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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Gardening related names

133 replies

AmpleSwan · 16/09/2025 12:26

Hello all,

DH and I are keen gardeners and currently expecting DC1 (sex as yet unknown).

I am very keen on plant names and honestly am struggling to balance a name I love with a plant I love (for example I adore Rhododendrons as plants but wouldn't wan't to saddle a child with that as a name, whereas Poppy and Daisy are very cute names from a baby but don't particularly meet my horticultural tastes.) I am looking for people's immediate, extremely judgemental and biased opinions on what they would think of a girl named 1. Ivy 2. Ivy-Rose 3. Dahlia 4. Violet 5. Violet-Rose 6. Azalea 7. Amaranth.

Suggestions for boys names other than Ash very welcome.

OP posts:
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Peanutlicious · 16/09/2025 19:56

I personally love all your name suggestions, less so Amaranth. How about Fleur for a girl? Or Jasmine?

I have two boys with nature names and Ashley (Ash) or Oakley would have been number 3.

ExquisiteSocialSkills · 16/09/2025 19:58

Sorrel.

stample · 16/09/2025 20:07

Love Violet and Azalea.
also like Fern, Juniper and Zinnia

Boys Aspen and Basil?

TheeNotoriousPIG · 16/09/2025 20:09

I like Rose! I know one whose family went down the botanical route and ended up with a Lily and a (sweet) William.

For girls, I like Laurel, Tansy, Camellia (a favourite plant, but I always struggle to grow them!), Angelica, Fern, Ffion (pronounced 'Fee-on'; it's the Welsh form of 'foxglove'), Aster, Heather, Iris/Eirys, Holly, Jasmine, Primrose, Saffron, Viola. Azalea could grow on me, and I love the shrubs! There's also Veronica, Poppy, Lavender, Rosemary, Sakura (Japanese for 'cherry blossom'), Virginia (but this could lead to teasing, unfortunately, as would Peony and probably Cherry), Myrtle (it's a bit early to bring that back, though!) and Posy. I always thought that Nicotiana would make a nice name, but unfortunately, it's the Latin name for the tobacco plant...

For boys, I was quite taken by Clematis (Clem) in a book, and know a young Heath. Indigo is a possibility, too. Unfortunately, Basil just reminds me of a dog's name! It would make me smile, though!

If we're branching out to trees, there's Acer, Aspen, Willow, Rowan, Oleander, Sequoia, Linden, Cassia, Elowen, Acacia, Ebony, Olive, Juniper...

Calliopespa · 16/09/2025 20:14

I like both Rose and Violet but I don't think hyphenated and especially not together as it sounds like a box of rose and violet creams.

I'd choose one of those two but on their own.

I also quite like Ivy, Iris and Hazel.

Calliopespa · 16/09/2025 20:14

Oh and Lily and Angelica.

MouldyCandy · 16/09/2025 20:43

Doug / Douglas
John Innes
Shug (Hugh)

JaninaDuszejko · 16/09/2025 20:44

Daphne, Clementine, Forrest, Holly, Fleur, Cosmo, Oleander, Briar, Oliver, Katniss, Timothy, Petunia, Vernon, Hortense, Ianthe.

Gallumphing · 16/09/2025 22:29

I know it’s not a name but I wish it was coz it has got such a beautiful soft (ironically) sound: thistle!

user1492757084 · 17/09/2025 02:40

Rodan
Roden
Rowan
Larkspur
Linden
Oakley
Heath
Bruce
Basil

Heather
Aster
Lilac
Florabunda
Angelica
Dahlia
Azalea
Rose
Chloe

mathanxiety · 17/09/2025 02:51

I only like Ivy and Violet from your list.

Suggestions:
Rue
Cecily
Primrose
Daphne
Laurel
Susannah
Holly
Robyn

Rowan
Corbin
Reed
Linden
Jasper
Hollis
Robin
Alder

TracyBeakerSoYeah · 17/09/2025 03:28

Vita for a girl
After the gardener Vita Sackville -West? Vita means life & sometimes considered a nickname for Violet.

Bracken or Tulip both girls names.

Have a look here https://nameberry.com/list/97/flower-names-for-girls
for more names & name meanings

Edited to add: both boy & girl names here https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/a62765261/nature-baby-names/

Flower Names for Girls (with Meanings & Popularity)

Flower names for girls including names of flowers such as Rose and Lily and names that mean flower, floral names, plant names, and nature names for baby girls with origins, meanings, and popularity

https://nameberry.com/list/97/flower-names-for-girls

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 17/09/2025 05:56

I once worked with a tree surgeon whose children were;
Ash
Rowan
Oakley
Jasmine
Holly
Elmore

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 17/09/2025 06:06

Violet, Rose and Ivy are so well used that none of them would make me specifically think that their parent was a ken gardner.

sodifficult1 · 17/09/2025 06:19

Flora, my nans name !
primrose is becoming very popular
there’s so many girls names

boys - I love Heath

ash
Aaron - after Aaron’s beard
Dara - I knew a man named dara years ago now he said it was an Irish name meaning oak or something like that I always liked it

annlee3817 · 17/09/2025 06:21

Robin for a boy or girl (plant, not bird)
Rhodie for a boy could be used as a shortened version of rhododendron

MidnightScroller · 17/09/2025 06:43

Love these! Cassia, Zinnia, Olive, Flora, Robin, Heath, Jasper, Rowan, Basil (although brace yourself for Fawlty Towers impressions from older people). I’d go for names that aren’t immediately obviously garden themed - personal bugbear for names that are obviously squeezed into a theme.
So for me that eradicates eg. Oakley, Larkspur (although Lark might be ok) Amaranth, Dahlia, Acer, Aspen Sequoia etc.

RedSoloCup · 17/09/2025 06:44

Clover?

LilyCanna · 17/09/2025 07:04

AmpleSwan · 16/09/2025 15:29

Oh I like Laurel for a boy and Laurence is an old family name so it has a nod there!

I was going to comment and say "But Laurel's a girl's name!". I did check and apparently it was originally unisex 'but now associated more with girls'. However, if you search for Laurel + a random common surname like Brown or Johnson, every photo is of a woman - so it's a name that will be generally assumed to be female.

Calliopespa · 17/09/2025 07:58

RedSoloCup · 17/09/2025 06:44

Clover?

The problem with Clover, sweet as it is, is the butter. And Clover the cow.

Calliopespa · 17/09/2025 07:58

Primrose is being used a bit OP.

ThereWillBeSigns · 17/09/2025 09:14

Marigold!

Lends itself to some good nicknames, too

I also like Pomona, the goddess of cultivated gardens.

Calliopespa · 17/09/2025 09:21

ThereWillBeSigns · 17/09/2025 09:14

Marigold!

Lends itself to some good nicknames, too

I also like Pomona, the goddess of cultivated gardens.

Great suggestions!

SpringingOn · 18/09/2025 23:33

I don't like hyphenated names but do like Ivy, Violet & Rose individually.

My favourite flower names are Hebe, Iris and Daisy. Maybe Lilac could work.

LancashireButterPie · 24/09/2025 19:25

Girls
Cherry
Zinnia
Daphne
Sylvia (from the woods)

Boys
Bramble or Bramley (Bram for short)
Rowan
Moss
Ash

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