One of the more important decisions you’ll make when expecting a baby is choosing the name. The choice of a name can depend on a wide range of factors from long-standing family traditions to current trends to more personal or emotional considerations of the parents. Regardless of the factors you choose to influence your name search, here you’ll find a few ideas that may serve as a source of inspiration.
Nature
Look up, look down, look all around and discover from the world around you not only unique names but also some more common ones too. Monikers inspired from flora have brought us names such as Rose, Hazel, Leilani, and Lehua. Celestial names like Orion, Mahina, Atlas, and Luna have become more popular in recent years. Oren, Ren, and Sequoia can be gender-neutral options taken from the plant kingdom. Gemstones are another long-standing source of baby names. Some of these include Ruby, Jasper, Pearl, and Onyx.
More nature-inspired ideas:
- Fauna: Wren, Raven, Wolf, Lark
- Aquatic: Ocean, Coral, Reef, Cove
- Herbs: Clove, Ginger, Sage
Place-Based
The significance of a particular place may have blossomed from a favorite travel destination, the place you met your significant other, or the location of a baby’s conception or birth. Or, you’d like to honor the geographic location of your ancestors. Whatever the reason, there are countless baby names derived from places, and many of them are gender-neutral. Examples include Makena, Phoenix, Sahara, Cypress, and Austin.
Additional inspiring places:
- Historical/Mythical: Avalon, Eden, Atlantis
- Land formations/habitats: Meadow, Sierra, Isla, Forrest, Savannah
Personal Interests
This broad category can cover everything from sports to the arts and the prominent people that have excelled in them. When beginning to think about what interests or skills have importance in your life or which you’d hope or expect for your child, you may be surprised at the names that arise.
- Musical: Harmony, Jazz, Aria, Reed
- Sporty: Alistair, Venus, Victoria, Ace
- Artistic: Diego, Henri, Frida, Artemisia
As author Richelle Mead said, “There are little gems all around us that can hold glimmers of inspiration.” Remain open to all the little moments in your life that bring you inspiration and you’re sure to find the perfect name.
