jade could help ease such pain.
Jasper
As a name, Jasper is thought to be related to a Persian name meaning "treasurer." But jasper is also a type of precious stone valued for its grounding and protecting properties.
Drake
Drake is an English word meaning "male duck," but it's also related to the Old English word draca , meaning "snake" or "dragon."
Douglas
The Scottish name Douglas means "dark stream." It also refers to a type of evergreen pine tree native to the western United States.
Everest
Everest is the English name for the highest mountain in the world.
Falke
The German name Falke means "falcon."
Fabian
The name Fabian originates in a Latin word meaning "bean," and might mean "bean farmer."
Fayruz
Fayruz is a Persian name meaning "turquoise."
Florian
Florian is rooted in the Latin word flos , meaning "flower."
Fisher
Fisher was originally an English surname for someone who fished for a living, though it's sometimes used as a given name now.
Ford
A ford is a shallow place where water can be crossed safely. As a name, Ford was originally an English surname for someone who lived near such a river crossing.
Finch
Finch is an English name for a type of songbird.
Gen
Gen is a Chinese name meaning "root."
Lee
Lee is an English name that means "clearing."
Leland
The English name Leland means "fallow land."
Lachlan
Lachlan comes from Scottish and means "land of the lakes."
Lennox
The Scottish name Lennox means "place of elms."
Lin
The Chinese name Lin means "beautiful jade."
Kailash
The Sanskrit name Kailash refers to a mountain in the Himalayas and the legendary home of Kubera, the Hindu god of wealth.
Keith
Keith is a Scottish name that means "wood."
Koa
Koa is a Hawaiian name meaning "warrior," though it's also tied to the koa tree, which is significant in Hawaiian culture.
Nagendra
The Sanskrit name Nagendra means "mighty serpent" or "mighty elephant."
Oren
The Hebrew name Oren means "pine tree."
Orson
Orson is a name of Latin origin that means "bear."
Oleander
The Latin name Oleander refers to a poisonous shrub also known as rose bay.
Robin
The English name Robin is shared with a small songbird. As a name, it was originally a nickname for Robert , a Norman French name meaning "bright fame."
Rocky
As a name, Rocky started out as a nickname for a tough person, popularized by boxing champion Rocky Marciano. His name was an anglicized version of Rocco , an Italian name related to a Germanic word meaning "rest." Of course, rocky is also an English word meaning "full of rocks."
Rowan
Rowan , also known as the mountain ash, is a type of tree in the rose family. Its name may be ultimately derived from the ancient Proto-Indo-European word reudh , meaning "red," because of the color of its berries.
Shan
The Chinese name Shan means "mountain," a symbol of greatness, achievement, and longevity. It can also mean "elegant bearing."
Silas
The Greek name Silas means "of the woods."
Sylvan
Sylvan is a Latin name that also means "of the woods."
Todd
The English name Todd means "fox."
Vance
Vance is an English name meaning "dweller of the marsh."
Warren
The French name Warren means "game park."
Barclay
Barclay is an English name meaning "birch clearing."
Peter
Peter comes from a Greek word meaning "stone."
Perry
The English name Perry means "by the pear tree."
Philip
The Greek name Philip means "friend of horses."
Raleigh
The English name Raleigh means "deer clearing."
Riaz
Riaz is an Arabic name meaning "meadows" or "gardens."
Tulsi
Tulsi comes from a Sanskrit word for holy basil, a plant sacred in Hindu mythology for its ties to Vishnu, the creator and protector of the universe.
Rainier
This French name refers to Mount Rainier , the tallest peak in Washington.
Wolfgang
Wolfgang is a German name meaning "wolves' path."
35 rare nature boy names
These rare names haven't appeared in the top 1,000 boys' names in the United States in at least 10 years, if not longer.
Ash
Ash comes from Old English refers to the powdery remains of a fire; it's also a genus of trees.
Glenn
The Scottish name Glenn means "valley."
Roan
The French name Roan refers to the color used to describe horses with reddish-brown hair interspersed with white.
Sunny
Sunny literally means "full of sunshine," but also describes a person who has a cheerful disposition.
Storm
Rooted in Old English, Storm means a heavy fall of rain, hail, or snow.
Basil
Basil is an aromatic shrubby plant. It's originally from the Greek basileus , meaning "king," because the basil plant was used to make royal perfumes in ancient times.
Linden
The Old English name Linden means "lime tree."
Lake
Lake refers to an inland body of standing water. It comes from the Latin word lacus , but has even more ancient roots in Proto-Indo-European.
