Baby names that mean water carry the sound of the thing they describe: the hush of a tide, the run of a stream, rain on a roof. If you live near an ocean or a lake, or you simply love being near the water, a name with that meaning built in is a quiet way to say so.
There are 100 of them below, 50 for boys and 50 for girls, drawn from Finnish, Welsh, Hebrew, Turkish, Hawaiian, Maori, and a dozen other traditions. Each entry gives the origin, the real meaning, and what is worth knowing before you use the name.
Some are as familiar as Brooke and Hudson. Others, like Aalto, Maayan, and Tarni, almost nobody in your child’s class will share.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Hudson, Maya, Brooks, Adrian and Kai.
Water Baby Names for Boys
Fifty boy names that mean water, from Finnish waves to Scottish rivers, each with its origin and meaning.
1. Aalto
Aalto is a Finnish name that means “wave,” and in Finland it works mainly as a surname.
The bearer everyone knows is Alvar Aalto, the architect and furniture designer whose curved plywood shapes trade on the same watery idea. It is almost unused as a first name in the US, so it lands as a short design-minded pick with Alto sitting there as a nickname.
2. Adrian
Adrian is of Latin origin and means “sea” or “water.”
It’s a short version of the name given to Adrianus or Hadrianus. Adrian draws its beginning and purpose from the Venetic and Illyrian word Adur. If you opt for this name, be forewarned, your son might have to hear a lot of “Yo, Adrian” jokes that stem from the franchise of Rocky movies.
3. Aenon
Aenon, also written Ænon, comes from a Hebrew or Aramaic root meaning “springs” or “fountains.”
It is a place name rather than a person’s, and it appears exactly once in scripture. John 3:23 records that John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon near Salim “because there was much water there,” in the passage where he steps back as Jesus begins drawing the crowds. That verse is the entire record, and scholars still disagree about which springs in the Jordan Valley it describes. On a boy today Aenon is soft, genuinely rare, and shortens to Aen.
4. Alun
Alun is a Welsh name taken from the Afon Alun, a river that runs through the Vale of Glamorgan.
Welsh rugby captain Alun Wyn Jones is the reason most people outside Wales have heard it. American parents almost never use it, which keeps it a real Welsh choice rather than a trend, and it sidesteps the Alan and Allen spelling muddle.
5. Arledge
Arledge is an English name that means “dweller at the rabbit lake.”
It’s most famous for being the surname of Roone Arledge, an American sports and news broadcasting executive.
6. Arno
Arno is a modern version of Arnold, and it originates from Germany, where it means “eagle.”
However, if we go to Italy, Arno is also the name of the river that runs through Florence and Pisa before emptying into the Ligurian Sea. Here, Arno translates to “flowing water.”
7. Bach
Bach is a German name built on the word for a brook, so it reads as “one who lives by the stream.”
It brings Johann Sebastian Bach along whether you plan on that or not, which is either the appeal or a reason to move it to the middle slot. One hard syllable also means it pairs cleanly with a longer first name.
8. Barbeau
From Germany to France, Barbeau means “fisherman.” In France, it’s most commonly used as a surname and comes from the word “Barbel,” which is a type of fish.
The name is rare in the US, and a whole lot different, which is excellent for parents who don’t want their child to be called “Aiden #2” in school.
9. Bardo
The name Bardo has mixed beginnings, tracing its roots to German, Aboriginal, or Tibetan origins. It merely means “water” but is used in several cultures.
Today, it’s most famous for the “Lincoln in the Bardo” novel by George Saunders, and as the middle name of Sandra Bullock’s son. For Tibetan Buddhists, Bardo is the state of delay between one life and the next. However, it’s also notable for Saint Bardo, who was a bishop in the 11th century Germany.
10. Beck
Beck comes from an English, German, and Scandinavian surname, each of them from a related word meaning “stream.”
It ranked #913 for boys in the US in 2025, so it is in use without being common, and it doubles as a short form of Rebecca for girls. Musician Beck Hansen is the bearer most parents will picture.
11. Beckett
Of English origin, Beckett means “beehive,” “bee cottage,” or “little brook,” so the water reading is one of several.
