100 Gorgeous Names Meaning Sea

Updated
From Kai to Marina, find a name as deep and dreamy as the sea.

There is something about the sea that has always found its way into names, from the Latin word for wave to the old myths of sea gods and tide-blessed daughters. If you want a name that carries salt air and open water, you have a lot of beautiful choices.

This list gathers 100 names that mean ocean or sea, or that carry its imagery: 56 for girls, 29 for boys, and 15 gender-neutral picks. You will find soft, flowing options alongside stronger, wave-crashing ones, drawn from Hawaiian, Latin, Greek, and Old Norse roots.

Scroll through and see which one sounds like your little one.


56 Dreamy Ocean Names For Girls

Consider these beautiful ocean names for your daughter.

  1. Atla: A short Old Norse name tied to water and a giantess in Norse myth, with a wild, untamed feel.
  2. Amphitrite: A Greek mythological name for the queen of the sea and wife of Poseidon, grand and unusual.
  3. Aqua: The Latin word for water, plain and clear, and the name of its blue-green color.
  4. Aquamarine: An ocean name from the Latin for water and sea, shared with the pale blue-green March birthstone.
  5. Aquareine: A coined name reading as water queen from Latin aqua and French reine, regal and rare.
  6. Asherah: A Semitic mother goddess sometimes titled she who treads on the sea, ancient and mystical.
  7. Avisa: A Sanskrit name meaning ocean, also linked to sky and life-giving, soft and romantic on a girl.
  8. Concha: The Spanish word for shell, also a homey short form of Concepcion with a seaside charm.
  9. Coral: A nature name for the reef-building sea creature and its warm pink-orange shade.
  10. Cordelia: A vintage name of debated roots, often read as daughter of the sea, and Shakespeare’s loyal youngest daughter in King Lear.
  11. Delfina: An Italian and Spanish name meaning dolphin, playful and bright for a water-loving girl.
  12. Dolphin: A rare animal name for the cheerful, clever sea mammal.
  13. Doris: A Greek name meaning gift, borne by an Oceanid sea nymph who mothered the Nereids.
  14. Dwyn: A short Welsh name linked to wave, sweet and easy to say.
  15. Gali: A Hebrew name meaning wave or my wave, gentle and softly unisex.
  16. Kaia: Built on the Hawaiian kai for sea, also found in Scandinavian and Greek roots, breezy and modern.
  17. Kailani: Another pretty Hawaiian pick among girl names meaning sea and sky, blending kai for sea and lani for heaven.
  18. Kairi: A Japanese name meaning sea, ocean, or village, light and current for a girl.
  19. Kinipela: A Hawaiian name meaning wave, soft in sound yet spirited.
  20. Laguna: A dreamy Italian girl’s name meaning lagoon, calling up still, clear coastal water.
  21. Mar: The Spanish and Catalan word for sea, a cool one-syllable name.
  22. Maren: A name from the Latin marinus, of the sea, popular across Scandinavia and gentle in sound.
  23. Marie: A French form of Mary, classic and understated, sharing Mary’s drop of the sea thread.
  24. Marina: A Latin name meaning of the sea, also the word for the harbor where boats moor.
  25. Marissa: Meaning of the sea, this Portuguese name is a warm, familiar pick for a little water lover.
  26. Maristela: A Latin name meaning star of the sea, devotional and luminous, kin to Stella Maris.
  27. Mary: A traditional Hebrew girl’s name with layered meanings including beloved, bitter, and drop of the sea.
  28. Mayim: A Hebrew name simply meaning water, fresh and unexpected, shared by actress Mayim Bialik.
  29. Meltem: Named for the dry summer wind that sweeps the Aegean, this Turkish female name feels breezy and bright.
  30. Meri: The Finnish word for sea, short and cheerful.
  31. Moana: A name meaning ocean across many Polynesian languages, popularized by the 2016 Disney film.
  32. Moira: A Gaelic girl’s name from the same root as Mary, carrying a thread back to drop of the sea.
  33. Morwenna: A Welsh girl’s name tied to the waves of the sea, also borne by a Cornish saint.
  34. Muireall: A Scottish Gaelic name meaning bright sea, the older form behind Muriel.
  35. Muireann: Meaning sea-fair or sea-white, Muireann was a legendary mermaid in Irish myth.
  36. Ngaio: A Maori name for a coastal New Zealand evergreen tree, made famous by crime writer Ngaio Marsh.
  37. Naida: A Greek name drawn from naiad, a freshwater nymph, light and lyrical.
  38. Nami: A short, friendly Japanese girl name meaning wave, easy to say almost anywhere.
  39. Naunet: In Egyptian myth this Egyptian feminine name personified the primordial waters, an ancient, mythic choice.
  40. Nerissa: A Greek-rooted name for a sea nymph, coined by Shakespeare for a clever maid in The Merchant of Venice.
  41. Nixie: An English name for a water sprite from German folklore, playful and a little mischievous.
  42. Nori: A Japanese name meaning seaweed or doctrine, also the savory sea sheet wrapped around sushi.
  43. Oceana: This Greek girl’s name is the feminine of Oceanus, wide and open like the sea itself.
  44. Odeta: A delicate European girl name, a Lithuanian and Albanian form tied to the blue of the sea.
  45. Ola: A name of several roots, meaning wave in Spanish and a Scandinavian short form, simple and sunny.
  46. Pearl: A gem name for the lustrous bead formed inside an oyster, soft and vintage.
  47. Pelagia: A Greek name from pelagos, the open sea, the feminine of Pelagius.
  48. Salacia: From the Latin for salt, Salacia was the Roman goddess of saltwater and wife of Neptune.
  49. Sedna: Named for the Inuit goddess of the sea and its creatures, also a distant dwarf planet.
  50. Sereia: The Portuguese word for mermaid, whimsical and unmistakably oceanic.
  51. Stellamaris: A Latin girl’s name meaning star of the sea, the old title given to the guiding pole star.
  52. Tarni: A sweet Australian female name from the Kaurna word for surf or breaking wave.
  53. Thalassa: The Greek primordial goddess and personification of the sea, also a moon of Neptune.
  54. Umi: A Japanese name meaning sea, short and warm, and a Swahili name meaning life.
  55. Undine: A literary name from the Latin unda, wave, for a water spirit who gains a soul through love.
  56. Urmika: A dainty Hindi girl name meaning small wave, soft and uncommon.

