210 Botanical Girl Names That Celebrate the Beauty of Nature (With Meanings & Origins)

There is a particular wisdom in the human impulse to name daughters for the plant world. Plants are the most patient and the most persistent of all living things, the organisms that figured out how to turn sunlight directly into life and that have been doing it with quiet competence for four hundred million years while every other form of life was still working out the basics. A girl named for a plant carries something of that specific quality with her, the rootedness, the seasonal transformation, the capacity to grow toward light regardless of the conditions around her, and the specific beauty that belongs to things that take their time and arrive in exactly the right season.

Botanical girl names draw from one of the richest and most diverse traditions in the naming world, a tradition that spans every culture that has ever paid careful attention to the plant life around it, which is to say every culture that has ever existed. The Victorian flower language tradition gave the English-speaking world a whole vocabulary of floral names each carrying coded meanings that lovers and letter writers used to communicate what polite society would not allow them to say directly. The Greek and Latin scientific naming tradition preserved the names of plants in forms of extraordinary phonetic beauty, names that the botanists of the 16th and 17th centuries constructed with the care of poets choosing the most precise and most resonant word available. The indigenous traditions of every continent produced botanical names of extraordinary depth that honored the relationship between people and the specific plants of their landscapes as one of the most fundamental forms of human knowledge. And the contemporary nature-naming wave has added a whole new vocabulary of plant names that parents are discovering as names of considerable beauty and entirely modern sensibility.

Botanical names carry a quality that is difficult to achieve any other way, a combination of groundedness and beauty, of seasonal change and enduring presence, of the specific and the universal. A girl named Violet carries the small purple flower of the spring woodland and the Victorian language of modesty and faithful love. A girl named Clover carries the meadow pasture and the tradition of good luck. A girl named Saffron carries the ancient spice trade and the most expensive ingredient by weight in the world. Wherever a botanical name comes from and whatever plant it carries, it places its bearer in a specific and beautiful relationship to the natural world that no other naming tradition quite replicates. All popularity rankings are based on the most recent Social Security Administration (SSA) data.

Quick Note on Popularity: Names ranked above 1000 on the SSA database are considered truly rare and unique. Names closer to 1 are among the most popular in the United States today.

Table of Contents

• Flower Names in Full Bloom
• Tree and Woodland Names
• Herb and Spice Names
• Vine and Climbing Names
• Wildflower Names
• Tropical and Exotic Names
• Berry and Fruit Names
• Botanical Latin Names
• Rare and Extraordinary Names
• Modern Botanical Names
• Frequently Asked Questions

Flower Names in Full Bloom

Violet

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Purple flower, the violet
• Popularity: #71

Named for the small purple flower that carpets woodland floors in early spring before the canopy leafs out, Violet carries the Victorian language of modesty and faithful love in a name of contemporary rising popularity that belongs to a girl whose name announces a quality of beauty that grows close to the ground and rewards the person willing to look down.

Iris

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Rainbow goddess, rainbow flower
• Popularity: #254

Named for the rainbow goddess and the bearded iris that blooms in every color of the spectrum, Iris carries the divine and botanical traditions simultaneously in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary warmth that has been climbing steadily back toward the relevance it deserves.

Rose

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: The rose flower
• Popularity: #126

Named for the most beloved of all flowers in the Latin tradition whose cultivation spans six thousand years of human gardening, Rose carries the complete weight of everything the Western world has ever said about beauty, love, and the relationship between the two in a name of one syllable and four letters that remains among the most powerful in the entire naming tradition.

Dahlia

• Origin: Swedish
• Meaning: Named for botanist Anders Dahl
• Popularity: #277

Named for the spectacular flowering tuber that produces blooms of extraordinary size and complexity, Dahlia carries the dramatic floral aesthetic in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary momentum that belongs to a girl whose name announces a quality of gorgeous, layered complexity.

Lily

• Origin: Old English/Latin
• Meaning: The lily flower, pure
• Popularity: #32

Named for the elegant trumpet-shaped flower in the Latin botanical tradition where the lily symbolized purity and the divine, Lily carries the sacred floral tradition in a name of two syllables and extraordinary contemporary popularity that belongs to someone whose name is simultaneously ancient and completely of this moment.

Daisy

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Day’s eye, the daisy flower
• Popularity: #161

Named for the day’s eye in the Old English botanical tradition, the flower that opens with the sun and closes at night, Daisy carries the solar botanical mythology in a name of two syllables and considerable warmth that belongs to a girl whose name sounds like the specific kind of weather that makes people want to drive with the windows down.

Flora

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Flower, the Roman goddess of flowers
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the Roman goddess whose festival the Floralia was the ancient world’s most enthusiastic celebration of everything in bloom, Flora carries the divine botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary revival warmth.

Camellia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Named for Georg Joseph Kamel, camellia flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the glossy-leafed flowering shrub whose blooms appear in late winter when nothing else is flowering, Camellia carries the botanical perseverance tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable elegance.

Zinnia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Named for botanist Johann Zinn
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the bright summer flower whose saturated colors bring the heat of high summer into any garden, Zinnia carries the vivid color and abundance traditions in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary freshness.

