All the Botanical Girls

Beyond Lily, Violet, and Daisy—a compilation of lovely girls’ names with floral and botanical roots.
  1. Acacia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "thorny"
    • Description:

      Acacia is an attractive, rarely used Greek flower name enhanced by its popular beginning-and-ending-with 'a'-construct, and is gradually beginning to catch on as a new member of the stylish girl names starting with A.
  2. Amaryllis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "to sparkle"
    • Description:

      If you love both unique baby names and flower names for girls, Amaryllis might be a perfect choice for you.
  3. Anemone
    • Origin:

      Flower name; Greek
    • Meaning:

      "daughter of the wind"
    • Description:

      Anemone is a floral name that relates to the ancient Greek myth of the famous love story of Aphrodite and Adonis, in which Aphrodite transforms her wounded lover's blood into a flower, the crimson anemone, whose blossoms are opened by the wind — accounting for its other name, windflower.
  4. Anise
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Name of the licorice plant, this spice comes in the shape of a star, giving this name an extra level of sweetness.
  5. Apple
    • Origin:

      English nature name
    • Meaning:

      "apple"
    • Description:

      When people talk about unique baby names, Apple is often one of the first examples they mention. Apple made international headlines when Gwyneth Paltrow chose this wholesome fruit name for her daughter. Many have called it ridiculous, but we have to admit, we find it appealing enough to list as one of our top cute baby names. Rocker Bob Geldof named one of his daughters Peaches; Banana Yoshimoto is a hipster writer. Another choice in this genre is the luscious Plum, though for different reasons, neither Prune nor Cherry will fly.
  6. Apricot
    • Origin:

      Fruit name
    • Description:

      A very unique fruit name heard more often on peachy-colored dogs than on baby girls.
  7. Ash
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "ash tree"
    • Description:

      The tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace, usually used for boys, but, as a short form of Ashley, works for girls too.
  8. Aspen
    • Origin:

      Nature and place-name
    • Description:

      Aspen is part of two groups of stylish and unique baby names: nature names and place-names. The name of a graceful tree in the poplar family with heart-shaped leaves so delicate they quiver in the gentlest breeze, Aspen is also the name of a trendy Colorado ski resort. Aspen started as a unisex name possibility but now is much more frequently worn by girls.
  9. Aster
    • Origin:

      English; Amharic
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter sounds like Aster, but is actually spelled Astor, which brings it more high society name. Aster relates to the Greek word for star. In Ethiopia, Aster is pronounced "ah-STAIR", and is the Amharic variation of Biblical Esther.
  10. Azalea
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "azalea, a flower"
    • Description:

      Azalea is one of the fresher flower names, along with Zinnia and Lilac, that are new to the name bouquet — in fact, it entered the Social Security list for the first time in 2012. So if Lily and Rose are too tame for you, consider this brilliant pink springtime blossom with a touch of the unusual that has been growing in popularity.
  11. Bay
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "berry"
    • Description:

      One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position.
  12. Belladonna
    • Origin:

      English from Italian
    • Meaning:

      "nightshade, beautiful lady"
    • Description:

      Literally meaning "beautiful lady" in Italian, Belladonna is the name of a poisonous flower also known as nightshade. This connection gives an otherwise flowery name a darker, more dramatic edge.
  13. Birch
    • Origin:

      English, German, Danish, and Swedish surname and tree name
    • Meaning:

      "dweller in the birch wood"
    • Description:

      One of the rarer tree names, Birch evokes imagery of the beautiful paper-white bark tree.

      Although a unisex name, the most notable people named Birch are men, such as Indiana senator Birch Evans Bayh Jr.

      Birch trees are very symbolic in many cultures. In Russia, birch trees are emblematic of grace, beauty, and strength. In Celtic culture, birch trees represent growth, stability, and adaptability.

  14. Bluebell
    • Origin:

      Flower name from English
    • Meaning:

      "blue bell"
    • Description:

      Bluebell is one flower name that is used very quietly. Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell joined her former Spice Sisters in creative baby-naming with this adventurous -- some might say outlandish -- choice. Distinctive and charming? Or better suited to a farmyard animal? Your call.
  15. Branch
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Branch is a novel unisex name with ties to nature and trees and also to branching out with new experiences and ideas. Branch can also be considered a surname name, as in country singer Michelle Branch. If you're looking for a tree name with more subtlety than Willow or Aspen, Branch is a great option.
  16. Briar
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "a thorny patch"
    • Description:

      Fairy-tale memories of Sleeping Beauty inspire some parents—such as Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen—to call their daughters Briar Rose. But Briar plus a different middle name might work even better. It's one of the newly popular nature-word names, charting in the US for the first time in 2015 for both genders.
  17. Bryony
    • Origin:

      Latin flower name
    • Meaning:

      "to sprout"
    • Description:

      Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan novel Atonement is spelled Briony, which is the variation and Bryony the original.
  18. Buttercup
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from English
    • Meaning:

      "yellow wildflower"
    • Description:

      Though most Buttercups are of the bovine persuasian, this humble flower name was given to the lovely princess in "The Princess Bride." If Buttercup still feels too lowly for you, you might consider Clover, Daffodil, or Daisy.
  19. Calla
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful"
    • Description:

      Calla is a lily name that is much more distinctive and delicate than Lily. Rarely heard today, it did appear in the popularity lists in the last decades of the nineteenth century.
  20. Camellia
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from Czech surname
    • Meaning:

      "Kamel's flower"
    • Description:

      Camellia is a rare flower name with distinct roots related to the Camille/Camila group and has varied associations to the moon, water, wealth, and perfection. It could be thought of as a floral replacement for Amelia.