What are Nature Plus names?
There have always been some nature names in favor. From ecovintage favorites, like Lily and Rose, to newcomers like Willow and River to rare wearables like Canynon and Cove, possibilities abound.
Nature Plus names are the latest entry in this ever-growing category.
It’s a new twist on a long-standing trend.
MIX and MATCH NAMES
For generations, we’ve created new names by adding a prefix or a suffix. In some cases, we mixed and matched two appealing elements:
Take Kay, Jay, May, My, Lay, Ry, or Rae and add -lee, -ley, -leigh, -lyn, -lynn, -cie, -elle, -ella, -ani. The result? Kaylee, Myleigh, Raelynn, Jaycie, Ryelle … and so on, and so on.
In an earlier generation, the suffix of choice might’ve been -ene or -ette or even -inda. We’ve added De- and Le- to the beginning of names to craft something new, too.
But it feels like these mix and match names defined a generation. A generation of women named Kayla and Hailey are all grown-up and ready for something just a little different for their children.
SYNTHETIC SURNAMES
Parents love surname names for our children. But for every Carter, there’s an Jaxton. The former is common, a last name promoted to the first spot. Ditto for Jackson, Mason, and plenty of favorites.
Jaxton, Waylon, Rylan, and similar names aren’t common as surnames. In fact, they often have their roots as invented names, based on popular sounds and existing surnames. Sometimes, as with Waylon, one famous bearer puts the name on our lists. But others, like Jaxton and Rylan, seem to be created by lots of parents at the same time.
This trend feeds into Nature Plus names, which often sound like surnames, but with a twist.
NATURE PLUS NAMES
That brings us to Nature Plus names.
Take a nature name and add an extra element.
In some cases, it makes a unisex nature name clearly feminine: Riverlyn, maybe, or Wrenleigh.
It might take a popular name and make it a little less outdoorsy. Is Oaklee about the tree or the clothing brand?
Often it transforms a word name into something more name-like. The difference between, say, Katelyn and Lakelyn is slight.
They’re mostly new, but a handful of these trace their roots to the 1990s and even 1980s. Skylar and Skyler represent a simplified spelling of the Dutch surname Schuyler, but really, it’s an early example of Nature Plus.
In fact, a great many Nature Plus names end up sounding like surnames, or even blur the line between the two categories, with Skylar leading the way.
POPULAR NATURE PLUS NAMES
ASHLYN, ASHLYNN
It’s a twist on long-popular Ashley, an Anglicized spelling of the Irish Aisling, and an obvious nature plus choice.
BAYLEE
Bailey meets Kaylee, but with an obvious tie to the water.
EMBERLY
Ember updates Amber; Emberly feels fresher than Kimberly.
EMBERLYNN
Another obvious Ember option.
LAKELYN, LAKELYNN
Lachlan and Lachlon are traditional Irish and Scottish given names that do, indeed refer to lakes – lochs. Lakelyn is either a feminine twist/English-language update or a complete invention in the spirit of Nature Plus.
NOVALEE, NOVALEIGH
1995’s Where the Heart Is gave the name Novalee to the main character. But Nova is also the Latin word for new, and a celestial event that appears to form a new star. That’s enough to put Novalee on this list.
OAKLEY, OAKLEE, OAKLEIGH
Oakley is a surname. Think American sharpshooter turned folk hero Annie Oakley. It’s also a company first known for making motorcycle grips, then sunglasses, and now all sorts of apparel and active gear. The company took its name from the dog owned by Oakley founder, Jim Jannard. Today it’s one of the fastest-rising, unisex Nature Plus possibilities.
OAKLYN, OAKLYNN
Another Oak- name.
SKYLA
Skyla meets Kyla and Lyla.
SKYLAR, SKYLER
One of the original Nature Plus choices.
WAVERLY, WAVERLEY, WAVERLEE, WAVERLEIGH
Like Oakley, Waverly is a real surname. But today, this feels more like a nature name with strong ties to the beach and ocean.
