How popular is the baby name Ocean in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Ocean.

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Popularity of the baby name Ocean


Posts that mention the name Ocean

Popular baby names in Ireland, 2023

Flag of Ireland
Flag of Ireland

Last year, the Republic of Ireland — which covers five-sixths of the island of Ireland — welcomed roughly 55,000 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Grace and Jack.

Here are Ireland’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2023:

Girl Names

  1. Grace, 339 baby girls
  2. Fiadh (pronounced FEE-a), 300
  3. Emily, 297
  4. Sophie, 283
  5. Lily, 270
  6. Ellie, 252
  7. Mia, 242
  8. Amelia, 241 (tie)
  9. Éabha (pronounced EY-va), 241 (tie)
  10. Ella, 231
  11. Isla, 227
  12. Hannah, 226
  13. Sophia, 218
  14. Lucy, 214
  15. Ava, 207
  16. Sadie, 200
  17. Olivia, 199
  18. Freya, 188
  19. Emma, 183
  20. Chloe, 181
  21. Robyn, 180
  22. Molly, 176
  23. Anna, 166 (tie)
  24. Croía (pronounced KREE-a), 166 (tie)
  25. Evie, 165
  26. Caoimhe (pronounced KEE-va or KWEE-va), 158
  27. Saoirse (pronounced SEER-sha or SAYR-sha), 157 (tie)
  28. Cara, 157 (tie)
  29. Sofia, 156
  30. Millie, 150
  31. Aoife (pronounced EE-fa), 148
  32. Isabelle, 132
  33. Bonnie, 130
  34. Maya, 128 (tie)
  35. Ada, 128 (tie)
  36. Róisín (pronounced ROH-sheen), 127
  37. Ruby, 126
  38. Kate, 123 (tie)
  39. Alice, 123 (tie)
  40. Holly, 120 (3-way tie)
  41. Erin, 120 (3-way tie)
  42. Sadhbh (pronounced siev; rhymes with “5”), 120 (3-way tie)
  43. Leah, 119
  44. Isabella, 118 (3-way tie)
  45. Ailbhe (pronounced AL-va), 118 (3-way tie)
  46. Méabh (pronounced mayv), 118 (3-way tie)
  47. Zoe, 115
  48. Annie, 112
  49. Ivy, 111
  50. Willow, 110

Boy Names

  1. Jack, 561 baby boys
  2. Noah, 473
  3. James, 369
  4. Rían (pronounced REE-an), 339
  5. Oisín (pronounced UH-sheen or OH-sheen), 330
  6. Fionn (pronounced fyun or fyoon), 306
  7. Tadhg (pronounced tieg, like the first part of “tiger”), 301
  8. Liam, 289
  9. Cillian (pronounced KIL-ee-an), 275
  10. Daniel, 256
  11. Finn, 251
  12. Conor, 244 (tie)
  13. Charlie, 244 (tie)
  14. Seán (pronounced shawn), 240
  15. Michael, 239
  16. Leo, 237
  17. Theo, 233
  18. Thomas, 227
  19. Patrick, 221
  20. Luke, 215
  21. Tommy, 214
  22. Oliver, 211
  23. Adam, 201
  24. Harry, 198
  25. Luca, 197
  26. Darragh, 195
  27. Alex, 175
  28. Bobby, 157
  29. Cian (pronounced KEE-an or keen), 156
  30. Oscar, 154
  31. John, 152 (tie)
  32. Max, 152 (tie)
  33. Ryan, 151
  34. Páidí (pronounced PAW-dee), 150
  35. Jamie, 149
  36. Ben, 147
  37. Kai, 141 (tie)
  38. Ollie, 141 (tie)
  39. Tom, 135
  40. Matthew, 134
  41. Dylan, 132
  42. Callum, 131
  43. Sonny, 130
  44. Sam, 129
  45. Ethan, 127 (tie)
  46. Alfie, 127 (tie)
  47. David, 122
  48. Alexander, 118
  49. Mason, 116
  50. Caelan, 114

New to the girls’ top 100 were Lucia, Cadhla (pronounced KIE-la) and Síofra (pronounced SHEE-fra).