The surname belonged to Saint Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until supporters of King Henry II murdered him in the cathedral in 1170. His story reached film in the 1964 Becket, with Richard Burton in the title role and Peter O’Toole as the king. As a first name Beckett is genuinely new: it did not chart in the US at all before 2006, and by 2025 it had climbed to #141 for boys, up from #195 in 2022.
12. Beckham
It is an English name meaning “homestead by the stream.”
Everybody hears David Beckham first, and the timing bears that out. The name did not enter the US rankings until around 2008, at #899, and it reached #168 for boys in 2025. That is a jump from unheard-of to top 200 inside two decades, so it is no longer the outlier pick it was when the footballer was playing.
13. Birney
Birney, pronounced similarly to Bernie, is another name of English origin. It means “island with the brook.”
Different spelling variants are available, like Burney or Berney. It’s not popular in the U.S., where parents instead use the name Bernie, which means “brave as a bear.”
14. Blackwell
Blackwell is an English surname meaning “black well” or “black stream,” the darker end of the water family.
It has a long history as a family name and almost none as a first name, and the dark undertone is probably why. If you like the sound, it does its best work in the middle-name slot, where the weight reads as gravity rather than gloom.
15. Bolivar
Bolivar is a surname taken from the northern Basque region of Spain. Bolivar is derived from Bolibar and means “mill at the riverside.”
It’s most famous for being the name of a South American independence leader Simon Bolivar, who the country Bolivia is named after.
16. Bourne
Bourne is an English name that means “one who lives near a stream.”
Jason Bourne, from Robert Ludlum’s novels and the films built on them, is the association that arrives first, and it gives the name a spare, capable sound. It is still far more common as a surname, so a boy named Bourne would likely be the only one in his class.
17. Bradford
Bradford comes from the old English “broad ford,” the wide shallow crossing point of a river.
It belongs to a city in West Yorkshire and to towns in Pennsylvania and Illinois, and it hands you Brad as a ready nickname. Parents who like Bradley or Bennett but want something less used tend to land here.
18. Bradman
Bradman means “at the wide river,” and is similar to Bradford.
The thing parents find most attractive about this name is that they can use the nickname Brad. Bradman is used predominantly as a surname. One example is the famous Australian cricket player Donald Bradman.
19. Brodny
Brodny is of Slavic origins and means “person dwelling near a stream.”
It’s not rising in popularity within the U.S., which is somewhat a shame. Brodny is rare without sounding too unfamiliar.
20. Brooks
Brooks means “of the brook” and comes from England. It is the masculine counterpart to Brook and Brooklyn.
Brooks Robinson, the Baltimore Orioles third baseman, carried it for a generation of baseball fans. It has since become one of the most-used stylish English boys’ names in America: still a common surname, but ranked #64 for boys in 2025, a long climb from #401 in 2010. Choose it knowing it is popular rather than obscure.
21. Brosnan
Brosnan is an Irish name, obtained from the Gaelic “ó Brosnacháin,” describing a “dweller near the Brosna River.”
Most of us know the name of the actor, Pierce Brosnan, who played James Bond. Although Brosnan is the standard spelling variant, it’s spelled sometimes as Brosnahan, O’Brosnan, Brosnochain, or Bresnahan.
22. Calder
Calder is an English name meaning “rocky water,” pronounced KAWL-der.
It has never registered in US popularity data at all, so a boy named Calder is very likely to be the only one in his year. The strongest association is the American sculptor Alexander Calder, which gives the name an artful, unfussy feel, and it sits close enough to Cal for an easy nickname.
23. Carlow
Carlow is an Irish name, meaning “four-part lake.”
It’s also the name of a county in southeastern Ireland. It’s yet to make an impact in the U.S.
24. Cary
Cary is a name of Latin origin and means “pleasant stream.”
It’s most known for being the name of Cary Grant, a famous American actor known for his handsome looks and transatlantic accent. Younger generations might recognize the name from English actor Cary Elwes.
25. Caspian
Caspian points at the Caspian Sea, which took its name from the city of Qazvin, itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.
C. S. Lewis put it into use as a first name with Prince Caspian in the Chronicles of Narnia in 1950, and it ranked #491 for boys in the US in 2025, so it is in steady use without being everywhere. Cas and Cash both work as short forms.