Peony

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: From Paeon, physician of the gods
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the physician of the gods in the Greek tradition because the peony root was used medicinally in antiquity, Peony carries the healing and the spectacular late-spring bloom simultaneously in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary warmth.

Magnolia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Named for botanist Pierre Magnol
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the great flowering tree whose waxy white blossoms are the most theatrical thing a temperate garden can produce, Magnolia carries the botanical grandeur tradition in a name that sounds like a specific quality of late spring evening when the air is thick with sweetness.

Aster

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Star, aster flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for both the star and the daisy-like autumn flower in the Greek tradition, Aster carries the celestial and botanical traditions simultaneously in a name of two syllables that belongs to the intersection of the astronomy wave and the flower-naming wave.

Blossom

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: To flower, the blossom
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the flowering moment in the Old English botanical tradition, Blossom carries the emergence and renewal traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable vintage-to-modern trajectory.

Pansy

• Origin: French
• Meaning: Thought, from pensée
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the thought in the French botanical tradition where the pansy was the flower of remembrance and thoughtfulness, Pansy carries the philosophical and floral traditions simultaneously in a name that Shakespeare gave to Ophelia’s flowers of remembrance.

Clover

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Clover plant, lucky
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the meadow plant in the Old English botanical tradition, Clover carries the good luck and pastoral landscape traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary freshness that belongs to the category of plant names clearly ready for their moment.

Calla

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Beautiful, calla lily
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the beautiful and the elegant white lily in the Greek tradition, Calla carries the floral and aesthetic traditions in a name of two syllables and extraordinary phonetic simplicity whose double-L creates a sound that elongates the middle of the word like the stem of the flower itself.

Azalea

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Dry, the azalea flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the flowering shrub that transforms the spring landscape into something theatrical in its explosion of color, Azalea carries the botanical spectacle tradition in a name of four syllables and extraordinary Southern warmth.

Primrose

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: First rose, spring flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the first rose or the first spring flower in the Old French botanical tradition, Primrose carries the vanguard tradition in a name of three syllables that belongs to the flower that arrives before almost anything else in the spring garden.

Jasmine

• Origin: Persian/Arabic
• Meaning: Jasmine flower
• Popularity: #63

Named for the night-blooming flower whose fragrance carries across extraordinary distances, Jasmine carries the aromatic botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable popularity that belongs to the flower whose scent is most associated with warm evenings and open windows.

Lavender

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Lavender plant, to wash
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the fragrant Mediterranean herb in the Latin tradition where lavender was used in the washing of clothes and linens, Lavender carries the cleansing and aromatic traditions in a name of three syllables and the specific color that exists between blue and purple and belongs completely to neither.

Jessamine

• Origin: Persian/Old French
• Meaning: Jasmine flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the jasmine flower in the Old French botanical tradition, Jessamine carries the night-blooming aromatic tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable Victorian botanical elegance.

Wisteria

• Origin: New Latin
• Meaning: Named for anatomist Caspar Wistar
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the climbing flowering vine whose cascading purple blooms are one of the most spectacular things the early summer garden produces, Wisteria carries the aerial botanical drama in a name of four syllables and considerable contemporary boldness.

Forsythia

• Origin: Modern Latin
• Meaning: Named for botanist William Forsyth
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the Scottish botanist and the brilliant yellow flowering shrub that announces spring before any leaves have appeared, Forsythia carries the first-color-of-spring tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable botanical warmth.

Edelweiss

• Origin: German
• Meaning: Noble white, the alpine flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the noble white in the German botanical tradition, Edelweiss is the alpine flower that grows on the highest and most inaccessible mountain ledges in the Alps and whose name carries the tradition of beauty achieved only through considerable personal commitment to altitude.

Tansy

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Immortality, from Athanasia
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the immortality tradition in the Greek botanical culture where tansy was used in burial rites and where its bitter aromatic qualities were understood as preserving qualities, Tansy carries the immortality and aromatic traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable botanical warmth.

Lotus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Lotus plant, water lily
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the sacred aquatic plant in the Greek and broader Asian traditions where the lotus was simultaneously the symbol of spiritual purity, divine birth, and the specific quality of beauty emerging from muddy water, Lotus carries the sacred botanical tradition of multiple civilizations simultaneously.

Amaryllis

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To sparkle, fresh stream
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the sparkling or the fresh stream in the Greek tradition and for the trumpet-shaped flower of brilliant red that blooms in winter, Amaryllis carries the pastoral and botanical traditions in a name of five syllables and extraordinary phonetic elaboration.

Tree and Woodland Names

Hazel

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Hazel tree, the hazel nut
• Popularity: #29

Named for the hazel tree in the Old English arboreal tradition, Hazel carries the woodland divination mythology of a tree whose forked branches were used for water divining and whose nuts were understood as containing all the wisdom of the natural world.

Willow

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Willow tree
• Popularity: #38

Named for the weeping willow in the Old English tradition, Willow carries the graceful drooping branches and the waterside landscape in a name of two syllables and extraordinary contemporary popularity that belongs to someone whose flexibility is one of their most enduring strengths.

Juniper

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: The juniper tree
• Popularity: #178

Named for the aromatic evergreen in the Latin botanical tradition, Juniper carries the mountain air and the resinous fragrance in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary warmth that has become one of the signature botanical names of the current generation.

