There’s something really lovely about naming a baby after something from nature.
It feels timeless without being old-fashioned, and there are so many directions you can go depending on whether you want something classic, unusual, or somewhere in between. A study looking at Social Security Administration data found that botanical names, so anything rooted in plants, trees, flowers and herbs, are really popular right now, not just as a niche trend but showing up in the top 100 most common names.
Some of these you’ll recognise immediately, while others might surprise you. Here are some of the ones parents are choosing most, along with a few that haven’t quite hit the mainstream yet if you want something a bit more individual.
The ones that are already everywhere
Olivia and Oliver are both botanical names, which might surprise people who think of them as just popular names rather than plant-inspired ones. Both come from the Latin for olive tree, and between them, they’ve sat at the very top of baby name charts for years. Violet is another one that’s really taken off, with Latin origins referring to the purple flower, and it has that quality of feeling vintage and fresh at the same time.
Chloe has Greek roots meaning a young green shoot, which is a lovely image, even if most people don’t know that’s where it comes from. Rowan, popular for both boys and girls, comes from a Gaelic word connected to the red berries of the rowan tree. Hazel has been climbing steadily too, with Old English roots and a warm, grounded feel that a lot of parents seem to be drawn to at the moment.
Nature names with a bit more edge
Ivy and Willow have both become much more popular over the last few years, and they work well, partly because they feel strong without being harsh. Ivy has Old English origins, and Willow comes from the Old English word welig. Neither is trying too hard, which is probably why they’ve stuck around. Sage is another one that’s grown quite a bit, and it works as both a herb name and a word meaning wisdom, which is a nice combination.
Juniper is still on the less common side, but it’s been gaining ground. It refers to the evergreen tree and has a slightly adventurous feel to it that a lot of parents seem to like. Iris sits in a similar space, feminine and botanical but also connected to Greek mythology, where Iris was the goddess of rainbows. It’s been quietly consistent for years without ever feeling overused.
The tree names you might want to consider
Ash-based names keep appearing in different forms. Ashton means “from the ash tree” and has English roots, while Ayla means oak tree in Hebrew and has a softer sound. Oakley is another oak-connected name with an outdoorsy feel. Lennox, Scottish in origin and meaning elm grove, is one of those names that sounds modern but actually has deep roots.
Forrest and Savannah are slightly different takes on the nature name trend. Forrest is straightforward, it’s literally a place full of trees, and Savannah has Spanish origins meaning flat tropical grassland. Both have a kind of open, spacious feel that suits them well as names.
The less common ones that will likely increase in popularity in the coming years
If you want something botanical that isn’t going to be shared with three other children in the class, a few names on this list sit outside the top 100. Briar, meaning thorny bush, has a slightly literary feel and works for both boys and girls. Layton, which means “settlement with a leek garden” in Old English, sounds much nicer than its meaning suggests and isn’t widely used yet.
Rhodes is particularly interesting. It only entered the top 1,000 most popular names in the US in 2022 and has been climbing since, sitting at 707 in 2023. It connects back to the Greek word for rose and also has the island association, which gives it a kind of worldly feel. If you’re after something that’s recognisable but genuinely uncommon, that might be one to think about.
The flower names that never really go out of style
Rose and Lily are both in this list and both have that quality of feeling like they’ve been around forever without ever becoming tired. Rose has Latin roots, Lily comes from the Latin word lilium, and Lillian is a longer version of the same. Daisy is a bit more playful in feel and is one of those names that suits children and adults equally well, which is worth thinking about when you’re naming someone for life rather than just for the baby years.
What’s nice about all of these is that the botanical connection isn’t always obvious. Someone called Rowan or Chloe or Oliver isn’t necessarily going around thinking of themselves as a plant name, it’s just a good name that happens to have those roots. That’s probably why this category keeps producing names that feel natural rather than themed.
