In this era of going green, many parents consider bestowing names upon their babies that draw inspiration from nature. You have a surprising number of options when choosing from nature-based baby names. Natural baby names may reflect the weather, the seasons, objects in the wilderness, animals, plants and natural wonders. For contrast, you can pair a natural names with a simpler or more common name.

Flowery Names

Names inspired by nature often have a fanciful sound. Go with multiple-syllable words ending in “y,” “a” or “ie” to evoke woodland fairies or garden sprites. Among your choices are Breezy, Gaia, Galaxy, Flora, Nova, Prairie, Windy, Aurora, Woody, Rainy, Stormy, Berry and Dusty. You can also take many natural wonders, such as Shell, and add a “y” on the end to make it sound more lyrical.

The Cosmos

Folklore, mythology, language, religion, history and science offer a myriad of variations inspired by the sun, moon and cosmos. Among your options are Luna and Sol, the Spanish words for moon and sun, as well as Apollo, Jericho, Chakra, Mitra, Ra, Sampson and Weayaya for boys and Apoline, Dominga, Elektra, Sunny, Diana and Miakoda for girls.

Unusual Names

Unusual baby names can also be drawn from nature. For girls, consider Ariel, Sunshine, Sky, Athena, Autumn, Butterfly, Clover, Dawn, Feather, Fern, Karma, Magnolia, Holly, Lavender, Meadow, Moonshine, Ocean, Raina, Rainbow, Sage, Sapphire, Sunstar, Thyme and Windsong. For boys, there is Basil, Blue, Bud, Earth, Jay, Journey, Orion, Shadow and Stone.

Common Nature Names

If you want your baby’s name to be more down-to-earth, several nature-inspired baby names have entered the mainstream. For girls, you might choose Iris, Fern, Willow, Jasmine and Sierra. Gemstones, such as Ruby, Emerald and Jade, also turn up frequently as girls’ names. Common nature names for boys are more rare, but there is Leaf, often spelled Leif, as well as Dale, Raven, Reed, Phoenix and Griffin.