Ash

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Ash tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the great ash tree in the Old English arboreal tradition where the ash was Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse mythology, Ash carries the cosmic arboreal mythology in a name of three letters and complete phonetic authority.

Briar

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Thorny rose bush, prickly shrub
• Popularity: #482

Named for the thorny rose bush in the Old English botanical tradition, Briar carries the sleeping beauty mythology and the defensive plant quality in a name of contemporary warmth.

Laurel

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Laurel tree, victory crown
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the laurel tree and the victor’s crown in the Latin tradition, Laurel carries both the botanical and the triumph traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable warmth that belongs to the tree whose leaves were pressed into the crowns of the greatest achievers in the ancient world.

Elowen

• Origin: Cornish Celtic
• Meaning: Elm tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the elm tree in the Cornish Celtic language tradition, Elowen carries the arboreal mythology of the westernmost Celtic language in a name of three syllables and extraordinary phonetic beauty.

Rowan

• Origin: Gaelic
• Meaning: Rowan tree, little red one
• Popularity: #353

Named for the rowan tree in the Gaelic botanical tradition where the mountain ash was understood as a tree of protection against enchantment, Rowan carries the protective arboreal mythology in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary popularity.

Linden

• Origin: Old English/Germanic
• Meaning: Linden tree, lime tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the linden or lime tree in the Old English-Germanic botanical tradition where the linden was the sacred tree of love and community under whose branches communities gathered for celebrations and legal proceedings, Linden carries the communal arboreal tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable warmth.

Cedar

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Cedar tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the great cedar tree in the Greek botanical tradition, Cedar carries the permanence and aromatic tradition of the tree that built Solomon’s temple and that was sacred to the Phoenicians, belonging to a girl whose name announces a quality of enduring, aromatic strength.

Birch

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Birch tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the white-barked birch in the Old English arboreal tradition, Birch carries the silver-and-white forest aesthetic in a name of five letters and considerable modern minimalist appeal.

Acacia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Thorny tree, from the Greek akis
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the thorny flowering tree in the Greek botanical tradition, Acacia carries the defensive and blooming traditions simultaneously in a name of four syllables and considerable Mediterranean and Australian warmth.

Maple

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Maple tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the maple tree in the Old English botanical tradition, Maple carries the autumn color and sweet sap traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary freshness.

Olive

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Olive tree, olive fruit
• Popularity: #220

Named for the olive tree in the Latin botanical tradition where the olive was the most culturally significant tree in the Mediterranean world, sacred to Athena and fundamental to the economy of every ancient civilization that touched the inland sea, Olive carries the divine botanical authority in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary popularity.

Aspen

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Aspen tree, trembling leaves
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the quaking aspen in the Old English botanical tradition whose leaves tremble in the lightest breeze, Aspen carries the trembling-leaf tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary popularity that belongs to the Rocky Mountain West as much as to any specific naming tradition.

Cypress

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Cypress tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the dark columnar cypress in the Greek botanical tradition where the cypress was the tree of mourning and eternity, planted in cemeteries across the Mediterranean world, Cypress carries the eternal botanical tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary boldness.

Bay

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Bay laurel, bay tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the bay laurel in the Old French botanical tradition where the bay leaf was the primary flavoring of classical cooking and the primary material of the victor’s crown, Bay carries the culinary and triumphant traditions simultaneously in a name of three letters and complete directness.

Elm

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Elm tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the great elm tree in the Old English arboreal tradition, Elm carries the shade tree tradition of the English pastoral landscape in a name of three letters and complete botanical directness.

Yew

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Yew tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the yew tree in the Old English botanical tradition where the yew was simultaneously the tree of death and immortality, the oldest living things in many British churchyards, and the source of the taxol that became one of the most important cancer treatments in modern medicine, Yew carries the immortality and healing traditions.

Herb and Spice Names

Sage

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Wise one, the sage herb
• Popularity: #307

Named for both the herb and the wisdom in the Latin tradition, Sage carries the dual meanings of aromatic plant and deep intelligence in a name of one syllable that manages to be simultaneously a garden, a quality of mind, and a completely modern given name.

Rosemary

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Dew of the sea, rosemary herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the fragrant herb in the Latin tradition where rosmarinus meant dew of the sea because of the plant’s maritime Mediterranean habitat, Rosemary carries the aromatic and botanical traditions in a name that is simultaneously a double botanical reference and a beloved personal name.

Saffron

• Origin: Arabic
• Meaning: Saffron spice, yellow-gold
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the world’s most expensive spice in the Arabic tradition where za’faran described the brilliant yellow threads harvested from the crocus flower, Saffron carries the luxury aromatic and the golden color traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary boldness.

Anise

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Anise plant, the spice
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the licorice-flavored herb in the Greek botanical tradition where anise was one of the most valued culinary and medicinal plants of the ancient Mediterranean world, Anise carries the aromatic botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable phonetic warmth.

Rue

• Origin: Latin/Old English
• Meaning: Herb of grace, the rue plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the bitter medicinal herb in the Latin and Old English botanical traditions where rue was simultaneously a powerful medicine and a plant associated with regret, Rue carries the plant and the philosophical traditions in a name of three letters and extraordinary atmospheric depth.

