100 Inspiring Names Meaning Ocean: Traditional to Modern

Updated
These cool names meaning ocean are as beautiful and inspiring as the sea itself!

The ocean is a vast and magical entity, offering so much watery inspiration when finding the perfect names for magical merbabies.

From the crashing waves to the corals deep underwater, there are so many beautiful names meaning ocean amidst those dazzling waters.

So, dive into the depths and uncover the most awe-inspiring names that mean ocean and sea, each ideal for the most beautiful water baby.


56 Dreamy Ocean Names for Girls

Your daughter will glimmer like the sea with these awe-inspiring ocean names.

  1. Alta – with the adventurous meaning of “wild,” Alta is the Norse goddess of water.
  2. Amphitrite – a knockout Greek mythological name belonging to the goddess of saltwater.
  3. Aqua – a familiar Latin word meaning “water,” reminiscent of the vast ocean.
  4. Aquamarine – a gem of an ocean-inspired name, combining the Latin words for “water” and “sea.”
  5. Aquareine – meaning “water queen” from Latin and French, this name is fit for a magical mermaid.
  6. Asherah – a whisper of a nautical name with the glorious meaning of “she who walks on the sea.”
  7. Avisa – a romantic-sounding Sanskrit female name meaning “ocean.”
  8. Concha – the Spanish word for “seashell” makes a magical choice for a unique marine name.
  9. Coral – a dreamy, oceanic name relating to picturesque coral reefs.
  10. Cordelia – a pretty feminine name of various possible origins, including Welsh, meaning “jewel of the sea.”
  11. Delfina – a playful, sea-based name meaning “dolphin” in Italian.
  12. Dolphin – a unique, animal-inspired name for a playful water baby.
  13. Doris – a vintage girl’s name meaning “gift of the ocean,” belonging to a sea nymph in Greek mythology.
  14. Dwyn – a sweet Welsh name meaning “wave,” Dwyn is infinitely fun to say.
  15. Gali – a beautiful, ocean-like Hebrew name meaning “wave.”
  16. Kaia – taken from the Hawaiian word “kai,” meaning “sea.”
  17. Kailani – another pretty Hawaiian pick among girl names that mean ocean, combining elements meaning “sea” and “sky.”
  18. Kairi – a pretty find among ocean names for girls from Japanese, meaning “ocean, sea, or village.”
  19. Kinipela – meaning “wave,” this Hawaiian name can be soft and feisty all at once!
  20. Laguna – a dreamy Italian girl’s name meaning “lake,” making us think of crystal-clear waters.
  21. Mar – the Spanish word for “sea” is a cool, independent name.
  22. Maren – a soft Latin pick among names meaning “ocean” for girls.
  23. Marie – a fresh French variant of Mary, as pretty as it is timeless.
  24. Marina – meaning “of the sea,” this sweet name also relates to a boat dock.
  25. Marissa – meaning “of the seas,” this Portuguese name is great for a little water baby.
  26. Maristela – a dreamy, celestial Latin name meaning “star of the sea.”
  27. Mary – a traditional Hebrew girl’s name with meanings including “beloved,” “bitter,” or “drop of the sea.”
  28. Mayim – a Hebrew girl’s name with the fresh, simple meaning of “water.”
  29. Meltem – meaning “sea wind,” this cool Turkish female name is breezy and bright.
  30. Meri – the short and joyful-sounding Finnish word for “sea.”
  31. Moana – a dreamy Hawaiian girl’s name meaning “ocean, sea,” popularized by the 2016 Disney movie.
  32. Moira – a classy Gaelic girl’s name from the same stem as Mary.
  33. Morwenna – a Welsh girl’s name relating to the “waves of the sea.”
  34. Muireall – a beautiful name meaning “bright sea” in Celtic.
  35. Muireann – meaning “sea-white,” Muireann was the name of a 6th-century Irish legendary mermaid.
  36. Nagaio – this Maori name meaning “reflections on the water” makes us think of the sun glimmering off the sea.
  37. Naida – a pretty Greek name for a baby “water nymph.”
  38. Nami – a cute, short, and friendly-sounding Japanese girl name meaning “wave.”
  39. Naunet – an ancient Egyptian feminine name meaning “goddess of the ocean.”
  40. Nerissa – a pretty Greek girl’s name for a “sea nymph,” used by Shakespeare.
  41. Nixie – a fun, playful-sounding name after a water spirit in German folklore.
  42. Nori – a fun, deep-sea name from Japanese, meaning “seaweed” or “doctrine.”
  43. Oceana – this gorgeous Greek girl’s name is as vast and exciting as the “ocean” itself.
  44. Odeta – a delicate-sounding European girl name that means “blue sea.”
  45. Ola – a short, sweet name of various origins, meaning “wave” in Spanish.
  46. Pearl – a cozy name for your new little underwater jewel that’s as warming as it is shiny.
  47. Pelagia – a female variant of the masculine Greek name Pelagius, meaning “the sea.”
  48. Salacia – derived from the Latin word for “salt,” Salacia was the Roman goddess of the sea.
  49. Sedna – a unique name after the Inuit goddess of the oceans.
  50. Sereia – a Portuguese word name for a magical little “mermaid.”
  51. Stellamaris – a luminous Latin girl’s name for a radiant little “star of the sea.”
  52. Tarni – a sweet Indigenous Australian female name meaning “surf, wave.”
  53. Thalassa – the personification of the ocean in ancient Greek mythology.
  54. Umi – an ever-gorgeous Japanese pick among names that mean “ocean” for girls.
  55. Undine – an alluringly unique name from literature, created from the Latin “unda,” meaning “wave.”
  56. Urmika – a sweet Hindi girl name with the petite meaning of “small wave.”

