Indigo

Meaning: (Blue Dye, Blue Dye from India)

Origin: (Greek, English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (in-dih-goh, in-di-goh)

Gender: (Uni-Sex)

I have a novel idea for a few years now that has a main character named Indigo and when I was thinking of a name to add I realized I haven’t added Indigo and I wondered why because it is such a cool name. It has a nature based meaning and honestly the color itself is a beautiful blue purple so it would be a cool name if associated with a character based on a physical attribute like indigo colored eyes or hair or something, not to say that a name has to be based on a physical attribute but it could. A fun thing would be to pair it with other color/plant names like Periwinkle *see on list of posts*, Lilac *see on list of posts*, Lavender *see on list of posts*, Rose ect. All in all I like this name and can’t wait to bring my edgy girl Indigo to the page, she’s going to be a fun one, lol!

Ivalyn

Meaning: (A climbing evergreen ornamental plant, Ivalyn is an alternate form of Ivy)

Origin: (English, Old English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (IHVAHLihN)

Gender: Female

My boyfriend Anthony had a cat when growing up that he nicknamed Ivalyn though her name was Ivy. Ivalyn is such a pretty unique take to give more depth to the simple name Ivy. Ivalyn seems an old lady like name but if used in a Historical Fiction novel it could be used on a younger character. It is very beautiful and ethereal in a way and Ivy plants are very much plants I associate with fairy tales. This could be very pretty if used for either a peasant girl or a girl of nobility like Lady Ivalyn or Princess Ivalyn or Duchess Ivalyn.

Tymber

Meaning: (Wood, variant of Timber.)

Origin: (English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (Tim-bur, Tim-ber, TAM-ber, TAYMB-er)

Gender: Female, possibly Uni-Sex

I was watching an episode of Law & Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit) and in that episode one of the main abused characters sisters was named Tymber and I really kind of love it with a Y instead of an I. The meanings are normal and decent and it has a very cool nature look and is easily pronounceable if one can realize Tymber is actually Timber with a Y. For some reason I see a character of nobility being named this or perhaps a fairy or woodland prominent creature being named this. I can see a logger naming his child Tymber, lol! Can you imagine someone being named Tymber being a huge hugger, tree hugger, lol!

Lotus

Meaning: (Flowery, Lotus Flower, the Flower)

Origin: (Greek, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (LOWTahS, LO-tus)

Gender: Female

I was thinking of using this as a character’s child’s middle name. I of course decided not to use that name but I do like it. It is a flower name that is not used as much as the more popular Rose, Iris *see on list of posts* and Violets *see on list of posts*. I think a good nickname could be Lottie *see on list of posts*. Lotus flowers are also very pretty so there could be a good reason for naming a character this in relevance to the flower if an author cared to us it.

Violet / Violetta

Meaning: (Purple, Blue Flower, One of the earliest flower names, first used in the 1830’s. From the Old French Violette, a diminutive form of Viole, which is derived from the Latin Viola (a Violet). The name has been in use since the middle ages but did not become common until the middle of the 19^th Century when the use of flower names came into vogue. Shakespeare used the Latin form Viola for the enterprising Heroine in “Twelfth Night”.)

Origin: (Latin, English, English Nature Name, Italian)

Pronunciation: (Violet: VYE-a-let, VIY-a-lit Violetta: VYE-a-letta, ViyaaLYEHTaa (Russian))

Gender: Female

I have used Violetta as a characters child’s name. As for Violet I always thought it was one of those overly popularized flower names. I do think it is elegant and beautiful though. I think Violetta is even more elegant yet foreign which is lovely. Given the earliest era it was used it could be used in many Historical Novels. It could also be used in the present and future novel.

Aeria

Meaning: (A Genus of Butterfly, Name of an asteroid.)

Origin: (Latin, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (AIR-ee-a, ay-air’-ee-a, AIR-ee-uh)

Gender: Female

A friend has a character in one of her stories named Aeria; I hope she doesn’t mind that I post about it. I do love names that start in Ae, the only down fall for me is the pronunciation which I am not so thrilled about. It does look interesting and a bit foreign. A good nickname could be Aery pronounced like Airy.