Basil

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Royal, kingly, the basil herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the royal quality and the aromatic herb in the Greek tradition where basilikon meant royal because of the plant’s association with royal ceremonies, Basil carries the regal and culinary traditions simultaneously in a name of two syllables.

Hyssop

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: The hyssop plant, holy herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the sacred herb in the Hebrew biblical tradition where hyssop was used in purification ceremonies including the Passover sacrifice, Hyssop carries the ritual botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary distinctiveness.

Tansy

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Immortality, the tansy herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the immortality tradition through the bitter aromatic herb that was used in preservation ceremonies, Tansy carries the eternal botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and warm contemporary accessibility.

Sorrel

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Sour, the sorrel herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the sour-tasting woodland herb in the Old French botanical tradition where sorrel was one of the primary wild green vegetables of the medieval European diet, Sorrel carries the foraging and culinary traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary warmth.

Parsley

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Parsley herb, rock celery
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the flat or curly culinary herb in the Latin botanical tradition where petroselinum meant rock celery because of the plant’s rocky Mediterranean habitat, Parsley carries the culinary botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable phonetic warmth.

Fennel

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Fennel plant, hay
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the licorice-flavored herb in the Old English botanical tradition, Fennel carries the aromatic culinary tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary botanical freshness.

Yarrow

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Yarrow plant, healing herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the healing herb in the Old English botanical tradition where yarrow was one of the most important wound-healing plants in European folk medicine, Yarrow carries the healing botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary warmth.

Wormwood

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: The wormwood plant, bitter herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the bitter aromatic herb in the Old English botanical tradition where wormwood was the primary ingredient of absinthe and a long tradition of bitter botanical medicines, Wormwood carries the bitter and aromatic traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable Gothic atmospheric depth.

Senna

• Origin: Arabic
• Meaning: The senna plant, medicinal herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the medicinal shrub in the Arabic botanical tradition where senna was one of the most important herbal medicines traded across the Islamic world, Senna carries the medicinal botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable phonetic warmth.

Lovage

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Lovage herb, love herb
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the celery-flavored herb in the Old French botanical tradition, Lovage carries the culinary and the love traditions simultaneously in a name that sounds exactly like what it is, an aromatic herb with a name that sounds like affection.

Vine and Climbing Names

Ivy

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Ivy plant, the climbing vine
• Popularity: #60

Named for the climbing vine in the Old English botanical tradition, Ivy carries the tenacious and evergreen tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary charm that belongs to the plant that grows toward light regardless of the surface it is climbing.

Wisteria

• Origin: New Latin
• Meaning: Named for anatomist Caspar Wistar
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the climbing vine whose cascading purple blooms are one of the most spectacular things the early summer garden produces, Wisteria carries the aerial botanical drama in a name whose length is entirely appropriate to the ambition of a plant that regularly covers entire house facades.

Clematine

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Climbing vine, from Clematis
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the clematis climbing vine in the Greek botanical tradition where klematis meant climbing plant, Clematine carries the vertical botanical tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable French-inflected warmth.

Bryony

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To grow luxuriantly, climbing bryony vine
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the luxuriantly growing climbing vine in the Greek botanical tradition, Bryony carries the vigorous growth tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary botanical distinctiveness.

Vanda

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Orchid, from the vanda orchid genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the epiphytic orchid genus in the Sanskrit botanical tradition, Vanda carries the climbing air-rooted orchid tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable tropical botanical warmth.

Vine

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Grapevine, climbing vine
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the grapevine in the Latin agricultural tradition where the vine was the most culturally significant climbing plant in the Mediterranean world, Vine carries the cultivation and wine traditions in a name of four letters and complete botanical directness.

Clematis

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Climbing vine
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the climbing vine itself in the Greek botanical tradition, Clematis carries the vertical growth tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable botanical authority that belongs to the genus containing over three hundred species of flowering climbing plants.

Passionflower

• Origin: Spanish/Latin
• Meaning: The passion flower vine
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the flowering vine in the Spanish-Latin botanical tradition where the flower was interpreted by missionaries as representing the instruments of Christ’s passion, Passionflower carries the botanical and theological traditions simultaneously.

Bittersweet

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: The bittersweet vine, both bitter and sweet
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the climbing vine with its orange and red berries in the Old English botanical tradition, Bittersweet carries the philosophical paradox of a name that is simultaneously the plant and the emotional condition it describes.

Wildflower Names

Meadow

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Open grassy field, meadow plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the open meadow in the Old English tradition, Meadow carries the pastoral wildflower landscape in a name that sounds like the specific time of afternoon when everything in a summer meadow is exactly at its most completely itself.

Fern

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Fern plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the ancient green plant in the Old English botanical tradition, Fern carries the forest floor and primordial botanical traditions in a name of four letters and complete phonetic simplicity that belongs to the oldest and most patient of all the plant families.

Clover

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Clover plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the meadow plant whose three-leafed form was the original lucky shamrock, Clover carries the good luck and pastoral landscape traditions in a name of two syllables that belongs to the wildflower meadow at its most genuinely productive.

