Nature Names for Boys, from A to Z

Nature names for baby boys run the gamut. Some, such as the roarsome Leo, the marine Kai, the arboreal Rowan and the spirited River, ride high in the popularity stakes, while others remain underused. Some have obvious meanings, while others carry more subtle links to nature. For example, it's not obvious to everyone that the hugely popular boys' name Kai means "sea" in Hawaiian, or that Rio is also a Spanish word meaning "river".

Outdoorsy appellations also approach the nature theme from different angles. Some boys' names are inspired by trees, while others take their cue from geological features and weather events. And let's not forget the ever-expanding category of baby boy names borrowed from animals.

Whatever your style, have a look at our list of over 100 nature-inspired boys' names below, and you just may find that perfect moniker for your baby boy!

1. Leo. A firm fixture in the baby name charts, Leo is Latin for "lion".
2. Kai. A pint-sized name of Hawaiian origin meaning "sea", Kai is a beloved choice among twenty-first-century parents.
3. Leonardo. This is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese equivalent of Leonard. Its most famous American bearer: actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
4. Rowan. Pick this unisex tree name, and you'll be good whether you give birth to a girl or boy.
5. River. Another unisex option, River might appeal to those who love water. Jamie Oliver and wife Jools, who are famous for picking nature names for their children, have a son called River Rocket.
6. Leon. Another option inspired by the king of the jungle, Leon means "lion" in Spanish.
7. Timothy. This nature name comes with biblical cred and a friendly built-in nickname to boot.
8. Zander. Zander may be a common nickname for Alexander, but it's also a species of fish, as well as a modern boys' name.
9. Leonel. A variation of the classic Lionel, Leonel widely used in the Spanish-speaking world.
10. Oakley. For some folks, this endearing tree-inspired name might be a little too tied to the sunglasses brand, but not for others: statistics show that for thousands of twenty-first-century parents, it's a wonderful nature name worth giving to their babies.
11. Forrest. A variation of Forest.
12. Reed. A good nature-inspired baby name doesn't have to be long—Reed is perfect proof of that.
13. Sage. An evergreen plant and a cute baby name.
14. Leonidas. Of Greek origin, Leonidas is widely held to mean "son of a lion". History buffs may recognize Leonidas as the name of a courageous king who ruled Sparta during the fifth century BC.
15. Ridge. Perhaps most familiar as the name of the oldest of the five Forrester children on CBS' soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.
16. Clay. Short for Clayton—or an earthy standalone name.
17. Leonard. Related to the old Germanic name Leonhard, comprised of the elements leon, meaning "lion", and hard, meaning "brave" or "hardy". Saint Leonard of Noblac lends this name a religious dimension.
18. Lionel. A quiet classic with leonine origins and a wealth of famous namesakes, including musicians Richie and Hampton, actors Barrymore and Jeffries, and let's not forget the Argentinian soccer legend Lionel Messi.
19. Rio. An alternative to the hugely popular River, Rio means "river" in Spanish.
20. Ocean. After lingering on the fringes for years, Ocean has finally entered the mainstream. Can be used for girls, too.
21. Briar. Move over, Brian! Briar has hit the mainstream, because of or in spite of its prickly meaning ("wild, thorny bush").
22. Forest. (or Forest). As nature names go, they don't come much earthier than this.
23. Douglas. A Scottish surname and given name with a botanical edge via the Douglas fir.
24. Bear. Now a full-fledged baby name.
25. Rocky. Strongly (perhaps too strongly) associated with the protagonist of the Rocky film series. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. named their son Rocky James back in 2012.
26. Robin. A unisex mid-century moniker with an avian twist, perfect for any bird-loving retro couple's new arrival, boy or girl.
27. Fox. This straightforward animal name made its debut in the US Top 1,000 in 2016.
28. Heath. A brother for Savannah.
29. Stone. A cool single-syllable surname and geology-inspired given name that saw an uptick in use at the turn of the 21st century.
30. Ash. Evocative of the magnificent ash tree which, in some cultures, carries mystical or religious significance.
31. Pierre. A French given name and noun meaning "stone".
32. Canyon. Given the rise of such names as River and Vale, plus the appeal of names ending in -yon, Canyon sounds more possible now than ever.