Lillia / Lilia

Meaning: (Lilies, Variant of Lillian, Lily, Lelia.)

Origin: (English, English Nature Name, Latin)

Pronunciation:  (LIL-ee-ah, lee-lee-ah)

Gender: Female

I had a friend who had a screen name that was Lilliana. I think Lilliana is a pretty name but I really liked the first part Lillia / Lilia. It is a bit prettier and rarer then Lilly. It also has an exotic look. I could see a petite mousy girl named this but maybe her looks and name are misleading as she is truly strong and fierce.

Summer

Meaning: (Summer, A Nature Name; the season used as a girl’s name, like Spring and Season. Taken from the name of the warmest season of the year. The name has been used in recent times, often in reference to the liveliness of the season.)

 

Origin: (Old English, English Nature Name, Sanskrit)

 

Pronunciation: (SUH-mer, SAHMMehR)

 

Gender: Female
 

I have never been a fan of season names but I did add Winter / Wynter *See on list of posts* to my blog some time ago. Summer is not my favorite season nor favorite name but it is a decent nature name. I see this name a lot so it would do well as a character name because it is easily recognized and pronounceable.

Plumeria

Meaning: (A Flower, Plumeria is related to the Oleander, Nerium oleander, and both possess an irritant, rather similar to that of Euphorbia. Contact with the sap may irritate eyes and skin. Each of the separate species of Plumeria bears differently shaped, alternate leaves with distinct form and growth habits. The leaves of P. alba are quite narrow and corrugated, whereas leaves of P. pudica have an elongated shape and glossy, dark-green color. P. pudica is one of the everblooming types with non-deciduous, evergreen leaves. Another species that retains leaves and flowers in winter is P. obtusa; though its common name is "Singapore," it is originally from Colombia.

Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers have no nectar, however, and simply dupe their pollinators. The moths inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.

The genus, originally spelled Plumeria, is named in honor of the seventeenth-century French botanist Charles Plumier, who traveled to the New World documenting many plant and animal species. The common name "Frangipani" comes from an Italian noble family (itself literally meaning "breads-breaker(s)" in Italian), a sixteenth-century marquess who invented a plumeria-scented perfume. Many English speakers also simply use the generic name "plumeria". In India, the name is "champa" or "chafa", in Telugu "Deva ganneru" (divine nerium). In Hawaii, the name is "melia" although common usage among all residents is still "plumeria". In Sri Lanka, it is referred to as araliya and (in English) as the Temple Tree. In Cantonese it is known as, 'gaai daan fa' or the 'egg yolk flower' tree. The name 'Leelawadee' (originating from Thai) is found occasionally. In Indonesia, where the flower has been commonly associated with Balinese culture, it is known as "Kamboja". For more information on the flower Plumeria got o this site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumeria )

Origin:  (English, French, Italian, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation:  (PLOO-mir-ee-uh, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Plumeria to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=plumeria)

Gender: Female

 

I was looking through some of my lotions the other day when I was spring cleaning and I noticed one of my lotions was Plumeria. It is a heavenly scented lotion. Also I just bought a Tropical Plumeria Petals candle. I am thinking of using it as a name of one of my characters sisters. It’s not a name I think should be used a real persons name as its sort of odd looking for the real world. The flower itself is really quite pretty.

Juniper

Meaning: (Juniper Bush, Taken from the name of a small evergreen shrub bearing berries used in flavoring gin. Either in reference to the English common name for the juniper tree or berry, or in reference to a derivation of the Welsh name Guinevere. Juniper has historically been used as both a boys' name and a girls' name. The Juniper tree's name is derived from the Latin word juniperus. In Latin, juniperus is combination of the word junio, which means young, and parere, to produce, hence youth producing, or evergreen. Ginepro (Italian for Juniper), Ginevra (Italian variant form of Juniper), and Ginny are other names that also refer to the Juniper tree. During the Renaissance era, Junipers were  used symbolically in art to represent chastity.)