Heather

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Heather plant, the moorland shrub
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the flowering moorland shrub in the Scottish botanical tradition, Heather carries the purple-bloomed highland tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable warmth that was one of the most popular feminine names of the 1980s and is completing the vintage cycle back toward contemporary relevance.

Bluebell

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Blue bell-shaped wildflower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the blue bell-shaped wildflower that carpets British woodlands in spring in the Old English botanical tradition, Bluebell carries the woodland spring carpet tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable botanical warmth.

Cowslip

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Cow dung flower, meadow primrose
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the meadow primrose in the Old English botanical tradition where the cow pasture wildflower was named with the specificity of people who actually paid attention to where plants grew, Cowslip carries the pastoral wildflower tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable Shakespearean literary warmth.

Foxglove

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Fox’s glove, the foxglove plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the fox’s glove in the Old English botanical tradition whose tall spires of purple tubular flowers produced the heart medicine digitalis, Foxglove carries the pharmaceutical botanical tradition in a name that is simultaneously a fairy folk tradition and a modern medicine.

Cornflower

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Flower of the cornfield, bachelor’s button
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the brilliant blue wildflower that once grew in abundance among the wheat fields of Europe in the Old English botanical tradition, Cornflower carries the agricultural wildflower tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable atmospheric blue color.

Thistle

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: The thistle plant, national flower of Scotland
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the prickly flowering plant that is the national flower of Scotland in the Old English botanical tradition, Thistle carries the protective and beautiful traditions simultaneously in a name that promises its bearer will be memorable in the specific way that things with sharp edges tend to be memorable.

Nettle

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Stinging nettle plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the stinging plant in the Old English botanical tradition, Nettle carries the defensive plant tradition in a name that promises its bearer will cause a certain amount of discomfort to anyone who handles them carelessly.

Chicory

• Origin: Greek/Latin
• Meaning: Chicory plant, the blue wildflower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the brilliant blue roadside wildflower in the Greek-Latin botanical tradition, Chicory carries the edible botanical and the vivid blue color traditions in a name of three syllables and considerable phonetic warmth.

Larkspur

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Lark’s spur, the delphinium
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the spur of the lark in the Old English botanical tradition where the elongated spur of the delphinium flower was thought to resemble the spur on a lark’s foot, Larkspur carries the avian botanical mythology in a name of two syllables and considerable wildflower warmth.

Campion

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Champion, the campion flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for both the champion and the wildflower in the Old French botanical tradition, Campion carries the victory and the botanical traditions simultaneously in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary botanical freshness.

Bindweed

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: The bindweed vine, morning glory
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the twining wild vine in the Old English botanical tradition, Bindweed carries the persistent-growth and beautiful-flower traditions of a plant that is simultaneously a gardener’s challenge and one of the most beautiful wildflowers in the hedgerow.

Tropical and Exotic Names

Plumeria

• Origin: Modern Latin
• Meaning: Named for botanist Charles Plumier
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the fragrant tropical flowering tree whose blooms are used in Hawaiian leis in the Modern Latin botanical tradition, Plumeria carries the tropical fragrance and the ceremonial floral traditions in a name of four syllables and considerable exotic warmth.

Hibiscus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Mallow, the hibiscus flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the large-flowered tropical shrub in the Greek botanical tradition, Hibiscus carries the tropical vivid color tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary boldness that belongs to someone whose name announces a quality of spectacular, unapologetic beauty.

Tiare

• Origin: Tahitian
• Meaning: Gardenia, the tiare flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the fragrant white gardenia in the Tahitian tradition where the tiare is the national flower and its fragrance is among the most beloved in the Pacific island world, Tiare carries the tropical floral tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable Polynesian warmth.

Frangipani

• Origin: Italian
• Meaning: Named for Marquis Muzio Frangipane, tropical flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the intensely fragrant tropical flowering tree in the Italian botanical tradition, Frangipani carries the tropical luxury fragrance tradition in a name of five syllables and extraordinary phonetic grandeur that belongs to someone whose name announces an arrival of considerable scented authority.

Ylang

• Origin: Tagalog
• Meaning: Flower of flowers, ylang-ylang
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the flower of flowers in the Tagalog Philippine botanical tradition where the ylang-ylang is considered the most fragrant of all tropical flowers, Ylang carries the superlative floral tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable tropical warmth.

Heliconia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: From Mount Helicon, home of the Muses
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the mountain of the Muses in the Greek botanical tradition, Heliconia carries the artistic divine tradition in a name of five syllables and extraordinary tropical botanical grandeur that belongs to the spectacular bract-bearing tropical plant.

Orchid

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Testicle, the orchid plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the underground tubers in the Greek botanical tradition whose shape gave the plant its name, Orchid carries the extraordinary diversity of the largest flowering plant family in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary boldness.

Bromeliad

• Origin: Modern Latin
• Meaning: Named for botanist Olaf Bromelius
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the botanist in the Modern Latin botanical tradition, Bromeliad carries the tropical epiphytic plant tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable tropical botanical warmth.

Canna

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Reed, the canna plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the reed in the Greek botanical tradition and for the tropical flowering plant with spectacular foliage, Canna carries the reed and the tropical exuberance traditions in a name of two syllables and complete botanical directness.

