Are you looking for a touch of charm for your baby’s name? We recommend considering names inspired by the countryside that seem to carry with them the lushness of nature in all its beauty. These uncomplicated, homey classics bring both strength and the ease of a summer daydream. Monikers with a touch of lumberjack-chic are a breath of fresh air.
We decided to take a deep dive into baby names inspired by pastoral scenes that feel both traditional and contemporary. Most of all, we wanted to find names that pay homage to the great outdoors and time spent gardening, hiking, building campfires, and foraging for berries. These names glorify the simple pleasures of time spent among nature, sowing its bounty. Here are 25 rustic names for girls that are splendid in their simplicity. You’ll want to rent a log cabin deep in the woods by the end of this list, we promise you.
25. Prairie
Prairie is a wonderful, English nature name that evokes wide-open grasslands. This gorgeous name works because it sounds so similar to Mary while still retaining a rustic feel. This name has never appeared in the top 1000, but we expect that to change in the coming years.
24. Georgia
Georgia is an English name and the feminine form of George which means “farmer.” This attractive name brings to mind artist, Georgia O’Keefe and jazz singer Georgia Brown. Georgia has enjoyed a rebound after dipping in popularity in the 1990s. The name almost enjoys the same favor as it did a century ago!
23. June
June might be your favorite month of summer and it comes from the Latin goddess, Juno. June was most popular in the US in the 1920s, but it’s been rising again ever since the late 1980s. If you like the name June but want to add a rustic little twist, consider the Scandinavian form of the name, Juni.
22. Pearl
Pearl is a perfectly vintage Latin gem name that means exactly what you think it does. Pearl was a top 25 name in the late nineteenth century but spent a century off the list before making a comeback in 2010. Pearl is an excellent first name but you should also consider it as a middle possibility as it plays so well with others.
21. Savannah
Savannah is the name of a Spanish-moss covered city in Georgia. This pretty name has Spanish origins and means “flat tropical grassland.” This name has enjoyed broad popularity around the country since 1993 after it spent decades off the popularity charts.
20. Bryn
You can spell Bryn with one or two N’s but we prefer it with just one. This handsome Welsh name combines the best parts of Bree and Lynn! The name simply means “hill.”
19. Shelby
Although this name was much more popular in the late nineties and early oughts, the name still lands in the top 500 in the US. Shelby has a gentle, English charm to it and the name means “estate on the ledge.” Okay!
18. Annabel
Annabel is a completely cute Scottish form of Amabel, a name that means “loving.” The name has a storied history in Scotland when in the twelfth century it became a royal name. If you love both names Anna and Belle, this one’s the ticket.
17. Maisie
Maisie is another Scottish name that sounds perfectly warm. It’s a form of Margaret, a name that means “pearl.” The name is currently in the top 50 in Scotland, and it finally entered the US lists in 2014. We probably have young actor Maisie Williams to thank for its new-found favor in the US.
16. Mae
Mae is an English name that’s yet another form of Margaret and so too means “pearl.” The name is associated with Maia, the Roman goddess of growth and motherhood. This name sounds both antique and hip at the same time and we think it’s an absolute stunner.
15. Juniper
The playful name, Juniper has Latin origins and means “youthful.” The name is shared with a small evergreen shrub. This name has only been considered a possibility over the last decade in the US where it now is more popular than ever in the top 200.
14. Marigold
We’re slipping into an unintentional botanical moment with these next few names. Up first, is the fabulous Marigold, an English name that means “golden flower.” The marigold has long been considered a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the motif can be found in a number of religious artworks.
13. Iris
Next up, we’ve got the wonderful Iris which refers to the eye, the flower, and the Greek word for “rainbow.” Iris sounds attractively retro and it’s currently enjoying its highest popularity since the thirties.
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12. Holly
Holly has consistently ranked in the top 50 across the UK for decades. However, parents in the US tend to be hot, then cold while choosing this name. It’s currently trending down, but we love it and hope you’ll consider this evergreen nature name that’s perfect for December babies.
11. Hazel
Yet another English nature name, Hazel refers to and means “hazelnut tree.” Hazel is a classic name that somehow fell off the charts for decades between 1976 and 1998. We’re glad this rustic name is back and more popular than ever at number 33.
10. Anise
We hope you enjoyed this quick foray into botanical names! Anise rounds out this little adventure and it’s one of the most exotic-sounding on the list. Anise refers to the licorice plant but it does have a ton of sweetness to it. You’ll commonly find this spice, shaped like a star, paired with ginger in cookies and other recipes.
9. Dawn
Dawn was all the rage in the sixties and seventies but it nosedived in the eighties before completely falling off the chart in 2000. We absolutely adore this wholesome and bright English name that reminds us of golden mornings.
8. Caroline
Caroline is a perennial classic in the US and has remained in the top 200 since naming data has been collected in 1880. This French name is a form of Charles and means “free man.” Be ready to sing Neil Diamond‘s “Sweet Caroline” about a million times throughout your life.
7. Shiloh
Shiloh is a Biblical place-name coming from Hebrew that means “tranquil.” We have Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to thank for entering this name into the American lexicon after they chose the name for their daughter in 2006. The name had never appeared on the popularity charts until one year after her birth. Now it’s a top 500 name for girls.
6. Virginia
Virginia is a classic name that has fallen from favor in recent years. Virginia was in the top 10 for 25 years, from 1912 to 1937, hitting a high of number 6 in 1921. The name has Latin origins and means “pure.” This name always reminds us of the esteemed Virginia Woolf.
5. Amber
Amber’s popularity shares a similar story with Virginia. It’s tanked over the last two decades and we’d really like to see the tides change for this perfectly marvelous English name.
4. Robin
Robin has been a standard gender-neutral choice for parents for decades. It’s fallen from its height in the sixties, but we still adore this bird-name that’s actually a diminutive of Robert, a name that means “bright fame.” While Robert sounds rather buttoned-up, Robin is perfectly rustic and bright.
3. Clementine
It’s possible that Clem is the cutest nickname ever! It comes standard with the charmer, Clementine. Clementine is the French form of the Latin family name, Clement. It means “merciful.” This gem of a name took 50 years off the popularity charts before roaring back to it in the last few.
2. Laney
Laney or Lainie are names that have been in the top 1000 for as long as records have been kept. This stylish sounding name is a more casual (and fun) form of Elaine a name that means “bright shining one.”
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1. Emmeline
Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the mega popularity of those two names. It’s an extremely old French name that came from even older archaic German. It shares the same root as Amelia and also means “work.” Although this name is older than the hills, it only first appeared on the US naming charts in 2014! Keep it up, parents!
There you go! 25 wonderfully rustic baby names for girls that bring both comfort and charm. We hope you feel inspired by these possibilities and this list has helped you come closer to a decision on your baby-naming journey!