Origin:  (Latin, Welsh, English (Rare), English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (JOO-ni-per, JOON-ə-pər, JHUW-Nay-P-er)   

Gender: Female

I was thinking about adding this the other day. I have added Geneva which has a root in Juniper. I think Juniper is a super cute name. It’s a nature name that I really like that isn’t used too often.

Irisa / Iris

Meaning: (Rainbow, A name of two distinct derivations in use throughout Europe and the British Isles. In England, Iris is one of the flower names and is derived from the genus Iris. Elsewhere in Europe, it is generally taken from Iris, the mythical Greek Goddess of the Rainbow.)

Origin: (Russian, Old Greek, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (Irisa: iy-RIY-Saa-, -ay-RIHS-ah- or -ay-RIY-Saa Iris: EYE-riss, I-ris, EE-ris, IE-ris, I-riss)

Gender: Female

I can’t quite remember where I first saw Irisa but when I heard and saw it I really came to like it a lot. I have used Iris before in one of my novels. I used it because it was an older fashioned name and was a nature name because nature names particularly flower names were popular around the year my character was born. Both Iris and Irisa have beautiful meanings and are quite sophisticated names. They are short yet carry a dignified air to them. I’ve seen Iris in novels before but I would love to see Irisa.

Camalina

Meaning: (English as camelina, gold-of-pleasure, or false flax, also occasionally wild flax, linseed dodder, German sesame, and Siberian oilseed, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae which includes mustard, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts. It is native to Northern Europe and to Central Asian areas, but has been introduced to North America, possibly as a weed in flax. Camelina needs little water or nitrogen to flourish, it can be grown on marginal agricultural lands. It may be used as a rotation crop for wheat, to increase the health of the soil. It has been traditionally cultivated as an oilseed crop to produce vegetable oil and animal feed. Ample archeological evidence shows it has been grown in Europe for at least 3,000 years. The earliest find sites include the Neolithic levels at Auvernier, Switzerland (dated to the second millennium BC), the Chalcolithic level at Pefkakia in Greece (dated to the third millennium BC), and Sucidava-Celei, Romania (circa 2200 BC). During the Bronze age and Iron age, it was an important agricultural crop in northern Greece beyond the current range of the olive.  It apparently continued to be grown at the time of the Roman Empire, although it’s Greek and Latin names are not known. According to Zohary and Hopf, until the 1940s, C. sativa was an important oil crop in eastern and central Europe, and currently has continued to be cultivated in a few parts of Europe for its seed oil, which was used, for example, in oil lamps (until the modern harnessing of natural gas and propane and electricity) and as an edible false flax oil.)

Origin:  (English, English Nature Name, Latin)

Pronunciation: (cam-uh-lee-nuh)

Gender: Female

I was watching something of T.V and I heard this. I think it was during a commercial. I came to think what an adorable name this would make. Again here is a nature name with very nice meanings. The plant has an interesting history as well. The spelling and pronunciation is unique and would be great in many different genres. It would be super cute in a science fiction / fantasy novel. But I could see this being kind of cute in the modern day as well.

Azalea

Meaning: (Dry, Dry Earth, From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Greek αζαλεος (azaleos) "dry". Flower name of a shrub that flourishes in dry soil and blooms in spring. First coined in the 18th century.)

Origin: (English (Rare), English Nature Name, Greek)

Pronunciation: (ah-ZAY-lee-ə, ə-ZAY-lee-ə, ə-ZAYL-yə, a-ZAYL-yah)

Gender: Female

I was on Yahoo Answers a few weeks ago and this person was asking about naming one of there princesses in there story Azalea. They were also asking about Amaryllis *see on list of posts.* So I have seen this plant name used as a name before but never really gave it much thought. Now I have started to think about it and I like the name so I have decided to use it as one of my characters middle names. It is a name you don’t really hear too often and the meaning is decent. It’s a nice nature name and really quite pretty. I would love to see this name used in more stories but not so many that it becomes over used and boring.