New to the boys’ top 100 were Caelan, Jude, Paddy, Éanna (pronounced EY-na) and Dáithí (pronounced DAH-hee).

The fastest-rising names in the top 100 in terms of numbers of babies were:

  • Éala (increased by 41 baby girls), Ailbhe (+40), Méabh (+36), Zara (+33), Croía (+26)
  • Caelan (increased by 58 baby boys), Páidí (+41), Arlo (+35), Tommy (+30), Mark (+28)

And the fastest-rising names in terms of rank were:

  • Síofra (rose 57 spots on the girls’ list), Lucia (+43), Éala (+38), Lottie (+36), Zara (+31)
  • Caelan (rose 58 spots on the boys’ list), Mark (+46), Ruairí (+41), Eoin (+37), Arlo (+31)
Map of the four provinces of Ireland
Ireland’s four provinces

Home to more than five million people, the Republic of Ireland is divided into four provinces. (One of these provinces, Ulster, lies largely within Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.) The top baby names within each of the four provinces last year were…

Top Girl NameTop Boy Name
Leinster
(56% of the population)
GraceJack
Munster
(27% of pop.)
GraceJack
Connacht
(11% of pop.)
FiadhJack
Ulster [ROI portion]
(6% of pop.)
LilyJack

And what about the baby names at the other end of the spectrum?

Here’s a selection of the names that were given to just 3 babies each in Ireland last year:

Rare Girl NamesRare Boy Names
Adara, Brídín, Cushla, Dottie, Eilidh, Féile, Gillian, Hezlin, Iona, Jolene, Kalina, Lorna, Maliha, Natasha, Ocean, Philomena, Ríonach, Saffie, Tuiren, Vedika, Yasmine, ZadieAlby, Bram, Conal, Douglas, Elvis, Finnian, Gerald, Igor, Jonnie, Keenan, Lughaidh, Maitiú, Nathanael, Orin, Patryk, Rylan, Séadhna, Téidí, Ultán, Viktor, Wren, Yohan, Zachariah

Finally, here are Ireland’s 2022 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Irish Babies’ Names – CSO (Irish Babies’ Names 2023), Births, Deaths and Marriages – CSO, Provinces of Ireland – Wikipedia

Image: Adapted from Flag of Ireland (public domain)
Map: Adapted from Provinces of Ireland location map by Ssolbergj under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Top unisex baby names of 2022

pink and blue cupcakes

Which unisex baby names were the most popular in 2022?

To figure this out, I did two things. First, I identified all the gender-neutral names in the latest batch of U.S. baby name data. (To qualify as gender-neutral, a name must be given to girls at least one-third of the time and to boys at least one-third of the time.) Second, I sorted those hundreds of gender-neutral names by total usage: male plus female.

The following names came out on top:

  1. Parker
  2. River
  3. Charlie
  4. Blake
  5. Emerson
  6. Finley
  7. Phoenix
  8. Remington
  9. Tatum
  10. Rory
  11. Dakota
  12. Ari
  13. Shiloh
  14. Alexis
  15. Armani
  16. Remy
  17. Salem
  18. Legacy
  19. Skyler
  20. Denver

The first four names — Parker, River, Charlie, and Blake — were also the top four in 2021.

The five names that entered the top 20 were Shiloh, Salem, Legacy, Skyler, and Denver. Four of the five qualified as unisex in 2021, but ranked lower on the list. Legacy, on the other hand, was slightly over two-thirds male in 2021.

The five names that dropped out of the top 20 were Hayden, Amari, Oakley, Reign, and Milan. All five failed to qualify as unisex in 2022. Hayden, Amari and Milan were given to too many boys; Oakley and Reign were given to too many girls.