26. Clyde
Clyde is a Scottish name taken from the River Clyde, which runs through Glasgow.
Most people hear the outlaw half of Bonnie and Clyde, or the orangutan from two Clint Eastwood films. The numbers tell a comeback story: Clyde peaked around #102 for boys in 1940, dropped out of the US top 1,000 entirely from 2000 to 2012, and has since worked back to #742 in 2025. A real vintage revival, still uncommon enough to feel deliberate.
27. Cove
Cove is the plain English word for a small, sheltered bay, used straight as a name.
It carries no US popularity record at all, which puts it in genuinely rare territory rather than on a trend line. That is much of the appeal: one syllable, no nickname required, and an obvious link to the coast without spelling anything out. It does well against a longer middle name.
28. Deniz
Deniz means “sea” in Turkish and is given to both boys and girls there.
It charts in Turkey and the Netherlands but has no US ranking on record, so it stays unusual here while being completely ordinary in Istanbul. Despite the look of it, this is a Turkish word name rather than a spelling of Dennis.
29. Douglas
Douglas is a Celtic river name from Gaelic dubh, “dark,” and glais, “water,” so it reads as “dark river.”
It ranked #807 for boys in the US in 2025, a long way down from its mid-century run, which is exactly why it is starting to sound fresh again. Doug and Dougie are the obvious nicknames, and the Scottish clan behind the name gives it real history.
30. Eaton
Eaton is of English origin and means “riverside.”
Eaton is similar to Eton, which gives it an old-school vibe. It’s also close to the famous name Ethan.
31. Fisher
Fisher means exactly what it looks like, “fisherman,” and the English name still reads mostly as a surname.
That has not stopped it working up front. The actor born Steven Fisher flipped his own name around to become Fisher Stevens, and Carrie Fisher kept it famous from the other side. As a first name it is plain, occupational, and quietly water-adjacent, which is a useful combination if you want the theme without the poetry.
32. Ford
Ford comes from an English surname built on a place name meaning exactly what it says, the shallow crossing point of a river.
It ranked #474 for boys in the US in 2025, helped along by parents who like one-syllable surnames such as Cole and Beck. Henry Ford and the car company are the loudest associations, Owen Wilson used it for his son Robert Ford, and it also works as a short form of Clifford.
33. Holmes
Holmes is an English surname name from holm, an islet in a river or a patch of dry ground in a marsh.
Sherlock Holmes owns the name worldwide, which is either a gift or a burden depending on how much Conan Doyle is in the house. It is rare as a first name in the US, and it sits with Hayes and Hollis for parents who like surnames that end in s.
34. Hudson
Hudson is English and means “Hugh’s son,” a surname that traces back to the Middle Ages.
The water link is geographic rather than linguistic. The Hudson River in New York carries the association on its own, and that is how most parents read the name. Know how popular it has become before you commit: Hudson ranked #34 for boys in the US in 2021 and #17 in 2025, which puts it inside the top 20 and well past unusual.
35. Hurley
Hurley means “sea tide,” and stems from Ireland.
Names ending with the “lee” sound, like Yardley and Mosley, are gaining popularity fast. Still, Hurley might be better as a surname, unless you want your child to stand out.
36. Irving
Irving originates from Scotland and means “green river” and “sea friend.”
Irving is a popular name among first-generation Jewish-American boys. Famous examples include Irving Wallace and Irving Stone. It was a common name during World War I.
37. Kai
Kai is pronounced KYE, and the meaning shifts with the language you ask in. The Hawaiian meaning is “sea,” in Japanese it can read as “forgiveness,” and in Frisian it works as a short form of a name meaning “warrior.”
That spread is exactly why it travels so well. Kai reached #93 for boys in the US in 2025 and charts for girls too, last appearing at #940 in 2023, so it is a true unisex option that still reads mostly male.
38. Kano
Kano has roots in both Japan and West Africa, and is often glossed as “god of the water,” which gives it a commanding sound.
In the UK most people will think of Kano the British rapper and songwriter first. It is short, ends on a clean vowel, and needs no explaining, which is unusual for a name this uncommon in the US.
