Tree-inspired names

We are a website called nametree, so this page was frankly overdue. Every name here is rooted in a tree or a forest: some are the tree itself, some grew from words for woods and groves. No shrubs, no vines (sorry, Ivy). Some get planted every day, like Willow, Rowan, Juniper and Hazel. Others are quieter kin: Daphne is the laurel of Greek myth, Keziah a spice tree from the Book of Job, Tapio the forest god of Finland, Tomer a palm on a modern Israeli street. Every card links to the name's full record: real meaning, real roots, 130 years of American popularity.

Every name links to its full page: meaning, origin, and its real popularity curve since 1890.

Hazel English · "the hazel tree," an Old English word name that doubles as the warm brown-green of hazel eyes; a Victorian nature name that faded with its era and came back a century later as one of the signature revivals

Sylvia Latin · "of the forest, wood"

Holly English · the holly tree, a symbol of Christmas (nature name); immortalized by Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Forrest English · woodsman, one who lives near the forest; immortalized by Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump (1994)

Olive Latin · from the olive tree/branch

Sylvester Latin · of the forest

Laurel Latin · 'laurel tree', from Latin laurus

Elwood English · old forest

Oakley English · from a surname and place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English; famously borne by sharpshooter Annie Oakley

Oren Hebrew · traditionally 'pine tree'

Aspen English · from the aspen tree / place name

Linden English · 'lime tree', a nature and surname name

Sylvan Latin · 'of the forest, wooded', from Latin silva

Daphne Greek · laurel tree

Sylvie French · form of Sylvia, "of the forest"

Willow English · willow tree

Alani Hawaiian · "orange tree"

Maple English · nature name, from the maple tree

Acacia Greek · the acacia tree, a symbol of immortality and resurrection

Cedar English · from the cedar tree

Keziah Hebrew · cassia, a spice tree; biblical daughter of Job

Rowan Irish · little redhead; rowan tree

Sequoia Native-American · named for the giant sequoia tree, itself honoring Cherokee scholar Sequoyah

Ilan Hebrew · tree

Aspyn English · phonetic respelling of Aspen, the tree/place name

Oaklee English · modern coined name blending oak with the surname suffix -lee (clearing)

Ilana Hebrew · tree

Magnolia Latin · magnolia tree

Olivier French · olive tree

Juniper Latin · juniper tree

Oakleigh English · feminine variant of Oakley, from a surname and place name meaning "oak clearing" in Old English

Oaklyn English · variant of Oakley, 'oak clearing', with the name suffix lyn

Hiroki Japanese · great brightness, or great tree

Tomer Hebrew · palm tree; a modern Israeli favorite

Elowen English · elm tree (Cornish)

Erez Hebrew · cedar, the great tree of Lebanon; a modern Israeli favorite

Naoki Japanese · straight, direct tree

Elan Hebrew · tree; a graceful modern Hebrew name

Defne Turkish · laurel, bay tree

Tapio Finnish · the forest god of the Kalevala, called the King of the Forest; the name's roots are debated among scholars

Which of these fits YOUR family? →