33. Cedar. As in the coniferous tree.
34. Sol. A fitting name for your little sunshine ("sol" means sun in Spanish)!
35. Sunny. This sprightly S-name could could suit a little boy with a cheerful and warm personality.
36. Dale. A geography-inspired pick with a distinct mid-century vibe.
37. Alder. A newcomer to the ever-growing contingent of nature names borrowed from trees.
38. Linden. Honeybees' favorite tree doubles as an appealing unisex baby name.
39. Storm. A wildcard of a name with swagger and sass.
40. Wolf. A short form of Wolfgang and Wolfram, Wolf has also been used as an independent given name, especially in Germany. Its most noted American bearer: broadcast journalist Wolf Blitzer.
41. Cypress. A coniferous tree that makes a plausible baby name.
42. Sky. More popular for girls, but has been heard on boys, too.
43. Lake. A male-leaning unisex name with surname appeal and an obvious nature connection.
44. Glen. One of the many geography-inspired names meaning "valley".
45. Reef. A laid-back nature-inspired option for those who love water.
46. Branch. Branch has suddenly burst onto the baby naming scene. What do you think: yay or nay?
47. Basil. For some, Basil is an ancient saint's name; for others, it's a straight-up nature name.
48. Cove. A cove is a small bay, but it has also been used as a baby name.
49. Marlin. Marlin may be the name of fish, but it's also fair game for babies.
50. Sylvester. From the Latin word silvestris, meaning "woody" or "wild".
51. Olivier. The French word for "olive tree" is also a common given name in France.
52. Rye. Better known as a nickname for Riley and related names, Rye has occasionally been used as a given name with a botanical connection via the grain.
53. Oak. A rarely used but not completely unheard-of boy's name with a woodsy feel.
54. Coast. A member of the geographical-features-as-baby-names club.
55. Elder. We prefer the equally leafy Alder.
56. Hawk. Hawk joins the likes of Falcon and Heron in the growing list of bird-inspired baby names.
57. Wolfe. The E tacked onto the end gives this animal name a cool surname-y vibe.
58. Lynx. A sleek but edgy animal-inspired appellation.
59. Romero. Rosemary is all-girl, but Romero, which means "herb" in Spanish, definitely reads male.
60. Kale. Not to everyone's taste—whether used as a vegetable or a baby name.
61. Alp. Mountain? No way! Alp? Maybe.
62. Creek. If River can can have a place in the baby naming lexicon, why not Creek?
63. Hawthorne. A cool nature-inspired option with surname appeal and literary cred via 19th-century novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne.
64. Huckleberry. Here's a fresh and cool nature name for literary-minded parents, complete with the cute nickname Huck.
65. Tiger. Brought to the fore by Tiger Woods.
66. Bosco. An Italian-flavored appellation bristling with energy, Bosco means "woodland".
67. Lion. Projects the strong, powerful image of the large feline.
68. Thunder. A bold weather-inspired baby name possibility for a boy.
69. Peregrine. For some parents, this name brings to mind the peregrine falcon; for others, it's the given name of the medieval saint Peregrine Laziosi.
70. Rock. An edgy first (or middle) name for an edgy little boy.
71. Lio. A variation of Leo.
72. Taiga. A sibling for Tundra and Savannah?
73. Jacinto. English flower names for boys are a rare breed, but if you're willing to cross linguistic borders, there's the dashing Jacinto, a Spanish name and word meaning "hyacinth".
74. Calyx. A botanical term that could conceivably transform into a modern baby name.
75. Finch. A first name and a last name with an avian connection.
76. Aquila. This rare nature name has a lot to offer: a cool meaning ("eagle", from Latin), unisex appeal, and biblical gravitas via the early Christian missionary couple "Priscilla and Aquila" described in the New Testament.
77. Hawthorn. A prickly nature-inspired moniker for a baby boy. Add an E to give it a surnamey feel.
78. Valerian. An uncommon but legit given name—as well as a tall grassland plant.
79. Fin. Take the Irish-infused Finn, drop one letter, and there's a nature name waiting!
80. Heron. A bird name full of unearthed potential.
81. Dune. A gender-neutral nature name with beachy vibes.
82. Birch. A quirky possibility with a woodsy vibe.
83. Falcon. One of the new attention-grabbing bird-inspired boys' names.
84. Moss. A surname (à la Kate Moss), but also a distinctive given name with an earthy vibe.
85. Hawke. An old English surname with an obvious meaning, Hawke has yet to make the mainstream leap into first first name territory.