Here are those top 20 names again, this time with total counts and gender percentages:

Number of babies*Percentage girlsPercentage boys
Parker6,24338.49%61.51%
River5,37935.55%64.45%
Charlie4,42052.53%47.47%
Blake3,01447.81%52.19%
Emerson2,97557.61%42.39%
Finley2,57152.74%47.26%
Phoenix2,33543.08%56.92%
Remington2,21735.14%64.86%
Tatum2,20252.32%47.68%
Rory2,18143.83%56.17%
Dakota2,13756.34%43.66%
Ari1,73641.24%58.76%
Shiloh1,54359.82%40.18%
Alexis1,53356.69%43.31%
Armani1,49646.86%53.14%
Remy1,41135.08%64.92%
Salem1,08763.75%36.25%
Legacy1,00065.00%35.00%
Skyler97358.38%41.62%
Denver96333.33%66.67%
*Male and female usage added together

So which names came next on the list?

The following, ranked 21st through 35th, all fell within both the girls’ top 1,000 and the boys’ top 1,000 in 2022:

  • Briar, 924 total babies
  • Azariah, 903
  • Drew, 896
  • Amiri, 880
  • Bellamy, 847
  • Ocean, 842
  • Jamie, 841
  • Sevyn, 792
  • Dior, 745
  • Chandler, 719
  • Tru, 710
  • Murphy, 709
  • Layne, 702
  • Justice, 643
  • Robin, 637

And here are the rest of the unisex names that had a combined usage of at least 200 babies (in descending order):

Quincy, Kingsley, Jessie, Sol, Khari, Ira, Landry, Joey, Campbell, Kacey, Arden, True, Yael, Jaylin, Shea, Harlem, Joan, Kodi, Hollis, Sidney, Shai, Jireh, Ripley, Laken, Bowie, Kit, Ever, Montana, Kasey, Kadence, Yuri, Jael, Azari, Gentry, Rain, Storm, Perry, Honor, Denim, Isa, Divine, Merritt, Dominique, Camdyn, Jelani, Cove, Ashtyn, Jean, Armoni, Jules, Brighton, Channing

Kacey was one of the few names that happened to hit 50/50 usage — exactly 202 baby girls and 202 baby boys — in 2022. Movie-fueled Marvel was another 50/50 name.

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Gallery 1 by Sarah Howells under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Popular and unique baby names in Sonoma County (California), 2022

Flag of California
Flag of California

Sonoma County, located north of San Francisco, is part of California’s famous Wine Country region.

Last year, Sonoma welcomed 4,583 babies. What were the most popular names among these babies? Camila and Mateo.

Here are Sonoma’s top 50+ girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Camila, 28 baby girls
  2. Emma, 25
  3. Sofia, 22
  4. Isabella, 21 (tie)
  5. Mia, 21 (tie)
  6. Amelia, 20
  7. Luna, 18
  8. Elizabeth, 17 (tie)
  9. Olivia, 17 (tie)
  10. Charlotte, 15 (tie)
  11. Penelope, 15 (tie)
  12. Maya, 14
  13. Evelyn, 13 (4-way tie)
  14. Gianna, 13 (4-way tie)
  15. Natalie, 13 (4-way tie)
  16. Riley, 13 (4-way tie)
  17. Ella, 12 (6-way tie)
  18. Emily, 12 (6-way tie)
  19. Nora, 12 (6-way tie)
  20. Ruby, 12 (6-way tie)
  21. Samantha, 12 (6-way tie)
  22. Sophia, 12 (6-way tie)
  23. Aria, 11 (4-way tie)
  24. Mila, 11 (4-way tie)
  25. Scarlett, 11 (4-way tie)
  26. Zoey, 11 (4-way tie)
  27. Catalina, 10 (5-way tie)
  28. Victoria, 10 (5-way tie)
  29. Violet, 10 (5-way tie)
  30. Ximena, 10 (5-way tie)
  31. ???, 10 (5-way tie)
    • The dataset included a blank entry with 10 babies. Perhaps the name was accidentally deleted, or this entry represents 10 Sonoma babies that have yet to be named…?
  32. Abigail, 9 (6-way tie)
  33. Audrey, 9 (6-way tie)
  34. Ava, 9 (6-way tie)
  35. Avery, 9 (6-way tie)
  36. Hazel, 9 (6-way tie)
  37. Lucia, 9 (6-way tie)
  38. Chloe, 8 (5-way tie)
  39. Layla, 8 (5-way tie)
  40. Natalia, 8 (5-way tie)
  41. Piper, 8 (5-way tie)
  42. Zoe, 8 (5-way tie)
  43. Aaliyah, 7 (17-way tie)
  44. Alina, 7 (17-way tie)
  45. Athena, 7 (17-way tie)
  46. Bella, 7 (17-way tie)
  47. Cora, 7 (17-way tie)
  48. Daisy, 7 (17-way tie)
  49. Eleanor, 7 (17-way tie)
  50. Eliana, 7 (17-way tie)
  51. Ellie, 7 (17-way tie)
  52. Genesis, 7 (17-way tie)
  53. Harper, 7 (17-way tie)
  54. Isla, 7 (17-way tie)
  55. June, 7 (17-way tie)
  56. Kira, 7 (17-way tie)
  57. Madison, 7 (17-way tie)
  58. Sadie, 7 (17-way tie)
  59. Willow, 7 (17-way tie)