WRENLEY, WRENLEE, WRENLEIGH
Popular bird name Wren meets -ley. Wrenley is now more popular than just Wren. It also sounds like Renley, a surname with English roots. Also: there’s a Game of Thrones character named Renly.
NEW NATURE PLUS NAMES
AMBERLY, AMBERLEY, AMBERLIE, AMBERLEE, AMBERLEIGH
Take a a gemstone favorite from the 1980s, and add the ever-present Lee ending, in the spirit of surname name Kimberly.
AMBERLYN, AMBERLYNN
If Amberly and Emberlynn are in use, then obviously we’ll find a few Amberlyns, too.
ASHBEA, ASHBIE
Ashby is a real surname name. Ashbea and Ashbie make it more of a creative choice.
BAYLYN, BAYLYNN
This sounds more like a name from Game of Thrones than a choice for a child. But it’s also a logical spin on the very popular Bailey-turned-Baylee.
BEARETT
Surname Barrett is sometimes shortened to Bear. Spell it Bearett and it’s more obvious that the nickname is planned.
BRIARLY, BRIARLEY, BRIARLEE, BRIARLEIGH
A logical extension of nature name Briar.
BRIARLYN, BRIARLYNN
Another Briar option.
EASTLYN, EASTLYNN
Easton feels more like a place name. Eastlyn could be an attempt to craft a feminine form of Easton, or a directional name paired with the popular suffix -lyn.
GRAYLEE, GRAYLYNN
Is Gray a nature name? It’s a color name, of course. But it feels nature-adjacent. Grayson has had a moment, with Grady and Graydon in rotation, too. Graylee and Graylynn fall a little closer to the Nature Plus category.
HARTLEY, HARTLEE, HARTLEIGH, HARTLEN, HARTLYN, HARTYLNN
A hart is a male deer. Hartley is a long-established surname name. But some of these constructions and spellings feel more Nature Plus than traditional.
HAZELY, HAZELEY, HAZELEE, HAZELEIGH
Hazelgrace had a moment thanks to The Fault in Our Stars, a YA romance. The main character was Hazel Grace. Smoosh it together or just use both names in tandem and it’s still a variety of double name, not Nature Plus. But Hazeley? That’s something new. Is it pronounced like Anna Lee, Haza Lee? Or is it more like Hazel-ee? My brain rhymes Hazelee and company with Paisley.
JADELYN, JADELYNN
Jadalyn and Jadalynn are in use, too, but it’s the gemstone-plus-LYN ending versions that make this list.
KELSEA
Maybe this is just Kelsey meets Chelsea. Or is it? The place name Chelsea has nothing to do with the sea; instead it means chalk-wharf, and was closer to Chelceth in Anglo-Saxon. The London neighborhood’s name evolved over centuries. But Kelsea looks at least a little like Wrenley and Oaklynn, too. Singer Kelsea Ballerini has helped popularize her name.
LAKER, LAKELAND, LAKELY, LAKEN, LAKEYN, LAKELEE, LAKELEIGH
Lake has never caught on as a given name, but we’re hard at word trying to make it into one, and this trend could be the moment.
LARKIN, LARKYN
Strictly speaking, Larkin is a medieval nickname for Laurence. But Lark also works as a bird name, an alternative to Wren. And so Larkin or Larkyn makes this list, too.
LEOVANNI, LEOVANI, LEOVONNI
It’s not just English. Leo is the Latin word for lion. Giovanni comes from Johannes, an older form of John. -Vanni isn’t really a suffix in the same category as -lynn or -lee, but Leovanni feels a little bit like a Nature Plus choice.
LUXEN, LUXLEE, LUXTON
More Latin! Lux means light. In English, we pronounce luxe the same way, but it has a different Latin root, meaning excess, and refers to luxury. The lux-light idea, though? That’s in the broadest possible definition of nature names, and so Luxen, Luxlee, and Luxton fit on this list.
MAELYN, MAELYNN
Mae comes from Mary and Margaret … except it’s also the merry month of May, which seems nature-adjacent.
