Baby Names to Remind You of the Sea
by Ruth Fitzpatrick
Summertime and summer holidays are just around the corner and we're all dreaming of lazing on beaches and cooling off in the sea! Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a simple sun worshiper, there's something incredible evocative about the sea. Its immense power has made it the central feature of many historical and modern day cultures and mythologies, and as such, there's a wealth of sea and ocean inspired names to choose from when picking the perfect name for your son or daughter. Here are a few of favorites:
Coral The incredibly elaborate and colorful seabed invertebrate has a Victorian vintage feel to it, similar to Ruby, Violet, or another sea-inspired name: Pearl. Unlike these other names, though, Coral has yet to make much of an impact in the 21st century. We think it could be an amazing aquatic alternative to the likes of Carol or Caroline.
Deniz A quirky alterative to Dennis, Deniz has Turkish origins and means 'sea, waves'. The ultimate-z makes it unique and captivating and it has huge potential for cross-cultural appeal.
Ula This girl's name has mythological Celtic origins and means 'gem of the sea'. It is definitely a more unusual choice, but it does have a smooth and melodic sound, and has a ring to it that reminds of us of the rolling waves and semi-tranquil seas.
Kai One of the current flavors of the month for us here at Nameslist, and a name which is still growing in popularity among prospective US parents. It has multiple meanings and cultural connotations across the world, but we've chosen it for this list because of its simple but powerful Hawaiian meaning, 'sea'.
Doris Unfortunately, Doris still gives off an overly old-fashioned vibe, but since similar names have reinvented themselves in recent times, there's no reason Doris can't either! It's a Greek name, and means 'gift of the sea'. In classical mythology, she was one of many beautiful nymph daughters of the sea god, Oceanus.
Hurley A boy's name with plenty of potential to be used as a girl's name too. It's one of many Irish surnames which have made it onto American parents' baby names lists! Robust but with a definite Irish lilt, it's also the name of a wooden stick used in one of Ireland's most popular – and most violent – sports, hurling. As a name, it means 'sea tide'.
Moana Like Jasmine in the '90s, this name might see a major Disney Princesses boost. It means 'ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea' in Maori and other Polynesian languages. It is the name of one of the sea gods, so it continues to hold huge cultural and religious significance and value. It has a very enticing and exotic ring to it while not sounding overly outlandish or unusual.
Tai A Maori name mean 'tide', it of course is going to draw comparisons to the more popular Kai. Could be an excellent choice if you want a sleeker, snappier alternative to Taylor or Tyler, and has the added bonus of being hugely culturally and historically significant.
Blue When mega-power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z gave this name to their daughter, Blue Ivy, just over half a decade ago, it sounded like an overly extravagant and outlandish statement that only a celebrity parent could get away with. But, now? We feel like it's kind of grown on us! It would definitely work for a super cool future surfer boy or girl and is deeply evocative of the depths of the unknown deep, blue.
Irving A once popular surname-as-a-first-name which we see making a return. It gives off a strong vibe of commanding, poetic contemplativeness, but is almost unique in its sound among other boy's names. Its origins are Scottish, and it means 'green river, sea friend'. From the same era as Irving, Ernest also has a connection to the sea. Though strictly speak a Germanic virtue name, it is of course associated with the great American novelist, Ernest Hemingway, and his famous book, The Old Man and The Sea.