Boy Names

  1. Mateo, 26 baby boys
  2. Liam, 24
  3. Henry, 20 (3-way tie)
  4. Hudson, 20 (3-way tie)
  5. Santiago, 20 (3-way tie)
  6. Noah, 19 (tie)
  7. Sebastian, 19 (tie)
  8. Oliver, 17
  9. Aiden, 16 (3-way tie)
  10. Daniel, 16 (3-way tie)
  11. Lucas, 16 (3-way tie)
  12. James, 15 (4-way tie)
  13. Levi, 15 (4-way tie)
  14. Theodore, 15 (4-way tie)
  15. Wyatt, 15 (4-way tie)
  16. Angel, 14 (4-way tie)
  17. Isaac, 14 (4-way tie)
  18. Jack, 14 (4-way tie)
  19. Jackson, 14 (4-way tie)
  20. Damian, 13 (7-way tie)
  21. Emiliano, 13 (7-way tie)
  22. Emilio, 13 (7-way tie)
  23. Ian, 13( 7-way tie)
  24. Juan, 13 (7-way tie)
  25. Julian, 13 (7-way tie)
  26. Luca, 13 (7-way tie)
  27. Adrian, 12 (8-way tie)
  28. Adriel, 12 (8-way tie)
  29. Jayden, 12 (8-way tie)
  30. Jose, 12 (8-way tie)
  31. Leo, 12 (8-way tie)
  32. Mason, 12 (8-way tie)
  33. Theo, 12 (8-way tie)
  34. William, 12 (8-way tie)
  35. Aaron, 11 (6-way tie)
  36. Anthony, 11 (6-way tie)
  37. Cameron, 11 (6-way tie)
  38. Logan, 11 (6-way tie)
  39. Michael, 11 (6-way tie)
  40. Roman, 11 (6-way tie)
  41. Christopher, 10 (6-way tie)
  42. Kai, 10 (6-way tie)
  43. Lorenzo, 10 (6-way tie)
  44. Miguel, 10 (6-way tie)
  45. Owen, 10 (6-way tie)
  46. Quinn, 10 (6-way tie)
  47. Axel, 9 (9-way tie)
  48. Caleb, 9 (9-way tie)
  49. Dominic, 9 (9-way tie)
  50. Ezekiel, 9 (9-way tie)
  51. Felix, 9 (9-way tie)
  52. Gabriel, 9 (9-way tie)
  53. Maverick, 9 (9-way tie)
  54. Rowan, 9 (9-way tie)
  55. Samuel, 9 (9-way tie)

Lower down on the list, we find 3 boys named Oslo and 2 named Kawika (the Hawaiian form of David).