Periwinkle

Meaning: (Resembling the Flower, Periwinkle is a color in the blue family. Its name is derived from the lesser periwinkle or myrtle herb (Vinca minor) which bears flowers of the same color. The color Periwinkle is also called lavender blue. The color periwinkle may be considered a pale tint of blue or indigo – a pastel blue or indigo. The first recorded use of periwinkle as a color name in English was in 1922.)

Origin: (English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (PEHRahWIHNGKahL, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Periwinkle to hear how it is said:  http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=periwinkle)

Gender: Female

I saw the new Tinker Bell movie advertised on T.V it's where she finds out she has a sister meaning they were born of the same laugh. Her sister's name is Periwinkle. I saw another movie once where there was a woman named Periwinkle. I kind of like the name. It's a flower name not used often.

Sequoia

Meaning: (Sparrow, Large Tree, Giant Redwood Tree, Tallest Tree on Earth and one of the longest lived, From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the Cherokee scholar Sequoya (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet.)

Origin: (Native American, English (Rare), English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (se-KWOH-yə, sə-KOI-ə, seh-KWOY-ah, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Sequoia to hear how it is pronounced: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=sequoia )

Gender: Female

I was watching a show on TV the other day and the persons name was Sequoia. I think it is a beautiful, powerful name. There is an interesting history behind the name of the Sequoia tree. It's a beautiful nature name.

Petal

Meaning: (Flower Petal, A Part of the Flower’s Blossom.)

Origin: (English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (PEHT-ahl)

Gender: Female

I think this is a beautiful ultra feminine name. I think this name is one of those names you can see in a fairy tale, like on a fairy princess named Petal. Or as a cute middle name. It is such a lovely name.

Peony

Meaning: (Praise Giving, Flower Name, As a Chinese name motif, the Peony signifies riches and honor. The Peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek God of Medicine and Healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil. Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the Peony flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek Medical God Paeon.)

Origin: (English (Rare), Greek, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (PEE-a-nee, PEE-ah-nee, PAY-uh-nee, Go to this site and run your cursor of the name Peony to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=peony+&submit=Submit)

Gender: Female

I used to not like this flower name but recently I keep hearing it and I do like the meaning and history behind the name. I also think Peony flowers are pretty. This could work if you are looking for a rarely used flower name for a character.

Bryony

Meaning: (Vine, Ivy, To Swell, To Sprout, Poisonous climbing vine.)

Origin: (English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (BRIY-a-nee, BRIE-a-nee, BREE-a-nee, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Bryony to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=bryony&submit=Submit)

Gender: Female

I never really liked this name but recently I have been seeing and hearing this name everywhere. I am actually thinking of using this name on one of my characters soon. Upon first hearing it I thought it sounded too harsh and the meaning wasn't all that great but I am liking it more and more lately. It's a great nature name too.

Honey

Meaning: (Nectar, Sweet as Honey, Also a nickname for Honora. A term of endearment.)

Origin: (American, English, Old English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (HUN-ee)

Gender: Female

I never thought this could be a name until years ago when I watched the movie Honey. The title character Honey was played by Jessica Alba. After that I thought that it would make a cool name but I don't know about in modern times. Also since I have been adding nature names lately I thought this would fit great. It's such a sweet name, LOL!

Blossom

Meaning: (Lovely, Flower Like, Blossom, Bloom, A Cluster of Flowers, To Thrive, Flourish, Generic flower name first used in the 19th century as an affectionate pet name for a young girl.)

Origin: (Old English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (BLAH-sum, BLAUS-uhm)

Gender: Female

Blossom is such a very pretty ultra feminine name. I don't know if it would fit in a lot of different novel genres but I think it might fit in a few. It might also be better as a characters middle name or maybe used as an affectionate nickname by a characters parents. I love the meaning and recently I have been posting nature names and this is an obvious one.