86. Fennec. If you're looking for an unusual animal-inspired name, try Fennec, which is also the name of a small fox native to the Sahara Desert.
87. Pike. A fish, a spear-like weapon, and a very unusual (but not completely unheard-of) boy's name.
88. Woody. An earthy vintage name as well as a nickname for a variety of names containing the word "wood" (think Woodrow "Woody" Harrelson or Heywood "Woody" Allen).
89. Berkeley. A surname, place name, and given name derived from Old English beorce léah, meaning "birch lea".
90. Kiefer. Kiefer, which is a German last name and word meaning "pine tree", also has some precedent as a first name in the U.S., as in the case of actor Kiefer Sutherland.
91. Oleander. A striking flower—and baby name. In the language of flowers, it symbolizes love and relationships.
92. Berry. A fruity surname that has also been documented as a baby name.
93. Eagle. A bold bird-inspired possibility.
94. Shad. By swapping out just one letter in Chad, you arrive at this underused but perfectly wearable fish name.
95. Thorne. An old English surname with a prickly meaning, Thorne has yet to find favor as a first name.
96. Fjord. Of Norwegian origin, a fjord (or fiord) is a long, narrow arm of the sea, but it also makes an appealing baby name.
97. Lupin. Most flower names are for girls, but this one's for Team Blue.
98. Silvan. This one traces its roots to the Latin word silva, meaning "forest".
99. Thorn. A prickly nature-inspired name for the audacious baby namer.
100. Arieh. If Lion feels a little too on-the-nose, consider Arieh, which means "lion" in Hebrew.
101. Starling. A family of small to medium-sized passerine birds, in sparing use as a baby name since the beginning of recorded U.S. baby name history.
102. Tide. For the nonconformist baby namer who likes to swim against the tide (sorry, couldn't resist!).
103. Acer. Acer means "maple tree" in Latin. Who knew?!
104. Adar. A short but resonant nature name in disguise: adar is the plural form of aderyn, the Welsh word for "bird".
105. Almond. A cool, modern nature-inspired name? Or an invitation for playground trouble? We're not sure.
106. Beech. There's a whole host of tree names parens are falling in love with, but Beech isn't one of them. Consider that a challenge!
107. Calisto. A little lepidopterist may be in the cards for you if you give your son the name Calisto, which is also the name of the largest butterfly genus in the West Indies.
108. Cedro. If you like the idea of a tree-inspired boy's name but want something more subtle than Cedar, try Cedro, which means "cedar tree" in Spanish.
109. Chervil. A bit too, uh, herbal for our taste.
110. Coriander. Not to everyone's taste—whether used as a herb or a baby name.
111. Cress. A peppery plant in the mustard family, and why not, a baby name!
112. Elstar. An apple variety now and forever, or a modern baby name with a botanical twist? Your call.
113. Fiore. An Italian surname, given name, and word meaning "flower".
114. Forester. Most parents seem to prefer Forrester with two R's.
115. Forrester. Impeccably woodsy.
116. Glacier. For the son of an explorer?
117. Goby. An alternative to Toby—and a type of fish.
118. Grayling. A fish, a butterfly, a PR agengy...and a baby name option for the intrepid parent.
119. Herb. This sleek moniker can be used as a nickname for Herbert or as a standalone name with a botanical meaning.
120. Lind. A nature name twice-over: in Swedish, Lind means "linden tree"; in Estonian, it means "bird".
121. Pine. Kiefer may have deeper roots as a baby name, but if you're looking for a more obvious salute to the coniferous tree, Pine is your boy!
122. Rosen. Most rose-themed names are for girls, but this Cornish word meaning "rose" could definitely work for a boy.
123. Russet. Russell with a botanical twist!
124. Sea. Ocean has already emerged as a modern baby name, but Sea remains a rarity.
125. Seal. A short and sleek animal name, put on the map by the single-named British musician Seal.
126. Spruce. Bruce with needles!
127. Swan. A striking bird—and baby name.
128. Woodie. Variant of Woody.