And here’s a sampling of the many names that were bestowed just once in Sonoma last year:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Alofa, Baylor, Calgary, Dechen, Etsai, Fleury, Gabbanelli, Heather, Inayaat, Josiebelle, Ka Iulani, Liska, Morelia, Nasira, Oa, Pejuta, Quetzal, Riviera, Salanieta, Tenley, Unity, Vylana, Wendy, Yubicela, ZoaAimeson, Braulio, Coatney, Daizel, Ekansh, Filberto, Gadiel, Helios, Iroh, Javelin, Kaleo, Lars, Mayaken, Nikolai, Osoleo, Pedro, Quentin, Reverand, Sterling, Torrello, Ulices, Voyager, Wolfie, Yonik, Zayjoun

Some possible explanations/influences for a few of the above:

  • Alofa means “love” in Samoan.
  • Dechen means “great bliss” in Tibetan.
  • Etsai means “devil” in Basque.
  • Iroh is a character from the animated TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
  • Javelin originally referred to a light spear used in hunting, but today it’s more closely linked to either the Olympic sport or the missile used by the military.
  • Ka Iulani could be a reference to Hawaii’s last heir apparent, Princess Ka’iulani.
  • Kaleo means “the voice” or “the sound” in Hawaiian. (It’s also the name of an Icelandic rock band.)
  • Pejuta means “medicine” in Lakota.
  • Quetzal refers to the quetzal bird.

P.S. Just for fun, here are some of the names that have only popped up a single time in Sonoma’s baby name data, which goes back to the 1800s.

  • 2013: Ethereal, Meadowlark
  • 2012: Six
  • 2011: Four, Aubergine
  • 2009: Limber, Nightlynn, Pepperwood
  • 2008: Honeymoon, Teancum
  • 2006: Luminescence, Memphis Dreamwolf, Ozomatli, Skylarshine
    • Ozomatli is the Nahuatl word for “monkey.” (It’s also the name of a Grammy-winning Latin Rock band from Los Angeles.)
  • 2000: Ocean Wind, Millennium, Millennium Christopher
  • 1999: Chrysler
  • 1997: Return
  • 1996: Riverwind
  • 1995: Brazil, Cedar River, Talisman
  • 1994: Namibia, Northern
  • 1993: Tiffani Amber, Vancouver
  • 1992: Sunwater
  • 1991: Modesto, Sparkles
  • 1988: Smokey
  • 1985: Juror, Redcloud
  • 1984: Little Fawn
  • 1982: Otineb
    • Otineb is “Benito” spelled backwards
  • 1981: Connemara
  • 1976: Sonrisa
  • 1975: Little Star
  • 1974: Buffalo, Evenstar, Kipkino
  • 1973: Apricot, Coriander, Summertime
  • 1970: Starfinder
  • 1965: Honey Bee
  • 1958: Zebra
  • 1951: Starlite
  • 1937: Grape
    • I appreciate that a baby born in a wine-making region was named “Grape” :)
  • 1921: Senator
  • 1915: Sequestre
  • 1914: Eldorado

Sonoma’s two-hit wonder names include Strawberry (1971, 1973) and Fairlight (1974, 1976).

Sources: Sonoma County Baby Names | Open Data | Sonoma County, Sonoma County Births by Year | Open Data | Sonoma County, Wiktionary, Online Nahuatl Dictionary

Image: Adapted from Flag of California (public domain)

Baby names associated with blue: Navy, Azure, Indigo, Sky

blue sky

Looking for baby names that are associated with the color blue — including baby names that mean “blue”?

If so, you’re in the right place! I’ve collected dozens of ideas for you in this post.

Before we get to the names, though, let’s take a quick look at what blue represents…

Symbolism of blue

What does the color blue signify?

In Western cultures in particular, blue can be symbolic of:

  • Trust
  • Calm
  • Sadness
  • Peace
  • Loyalty
  • Depth
  • Authenticity

It can also be associated with melancholy. “To have the blues,” for instance, is an expression meaning “to feel sad.”

blue water

Baby names associated with blue

All of the names below have an association with the color blue. The names range from traditional to unusual, and their associations range from strong to slight.

Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.

Aciano
Aciano is the Spanish word for cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), a species of plant with flowers that are usually blue. Here’s the popularity graph for Aciano.

Afina
Afina is a Romanian feminine name meaning “blueberry.” Here’s the popularity graph for Afina.

