Water-inspired baby names are earthy, a little bit quirky, and honestly just fun to say—who wouldn’t want a name like Caspian, Maren, or Kai? 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 one? Instant bonding material.

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

If water names speak to you, you might also love our lists of baby names inspired by nature, unique baby names, or Hawaiian baby names (many of which have gorgeous water connections). For even more inspiration, browse our roundups of spring baby names, summer baby names, and strong baby names.

Girl names that mean water

From the quiet beauty of a rain shower to the power of the open ocean, these girl names carry water’s full emotional range. You’ll find picks rooted in Greek mythology, Hawaiian tradition, Persian culture, and beyond.

1. AmayaJapanese origin. Night rain.

2. AnahitaPersian origin. Water goddess; river goddess.

3. BayouFrench/Choctaw origin. Small stream or marshy outlet.

4. BrookEnglish origin. Small stream.

5. CariTurkish origin. Flows like water.

6. CascadeFrench/English origin. Waterfall.

7. CoralLatin origin. Underwater sea growth.

8. CordeliaCeltic/Welsh origin. Daughter of the sea.

9. DaryaPersian origin. Sea; ocean.

10. DeltaGreek origin. Area of land formed by a river’s mouth.

11. DorisGreek origin. Gift of the ocean; sea nymph.

12. HaliGreek origin. The sea.

13. HurleyIrish/Gaelic origin. Sea tide.

14. IndiaSanskrit origin. Water; body of water.

15. IslaScottish/Spanish origin. Island; from the River Isla.

16. KailaniHawaiian origin. Sea and sky.

17. KairiJapanese origin. Ocean village; sea.

18. KendraEnglish origin. Knowing; also said to mean water baby.

19. LagunaSpanish/Italian origin. Lagoon.

20. LynnIrish/Anglo-Saxon origin. Lake; cascade.

21. MarenLatin origin. Of the sea.

22. MarinaLatin/Slavic origin. Of the sea; harbor for boats.

23. MiraSanskrit origin. Ocean; sea.

24. MoanaPolynesian/Hawaiian origin. Ocean; wide expanse of water.

25. MurielIrish/Celtic origin. Bright sea.

26. NahlaArabic origin. Drink of water.

27. NeridaGreek origin. Sea nymph; from the Nereids.

28. NixieGerman origin. Water sprite; water nymph.

29. OndineFrench/Latin origin. Little wave; water spirit.

30. RaineyEnglish origin. Rain; queen.

31. RiaSpanish origin. Mouth of a river; estuary.

32. RosemaryLatin origin. Dew of the sea.

33. ShannonIrish/Gaelic origin. Old, wise river.

34. TaliseNative American (Creek) origin. Lovely water.

35. TaliaHebrew origin. Dew from heaven.

Boy names that mean water

Whether you’re drawn to the rugged strength of a river name or the mythology of ancient sea gods, these boy names bring depth (literally) and character. Many have been climbing the baby boy name charts in recent years.

36. AdrianLatin origin. Water; from the Adriatic Sea.

37. BeckettEnglish origin. One who lives by a brook.

38. BrooksEnglish origin. Of the brook; small stream.

39. CaspianEnglish origin. From the Caspian Sea.

40. DouglasScottish origin. Dark water.

41. DylanWelsh origin. Son of the sea; born from the ocean.

42. FisherEnglish origin. Fisherman; one who fishes.

43. FordEnglish origin. River crossing; shallow passage in water.

44. HudsonEnglish origin. From the Hudson River; son of Hugh.

45. IrvingScottish origin. Green water; sea friend.

46. KaiHawaiian origin. The sea.

47. MalikArabic/Greenlandic origin. Wave (Greenlandic); king (Arabic).

48. MerlinWelsh origin. Sea fortress.

49. MurphyIrish/Gaelic origin. Sea warrior.

50. NeptuneLatin/Roman origin. God of the sea.

51. NileEgyptian origin. From the River Nile.

52. PoseidonGreek origin. God of the sea and earthquakes.

53. SailorEnglish origin. One who sails; boat worker.

54. TritonGreek origin. Son of the sea god; messenger of the sea.

55. WadeEnglish origin. To walk through water; river crossing.

56. ZaleGreek origin. Sea strength.

Gender-neutral water baby names

Some of the best water names work beautifully for any baby. These picks feel modern, nature-forward, and flexible—a great fit if you’re keeping things open or just love the sound. If you’re into more gender-neutral options, check out our full list of trending baby girl names and trending baby boy names to see which water names are on the rise.

57. BayEnglish origin. Inlet of the sea; body of water.

58. BlueEnglish origin. The color of water and sky.

59. DeverauxFrench origin. From the riverbank.

60. InnesScottish/Gaelic origin. From the island; river island.

61. JordanHebrew origin. To flow down; descending river.

62. LakeEnglish origin. Inland body of water.

63. MarisLatin origin. Of the sea.

64. MaxwellScottish origin. Great stream; Mack’s stream.

65. MorganWelsh origin. Sea circle; sea born.

66. OceanEnglish/Greek origin. The vast body of salt water.

67. OrwellEnglish origin. Branch of a river.

68. RainEnglish origin. Precipitation; water from the sky.

69. RemingtonEnglish origin. Place on a riverbank.

70. RioSpanish/Portuguese origin. River.

71. RiverEnglish/Latin origin. Flowing body of water.

72. RomneyWelsh origin. Winding river.

73. ShuiChinese origin. Water.

Whether you end up with a Kai, a Cordelia, or a River, a water-inspired name is one your child will carry with as much fluidity and strength as its meaning suggests. For more baby name ideas, explore our gemstone baby names or Scorpio baby names (a water sign!) for even more inspiration.

A version of this post was published October 28, 2021. It has been updated.