29 Inspiring Ocean Names for Boys

Any little sailor would adore these fantastic names meaning sea!

  1. Ahti – the Finnish god of the oceans, rivers, and lakes, makes a strong and watery namesake!
  2. Arnav – meaning “sea, ocean,” this cool Hindi pick is deep and divine.
  3. Aukai – an adventurous Hawaiian name meaning “seafarer.”
  4. Caspian – a handsome, regal-sounding name inspired by the Caspian Sea.
  5. Cerulean – a rare color name reminiscent of the lush blue hue of the ocean.
  6. Delmar – in Spanish, this literally means “of the sea” – a cool pick among ocean names for boys.
  7. Delmore – like the Spanish Delmar, this French male name means “of the sea.”
  8. Gyatso – from Tibetan, this unique name means “ocean.”
  9. Hai – a Chinese surname meaning “ocean” makes a great, short first name.
  10. Iluka – is taken from a place in Australia, with the cozy meaning of “by the sea.”
  11. Jalaneel – this Indian boy’s name means ” blue,” precisely the shade of the oceans.
  12. Kainalu – meaning “the surf,” this Hawaiian boy’s name is an adventure.
  13. Kaito – a cool, spicy Japanese name meaning “ocean.”
  14. Llŷr – from Welsh mythology, this unique name means “sea.”
  15. Malik – a hot Arabic name meaning “king,” including “wave or sea” in Greenlandic.
  16. Mariner – a cool English and Celtic word name, great for your new little “seaman.”
  17. Merlin – a powerful sorcerer from Arthurian legend and a medieval Welsh name meaning “sea fortress.”
  18. Murphy – the most common surname in Ireland, makes a fun given name, meaning “sea warrior.”
  19. Neptune – a bold, standout name after the Roman sea god, referring to the planet.
  20. Oceanus – a powerful and regal ancient Greek Titan name, meaning “ocean.”
  21. Pelagius – an ancient Greek name referring to “the sea.”
  22. Poseidon – in Greek mythology, Poseidon was the chaotic, trident-carrying god of the sea.
  23. Rian – like the popular Ryan, the Old Irish word “rian” means “ocean.”
  24. Sahil – a watery Hindi male name meaning “ocean” and “river banks.”
  25. Suni – this cool Hindi pick means “very blue,” just like the ocean’s depths!
  26. Tangaroa – a Maori and Polynesian mythological “sea god.”
  27. Triton – an oceanic name from Greek mythology and the son of Poseidon.
  28. Varuna – an Indian name after the Hindu god of oceans, water, rain, and sky.
  29. Zale – a lesser-heard Greek boy name meaning “sea strength.”

15 Fantastic Gender-Neutral Ocean Names

These nautical names that mean sea would be perfect for any little merman or mermaid.

  1. Ariel – a Hebrew name meaning “lion of God,” also notably the name of the beloved Disney mermaid princess.
  2. – a charming unisex Mandarin word meaning “wave.”
  3. Deniz – meaning “flowing sea,” this Turkish unisex name is rhythmically tranquil
  4. Derya – meaning “from the ocean,” this Turkish name sounds fit for any water baby!
  5. Dylan – a popular, gender-neutral Celtic name meaning “son of the sea.”
  6. Dzovig – a cool, unique Armenian name meaning “small ocean.”
  7. Hokuikekai – this celestial beauty of a Hawaiian name means “star of the sea.”
  8. Itsaso – the Basque word for “ocean” makes a cool, fresh name option for babies.
  9. Kai – this Hawaiian word makes the coolest of unisex names that mean “sea.”
  10. Kaimana – another stunning Hawaiian ocean name, meaning “power of the ocean.”
  11. Morgan – a popular Welsh surname and given name meaning “sea circle.”
  12. Ocean – although very rare, the word “ocean” makes a fantastically dreamy, gender-neutral name.
  13. Oki – a short, sweet Japanese unisex name related to the vast expanse of the ocean.
  14. Pasha – as a Greek name, this cute choice means “of the sea.”
  15. Ushio – a delightful yet rare Japanese name meaning “tide.”

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.

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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.