West
West is thought to come from an ancient Proto-Indo-European word meaning "evening" or "night," because west refers to the general direction of sunset.
Cedar
Cedar comes from the Greek word kedros and is a coniferous tree of the pine family.
Cloud
Cloud , ironically, originates from the Old English word clud , which means "mass of rock" – but clouds themselves evoke lightness.
Air
Air is a sweet elemental name that embodies freedom and movement. This English word is originally rooted in Greek and Latin.
Bay
Bay has a few nature-related meanings – it's a protected inlet of water, a dog's howl, and a reddish-brown color usually for horses.
Bran
Bran is a Welsh name that means "raven."
Bradford
Bradford is an English name meaning "broad ford."
Cielo
Cielo is the Spanish word for sky.
Clifford
The English name Clifford means "ford at the cliff."
Conan
Conan is an Irish name meaning "little wolf."
Cosmo
Cosmo is an Italian name meaning "order" or "beauty," and shares the same root as the English word cosmos.
Ember
Ember is a warm and comforting name that literally means "small coal" and brings to mind a soft, welcoming fire.
Garland
Garland means "wreath," and originally referred to both a wreath of natural materials like flowers, but also a crown or coronet made of metal. As a name, it started out as an English surname for someone who wore garlands often or for someone who made them for a living.
Grover
Grover was originally a surname with two potential meanings. In English, it was used by people who lived near a grove of trees; but it's also rooted in the Middle Low German word grove , meaning "hollow grave," and was used by someone who dug ditches or graves for a living.
Lightning
Lightning is a visible discharge of energy from a cloud. This striking name embodies the power of nature.
Murray
Murray is a Scottish surname that comes from a Gaelic phrase meaning "sea settlement."
Willow
Willow is the English name for a tree with long, hanging branches.
Winter
Winter refers to the coldest season, and it may be rooted in an ancient Proto-Indo-European word meaning either "wet season" or "white season."
Zephyr
Zephyr comes from a Greek word meaning "west wind." In Greek mythology, Zephyrus is the personification of the west wind. He's the gentlest of the wind gods and is often associated with spring and flowers.
Sol
Sol means "sun" in Spanish, though it's also a nickname for the Hebrew name Solomon , which means "peaceful."
Tao
Tao is a Chinese name meaning "great waves."
Bilal
Bilal is rooted in Arabic and means "moist" or "wetting," referring to the blessing of rain.
Zuhair
Zuhair is an Arabic name that means "little flower."
Arun
Arun is a Sanskrit name referring to a reddish-brown color – the color of dawn, gold, and rubies.
Rad
The Arabic name Rad means "thunder."
Sher
The Persian name Sher means "lion."
Quan
Quan means "hot spring" in Chinese.
71 more nature boy names
Callum
Callum is a Scottish form of the Late Latin name Columba , which means "dove."
Blaze
Blaze refers to an intensely burning fire, and the word's origins are just as intense: It's rooted in a Proto-Germanic word that means "bright," "shining," and "white."
Leo
Leo is the Latin word for lion.
Orion
Orion is a constellation visible during winter in the northern hemisphere, named after the hunter Orion in Greek mythology.
Ocean
Ocean is rooted in a Greek word, where it originally meant "endless river" – which is what the ancient Greeks believed the ocean to be before humanity learned that the Earth is round.
Cove
Cove nowadays usually refers to a recessed inlet or bay, but historically its context also included a recess or valley in a mountain. This charming name conjures a feeling of shelter and protection.
North
North refers to the compass direction, of course – but more importantly, it brings to mind arctic expeditions, sea ice, strong winds, and all the rugged danger of the Great White North.
Gale
Gale means "strong wind." It's thought to be rooted in ancient words meaning "to sing" and "to yell," because of the sound a strong wind makes.
Adam
Adam comes from Hebrew and means "earth."
Adler
Adler is a German name that means "noble eagle."
Alan
Alan is a Celtic name whose meaning is uncertain, but it's thought to mean "little rock."
Arthur
Arthur is another ancient Celtic name with uncertain meaning, but it's been tied to a word meaning "bear."
Ari
Ari is a Hebrew name meaning "lion."
Arvind
Arvind is a Sanskrit name that means "lotus."
Atlas
Atlas is an adventurous name meaning "a bound collection of maps." It's also the name of the Greek Titan who holds the world. In that context, the name means "the bearer" or "mountain."
Babar
Babar is a Turkish name meaning "lion."
Badr
Badr is an Arabic name that means "full moon."
