The biggest shift in American naming over the past twenty years is the rise of nature-inspired names. They're not a niche choice anymore: Luna (#13), Violet (#15), Aurora (#16), Hazel (#19), Willow (#41) — five nature names are in the girls' top 45. On the boys' side, Rowan (#71), Hunter (#128), Jasper (#133), and River (#112) have all broken through to mainstream use.
Here's the full picture of where nature names stand in 2024, with SSA data.
Girls: Nature Names by Popularity
Currently in the top 50
Luna — #13 (7,135 babies). The moon itself. Luna went from obscure to top 15 in under twenty years — one of the fastest rises in naming history. It has Harry Potter associations (Luna Lovegood), but the trajectory started before the films. No nature name has ever been this popular this fast.
Violet — #15 (6,972 babies). The flower and the colour. Violet has been steadily climbing for fifteen years, helped by its vintage feel (it was popular in the 1910s–1920s) and its pop-culture presence (The Incredibles, Downton Abbey). It has the depth of an old name and the fresh feel of a colour name.
Aurora — #16 (6,917 babies). The Roman goddess of dawn; the aurora borealis. Aurora is the celestial name version of Violet: beautiful, mythological, and unmistakably nature-coded. Its rapid rise since 2015 tracks almost exactly with the Disney Sleeping Beauty renaissance.
Hazel — #19 (6,401 babies). The hazel tree and the colour. Hazel was dormant for decades and came back through the vintage revival — it's the name John Green chose for his The Fault in Our Stars protagonist in 2012, which accelerated its climb. At #19 it's past its main ascent phase but holding solidly.
Lily — #24 (6,093 babies). The flower. Lily has been in the top 30 for over a decade. It's become one of the most established of the flower names — past the "rising" phase, now simply a classic. Clean, one syllable in feel (two technically), works in every language.
Ivy — #36 (5,323 babies). The climbing plant. Ivy was a Victorian and Edwardian name that nearly disappeared; it came back through the same vintage revival as Hazel and is now firmly mid-top-50. Beyoncé named her daughter Blue Ivy in 2012, which didn't hurt.
Nova — #39 (5,044 babies). A star that suddenly increases in brightness. Latin nova (new). Nova followed Luna's path: barely used before 2000, now top 40. It's the astronomical name that broke through after Luna showed it was possible.
Willow — #41 (4,653 babies). The tree. Willow has a gentleness that distinguishes it from the more dramatic celestial names. It's been climbing since the mid-2000s (the Buffy character helped) and is now in the top 45. Pink named her daughter Willow in 2011; Will Smith named his daughter Willow as well.
Top 50–150
Daisy — #76 (3,091 babies). The flower. Daisy has a cheerful, informal quality that kept it from the Victorian-revival boom — it felt too casual for a while — but it's now inside the top 100 and climbing.
Ruby — #63 (3,517 babies). The gemstone. Ruby has been in the top 100 for over a decade and has been slowly climbing. It works in both the gemstone-name and vintage-name categories simultaneously.
Iris — #71 (3,124 babies). The flower and the Greek goddess of the rainbow. Iris is the most underrated name on this list — it has genuine classical roots, three distinct cultural associations (flower, eye anatomy, Greek myth), and it's only at #71. It has more room to rise.
Jade — #84 (2,931 babies). The green gemstone. Jade has been consistently mid-chart for twenty years. It's the most gender-neutral of the gemstone names (used for boys too, mostly outside the US), but in American data it's clearly feminine.
Rose — #115 (2,376 babies). The classic flower. Rose has been in the top 200 almost continuously since the data begins. Its current position at #115 represents a revival — it was much lower in the 1990s. Rose is also one of the most popular middle names in the country, which may be drawing it away from the first-name column slightly.
Ember — #137 (2,172 babies). Glowing coal. Ember is the fire-category nature name that has found its moment — elemental, unusual but not obscure, with two clean syllables.
Sage — #146 (1,987 babies). The herb and the adjective (wise). Sage is unisex in use but predominantly feminine in current US data. It's one of the herb names that's worked where Basil and Rosemary haven't quite (at least not yet).
Rising names to watch
Wren — #213 (1,442 babies). The small bird. Wren is one of the fastest-rising names not yet in the top 200. It has everything that should make a name climb: one syllable, clearly pronounceable, uncommon enough to feel distinctive, bird-coded.
River — #214 (1,434 babies). Climbing on both the boys' and girls' charts simultaneously.
Meadow — #327 (946 babies). The open field. Meadow is the nature-word name that's furthest from mainstream use but has been climbing steadily.
Clover — #618 (482 babies). The luck plant. Small but growing.
Boys: Nature Names by Popularity
Rowan — #71 (4,647 babies). The rowan tree. Rowan is Celtic in origin and works on both the boys' and girls' charts. On the boys' side it's top 75 and steadily rising. Its cross-gender appeal actually helps it — it avoids the dated "this is a boys' name" association that ages names faster.
River — #112 (3,138 boys). River has entered the top 120 for boys. It's the nature-word name with the most traction across both sexes.
Hunter — #128 (2,831 babies). The occupation name that codes as nature. Hunter peaked in the late 1990s and has been slowly declining from its top 50 position — but it's still top 130.
Jasper — #133 (2,750 babies). The gemstone mineral. Jasper is one of the most interesting boys' names in the current data — it has the gemstone quality of the girls' names, a slightly Victorian feel, and a Twilight-era boost that has since faded. It's now climbing on its own vintage merits.
Wilder — #392 (830 babies). The superlative form of "wild." Wilder is the nature-surname name that's been climbing fast since around 2015. It's in the same family as Hunter and Forrest — occupation and nature words used as names — but it feels more contemporary.
[Jasper, Reed, Forrest, Colt: mid-chart and stable.**]
[Rowan, River, Hunter, Jasper are the four currently above #150 and worth tracking.
What the data shows about nature naming
Celestial beats botanical for girls. Luna (#13), Aurora (#16), Nova (#39) — sky names are the dominant category. Flower names (Violet, Lily, Daisy, Iris) are the second category. The new wave is atmospheric names like Ember (#137) and Storm (uncommon but growing).
Animal names haven't arrived for girls. Wren (#213) is the only bird name in the top 300 for girls. Fox, Hawk, and Wolf remain male and rare.
Outdoor-activity names hold for boys. Hunter (#128), Wilder (#392), Forrest (#407), and River (#112) are the nature names for boys that work — they code as outdoors and active rather than delicate.
One-syllable nature names are the sweet spot. Wren, Sage, Ivy, Rose, Rowan, Reed, Ash — all one syllable, all climbing. The sound of a nature name matters as much as its meaning.
Explore each name in detail: Luna · Violet · Hazel · Rowan · Jasper · Wren
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration 2024 release. Ranks are among all registered names in the United States.