Good news for parents dreaming of baby names inspired by the sea: Ocean names for babies, like Kai and Kaia, are on the rise.
Parents who love the beach and ocean, or who like to paddle, surf or sail, may be drawn to ocean names.
Perhaps the ocean or sea has special meaning to moms and dads expecting a new arrival.
According to baby naming consultant Pamela Redmond of the baby name website Nameberry, ocean names for babies are more popular than ever.
"There’s such high awareness of the environment and appreciation for nature that many parents have strong feelings for wanting to identify the majesty of the ocean with their child," Redmond tells TODAY.com
Redmond parallels the draw of ocean names to that of religious names.
"It’s almost like people naming a child after someone they admire or someone in the Bible or the Quran their child can emulate," Redmond says. "The ocean has that same inspirational power."
Nature names, and water names as a subset of nature names, are both trending right now.
"Calm, soothing names with positive meanings have been especially popular with parents having new babies during the pandemic," Redmond tells TODAY.com. "And that trend does not seem to be going away."
Popular Ocean Names For Babies With Meanings
The top ocean names, according to Redmond, and their meanings, include:
Kai — A gender-neutral Hawaiian name meaning “sea”
Caspian — A boy's name taken from the large salty sea between Europe and Asia
Cordelia — Celtic girl name meaning “daughter of the sea”
Mira — A multicultural name with many origins and meanings, one of which is Sanskrit for ocean
Dylan — Welsh name meaning “son of the sea”
Kaia — Feminine form of Kai
Guinevere — Welsh for “white wave”
Miriam — Hebrew for “drop of the sea”
Marina — Latin name meaning “from the sea”
Rosemary — Derived from the Latin terms “ros” meaning “dew” and “marinus” meaning “of the sea”
115 Ocean Names For Baby Boys And Girls
Whether you are seeking an ocean baby names for a boy or girl, here are 115 names to consider:
- Kai
- Serena
- Caspian
- Cordelia
- Mira
- Dylan
- Kaia
- Onda
- Guinevere
- Miriam
- Marina
- Cari
- Rosemary
- Rafferty
- Derya
- Mary
- Maren
- Jenna
- Ocean
- Mariah
- Jennifer
- Marilyn
- Murphy
- Marie
- Tiberius
- May
- Morgan
- Maria
- Marnie
- Moira
- Wade
- Mariana
- Irving
- India
- Malik
- Ridley
- Doris
- Kiawah
- Naia
- Marin
- Marissa
- Mariam
- Nixie
- Marley
- Morgana
- Maris
- Marvin
- Maryam
- Maribel
- Murray
- Khai
- Marion
- Muriel
- Nori
- Merlin
- Ginevra
- Fisher
- Avisa
- Marisa
- Marian
- Nerissa
- Morwenna
- Mariella
- Beryl
- Marianne
- Manami
- Neptune
- Kailani
- Llyr
- Darya
- Masha
- Zale
- Kehlani
- Kairi
- Mariel
- Saga
- Kia
- Ondine
- Oceane
- Halcyon
- Moana
- Maelyn
- Thalassa
- Marilla
- Pike
- Oceana
- Rosemarie
- Anahita
- Mar
- Nerida
- Hurley
- Yara
- Marine
- Sereia
- Marietta
- Maire
- Maryjane
- Neri
- Meara
- Asherah
- Lir
- Ula
- Havelock
- Hali
- Zealand
- Marlee
- Coast
- Stellamaris
- Pelagia
- Iluka
- Aukai
- Gali
- Kaimana
- Marella
- Umiko