Bailey
Bailey was originally an English surname for someone who lived near a berry clearing.
Bentley
Bentley is an English name meaning "bent-grass clearing."
Bhaskar
Bhaskar is a Sanskrit name that means "bright sunlight."
Blair
The Gaelic name Blair means "plain" or "field."
Bo
The Chinese name Bo means "waves."
Braden
Braden comes from a Gaelic name meaning "salmon."
Brock
Brock was originally a Middle English nickname for someone who looked like a badger and is rooted in the Celtic word for the animal.
Bryce
This Welsh name means "speckled" or "freckled," but is also the name of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.
Caspian
Caspian refers to the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water between Europe and Asia. Its name comes from the Greek name for the group of people who lived near the sea.
Chandan
Chandan means "sandalwood" in Sanskrit.
Chandra
Chandra means "moon" in Sanskrit.
Clayton
Clayton is an English name meaning "clay settlement."
Clifton
Clifton is an English name meaning "settlement by a cliff."
Colin
Colin has a couple meanings as a name. It's the anglicized version of the Scottish name Cailean , which means "pup" or "young dog." But it also comes from a medieval nickname for Nicholas , which is rooted in Greek and means "victory of the people."
Corbin
Corbin was originally a French surname thought to be rooted in corbeau , meaning "raven."
Dimitri
Dimitri or Dmitri is a Russian name that means "devotee of Demeter," the Greek goddess of the harvest.
Dylan
Dylan is a Welsh name with uncertain origins, but it's connected to a Celtic word meaning "sea."
Elio
Elio is a form of Helios , which means "sun" in Greek and is the name of the personification of the sun in Greek mythology.
Elon
Elon means "oak tree" in Hebrew.
Fahd
Fahd is an Arabic name meaning "panther" or "leopard."
Feng
Feng means "wind" and "sharp blade" in Chinese.
George
George comes from a Greek name meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker."
Gulzar
Gulzar is a Persian name meaning "rose garden."
Hai
The Chinese name Hai means "sea."
Haidar
The Arabic name Haidar means "lion."
Hari
Hari means "brown" or "green" in Sanskrit.
Hong
In Chinese, the name Hong means "wild swan" or "red."
Indra
Indra is the Hindu god of the sky and lord of rain, whose name is thought to come from a Sanskrit phrase meaning "possessing drops of rain."
Jafar
Jafar means "small river" or "stream" in Arabic.
Jiang
The Chinese name Jiang refers to the Yangtze River.
Jinan
Jinan means "gardens" or "paradise" in Arabic.
Jonah
In Hebrew, Jonah means "dove."
Landon
The English name Landon means "long hill."
Lei
Lei is a Chinese name meaning "thunder." It also means "flower" in Hawaiian.
Kai
Kai comes from a Hawaiian word meaning "ocean."
Kiran
Kiran is a Sanskrit name meaning "ray of light," as in a sunbeam or moonbeam.
Kyle
Kyle is a Scottish name meaning "strait" or "channel."
Maxwell
Maxwell is a Scottish name meaning "Mack's stream."
Miles
Miles are a measurement of distance in English. It's rooted in the Latin word milia , which means "thousands." As a name, Miles is also tied to a Latin word meaning "soldier."
Murphy
Murphy is an anglicized version of a Scottish name meaning "sea warrior."
Nur
The Arabic name Nur means "light."
Peng
The Chinese name Peng refers to the roc, the giant mythological bird.
Pran
In Sanskrit, Pran means "breath" or "life-force."
Qiu
Qiu is a Chinese name meaning "autumn" and is often given to babies born during the season.
Rajiv
Rajiv means "striped" in Sanskrit, and is the name of a species of fish and blue lotus.
Ravi
Ravi is a Sanskrit name meaning "sun," and is the name of the sun god in Hindu mythology.
Ray
Ray is rooted in French and means "beam of light," though it's also a nickname for Raymond , an Old French name that means "wise protector."
Rio
Rio means "river" in Spanish.
Sawyer
Sawyer was originally an occupational English surname for someone who sawed wood for a living.
Sunil
Sunil means "deep, dark blue" in Sanskrit.
Surya
The Sanskrit name Surya means "sun," and is the name of the Hindu sun god in his physical form as ruler of the sky.
Talal
Talal is an Arabic name meaning "dew" or "fine rain."
Wesley
Wesley is an Old English name meaning "western wood."
Zion
Zion is a Hebrew name meaning that evolved from a place name for a hill in eastern Jerusalem.
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