Alice
Alice is part of “Alice blue” — a shade of blue named after Alice Roosevelt (the oldest daughter of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt) in the mid-1910s. It was inspired by either the blue of Alice’s eyes or the blue of one of her dresses, sources disagree. The name Alice ultimately derives from the Germanic name Adalheidis, meaning “noble character” or “nobleness.” Here’s the popularity graph for Alice.

Web color "aliceblue" (hex value #F0F8FF)
(The web color aliceblue is a lot lighter than the original “Alice blue.”)

Ao
Ao is a Japanese name that can mean “blue,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Ao.

Aomi
Aomi is a Japanese name that can include the element Ao.

Aori
Aori is another Japanese name that can include the element Ao.

Aqua
Aqua is a greenish-blue color. The name of the shade comes from the Latin word aqua, meaning “water.” Here’s the popularity graph for Aqua.

Asuman
Asuman is a Turkish feminine name meaning “sky.”

Azul
Azul is the Spanish word for Azure. Here’s the popularity graph for Azul.

Azur
Azur is the French word for Azure. Here’s the popularity graph for Azur.

Azure
Azure is a sky-blue color. The name of the shade ultimately derives from the Arabic word lazuward, which refers to lapis lazuli. Here’s the popularity graph for Azure.

Azzurra and Azzurro
Azzurra (feminine) and Azzurro (masculine) are the Italian words for Azure. Here’s the popularity graph for Azzurra.

Beryl
Beryl is a mineral that can be blue. (Blue beryl is often called “aquamarine.”) The name of the mineral ultimately comes from the Ancient Greek word beryllos. Here’s the popularity graph for Beryl.

Blue
Blue, of course, refers to the color blue. :) Here’s the popularity graph for Blue.

Bluebell
Bluebell flowers are blue. “Bluebell” is the common name of plants of various genera (including Hyacinthoides).

Bluebird
Bluebird is a type of bird with predominantly blue plumage. “Bluebird” is the common name of birds in the North American genus Sialia.

Bluejay
Bluejay is another type of bird with predominantly blue plumage. “Bluejay” is the common name of the bird species Cyanocitta cristata.

Caelum
Caelum is the Latin word for “sky, heaven.” (Though it’s used as a name in modern-day America, it was simply a vocabulary word in Ancient Rome.) Here’s the popularity graph for Caelum.

Cielo
Cielo is a modern Spanish feminine name based on caelum. Here’s the popularity graph for Cielo.

Cerulean
Cerulean is a sky-blue color. The word may ultimately be derived from caelum. Here’s the popularity graph for Cerulean.

Chicory
Chicory flowers are typically blue. “Chicory” is the common name of the plant species Cichorium intybus.

Chóro
Chóro is a Hopi name meaning “blue-bird.”

Chórzhoya
Chórzhoya is a Hopi name meaning “little blue-bird.”

Cobalt
Cobalt is a vivid shade of blue. Cobalt pigment was originally made from the metallic element cobalt. Here’s the popularity graph for Cobalt.

Cyan
Cyan is the greenish-blue color halfway between blue and green on the visible spectrum. The name of the shade comes from the Ancient Greek word kyanos, meaning “dark blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Cyan.

Darya
Darya (pronounced dar-YOH) is a Persian feminine name meaning “sea, ocean.” Here’s the popularity graph for Darya.

Denim
Denim fabric is traditionally blue, as it was originally dyed with indigo. The name of the textile is derived from the French phrase serge de Nîmes, which referred to fabric produced in Nîmes, a town in southern France. Here’s the popularity graph for Denim.

Deniz
Deniz (pronounced deh-neez) is a Turkish gender-neutral name meaning “ocean.” Here’s the popularity graph for Deniz.

Fayruz
Fayruz is an Arabic feminine name meaning “turquoise (the stone).”

Gentian
Gentian (pronounced jen-shun) flowers are often blue. According to Pliny, the genus Gentiana was named in honor of Illyrian king Gentius, who is said to have discovered the plant’s medicinal properties. The name Gentian is traditional in Albania, the territory of which was inhabited by Illyrian tribes during ancient times.

