Looking for flower names that aren’t as run-of-the-mill as Lily, Daisy and Rose?
Here are some flower names — as well as a few other botanical names — that have never ranked among the top 1,000 baby names in the United States before.
- Acacia
- Acanthus
- Alder
- Alyxia
- Amaryllis
- Arbutus
- Ardisia
- Aster
- Begonia
- Betony
- Betula
- Birch
- Bryony
- Buttercup
- Calla
- Calluna
- Camellia – The leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are used to make tea.
- Cassia
- Cedar
- Celosia (pronounced see-LOH-zhah, see-LOH-zhee-ah, and other ways)
- Chrysanthemum
- Daffodil
- Dandelion
- Disa – A genus in the orchid family named for Disa, the heroine in a Swedish legendary saga.
- Garance
- Geranium
- Gloxinia
- Honeysuckle
- Hyacinth
- Jonquil
- Kalmia
- Kerria
- Laelia
- Lehua
- Lilac
- Linnaea – The sole species (Linnaea borealis) in this genus is commonly known as the twinflower.
- Lobelia
- Lotus
- Lunaria – A genus name meaning “moon-like” (which refers to the plants’ decorative seedpods).
- Lupine
- Maile (pronounced MY-leh) – A flowering vine native to Hawaii that is used for making leis.
- Mistletoe
- Nandina – The sole species (Nandina domestica) in this genus is commonly called “heavenly bamboo.”
- Nigella
- Nyssa
- Orchid
- Passiflora
- Peony
- Pine
- Poplar
- Primrose
- Primula
- Rhododendron
- Senna
- Serissa – The sole species (Serissa japonica) in this genus is one of the most common types of bonsai tree.
- Sunflower
- Tansy
- Thistle
- Vanda
- Vernonia
- Wisteria
- Zinnia
In case you’re wondering, all of the words above have been used as human names. In fact, most have appeared in U.S. baby name data — just never in the top 1,000 (for either gender). The rest were found by doing records searches.
Which of these do you like most?
Sources: Wikipedia, FamilySearch.org, Flower Names: Beyond Rose and Lily, SSA
Image: Adapted from Atlas roslin pl Wrotycz pospolity by Joanna Boisse under CC BY-SA 4.0.
[Latest update: Feb. 2025]