10 trendiest baby names inspired by nature - and what they mean

Picking a baby name is not always easy with parents often looking for a unique option. And with many wanting it to be both significant and symbolic it can be challenging to get the right one.

One popular theme with baby names is nature, with many opting for a name relating to flowers or wildlife. With Earth Day set for Monday The Entertainer has now examined the most popular baby names relating to nature for both boys and girls.

To do this, they created a list of nature-themed baby names, before exploring the latest available data from the Office of National Statistics to source the number of newborn babies with each name. And there might be some surprises there.

For some of the names don't sound like they have nature at their heart. For example did you know George originated in Greece and means ‘farmer’ or ‘earth-worker’?

Many of the girl's names were obvious. Ivy was a popular option, with the name referencing the green ivy plant being given to 2245 children.

Flowers were also a source of real inspiration for girls with seven of the top 10 having a floral theme - such as Lily, Daisy, Violet and Jasmine. Additionally, Willow was the only name included in the top ten referring to a tree.

Outside of floral-themed names, Luna, of Latin origin, referred to the moon and is a name growing in popularity. Aurora, also originating from Latin, meant dawn or morning light, two names encapsulating the beauty of the natural world.

Popular nature-themed girl's names

The Entertainer also explored the top ten boy’s names relating to nature. And compared with girls’ names, some of the boys’ titles have less obvious relations to nature.

While it is easy to see how names such as Oliver, Rowan and Oakley relate, referring to specific trees and wood others are a bit more subtle. Animal names also proved quite trendy for newborn boys, with Leo, the Latin name for a lion and Arthur, meaning Bear in Celtic both making the top five.

More general names relating to nature included Dylan, meaning ‘great sea’, Finn, meaning ‘marsh’ or ‘swamp’ and Arlo which refers to a ‘fortified hill’. And while Hunter doesn’t have a direct connection to plants or natural formations, the connotations of hunting refer to the interaction between man and nature.

Popular nature-themed boy's names

Speaking on the study, David Westman, Recreational Play Expert at The Entertainer said: “Overall, it was interesting to see so many references to flowers and wildlife, with parents often opting for a name that references natural beauty. In particular, it was intriguing to learn the meaning of some popular boy's names that don’t immediately jump out as a nature-themed title.”