Baby Names Inspired by Apples

Apple baby names range from the familiar Anna and Alexander to the downright daring. After all, with over 7,500 varieties of the fruit, it’s no surprise some might be possible names for children. Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp don’t really work, of course … but a great many feel far more wearable.

More of these are baby girl names, but options for boys are represented, too.

APPLE

Of course, just Apple is an option. Long before Gwyneth Paltrow gave the name to her daughter, it was used in tiny numbers in the US. In fact, Apple debuted in the US data way back in 1971, when seven girls received the name. The word comes from the Old English æppel, though that probably referred to any kind of fruit, as did the Middle English appel.

ARIANE

Just like favorites Arianna and Ariana, this name traces its roots to the mythological Ariadne. It’s French – both the apple and the name. It charted briefly in the US, way back in 1978. My first thought? Led Zeppelin’s “All of My Love.” Except that haunting song was released in 1979. Instead, credit goes to a French film, a perfume by Avon, a series of rockets developed by the European Space Agency, or a combination of the above.

BLOSSOM

As in the apple blossom, though it probably brings to mind flowers rather than fruit.

CRISPIN

Little wonder that someone called an apple the Crispin – crisp means pleasingly firm. Except that’s not the origin of the name; it derives from the Latin crispus, meaning curly. Saint Crispin’s Day features large in Shakespeare’s Henry V, best known for the “Band of Brothers” speech.

CYBELE

An ancient goddess predating the Greek pantheon, Cybele serves as the equivalent of Gaia or Rhea. It sounds something like the stylish -bell names, and brings to mind Zoe, Chloe, and Penelope, too. But it’s among the rarest names on this list – and that’s saying something!

DARCY

The D’Arcy Spice apple has history, plus it brings to mind Pride and Prejudice. That makes it a romantic, dramatic name that also happens to make the list of apple baby names.

ELISE

As a variety, Elise debuted in the world of apples recently. As a name, Elise feels pleasingly traditional.

EVELINA

Evelina follows logically from Evelyn and Eva. A lovely, surprising name, Evelina also belongs to a variety of apple, a cousin to the Golden Delicious.

EVERARD

Saint Everard apples take their name from a Duke of Friuli born during the reign of Charlemagne. We know Everard as Everett, but the original also appeals.

FRANKLIN

If you love names like Oliver and Henry, Franklin might appeal, too. Worn by a famous president and an animated turtle, Franklin also grows on trees, making it a great choice for apple baby names!

GALA

Party and Festival fall flat, but Gala? As apple baby names go, Gala seems like one you’ll probably find in most grocery stores. But it’s also an interesting, unexpected word name possibility. It might be short for Galilea, or maybe even Galatea, too.

INGRID

Sweden’s Ingrid Bergman became a Hollywood legend. Her given name marries the fierce and the feminine. It makes a great Scandinavian heritage choice, but works for families of any background.

JUBILEE

Jubilee shares the ‘oo’ sound of Ruby, Lucy, and Jude. A few high profile mentions of the name have put it on some parents’ radar. It sits just outside of the current US Top 1000 for girls. The spiritual associations suggest that it might work well for a daughter or a son.

KATYA

A Slavic and Scandinavian short form of Katherine, this name is also spelled Katia and Katja. Kaitlyn is fading today, but Katherine remains a classic forever open to reinvention.

LILIBET

Apple baby names should be sweet, right? The Sweet Lilibet apple might inspire some families. The current Queen Elizabeth answered to nickname Lilibet during her childhood. It fits with all of those popular Lily names.

MAC, MACINTOSH

Is Macintosh a bit too apple-inspired? Maybe. But we’ve been wild about Mac- and Mc- names for a generation. A mom named Makayla might not blink at boy names like McCoy, Macalister, or Macintosh. The apple is typically spelled MacIntosh, with a capital I, but the computer makes Macintosh – and easy nickname Mac – familiar to all.

MARIGOLD

Marigold counts as a botanical baby name, but it is also found in the apple orchard. And, of course, there’s the Downton Abbey character.

MILO GIBSON

Milo feels bright and wearable, an upbeat name with history to spare. Gibson also intrigues, and the combination sounds like a super stylish first-middle combination.

MOLLIE

You’re probably used to seeing Molly, but the apple baby names version is Mollie with an ie. Once short for Mary, now this name stands on its own – no matter how you spell it.

OPAL

Two apples are called Opal. While most see this as a gemstone name, that makes it an edible apple name, too.

