Baby Names Inspired By Your Favorite Flowers

Lily is likely already on your list if you're looking for a floral name. According to Behind the Name, Lily comes from the Latin word lilium, and the flower symbolizes purity. While there are many beautiful variations of this name, such as Lillian, Liana, and Lilya, if you're a non-conformist, the overwhelming popularity of the name Lily might be a mark against it. 

Lily has consistently ranked in the top 100 names for baby girls in the United States since the early 2000s, after all, so while the name is timeless, it's also likely that your baby might have a couple of classmates with this name. If you love lilies but want something a little less mainstream, consider Calla. The name hasn't charted in the U.S. since the 19th century, and is the name of a variety of lily and is possibly linked to the Greek word kallos, which means "beauty." That's a lot of bang for your buck, and just plain pretty to boot.

Consider Astra if you love daisies but want to veer away from the name Daisy and aren't too keen on Marguerite or its variants. A variation of Aster, as noted by Behind the Name, Astra is a rarely-used name and comes from the Greek word for star. Daisies are part of the Asteraceae family, which also includes several other beautiful blossoms, including sunflowers, dahlias, and marigolds, per New Hampshire PBS.

Asters are also a flower in their own right and look quite similar to daisies, according to Almanac.com. Aster also makes a prime baby name pick, but the uniqueness of Astra, combined with its celestial roots, makes this an especially fitting tribute for anyone who loves gardens and the night sky. It's not as obscure as you might think, either — there have been some famous figures to bear the name, including British opera singers Astra Desmond and Astra Blair.

Kamala is a name known all over the globe thanks to Kamala Harris, the first female Vice President of the United States as well as the first Black person and the first person of Asian descent to hold the office. The name being associated with such an inspiring figure caused its use to escalate, per The Hill, but what many people may not realize is that Kamala is actually a flower name and comes from the Sanskrit word for lotus. According to Harris herself, as she wrote in the preface to her memoir, "The Truths We Hold" (via CNN), "It means 'lotus flower,' which is a symbol of significance in Indian culture. A lotus grows underwater, its flower rising above the surface while its roots are planted firmly in the river bottom."

Behind the Name notes that Kamala is also another name for Lakshmi, "the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty," who uses the lotus flower as her symbol. This is a name with many layers — or should we say petals? Just make sure you pronounce it correctly — Harris wrote in her memoir, "my name is pronounced 'comma-la,' like the punctuation mark."

While flowers are often associated with femininity, gender stereotypes have long been outdated. Anyone can rock a flower-inspired name, and there are many masculine names that have come from some of nature's most beautiful offerings.

The name Cosmo might make you think of star-filled skies or outer space, but while the word does describe the universe, according to Merriam-Webster, cosmos are also flowers in the Asteraceae family, making them related to daisies. The Spruce notes that it's pretty easy to grow these flowers, which "sit atop long slender stems and form a cloud of attractive color all summer that attracts bees, butterflies, and birds to your garden."

The name Cosmo is more popular in the United Kingdom than in the United States, although it's not very widely used. Per Behind the Name, it's a variation of the Italian name Cosimo. Aside from its floral roots, Cosmo is also the first name of "Seinfeld" character Kramer — a fun bit of trivia that might come in handy should your little Cosmo ever find himself on a game show.

You've probably heard of Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, but did you know that her name is apparently inspired by a flower? Well, a flowering bush, to be very precise. The name Azalea has slowly been on the rise in the United States since the 2010s, and the lyrical way it rolls off the tongue makes it easy to see why. According to Southern Living, azaleas are related to rhododendrons, with the main difference between the two flowering shrubs being that "azalea blooms are typically funnel-shaped and have five stamens, while rhododendron flowers are bell-shaped and have ten or more stamens."

These flowery shrubs are quite hardy — some azaleas in Japan are centuries old, as noted by the Azalea Society of America. With such a beautiful and strong name — and a powerful musical connection — this is a flower name that any little girl would be lucky to have.

Searching for masculine baby names inspired by flowers can be a bit tricky, but persistence will be rewarded. One baby name that stands out is Florian, which comes from the Roman name Florianus, ultimately derived from the Latin word flos, which means "flower," as noted by Behind the Name. While it may not be named after a particular blossom, the name still evokes the beauty of a full bouquet of vibrant blooms — what could be more lovely?

TV Tropes says that "flowers have been associated with femininity since ancient times" and "are often used to symbolize a character's gentle or docile nature," which might make some people avoid naming their little boy after the plants. Enlightened parents, though, know that gender stereotypes are just that — besides, gentleness is a good characteristic that any parent would love for their baby to have. The name Florian is one that will remind your baby that there is power in being gentle and that beauty knows no gender.

The origins of the name Rowan are a bit complicated. According to Behind the Name, it comes from the Irish name Ruadhán, which comes from the Old Irish word for "red." Yet it is also linked to the rowan tree, a name with roots in Old Norse. While the rowan — also known as mountain ash — may be a tree, it's one known for its clusters of white flowers that blossom in the spring. 

As noted by Trees for Life, the rowan tree is deeply rooted in the folklore of Europe. According to Norse mythology, the tree once saved the life of the god Thor by offering its branches to him as a river threatened to carry him to the Underworld. Grasping the branches of the tree, Thor was able to pull himself out of the water. It's fitting, then, that in Scandinavia, runes were carved in rowan wood and used to try to see the future. Further west, in the British Isles, rowan has long been considered to have powers of protection, shielding people from magic.

The history of rowan is a fascinating one fitting for any baby, regardless of gender. While traditionally given to boys, Rowan is a gender-neutral moniker today.

Thanks to the "Harry Potter" franchise in which Narcissa Malfoy is a minor — but pivotal — character, you might be more familiar with the feminine version of this name. Both Narciso and Narcissa can trace their roots to the Greek name Narkissos, per Behind the Name.

In Greek mythology, a man named Narkissos was so smitten with his own reflection that he died staring at himself. He was then transformed into the flower we now know as narcissus. The word narcissism can also trace itself back to this mythological story, per the Online Etymology Dictionary.

Don't worry that giving your little one the name Narciso will turn their head, though. After all, you're not naming your baby after the trait of narcissism, but after the flower, which you may also know as daffodil or jonquil. Teleflora notes that the flower is associated with luck and wealth — so long as you always gift them in a bunch, as a lone narcissus is a harbinger of doom.