Strelitzia

• Origin: Modern Latin
• Meaning: Named for Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, bird of paradise
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the queen in the Modern Latin botanical tradition and for the bird-of-paradise flower whose blooms resemble an exotic bird in flight, Strelitzia carries the royal and the avian botanical traditions simultaneously in a name of four syllables and extraordinary botanical grandeur.

Berry and Fruit Names

Plum

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Plum fruit
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the dark sweet fruit in the Old English botanical tradition, Plum carries the deep purple color and sweet-tart flavor tradition in a name of four letters and complete contemporary minimalist appeal.

Berry

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Small fruit, berry
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the small fruit in the Old English botanical tradition, Berry carries the wild fruit gathering tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable warmth that belongs to someone whose name announces a quality of small, concentrated sweetness.

Cherry

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Cherry fruit, cherry red
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the small red stone fruit in the Old French botanical tradition, Cherry carries the spring blossom and summer fruit traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary warmth.

Damson

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Plum of Damascus, the damson plum
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the small dark plum of Damascus in the Latin geographical-botanical tradition, Damson carries the ancient fruit and the Middle Eastern geography simultaneously in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary botanical distinctiveness.

Sloe

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Sloe berry, the blackthorn fruit
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the tart blue-black berry of the blackthorn in the Old English botanical tradition, Sloe carries the wild fruit and the hedgerow tradition in a name of four letters and considerable contemporary cool.

Quince

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Quince fruit, from the city of Kydonia
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the golden aromatic fruit in the Old French botanical tradition where the quince came from the Cretan city of Kydonia, Quince carries the ancient fruit and the golden color traditions in a name of five letters and considerable contemporary distinctiveness.

Blueberry

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Blue berry, the blueberry fruit
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the sweet blue berry in the Old English botanical tradition, Blueberry carries the wild-harvesting and the brilliant blue color traditions in a name of three syllables and considerable whimsical warmth.

Bramble

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Thorny blackberry shrub
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the thorny shrub in the Old English botanical tradition that produces both blackberries and scratched ankles with equal enthusiasm, Bramble carries the productive-and-difficult tradition in a name that promises its bearer will be both beautiful and worth the effort of knowing.

Mulberry

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Mulberry fruit, the mulberry tree
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the deep-red fruit of the mulberry tree in the Old English botanical tradition, Mulberry carries the silk production and fruit traditions simultaneously in a name of three syllables and considerable phonetic warmth.

Cloudberry

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Cloud berry, the arctic fruit
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the golden arctic berry that grows in the clouds of the high northern moors in the Old English botanical tradition, Cloudberry carries the cold climate fruit tradition in a name of three syllables and extraordinary atmospheric botanical warmth.

Botanical Latin Names

Viola

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Violet, the violet genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the violet genus in the Latin botanical tradition, Viola carries the scientific botanical authority of the entire violet family in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary warmth that belongs to both the botanical tradition and the musical one through the viola instrument.

Rosa

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Rose, the rose genus
• Popularity: #259

Named for the rose genus in the Latin botanical tradition, Rosa carries the scientific botanical authority of all roses simultaneously in a name of two syllables and extraordinary cross-cultural popularity that belongs to someone whose name is the most universal declaration of beautiful available.

Aster

• Origin: Latin/Greek
• Meaning: Star, the aster genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the star-shaped flower genus in the Latin-Greek botanical tradition, Aster carries the celestial and botanical traditions simultaneously in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary appeal.

Liana

• Origin: French
• Meaning: To bind, tropical vine
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the tropical binding vine in the French botanical tradition, Liana carries the jungle vine tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary warmth that belongs to the climbing plants that hold tropical forest canopies together.

Acantha

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Thorn, spine, the acanthus plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the thorn-bearing plant in the Greek botanical tradition, Acantha carries the defensive botanical and the architectural traditions in a name that belongs to the plant whose leaf form decorated the capitals of Corinthian columns.

Calyx

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Cup, the outer flower cup
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the outer cup of a flower in the Greek botanical anatomy tradition, Calyx carries the foundational botanical structure tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable scientific botanical authority.

Sepal

• Origin: Modern Latin
• Meaning: Covering, the sepal of a flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the leaf-like covering of a flower bud in the Modern Latin botanical anatomy tradition, Sepal carries the protective botanical structure tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary botanical distinctiveness.

Pistil

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Pestle, the flower’s female organ
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the female reproductive organ of a flower in the Latin botanical anatomy tradition, Pistil carries the botanical reproductive tradition in a name of two syllables that is simultaneously a botanical term and a name of considerable contemporary boldness.

Flora

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Flower, the flora of a region
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the collective plant life of a region in the Latin botanical tradition, Flora carries not just one flower but the entire botanical community of every landscape it is applied to.

Anthea

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Flower, flowery
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the flower in the Greek botanical tradition, Anthea carries the floral tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable classical warmth that belongs to someone whose name is the Greek word for the most beautiful thing a plant produces.

Rare and Extraordinary Names

Calceolaria

• Origin: Modern Latin
• Meaning: Slipper flower, from calceolus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the slipper-shaped flower in the Modern Latin botanical tradition, Calceolaria carries the footwear-botanical mythology in a name of six syllables and extraordinary phonetic grandeur that belongs to someone who arrived in the world already occupying a completely original shape.