MAELEE, MAELIE, MAELEIGH, MAYLEE
More Mae names.
OLIVANDER, OLIVET
Olivia is on top for our daughters and Oliver isn’t too far behind for our sons. While neither is necessarily derived from the word olive, they feel connected to the fruit and the tree that grows them, as well as the color. That makes Olivander – also a famous Harry Potter surname – a fit for this list. Olivet is a surname with the same vibe.
RAINY, RAINEE, RAINEY, RAINIE
Rainy is a straight-up adjective to describe the weather. We talk about a rainy day. Rainey is a surname, typically related to older forms of Ronald. But in the 2020s, this blurs the lines in a very Nature Plus kind of way.
REMIROSE
Lots and lots of Rose- and -rose names dot the US names data. Few make this list. Why? Something about Remirose just looks like it fits in this category. Worth noting: Rose is a well-used surname.
RIVERLY, RIVERLEIGH
An almost inevitable River+lee combination.
RIVERLYN, RIVERLYNN
Another obvious choice. Adding -lyn to River transforms this from a fast-rising unisex favorite to a feminine staple.
RUELLE
There’s a singer named Ruelle, which probably explains this name’s occasional use. And yet, -el/-ell/-elle endings are used in surnames. There’s Russell and Campbell, Martel and Merkel and LaChapelle, too. Rue is a bitter herb, made famous by a character from The Hunger Games. Ruelle feels like it fits here.
SKYLAN, SKYLIN, SKYLEN
Skylar started it, but Sky- plus names are almost an entire list of their own. These sound a little more masculine, a cousin to Kyle and Rylan.
SKYLEE, SKYLIE, SKYLEIGH
More Sky names, this time based on Kylie.
SKYLYN, SKYLYNN, SKYELYNN
One more set of Sky- names.
SKYRA
Sky meets Kyra.
STARLA
Star, like Sky, is an obvious choice for Nature Plus names. Starla is an old school blend of Star plus Darla, Carla, and similar.
STARLET, STARLETT, STARLETTE
Colorful Scarlett started out as a surname. Starlet has been used since the early 1900s to refer to a promising female performer – typically an actress. Starlett and Starlette blend both.
STARLEE, STARLIE, STARLEY
More Star names, this time familiar thanks to favorites like Carly/Carlie.
STARLYN, STARLYNN
Another inevitable nature name plus -lyn.
SUMMERLY, SUMMERLYN, SUMMERLYNN
Summer is an easy given name, all sunshine and blue skies. Adding -ly takes it into surname territory – think Sommerly or Somerley. Summerlyn is more of a double name.
TIMBERLY, TIMBERLEE
Kimberly meets Timothy meets timber.
TIMBERLYN, TIMBERLYNN
Timber is used in small numbers for our sons and daughters, making Timberlyn the obvious feminine form.
WESTLEE
It’s hard to draw the line between surname-turned-first name Wesley, last-name-sometimes-used-as-first Westley and Nature Plus Westlee. But it feels like these spellings fall into a different category.
WESTLYN, WESTLYNN
Westlyn, too, is clearly something new.
WHITLEY
Surname Whitney means “white island.” Legendary singer Whitney Houston cemented it as an option for our daughters. Whitley feels a little more like a mix and match name in the spirit of this list.
WILLOUGHBY
Willoughby isn’t Willow-plus-bee. It’s a surname that means, roughly “village by the willows” or “farm by the willows.” Which is pretty and completely legitimate as a surname. But it feels like it comes close to this trend, doesn’t it?
WRENLYN, WRENLYNN
Wrenley meets Oaklyn.
WRENTON
Wren meets Trenton.
A UNISEX TREND
While many of these names are used in bigger numbers for girls, and some are more common for boys, in general, this is a unisex trend. Boys are named Oakley, Skylar, and Bearett. And if Wrenley typically belongs to our daughters, that doesn’t meet a name like Wrenton couldn’t be used for a son.