29 Inspiring Ocean Names For Boys

These sea-inspired names offer strong and meaningful options for boys.

  1. Ahti: The Finnish god of the sea and waters, a strong mythic namesake.
  2. Arnav: A Hindi and Sanskrit name meaning sea or ocean, deep and widely used across India.
  3. Aukai: A Hawaiian name meaning seafarer, adventurous and bold for a boy.
  4. Caspian: Inspired by the Caspian Sea and C.S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia.
  5. Cerulean: A color name for the deep sky-blue of the open ocean, rare and artistic.
  6. Delmar: From the Spanish del mar, of the sea, smooth and coastal.
  7. Delmore: Like the Spanish Delmar, this French male name means of the sea, and poet Delmore Schwartz carried it.
  8. Gyatso: A Tibetan name meaning ocean, the very word in the Dalai Lama’s title, ocean of wisdom.
  9. Hai: A Chinese name meaning sea that makes a clean short first name.
  10. Iluka: From an Aboriginal word and an Australian coastal town, meaning near the sea.
  11. Jalaneel: This Indian boy’s name means sea-blue, matching the deep shade of the oceans.
  12. Kainalu: Meaning the surf or rolling sea, this Hawaiian boy’s name sounds like an adventure.
  13. Kaito: A Japanese name meaning sea or ocean, energetic and popular for boys.
  14. Llŷr: A sea god in Welsh mythology and the root behind Shakespeare’s King Lear.
  15. Malik: A popular Arabic name meaning king that also means wave or sea in Greenlandic.
  16. Mariner: An English word name for a sailor, straightforward and seafaring.
  17. Merlin: The wizard of Arthurian legend, this Welsh name links to the sea fort of Carmarthen in Wales.
  18. Murphy: The most common surname in Ireland, meaning sea warrior, friendly and offbeat as a first name.
  19. Neptune: The Roman god of the sea and the eighth planet, a bold celestial pick.
  20. Oceanus: A Greek Titan who personified the great river encircling the world, grand and ancient.
  21. Pelagius: A Greek name from pelagos, the open sea, borne by an early monk and theologian.
  22. Poseidon: The Greek god of the sea, storms, and earthquakes, who wields a trident.
  23. Rian: From the Old Irish rian, the sea, a sleek alternative to Ryan.
  24. Sahil: A Hindi male name meaning seashore or coast, calm and grounded.
  25. Suni: A Hindi name, short for Sunil, tied to the dark blue of deep water.
  26. Tangaroa: The great sea god of Maori and Polynesian myth, father of the ocean’s creatures.
  27. Triton: A Greek sea god, son of Poseidon, who stirs or calms the waves with a conch, and Neptune’s largest moon.
  28. Varuna: The Hindu god of the cosmic ocean, water, and sky, ancient and commanding.
  29. Zale: A Greek boy name meaning sea strength, uncommon and energetic.