Anemone

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Windflower, daughter of the wind
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the windflower in the Greek botanical tradition where the anemone was said to have sprung from the tears of Aphrodite over the slain Adonis, Anemone carries the mythological floral and the atmospheric traditions in a name of four syllables and extraordinary contemporary atmospheric beauty.

Verbena

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Sacred bough, verbena plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the sacred bough in the Latin religious-botanical tradition where verbena branches were used in religious ceremonies, Verbena carries the sacred and the aromatic traditions in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary warmth.

Alyssum

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Without madness, sweet alyssum
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the without-madness quality in the Greek botanical tradition where alyssum was believed to cure rabies, Alyssum carries the healing botanical and the honey-scented fragrance traditions in a name of three syllables and considerable delicate warmth.

Lychnis

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Lamp, the campion genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the lamp in the Greek botanical tradition where the hairy leaves of certain species were used as lamp wicks, Lychnis carries the luminous botanical tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary botanical distinctiveness.

Auricula

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Little ear, the auricula primrose
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the little ear in the Latin botanical tradition because the leaf of the auricula primrose was thought to resemble an ear, Auricula carries the anatomical-botanical mythology in a name of four syllables and considerable Victorian flower show warmth.

Nigella

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Small black one, love-in-a-mist
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the small black seed in the Latin botanical tradition, Nigella carries the kitchen spice and the ornamental flower traditions simultaneously in a name of three syllables and considerable contemporary warmth made familiar through the British cook Nigella Lawson.

Eryngium

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Sea holly, from eruggo
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the sea holly in the Greek botanical tradition, Eryngium carries the metallic-blue spiky flower tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable cutting-garden botanical authority.

Digitalis

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Finger, the foxglove genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the finger-shaped flower in the Latin botanical anatomy tradition, Digitalis carries the foxglove genus and the heart medicine tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable medical-botanical grandeur.

Aquilegia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Eagle, the columbine genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the eagle in the Latin botanical tradition where the spur of the columbine flower was thought to resemble an eagle’s talon, Aquilegia carries the avian botanical mythology in a name of five syllables and extraordinary contemporary botanical warmth.

Galanthus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Milk flower, the snowdrop genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the milk flower in the Greek botanical tradition, Galanthus carries the first flower of spring tradition in a name of three syllables and considerable cold-weather botanical warmth.

Myosotis

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Mouse ear, the forget-me-not genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the mouse ear in the Greek botanical tradition because of the small hairy leaves, Myosotis carries the forget-me-not tradition in a name of four syllables that is simultaneously a mouse anatomical description and the most romantic of all botanical names.

Polyanthus

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Many flowers, the polyanthus primrose
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the many-flowered quality in the Greek botanical tradition, Polyanthus carries the abundant flowering tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable Victorian primrose show warmth.

Celosia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Burning, the cockscomb genus
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the burning in the Greek botanical tradition where the brilliant red or orange plumes of celosia were thought to resemble flames, Celosia carries the floral fire tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable tropical botanical warmth.

Modern Botanical Names

Briar

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Thorny rose bush
• Popularity: #482

Named for the thorny rose bush in the Old English botanical tradition, Briar carries the sleeping beauty mythology and the defensive plant quality in a name of two syllables and contemporary rising popularity.

Cove

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Sheltered bay, coastal plant habitat
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the sheltered coastal inlet where maritime plants grow in the Old English geographical-botanical tradition, Cove carries the protected plant habitat tradition in a name that belongs to the meeting place of land and water.

Moss

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Moss plant, bog
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the moss in the Old English botanical tradition, Moss carries the soft carpeting and the moisture-holding tradition of one of the world’s most ancient plant groups in a name of four letters and considerable contemporary minimalist appeal.

Lichen

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: To lick, the lichen
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the composite organism of fungi and algae in the Greek botanical tradition, Lichen carries the symbiotic partnership tradition in a name of two syllables that belongs to organisms that can survive on bare rock and that have been colonizing surfaces for over a billion years.

Sedge

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Sedge grass, marsh plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the grass-like marsh plant in the Old English botanical tradition, Sedge carries the wetland botanical tradition in a name of five letters and considerable contemporary botanical freshness.

Broom

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Broom plant, the shrub
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the yellow-flowering shrub in the Old English botanical tradition whose branches were used for sweeping and whose name was given to the household implement, Broom carries the botanical and the domestic traditions simultaneously.

Tamarisk

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Tamarisk tree, salt cedar
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the feathery pink-flowered tree in the Latin botanical tradition, Tamarisk carries the Mediterranean coastal and salt-tolerant botanical traditions in a name of three syllables and considerable exotic warmth.

Larch

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Larch tree, the European larch
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the deciduous conifer in the Latin botanical tradition, Larch carries the paradox of the only conifer to lose its needles in winter in a name of five letters and considerable contemporary botanical freshness.

Bracken

• Origin: Old Norse
• Meaning: Fern, the bracken fern
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the large coarse fern in the Old Norse botanical tradition, Bracken carries the moorland fern tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable atmospheric warmth that belongs to the open hillside in late summer when the bracken turns gold.