39. Kelby
Kelby is an English name and means “dweller at the farm by the stream.”
It’s another name that’s used predominantly as a surname, but it could be a more masculine alternative to Shelby.
40. Loch
Loch is Gaelic in origin and is simply the Scottish word for a lake. It is pronounced like lock, and it doubles as a short form of Lachlan.
The Loch Ness Monster is the association nearly everyone reaches for, which is either the charm or the problem depending on your taste. If it is the problem, Lachlan gives you the same sound with a longer runway and leaves Loch available as the nickname.
41. Malik
Malik has two separate roots. In Arabic it describes a king or ruler, and in Greenlandic, an unrelated language, malik means “wave, sea.”
The Greenlandic name ranked first in Greenland in the 2000s, while the Arabic name carries it across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Maliq and Malek are the usual spelling variants.
42. Maxwell
Maxwell is a Scottish surname meaning “Mack’s stream,” from Mack, a short form of the Norse name Magnus, plus Old English wille for a well or stream.
It ranked #189 for boys in the US in 2025 and took off in the 1980s largely because it gives Max a full form. The Beatles song “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is the cultural footnote, and physicist James Clerk Maxwell is the better one.
43. Monroe
Monroe is a Scottish surname meaning “from the mouth of the Roe,” a river in Northern Ireland.
It was mostly a boys’ name in America until about 2009, and it ranked #467 for girls in the US in 2025 after Mariah Carey chose it for her daughter in 2011. Marilyn Monroe and President James Monroe keep it familiar either way.
44. Moses
Moses comes from the Hebrew Moshe, and the honest answer on its root is that it most likely traces to the Egyptian mes, meaning “son.”
The water reading everyone knows, “drawn out,” comes from Exodus 2:10, where Pharaoh’s daughter lifts the baby out of the Nile. Scholars generally treat that as a folk etymology attached to the story rather than the true origin. Either way the association is unshakeable, and the name carries weight across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Variants include Mosheh in Hebrew, Musa in Arabic, and Moises in Spanish.
45. Nen
Nen is another name with Egyptian roots, meaning “ancient waters.”
It has a beautiful connotation, seeing the history of the Nile, which runs through Egypt. However, it might be too unusual for some parents.
46. Orwell
Orwell means the “river branch” and is believed to be of English origin.
It was made famous by the English novelist Eric Arthur Blair, who changed his name to George Orwell. It’s pronounced like it is spelled, Or-well.
47. Pike
Pike is the English name of a long, sharp-toothed freshwater fish.
Explorer Zebulon Pike, who Pikes Peak is named for, is the historical bearer, though the word also names a medieval spear, which gives it a hard edge. Parents who like the sound often use it in the middle, where the fish and the weapon both matter less.
48. Rayan
Rayan, pronounced similarly to Ryan, is an Arabic name used to define land that’s lush and rich in water.
Rayan is popular in the Middle East and North Africa, where it’s even used for girls sometimes.
49. Struan
Struan is of Scottish origin and means “stream.”
It’s also the name of a city in the UK. Struan is a powerful sounding name and has an impact when heard.
50. Wade
Wade means “by the river crossing” and is of English origins.
It’s a trendy name within the U.S., where it rarely leaves the top 1,000. Wade is an excellent middle-ground name, between stylish and old-school, and it is easy to spell and sounds masculine.
Water Names for Girls
Fifty girl names that mean water, covering tides, rain, springs, and rivers, each with the meaning behind it.
51. Adair
Adair is a girl’s name with a Scottish heritage, meaning “a river near oaks.”
Adair sounds mystical, and for a long time, it was considered a boy’s name. It wasn’t until the 1980s that it was routinely used as a girl’s name as well. Because of this, you won’t find many women over 25 carrying this name.
52. Amaya
Amaya is a variant of the Basque name Amaia, used in Basque, Spanish, and modern English, and name sites also list a Japanese reading of “night rain,” though the documented origin is Basque.
It ranked #180 for girls in the US in 2025, so it is one of the better used names on this list. The Basque name traces back to the village of Amaya in northern Spain.
53. Avonlea
Avonlea translates to “river by the field” and is an enchanting name, almost fairy-like. It’s pronounced Av-on-lee.
