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75 Plant-Inspired Names for Your Future Botanist

Explore this list of plant names for boys, plant names for girls, and gender-neutral plant names. These cute plant names are perfect for any botanical parents!
Plant Inspired Baby Names
Updated: March 21, 2024
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Plant names are often adorable and simple, which is why many of these names are growing in popularity. While they refer to a plant or nature, some of them have other meanings as well, making them even more special to use as baby names.

If you are considering a botanical name, you will find a list below of great choices for boys, girls, and even gender-neutral. You learn a little bit more about each one's meaning so you can decide what would be the best fit for your little future botanist.

Plant Names For Boys

For parents seeking plant-inspired names for boys, the natural world provides an abundance of strong and enduring options. Whether drawing inspiration from mighty trees or vibrant greenery, these names carry a sense of resilience and vitality, reflecting the unique spirit of each young boy.

  1. Adair - Scottish name for "oak tree ford."
  2. Alfalfa - Arabic name for "best horse fodder."
  3. Arbor - Latin for "herb garden."
  4. Ash - Old English, means "ash tree."
  5. Aster - Greek name, means "star" or the genus name of most flowers.
  6. Basil - Greek for "royal" or Arabic for "brave."
  7. Bay - Latin for "berry."
  8. Bentley - Anglicized version of Benedict, means "from the moor" in Old English.
  9. Birch - Old English for "white" or "birch tree."
  10. Cedar - English and comes from a cedar tree.
  11. Chervil - Latin for "leaves of joy."
  12. Clay - German name, that means "adhere."
  13. Cosmo - Greek, meaning "order" and "beauty" is also the name of a flower.
  14. Elmore - Old English for "famous nobleman."
  15. Elwood - English name, means "from the old forest."
  16. Ewan - English for "friend of the law" or Irish for "born to nobility."
  17. Forrest - Old French name, that means "out of the woods."
  18. Hawthorne - Old English for "where Hawthorne trees grow."
  19. Herb - Old English name, means "exalted ruler" or "shining army" in German.
  20. Heywood - Old English for "hedged forest."
  21. Huck - German for "bog."
  22. Kamal - Hindi name, means "lotus" or "perfection."
  23. Lars - Scandinavian or Latin, both meaning "crowned with laurel."
  24. Mace - Polish for "sea of bitterness."
  25. Oleander - Greek name for" evergreen tree."
  26. Oliver - Latin for "olive tree" or French for "peace."
  27. Oren - Several meanings including Irish for "green," Scottish for "pale-skinned" and Hebrew for "ash tree."
  28. Reed - English for "red-haired," and is derived from the river Rede in England.
  29. Sorrel - French name, means "bitter" or "from the tree."
  30. Taro - Japanese, means "firstborn male" and is also the name of a tropical plant.
  31. Timothy - Greek, means "honoring God" and also shares the name with timothy hay, a plant.
  32. Valerian - Latin name, that means "strong" and also the name of an herb that is said to aid in sleep and relaxation.
  33. Vernon - French for "alder tree" or Latin for "spring."
  34. Wilder - A variant of the English word "wild" can be seen used in the languages German and Danish.

Plant Names For Girls

When it comes to choosing plant names for girls, there's a wealth of botanical beauty to explore. From delicate florals to resilient foliage, these names evoke a sense of grace and strength, offering a timeless connection to nature for the special young girls they adorn.

  1. Azalea - Arabic for "democracy" and also a colorful perennial flower.
  2. Briar - English for a small shrub or tree, or French for "heather."
  3. Camellia - Name of an exotic flower whose buds are used to make tea.
  4. Clementine - Female form of Clemens that means "mild" in Polish and Latin. Also shared with the name of a sweet citrus fruit.
  5. Dahlia - Hebrew for "branch."
  6. Daphne - Greek name, means "laurel tree."
  7. Flora - Latin for "blooming flower."
  8. Forsythia - Yellow flowers name for Scottish botanist William Forsyth.
  9. Hazel - Old English for the hazel tree that symbolizes protection.
  10. Holland - A province in the Netherlands.
  11. Holly - Old English for "holy day" or a grove of holly trees.
  12. Hyacinth - Greek for "blue crystal."
  13. Indigo - Greek, meaning "dark blue."
  14. Iris - Greek for "Goddess of the rainbow."
  15. Ivy - Old English or Latin for "vine."
  16. Jasmine - Persian name for a form of flowering olive, that also has white flowers.
  17. Juniper - Latin for the juniper berry.
  18. Katniss - It comes from the name of an edible aquatic plant.
  19. Lavender - English for the purple-flowering plant.
  20. Leilani - Hawaiian name that means "heavenly flower."
  21. Lily - Latin, meaning "pure" or "flower."
  22. Magnolia - Latin for "flowering tree."
  23. Marigold - Greek for "a flower" or "mother of Jesus."
  24. Meadow - English name used for someone who lives near a meadow.
  25. Orchid - Latin for "flower," it also symbolizes love and beauty.
  26. Pepper - English for "spice" or "berry."
  27. Petunia - English for "trumpet-shaped flower."
  28. Primrose - English or Latin for "the first rose."
  29. Rosemary - English for a bitter rose or fragrant herb.
  30. Sage - English for "wise one" or Latin for "from the sagebrush plant."
  31. Savannah - Spanish for "flat, tropical grassland."
  32. Violet - Latin for "purple" because of the flower that shares its name.
  33. Willow - English for "tree" or "freedom."
  34. Zinnia - Latin for "colorful flowers."

Gender-Neutral Plant Names

Embracing a gender-neutral approach to naming plants opens up a world of options for anyone seeking to add a touch of nature to their lives. These names transcend traditional gender norms, allowing individuals to connect with the beauty of the natural world in a way that feels authentic and inclusive.

  1. Aspen - Old English for a tree.
  2. Clover - English origin that means "key."
  3. Kaede - Japanese name that means "maple leaf."
  4. Oakley - Old English for "from the oak meadow."
  5. Ren - Japanese for "water lily."
  6. Rowan - Old English for "tree with red berries."
  7. Rue - Greek name for an herb that is used both in cooking and medicine.

What Is Unique About Plant Names?

Binomial nomenclature, or the naming of plants, all started with Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist who created the modern system to formalize the species name of a plant.[1] This is more important than you may think, and it is why many plants also have a scientific name in addition to their common name. An example of this is "rhododendron" which is the scientific name for an azalea.

For more baby name inspiration check out these popular baby name lists:

Considering one of these names? Pin it to save it for later:

pinterest graphic of plant inspired baby names

Sources +

[1] I. (2017, January 24). Linnaeus carolus. InfoPlease. Retrieved March 2, 2024, from https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/science/horticulture/linnaeus-carolus

Stefanie Miller

About Stefanie

Stefanie is an experienced parenting writer and has published works in other publications… Read more

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