PENDRAGON

You might remember Pendragon from the list of middle names other than Danger. Pendragon comes from Arthurian legend, and yes, it’s among the apple baby names, too.

PILOT

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s daughter Apple inspired this post, but Jason Lee’s son Pilot Inspektor makes those same bad baby name lists. And yet we’re naming our children Jett by the thousands. And as it happens, there’s a large, stripy yellow fruit that puts Pilot among the apple baby names.

POMONA, POMELINE, POMELLINA

The Roman goddess of fruit trees, Pomona comes from the Latin word pomum. Like Apple, it referred to both apples and all fruit in general at first, though pomme is now the French word for apple. (Potatoes? They’re pomme de terre – an earth apple!) It’s a subtle nod to the natural world.

PRISCILLA

Pretty, elegant Priscilla seems like a logical successor to favorites like Isabella and Penelope.

SPENCER

Spencer kept company with Tanner and Tyler in the 1990s, but has faded slightly since then. It makes the apple baby names list, too.

TIOGA

Tioga comes from an Iroquois word referring to the place where two rivers meet. Plenty appear on the map, and place names often make great choices for daring baby namers. It brings to mind Diego and Santiago, but it might work equally well for a daughter.

YATES

Poetic and preppy, Yates brings to mind William Butler Yeats. Plus, ends-in-s names are having a moment, like Brooks and Ames.

ZARI

Zari fits with names like Zuri and Zoe, and yes, it’s on the list of apple baby names, too.

EVEN MORE FRUIT NAMES

Besides Apple and company, do other fruits inspire children’s names?

BANANA

Borrowed from Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto. Yes, it’s a pen name – but an unforgettable one.

CHERRY

Names like the French translation of cherry, Cerise and even Cherry Blossom are sometimes seen. But Cherry has a long history of use as a given name in the US, peaking in the 1940s and falling out favor during the 1970s.

PEACH and PEACHES

Rocker Bob Geldof named one his daughters Peaches; Princess Peach is video game royalty.

PERSICO

Among the rarest of the rare: Persico, an Italian place name and surname meaning peach tree. But the word comes from the Latin phrase persicum malum – Persian apple. The English surname Pershing is related.

PLUM

You might think of writer and socialite Plum Sykes; in her case, Plum is a nickname for her given name, Victoria. (Because there’s a type of the fruit called the Victoria plum.)

PRUNE

This one sounds impossible, but it really was a trending choice in France for a while, peaking earlier in the 2000s.

WHAT ABOUT A NAME MEANING APPLE?

ABELIO, ABELLIO

Abelio fits in with so many romance language, o-ending names for boys. The name of a Gaulish god, it probably comes from a word meaning apple. 

ALMA

Alma appeals for plenty of reasons. After all, it means “soul” in Spanish. But it also means apple in Kazakh and Tatar. A similar word exists in other languages, including Turkish.

ALMILA

Speaking of Turkish, Almila means “red apple.” 

AMENA

The Japanese name element na can refer to an apple tree. Amena’s first part means candy, making this name even sweeter. Among the dozens of possible names that might mean apple – or apple tree – in Japanese, Amena is a good mix of distinctively different and effortlessly international. Names like Amina and Aminah are similar, with varying origins and meanings. 

ATALANTA

In Greek myth, the goddess Aphrodite gave Melanion three golden apples. Melanion used the apples to distract Atalanta in a foot race, allowing him to outrun her, and claim her hand in marriage. Not the most modern of tales, but the apple connection could be one more reason to consider this rarity.

AVALON

King Arthur was brought to this legendary island paradise after his death. It comes from the Welsh afal, meaning apple, because the fruit was considered abundant in paradise.

CHAMOMILE

Yes, chamomile refers to tea, not fruit. Except it comes from a Greek word meaning “earth apple,” because the tea’s fragrance is similar to apples. 

KENNA

Another Japanese name that crossed over into English effortlessly, and again a name ending in -na, for apple tree.

MELINE

A princess in Greek myth, Meline’s name comes from the word melon – which originally referred to an apple. (Or possibly a quince.)

NAIA

Another Japanese na name, Naia is another culture-spanning possibility with multiple meanings and origins.

OMENA

From the Finnish word for apple.

RINGO

Richard Starkey is world famous as Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. It’s nearly the first thing that comes to mind for most of us, but as it happens, Ringo also sounds like the Japanese word for apple. 

This post was published on October 13, 2011. Following substantial revision, it was reposted on October 21, 2016 and revised again on September 26, 2019 and again on October 6, 2020 and July 23, 2024.