Avonlea is most famous for being the name of a fictional Canadian village, created by L.M. Montgomery. The name is well suited for today’s culture, where names like Ava and those ending with “lee” are popular.
54. Baia
Baia is of Portuguese origin and means “bay.”
It’s not a common name in the U.S. For parents who aren’t afraid to be different, Baia is the rarer route to the Maia sound.
55. Bay
In English a bay is a wide, sheltered curve of coastline, and the name is used exactly that plainly.
It doubles as a nickname for Bailey and as a short middle name that gives a long first name somewhere to breathe. In Spanish the near-identical baya means berry, which is a pleasant accident rather than a shared root.
56. Beverly
Beverly is an English surname name from the Yorkshire city, built on Old English beofor, “beaver,” and probably licc, “stream,” so it reads as “beaver stream.”
It last charted for girls in the US at #948 in 1999 and now sits outside the top 1000, which puts it in the group of early-1900s names that are due for a return. Bev is the built-in nickname, and Beverly Sills and Beverly Johnson are the bearers people name first.
57. Brooke
Brooke is a variant of Brook, the plain English word for a small stream.
It came into use in the 1950s behind socialite Brooke Astor, gained ground with actress Brooke Shields, and still ranked #313 for girls in the US in 2025. So it is a name plenty of people know without hearing it in every classroom.
58. Brooklyn
Brooklyn reads as a water name because of its first syllable, but the real history runs through Dutch. The New York borough was named after the town of Breukelen, which means either “broken land” (Dutch breuk) or “marsh land” (Dutch broek).
Marsh land is close enough to count, and modern parents hear it as Brook plus the suffix lyn regardless. It started out on boys, switched sides, and now sits among the most-used English girl names in America and near the top of the girl names starting with B.
59. Cascade
Cascade is an English word name for a waterfall, or water dropping in stages down rock.
It has the pull of a mythical girl name without belonging to any actual myth, and it arrives with a ready-made nickname in Cass. Like most word names it stays rare by nature, which is usually the reason parents choose one.
60. Chantara
Chantara has Thai roots and means “moon water.”
Chantara is a poetic name, which would work well in almost any culture. The name would be suitable for a character in a fantasy movie. It is rare in English-speaking countries, great if you’re looking for something unique.
61. Cherith
Cherith springs from Hebrew and equates to “winter stream.”
Despite its ancient roots, Cherith has a fresh sound. You may recognize Cherith from the Bible, too. It is the name of the stream that kept Elijah alive.
62. Cordelia
Cordelia is usually given as “daughter of the sea” or “heart of the sea,” and it is worth knowing that reading is a later interpretation rather than a proven root.
The trail actually leads to Cordeilla, a name in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 12th-century chronicles, borne by King Leir’s youngest and only loyal daughter; Geoffrey may have built it from Creiddylad in Welsh legend. The etymology has been argued over ever since. What is not in doubt is the sound: soft, formal, thoroughly old-fashioned, and back in favor with parents who like Latinate girl names.
63. Delta
Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and also the word for the fan of land that forms where a river meets the sea.
It last charted in the US in 1934 at #993 and has stayed outside the top 1000 since, so it is genuinely rare rather than fashionably rare. Actress Delta Burke is the best known bearer, and the two crisp syllables travel well on a grown adult.
64. Derya
Derya is a Turkish name meaning “sea,” said Derr-ee-ah.
It is common in Turkey and almost unheard of in the US, so it reads as elegant rather than trendy. The Persian name Daria is the more familiar cousin, with its own history as a princess name.
65. Doris
Doris is a Greek name usually given as “gift of the ocean.”
In Greek myth Doris was a sea nymph, daughter of the Titan Oceanus, and mother of the fifty Nereids. That is a striking origin for a name most Americans file under 1920s grandmothers. It is riding the same revival that brought back Dorothea and Dorothy, so it may not stay quaint much longer. Dory is the obvious nickname, for better or worse.
66. Dwyn
Dwyn has a Welsh heritage and means “wave.”
It is short enough to work as a middle name and unusual enough that few people will have met another one, and the sound sits close to Gwyn and Bronwyn if you want something with more length.