Gentiana
Gentiana is the modern Albanian feminine form of Gentian. Here’s the popularity graph for Gentiana.

Glory
Glory (besides being a vocabulary word) is part of “morning glory” — the common name of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae. Morning glory flowers are sometimes blue. Here’s the popularity graph for Glory.

Gökçe
Gökçe (pronounced gok-cheh) is a Turkish gender-neutral name meaning “sky blue.”

Haneul
Haneul is a Korean gender-neutral name meaning “sky.”

Hyacinth
Hyacinth flowers are sometimes blue. The genus Hyacinthus was named for the plant’s association with the myth of Hyacinthus (who was one of the lovers of Apollo in Greek mythology). Here’s the popularity graph for Hyacinth.

Indigo
The word indigo refers to flowering plants of the genus Indigofera — particularly the species Indigofera tinctoria — or to the dye made from the leaves of these plants. By extension, it also refers to the purplish-blue color of this dye. The name of the plant can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word Indikón, meaning “Indian,” as the plant is native to India. (It’s no coincidence that the British Royal Navy began using indigo dye extensively during the years that the British East India Company was gaining control over the Indian subcontinent.) Here’s the popularity graph for Indigo.

Jurate
Jurate (pronounced YOO-rah-teh) is a Lithuanian feminine name based on the word jura, meaning “sea.” Here’s the popularity graph for Jurate.

Kai
Kai is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “sea.” Here’s the popularity graph for Kai.

Kekai
Kekai is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “the sea.” Here’s the popularity graph for Kekai.

Kallfu
Kallfu is a Mapuche feminine name based on the word kallfü, meaning “blue.”

Kallfuray
Kallfuray is a Mapuche feminine name meaning “blue flower.”

Kyanite
Kyanite is a mineral that is usually blue. The name of the mineral is based on the Ancient Greek word kyanos, meaning “dark blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Kyanite.

Lafken
Lafken is a Mapuche name meaning “sea, ocean.”

Lake
Lake water sometimes appears blue. Here’s the popularity graph for Lake.

Lani
Lani is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “sky.” Here’s the popularity graph for Lani.

Larimar
Larimar is a light blue variety of the mineral pectolite. Its name, coined in the 1970s, is a combination of Larissa (the name of the daughter of one of the stone’s discoverers) and mar, the Spanish word for “sea.” Here’s the popularity graph for Larimar.

Lazuli
Lazuli is part of “lapis lazuli” (pronounced LA-piss LA-zuh-lee) — the name of a deep-blue gemstone. The word lazuli can be traced back (via Latin lazulum and Arabic lazuward) to the place-name Lajward — a region in central Asia where the stone was mined. (The Latin word lapis simply means “stone.”) Here’s the popularity graph for Lazuli.

Livia and Livio
Livia (feminine) and Livio (masculine) are the modern Italian forms of the Roman family name Livius, which is thought to derive from the Latin word lividus, meaning “bluish.” Here are the popularity graphs for Livia and Livio.

Lobelia
Lobelia (pronounced loh-BEEL-ee-uh) flowers are often blue. The genus Lobelia was named in honor of Flemish botanist Matthias de l’Obel.

Lupine
Lupine flowers are sometimes blue. The genus name Lupinus is derived from the Latin word lupinus, meaning “wolfish” (from lupus, “wolf”). Here’s the popularity graph for Lupine.

Mayim
Mayim is the Hebrew word for “water.” (Though it’s used as a name among English speakers, it’s simply a vocabulary word among Hebrew speakers.) Here’s the popularity graph for Mayim.

Maya
Maya is a Hebrew feminine name based on mayim. It also happens to be a Zuni word meaning “crested blue-jay.” Here’s the popularity graph for Maya.

Mira and Meera
Mira, also spelled Meera, is a Hindi feminine name based on the Sanskrit word mira, meaning “sea, ocean.” Here are the popularity graphs for Mira and Meera.

Moana
Moana is a gender-neutral name meaning “ocean” in Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, Tongan, and other Polynesian languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Moana.

