Water-inspired baby names are unique, earthy, a little bit quirky, and honestly just fun to say—who wouldn’t want a name like Brooklyn, Banks, or Maren? Plus, your little guppy is likely to be the only one in their class with their name, and if they do meet someone with the same name, then they’ll instantly have something to bond over!

Whether you’re someone who loves being by the water or are hoping to raise a future Michael Phelps, these water-inspired names are just what the baby name doctor ordered. While the overarching theme of this curated list is water, we’ve rounded up names that also mean ocean, sea, river, stream, and brook. There’s boho-like names for parents who like something a little more unheard of and classic, vintage names that have withstand the test of name.

Swim through our river of water-inspired baby names below!


Names that mean water

  1. Aqua
  2. Brooklyn
  3. Kenn
  4. Maya
  5. Misty
  6. Moses
  7. Nahla
  8. Rain
  9. Stormi
  10. Talia

Names that mean river, stream, or brook

  1. Alwyn
  2. Banks
  3. Bay
  4. Beckham
  5. Beverly
  6. Brook
  7. Deveraux
  8. Hudson
  9. Innes
  10. Isla
  11. Jordan
  12. Lake
  13. Lynn
  14. Maxwell
  15. Nile
  16. Orwell
  17. Remington
  18. Ria
  19. Rio
  20. River
  21. Romney
  22. Shannon
  23. Wade

Names that mean ocean or sea

  1. Adrian
  2. Blue
  3. Cordelia
  4. Doris
  5. Dylan
  6. Fisher
  7. Hali
  8. Hurley
  9. India
  10. Irving
  11. Kai
  12. Kairi
  13. Malik
  14. Maren
  15. Marina
  16. Merlin
  17. Mira
  18. Moana
  19. Morgan
  20. Muriel
  21. Murphy
  22. Neptune
  23. Nixie
  24. Ocean
  25. Poseidon
  26. Sailor
  27. Triton