Flowers have long served as inspiration for baby names, experiencing the greatest modern popularity around the turn of the twentieth century. Now, floral names are back in a big way, with Rose surging toward the top 100 and Violet and Lily firmly in the top 50. If you want to go floral but are looking for something off the beaten path, we have a few suggestions that will bring to mind nature, beauty, elegance, and strength.
So in anticipation of May flowers, here’s our list of the best floral-inspired baby names of the season!
Aster
A genus of star-shaped flowers, Aster has an on-trend -er ending, a preppy vibe, and could swing floral or celestial.
Dahlia
The rich and substantial Dahlia is a serious take on floral, given a little darkness by its associations with the Black Dahlia.
Fleur
French for “flower,” Fleur is a no-nonsense beauty.
Hawthorn
Inspired by the hawthorn blossom, Hawthorn is floral meets surname.
Ianthe
Greek mythology name meaning purple flower, Ianthe is straight-up gorgeous and carries some literary cred.
Ione
And because we apparently like purple flowers around here, here’s another name that shares Ianthe’s meaning but gives us the chic long-O sound.
Iris
Rejecting its once little-old-lady status, Iris is moving quickly up the rankings, and we’re along for the ride.
Jacinta
This Spanish stunner is pretty without being overtly floral.
Kalina
Sort of like Corina or Katrina, Kalina offers a familiar sound in a fresh new package.
Kamal
Another name for the lotus flower in Hindi, Kamal symbolizes beauty and prosperity and evokes peace.
Ren
Again meaning lotus, or lily, the Japanese name Ren makes a sharp and handsome standalone name and works well as a nickname.
Roisin
The Irish Roisin is a rose-inspired baby name with a completely different sound; it’s super unusual but surprisingly wearable.
Rosetta
Rosetta is a beautiful nod to the flower, but may evoke language-learning software more than roses. Being language lovers ourselves, we can’t say we mind the association.
Senna
Evoking the brightness of its yellow blooms, this floral name gives us something a little different from the popular Sienna.
Yarrow
Like Hawthorn, Yarrow is a plant name that’s been used as a surname. It reminds us of a less-gendered Marlowe or Arlo.