67. Eyre
Eyre can trace its roots back to English as well as Norse origin, and it means “gravel riverbank.”
Eyre sounds a little like air, but it’s a name with a strong heritage. Although now, Eyre is a name mainly found in England, it’s believed to stem from Norse settlers who crossed the ocean.
68. Firth
Firth is a Scottish word name for a long inlet of the sea, drawn from the old Norse fjord.
The Firth of Forth is the landmark most people know it from, and actor Colin Firth is the bearer. It is used almost entirely as a surname, so a girl named Firth would be doing something new with it.
69. Gal
Gal is an Israeli name and means “wave.”
It’s most famous for being the name of actress Gal Gadot who played Wonder Woman. This has also caused a boost in popularity in the last couple of years. Another variant of this name is Gali.
70. Ginevra
Ginevra is the Italian name behind Guinevere, and it is usually given as “white wave” or “white shadow.”
Said aloud, jee-NEH-vrah, it is one of the prettier routes to the sound of Jennifer without using Jennifer. If you would rather the Welsh version, Guinevere carries the same meaning and belonged to King Arthur’s queen. Ginevra shortens neatly to Gina or Neve.
71. Harbor
Harbor is the English word for the sheltered water where boats tie up, and it carries the second sense of holding onto a feeling.
It is a unisex name that American parents now give mostly to girls, in the same group as Haven and Shore. The British spelling Harbour is worth a look if you want it to read less like a noun.
72. India
India means “great river,” a place name carried over from the country and the river system behind it.
As a girl’s name it peaked at #299 in the US in 2001, slid steadily after that, last charted at #968 in 2022, and has not appeared in the rankings since. So it is a name on its way out of American fashion, which for some parents is exactly the right timing.
73. Indra
Indra is a Sanskrit name from indu, “a drop,” and ra, “possessing,” so it means “possessing drops of rain.”
Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain in the Rigveda, usually shown riding the elephant Airavata, and the name is masculine in India even though American parents lean female with it. Indre, after the French river, is the spelling variant.
74. Jennifer
Jennifer is of Cornish origin and is usually given as “white shadow” or “white wave.”
It owned the 1970s in a way few names ever have, which is exactly why it now reads as a mother’s name rather than a baby’s. If you love the sound but not the era, Jenna and Ginevra both get you close, and Jenifer is the older single-n spelling. Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez are the two most people picture.
75. Jordan
Jordan is a Hebrew name, meaning “flowing down.” The name Jordan has particular importance in various religions. It’s the name of the holy river in which John the Baptist baptized Christ.
In Jewish traditions, Jordan is a symbol of peace after the freed people wandered from Egypt to the Promised Land. Jordan isn’t as popular for girls as it used to be. It is more common for boys today. Parents who choose this name for girls tend to spell it as Jordyn.
76. Kaimana
Kaimana is a Hawaiian name from kai, “ocean, sea,” and mana, “power.” It is also the Hawaiian word for diamond, borrowed from English.
It reached the Hawaii top 10 in the early 2000s and is given to boys and girls there while staying rare on the mainland. Ocean power and diamond in one word is a lot of nature-name value for four syllables.
77. Kallan
Kallan is a name with Scandinavian roots and means “river” or “stream.”
Kallan isn’t common in the U.S., but it has a unique sound to it.
78. Kendall
Kendall comes from an English surname built on Kendal, a city in northwest England whose name means “valley on the river Kent.”
It was mostly a boys’ name until 1993, when a character on All My Children moved it firmly to girls, and it ranked #328 for girls in the US in 2025. Kendall Jenner is the bearer keeping it in the headlines.
79. Laguna
Laguna is of Italian roots and means “pond” or “lake.”
Laguna is another mermaid-material name, which, when spoken, depicts a sense of mythical mystery. It’s excellent for beachy or outdoorsy parents.
80. Leith
Leith is of Scottish origins, although it’s also the name of a river running through New Zealand.
It’s probably best known as a city in Scotland and as a boy’s name. Nonetheless, due to today’s trends of doing a gender switch on names, it works as a girl’s name.
81. Locklyn
Locklyn is a Scottish name, meaning “lake land.”