Sedge

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Marsh plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the wetland grass in the Old English botanical tradition, Sedge carries the marsh and fen tradition of a plant that has been one of the most important habitat-forming plants in the British landscape for ten thousand years.

Borage

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Borage plant, bugloss
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the blue-flowered herb in the Old French botanical tradition where borage was considered a plant of courage and good cheer, Borage carries the botanical and the emotional tradition in a name of two syllables and considerable phonetic warmth.

Purslane

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Purslane herb, portulaca
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the succulent edible herb in the Old French botanical tradition, Purslane carries the wild food and the drought-tolerant traditions in a name of two syllables and considerable contemporary botanical freshness.

Agrimony

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Healing plant, from argemone
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the healing plant in the Greek botanical tradition where agrimony was one of the most important wound-healing and fever-reducing herbs of European folk medicine, Agrimony carries the medicinal botanical tradition in a name of four syllables and considerable phonetic beauty.

Vetch

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: Vetch plant, climbing legume
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the climbing legume in the Old French botanical tradition, Vetch carries the nitrogen-fixing botanical tradition of a plant that has been enriching agricultural soils for as long as people have been farming.

Spurge

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: To purge, the spurge plant
• Popularity: >1000

Named for the purging quality of the milky-sapped plant in the Old French botanical and medicinal tradition, Spurge carries the cleansing botanical tradition in a name of five letters and considerable contemporary botanical boldness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are botanical names so popular right now?

A: Botanical names are experiencing their strongest moment in modern naming history for several converging reasons. The contemporary preference for nature-connected names reflects a broader cultural awareness of the natural world and a desire to place children in relationship to it from birth. Botanical names are also benefiting from the current love of names that are simultaneously ancient and fresh, a name like Hazel or Juniper or Sage has been around for centuries but feels completely contemporary. The wellness and botanical aesthetics movements of the past decade have made plant names visually and culturally present in ways that translate directly into naming choices. And parents are increasingly aware that botanical names age beautifully, being neither trendy nor conventional, but grounded in something more permanent than any particular naming fashion.

Q: What is the difference between a botanical name and a nature name?

A: Botanical names specifically reference plants, their flowers, leaves, seeds, bark, or roots, as opposed to the broader category of nature names which includes weather, landscapes, water features, animals, and celestial bodies. The distinction matters because botanical names carry a specific intimacy with the plant world that more general nature names do not, the specific knowledge of what a plant looks like, smells like, when it flowers, what it needs to grow, and what it has meant to the cultures that have lived alongside it. A name like Iris carries not just the general quality of nature but the specific quality of the bearded iris in late spring, its particular color range, its mythology, and its place in the garden tradition.

Q: Are there botanical names that work well as middle names?

A: The majority of botanical names work beautifully as middle names, particularly the shorter ones. Rose has been one of the most beloved middle names in the English-speaking world for generations. Violet, Lily, Iris, and Fern all pair elegantly with a wide range of first names. The longer botanical names like Magnolia, Camellia, Forsythia, and Wisteria work particularly well in the middle position where their length and phonetic grandeur can be fully appreciated without the practical demands of a first name’s everyday use.

Q: Which botanical names are rarest right now?

A: Among the rarest botanical names in current use are those from the botanical Latin scientific tradition, Aquilegia, Galanthus, Myosotis, Digitalis, and Celosia. The English wildflower names are also rare, Foxglove, Cowslip, Campion, Vetch, and Spurge. The spice names beyond Saffron and Sage, including Lovage, Hyssop, Fennel, and Sorrel, are also extremely rare. And the tree names beyond Willow and Hazel, including Yew, Elm, Larch, and Birch, occupy the rare category despite considerable phonetic appeal.

Q: How do botanical names age?

A: Botanical names are among the names with the best aging properties in the naming tradition. Because their appeal is rooted in the natural world rather than in cultural fashion, they do not become dated in the way that names tied to specific decades or cultural moments do. A girl named Violet in 2024 will carry the same name at age seventy that she carries at age seven, and the name will belong to both ages equally well because violets do not become unfashionable. The botanical names that age least well are those that acquire strong generational associations, Heather and Ivy were so specifically popular in certain decades that they carry some generational dating, though both are currently recovering that freshness through the distance of time.

Conclusion

Botanical girl names carry within them one of the most ancient and most enduring traditions in human naming, the practice of looking at the plant life of the world and finding in it the qualities most worth giving to the people we love most. They carry the scientific precision of the Latin botanical tradition that named every plant with the care of someone who understood that to name a thing correctly was to know it completely. They carry the folk wisdom of a thousand generations of people who knew which plant healed a fever and which plant warned of rain and which plant meant that spring had arrived. They carry the Victorian flower language that turned gardens into coded messages of love and loss and faithful devotion. And they carry the contemporary wisdom of a generation of parents who understand that the names most likely to last are the ones rooted in something more permanent than any fashion, the soil itself, the seeds that fall into it, and the extraordinary variety of things that grow from both. Find the botanical name that carries the specific quality of your favorite plant, the one that grows toward light in exactly the way you hope your daughter will. Which name is your favorite? I would love to hear in the comments below!