Top trends: botanical-style baby names that parents love

Ah, flowers. They’re a perfect gift for any holiday or just because. They can brighten a mood, a room, and even a baby’s name.

If you love flowers and are expecting a baby, you might consider naming your little one after one of these beautiful parts of nature. There are plenty of options to choose from, too.

A new study from plant-based company Patch Plants examined the most popular botanical baby names in America, based on data from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Oliver, Rowan, Chloe and Violet are some of the most popular, but there are many more—and some of their meanings are profound.

“Flowers and plants often have multiple symbolic properties that date back centuries. For example, the botanical meaning of ‘iris’ was very important in ancient times, as the iris symbolized strength, faith, wisdom and bravery,” says Nicholas Schulman, Head of Consumer at Patch Plants Parents. “Botany had a huge influence in ancient times, so it’s really interesting to see how these origins still play such a big role in baby names today.”

Check out the most popular botanical-style baby names that are currently popular with parents.

• Olivia: This is a Latin name meaning “olive tree.” According to SSA, this was also the most popular girl’s name in 2023.
• Oliver: Same as above. This name was the third most popular boy’s name in 2023.
• Chloe: This Greek name means “young green shoot,” that is, when a plant begins to grow.
• Rowan: This comes from a Gaelic word meaning “red,” the color of the bright berries of this tree.
• Violet: It has Latin origins, means purple and stands for the flower of the same name.
• Amir: In Hebrew this name means treetop.
• Hazel: Although they are plants, the name goes back to Old English and means “the hazelnut tree”.
• Ashton: This name has English roots and means “from the ash tree”.
• Lily: The name of this popular flower comes from the Latin word lily.
• Bentley: Here is another English name that means “meadow with coarse grass.”
• Pasture: This is a different tree, but the name comes from the Old English word welcome.
• Lennox: This Scottish name means “elm grove”.
• Ivy: This also has Old English roots and comes from the word for the ivy plant, “ifig”.
• Sage: This is an herbal plant but also has Latin roots meaning wisdom.
• Lillian: This popular name has Latin origins and means lily.
• Oakley: Another English word meaning “oak wood or clearing”.
• Savannah: This name has Spanish roots and means “flat tropical grassland”.
• Forest: This can also be written “forest,” which is of course a place with a lot of plant life.
• Iris: This plant is also the name of the goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology.
• Lawrence: This Latin name means “from Laurentum,” an ancient city of laurel trees.
• Ayla: This means “oak” in Hebrew.
• Layton: This Old English name means “settlement with a leek garden”.
• Juniper: This refers to the evergreen tree.
• Thornbush: This stands for thorn bush.
• Rose: This popular flower name has Latin roots.
• Larry: See Lawrence above.
• Daisy: This is a popular plant that usually blooms seasonally.
• Rhodes: This is not only an island in Greece, but also means rose in Greek.
• Aspen: It comes from a plant called American aspen, which is native to North America.

Many of these names were in the top 100 most popular baby names in 2023. Ashton, Bentley, Lennox, Sage, Oakley, Forrest, Lawrence, Ayla, Layton, Juniper, Briar, Rose, Larry, Aspen and Daisy were not as popular but still in the top 1,000.

As for Rhodes, this name only appeared at number 923 in the top 1,000 most popular baby names in 2022. In 2023, it came in at number 707. So if you are looking for a popular baby name that is not So popular, then this may be the way to go. Either way, any of these botanical names will suit your sweetheart well.