It’s quite rare and is viewed more like a phonetic spelling of another Scottish male name. The most common association with the name is the daughter of the famous actor Vince Vaughn.
82. Loire
Loire is the name of a French river and the wine region around it, said Lwahr rather than Lory.
The Loire valley is green, castle-heavy country, and the name carries that unhurried feel. It is rare in the US, so it suits parents who want a place name nobody in the family has claimed yet.
83. Lynn
Lynn comes from an English surname built on place names, themselves from the Welsh llyn meaning “lake.”
It ran as a first name through the 1940s as an alternative to Linda, last charted for girls at #931 in 1996, and now lives mostly in the middle slot. It was a boys’ name before the 20th century, which is why it still reads a little unisex.
84. Maayan
Maayan means “spring of water” in Hebrew and is given to both girls and boys in Israel.
It ranked #78 for girls and #91 for boys in Israel in 2024, so it is genuinely common there while staying unknown in the US. Americans tend to hear it as a version of Maya, so expect to spell it out.
85. Marina
Marina is the feminine form of the Latin name Marinus, so it reads as “of the sea.” It is pronounced ma-REE-na.
It was borne by several early saints, and in the Eastern Orthodox Church it is the name by which Saint Margaret of Antioch is known. Shakespeare gave it to the princess born at sea in Pericles. In the US it is steady rather than fashionable, sitting at #601 for girls in 2025, so your daughter is unlikely to share it with a classmate.
86. Maya
Maya arrives from several directions at once, Hebrew, Greek, and Spanish among them, and it is the Hebrew route that carries the water sense.
In Greek myth Maia was the mother of Hermes; in Roman tradition she was an earth and spring goddess, and the month of May takes her name. Maia is the most common alternate spelling. Maya is also the most mainstream name on this list: it ranked #49 for girls in the US in 2023 and #62 in 2025, so it is a top-100 pick rather than a rare find.
87. Mayim
Mayim is a Hebrew name that translates straight across to “water.”
Actress Mayim Bialik, from Blossom and The Big Bang Theory, is the reason most Americans have heard it, and it stays rare here. The sound is soft and close to Miriam without the length.
88. Mira
Mira is another Latin name with a few different meanings. It translates to “ocean,” “female ruler,” “admirable,” or “peace.”
With such a strong sense, Mira is a common name around the world. It’s especially prevalent in Spanish speaking countries and the Middle East. Actress Mira Sorvino may be the most famous Mira.
89. Moana
Moana means “ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea” in Maori, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan, and Tongan.
It reaches the top 10 for Maori families in New Zealand and in Tahiti, for boys and girls alike, so it is a long-standing Polynesian name rather than a Disney invention. The film is unavoidable, and the one thing to know is that the short form Moa is a word for chicken.
90. Nahla
Nahla is of Arabic origin and translates to “drink of water.”
A famous example of Nahla is Halle Berry’s daughter. Beyond that it is not widely used in the U.S., making it unique and creative. It’s a beautiful name, but don’t confuse it with Nala from Disney’s The Lion King.
91. Narelle
Narelle has Aboriginal and Australian roots and is usually given as “little river,” said Nuh-RELL.
It belongs to a river in New South Wales and is far better known in Australia than anywhere else. In the US it is unheard of, which is the appeal for parents hunting outside the American charts.
92. Nori
Nori is a Japanese name that can mean “seaweed” or “doctrine,” depending on the characters written.
Americans know nori as the dried sheet wrapped around sushi, and as the nickname Kim Kardashian uses for her daughter North. Two syllables, easy to spell, and it fits alongside Naomi and Nova without repeating either.
93. Ondine
Ondine is the French form of Undine, a name coined by the Swiss writer Paracelsus in the 16th century for female water spirits, from the Latin unda meaning “wave.”
That makes it one of the few names here invented for water creatures rather than borrowed from a map. It is rare even in France, and Undine is the spelling to reach for if you want the older form.
94. Rain
Rain is a name derived from the English word. There are several versions of this name, but this is the purest.
Rain reflects a refreshing, crisp, and natural image that’s definitely going to generate some questions. Several celebrities have given this name to their children. Examples include Richard Pryor and Marisol Nichols.
95. Sabrina
Sabrina is the Latin form of Habren, the original Welsh name for the River Severn.
Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote up a princess named Sabrina who drowned in the Severn, though scholars think the story grew out of the river rather than the other way around. It ranked #321 for girls in the US in 2025, well off its 20th century peak, and Serena and Sabina are the nearest alternatives.
96. Talia
Talia means “dew from God” in Hebrew, from tal, “dew,” and yah, for the Hebrew God.
It ranked #265 for girls in the US in 2025, so it is used more than most parents assume and stands on its own without needing Natalia behind it. Talia Shire, from the Rocky and Godfather films, is the bearer people name first.
97. Tallulah
Tallulah is tied to the waterfalls at Tallulah Gorge in Georgia, and the Native American reading everyone quotes is “leaping water” in Choctaw, though it may actually be a Creek word for “town.”
It ranked #939 for girls in the US in 2025, back on the charts after a long gap, and actress Tallulah Bankhead carried it through the last century. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis used it for their daughter, which is where the current run started.
98. Tarni
Tarni comes from Australia and is usually given as “wave” or “surf,” said TAR-nee.
It is used steadily in Australia and almost nowhere else, and the spellings Tarney and Tahney exist even though the plain version is what people write. Two syllables ending in the ee sound puts it beside Sadie and Remi without sharing their rankings.
99. Winslet
Winslet is an English surname name meaning “Wynn’s stream.”
Kate Winslet is the only bearer most people can name, and it has almost no history as a first name, which is what makes it interesting to parents hunting a W name that is not Willow or Wren. Winnie is the built-in nickname.
100. Zarya
Zarya is a name of Slavic origin that comes out of myth rather than everyday vocabulary.
The Zarya of the stories is a water priestess who also protected warriors, which gives the name a guardian streak that few water names have. It is rare in the US and sits close enough to Zara and Maya to sound current without copying either.
Tips for Choosing a Baby Name
How Does It Sound?
Sound is the part you will live with, so say the name out loud before you commit to it. Test it three ways: called across a playground, introducing an adult in a meeting, and spoken next to your surname.
- Does it land soft or sharp?
- How does it sit against your last name?
- Is it easy to call out from a distance?
Colliding vowels are the most common problem. A first name ending in a vowel next to a surname starting with one tends to blur, so Maya Adair runs together in a way Maya Brooks does not. Rhyming with the surname does the same thing. And for your child’s sake, skip the puns, Bud Weiser and Holly Wood included.
Uniqueness
There is a line between distinctive and difficult. A name nobody else in the class has is a gift; a name nobody can spell or say gets corrected every single day. Picking an extremely odd name can bring unwanted attention and constant mispronunciation (1), so the useful test is whether a stranger can repeat it after hearing it once.
Meaning
A real, sourced meaning is the part your child will actually retell. Water names do well here because the meanings are concrete: Kaimana is power of the ocean, Cherith is the winter stream that kept Elijah alive, Aenon is springs. Family meaning counts double. Honoring a grandparent or a close friend gives the name a story no dictionary can supply.
A Name for All Ages
Picture the name on a resume, not just on a birth announcement. Names that read sweet on a toddler and serious on an adult, Brooke and Hudson and Marina among them, age better than the ones that only work small. A longer formal name with a short nickname gives your child both options for free.
Initials
Write the initials out and read them back. Work email is usually first initial plus surname, so Thomas Roll becomes [email protected], and there is no fixing that once he is hired. Check the three-letter monogram too, since it turns up on everything from towels to luggage tags.
Popular Names
Check the current rankings before you fall in love. The number one name of the year means your child shares it from the first day of preschool onward, and it means calling one name at the park and watching four heads turn. Hudson at #17 and Brooks at #64 in 2025 are lovely names; they are not quiet ones.
FAQs
Final Thoughts
A theme is the fastest way to make a shortlist manageable, and water is a generous one. It runs from top-20 names like Hudson all the way down to Cove, which has no US popularity record at all, so you can pick your level of rarity without ever leaving the theme.
Read your three favorites out loud with your surname attached, check the current ranking so you know what you are signing up for, and confirm the meaning against a real source rather than a graphic. Then choose the one you would be happy calling across a beach for the next eighteen years.