15 Fantastic Gender-Neutral Ocean Names

These gender-neutral nautical names work perfectly for any child.

  1. Ariel: A Hebrew name meaning lion of God, also Shakespeare’s airy spirit in The Tempest and Disney’s mermaid.
  2. Bō: A Mandarin word meaning wave, crisp and unisex.
  3. Deniz: The Turkish word for sea, a popular unisex name across Turkey.
  4. Derya: A Turkish name meaning sea, borrowed from Persian, flowing and calm.
  5. Dylan: A Welsh name meaning son of the sea, tied to a sea-god child in myth and to poet Dylan Thomas.
  6. Dzovig: An Armenian name meaning small sea, tender and rare.
  7. Hokuikekai: A Hawaiian name meaning star of the sea, celestial and oceanic at once.
  8. Itsaso: The Basque word for sea, fresh and uncommon outside Spain.
  9. Kai: A Hawaiian word for sea, one of the most popular short unisex names worldwide.
  10. Kaimana: A Hawaiian name meaning power of the ocean, also read as diamond.
  11. Morgan: A popular Welsh surname and given name meaning sea-born or sea circle.
  12. Ocean: The English word itself, dreamy and direct, rising as a gender-neutral choice.
  13. Oki: A Japanese name meaning open sea or offshore, short and calm.
  14. Pasha: Listed among sea names, Pasha is short and sweet, and also a Turkish title for a high official.
  15. Ushio: A Japanese name meaning tide or sea current, soft and rare.

Names Meaning Ocean FAQs

What Name Means Blue Like the Sea?

If you find sea blue to be the most inspiring color, there are some gorgeous ocean-inspired names to consider. Try Sunil or Cerulean for little boys or Odeta for little girls.

What Names Mean Wave?

For girls, Dwyn, Gali, and Morwenna are beautiful ocean names meaning wave. For boys, we love Malik and Bō.

What Name Means Deep Ocean?

If you are looking for a name that captures the profound depths of the sea, Arnav is a Hindi name that translates directly to ocean or sea. The Chinese name Hai also carries the deep meaning of the vast ocean.

What Are Some Unique Ocean Names?

For a truly unique choice, consider names like Dzovig, an Armenian name meaning small ocean, or Sedna, inspired by the Inuit goddess of the sea. These rare options stand out while keeping a strong connection to the water.

What Japanese Name Means Ocean?

There are several beautiful Japanese names inspired by the ocean. Kairi means ocean or sea, while Nami translates to wave. For boys, Kaito is a spirited option that means ocean.

What Hawaiian Names Mean Ocean?

Hawaiian culture offers many gorgeous sea-inspired names. Moana and Kai both directly mean ocean or sea. Kaimana is another striking option that means power of the ocean.

What Greek Names Mean Ocean?

Greek mythology provides plenty of oceanic inspiration. Thalassa represents the ancient personification of the ocean, while Poseidon and Triton reference powerful sea gods. Oceana is a modern-sounding Greek option that means ocean.

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About the Author

Madeleine Lily Webb

Madeleine is a writer from somewhere near Manchester, England. Madeleine's background in languages and linguistics has led to baby names becoming one of her favorite topics to write about. When she's not fallen down a rabbit hole of stories behind unique names, Madeleine can be found hanging out with her cat, taking photos of flowers, or dancing.