Miosotis
Miosotis is the Spanish form of Myosotis. Here’s the popularity graph for Miosotis.

Myosotis
Myosotis (pronounced my-oh-SOH-tiss) flowers, also known as forget-me-nots, are frequently blue. The genus name Myosotis, meaning “mouse’s ear” in Latin, refers to the shape of the petals.

Navy
In the mid-18th century, officers in Britain’s Royal Navy began wearing uniforms that were dyed blue with indigo. The pigment was particularly colorfast (i.e., able to withstand exposure to sun and salt water), so, over time, other countries began to use it for naval dress as well. The dark shade of blue eventually came to be known as “navy blue.” The word navy refers to a country’s collective sea force. It comes (via French) from the Latin word navigia, meaning “vessels, ships, boats.” Here’s the popularity graph for Navy.

Nila and Neela
Nila, also spelled Neela, is a Hindi feminine name based on the Sanskrit word nila, meaning “dark blue” or “blue.” Here are the popularity graphs for Nila and Neela.

Nilam and Neelam
Nilam, also spelled Neelam, is another Hindi feminine name based on the Sanskrit word nila. Here are the popularity graphs for Nilam and Neelam.

Nilgün
Nilgün is a Turkish feminine given name based on the Persian word nilgun, meaning “indigo (the color).”

Ocean
The word ocean refers to the vast body of salt water that covers over 70% of the earth’s surface — or to any of the five large bodies of water (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic, or Arctic) into which it is divided. Here’s the popularity graph for Ocean.

Rayleigh
Rayleigh scattering explains why the sky is blue. The process — which involves electromagnetic radiation (such as visible light) being scattered by particles much smaller in size than the wavelength of that radiation — was named after British physicist John William Strutt, third Baron Rayleigh, who first described it in 1871. Here’s the popularity graph for Rayleigh.

Safira
Safira is the Portuguese word for “sapphire.” Here’s the popularity graph for Safira.

Sagar
Sagar is a Hindi masculine name meaning “sea, ocean.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sagar.

Sama and Samaa
Sama, also spelled Samaa, is a an Arabic feminine name meaning “sky.” Here are the popularity graphs for Sama and Samaa.

Sapphire
The word sapphire refers to the blue variety of the mineral corundum. By extension, it also refers to the blue color of these crystals. The name of the stone can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word sappheiros, which is thought to have referred to lapis lazuli originally (not to sapphire as we know it today). Here’s the popularity graph for Sapphire.

Shyam
Shyam is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word shyama, meaning “dark blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Shyam.

Sky
The word sky refers to the upper atmosphere, which is bright blue on clear days. It’s based on the Old Norse word ský, which meant “cloud” (ironically). Here’s the popularity graph for Sky.

Sini
Sini is a Finnish feminine name meaning “blue.”

Sora
Sora is a Japanese gender-neutral name meaning “sky.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sora.

Sunil
Sunil is a Hindi masculine name derived from the Sanskrit word sunila, meaning “very blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sunil.

Tchelet
Tchelet is a Hebrew feminine name meaning “sky blue.”

True
True (besides being a vocabulary word) is part of “true blue” — an expression that means “loyal, faithful.” The association between the color blue and the idea of loyalty or constancy may been inspired by the unchanging blue of the sky. Here’s the popularity graph for True.

Turquoise
Turquoise (pronounced TUR-koyz) is a mineral that is typically greenish-blue. The name of the stone can be traced back to the Old French term pierre tourques, meaning “Turkish stone.” Though it was mined in Persia, the stone was introduced to Europe in the 13th century by Turkish traders. Here’s the popularity graph for Turquoise.

Umi
Umi is a Japanese feminine name that can mean “sea,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Umi.

Umiko
Umiko is a Japanese name that can include the element Umi.

Zafiro
Zafiro is the Spanish word for “sapphire.” Here’s the popularity graph for Zafiro.


Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color blue?

P.S. Want to see more color-related baby names? Here are lists of red, orange, yellow, green, and purple names.

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[Latest update: Nov. 2023]