112 Names that Mean Water: for Boys & Girls

Updated
These boy and girl water names are sure to float your boat!

Looking for a name that flows perfectly? Whether you love the calming vibes of a quiet stream or the raw power of the ocean, water-inspired names are a timeless choice for any baby.

We explored the depths to find the best water names from around the world. Below, you will discover unique options for girls and boys, learn their fascinating history, and spot a few famous namesakes along the way. Let’s dive in and find the perfect fit for your little one!


57 Pretty Girl Water Names

Get ready to make a splash with these charming aquatic girl names.

  1. Ama – A beautiful African girl name that translates to “water” or “born on a Saturday.”
  2. Aqua – This literal Latin choice is a trendy color baby name for “water” or “sea-blue.”
  3. Anahita – A mystical Persian girl name representing a “river and water goddess.”
  4. Araluen – This melodic Aboriginal option carries the delicate meaning of “water lilies.”
  5. Baia – A short, stunning Portuguese choice meaning “bay.”
  6. Beverly – A classic English name defined as “dweller by the beaver stream.”
  7. Brooke – A popular English favorite meaning “small stream.”
  8. Cascade – A rhythmic French name meaning “waterfall” or “rushing waters.”
  9. Chantara – A celestial, water-inspired pick meaning “moon water” in Thai.
  10. Cherith – This crisp Hebrew choice means “winter stream.”
  11. Cordelia – A literary Celtic and Latin name meaning “daughter of the sea” or “heart.”
  12. Damla – A whimsical Turkish girl name meaning “water drop.”
  13. Derya – This stylish Turkish name translates simply to “sea.”
  14. Doris – A vintage Greek name meaning “gift of the ocean.”
  15. Dwyn – A Welsh diminutive of Dwynwen with the powerful meaning of “wave.”
  16. Euna – An upscale Cherokee name meaning “waterfall.”
  17. Gali – A short and sweet Hebrew girl’s name meaning “wave.”
  18. Immokalee – A unique Cherokee name with the energetic meaning of “tumbling water.”
  19. India – A place name of English origin meaning “from the river Indus.”
  20. Indra – A bold Sanskrit water name meaning “possessing drops of rain.”
  21. Isla – A chart-topping Scottish name referring to an island or the River Islay.
  22. Jora – The perfect autumn-inspired choice meaning “autumn rain” in Hebrew.
  23. Kaimana – A mighty Hawaiian name meaning “the power of the ocean.”
  24. Kairi – A delicate Japanese girl name meaning “sea.”
  25. Laguna – An upbeat and rare Italian option meaning “pond” or “lake.”
  26. Lynn – A diminutive of Linda, this middle name favorite means “lake” in Welsh.
  27. Locklyn – A feminine Gaelic variant of Lachlan meaning “lake land.”
  28. Maayan – A gorgeous Hebrew name meaning “spring of water.”
  29. Maren – A Latin girl’s name that translates to “sea.”
  30. Maya – A popular Hebrew, Spanish, and Greek female name meaning “water.”
  31. Mira – A cross-cultural gem often associated with the Latin word for “ocean” or Sanskrit for “ocean.”
  32. Misty – An English nature name with the gentle meaning “mist.”
  33. Moana – A famous Maori name meaning “deep ocean” or “sea.”
  34. Morwenna – A rare Welsh beauty meaning “waves of the sea.”
  35. Moselle – An eccentric Hebrew name meaning “drawn from the water.”
  36. Nahla – A refreshing Arabic feminine name meaning “a drink of water.”
  37. Naida – A playful Greek name meaning “water nymph.”
  38. Narelle – This pretty Aboriginal name means “little river.”
  39. Nebula – A futuristic Latin choice meaning “mist.”
  40. Ngaio – A thoughtful Maori choice meaning “reflections on the water.”
  41. Nixie – A German female name meaning “water nymph” that feels fairy-like.
  42. Noelani – An ethereal Hawaiian girl name meaning “heavenly mist.”
  43. Nori – A fun Japanese name meaning “doctrine” or “seaweed.”
  44. Oceana – A fancy Greek moniker for “ocean.”
  45. Onda – This Italian girl’s name for “wave” makes a real splash.
  46. Pasha – A Greek name sounding posh with the meaning “of the ocean.”
  47. Picabo – An uncommon Native American name meaning “silver creek.”
  48. Ria – A short Spanish feminine name for “small river.”
  49. River – An English name meaning “a flowing body of water” that is dominating popularity charts.
  50. Sabrina – A Celtic name meaning “for the river Severn.”
  51. Saga – A lovely Swedish female name meaning “seeress” or “story,” often associated with water goddess myths.
  52. Sereia – A charming Portuguese girl name meaning “mermaid.”
  53. Tallulah – An Irish and Native American girl name meaning “leaping water.”
  54. Thalassa – An interesting Greek name simply meaning “the sea.”
  55. Undine – A unique Latin name for “little wave.”
  56. Varsha – An exotic Hindi girl’s name meaning “rain.”
  57. Yarrow – A botanical English name meaning “rough stream.”

48 Unique Boy Names That Mean Water

Discover a boatload of enchanting boy names that mean river, ocean, and water.

  1. Aalto – A melodic Finnish boy name meaning “water” or “wave.”
  2. Alwyn – This stunning Welsh name means “river.”
  3. Aquarius – An astrological Latin masculine name meaning “water carrier.”
  4. Arledge – A sophisticated pick meaning “dweller at the rabbit lake.”
  5. Arnav – A strong Hindi male name meaning “ocean.”
  6. Bach – A German name famous for the composer, meaning “dweller near the brook.”
  7. Barbeau – This French water name for “fisherman” sounds hardworking and distinct.
  8. Beck – A punchy one-syllable name meaning “small stream” in English.
  9. Birney – An adorable English name meaning “island with the brook.”
  10. Bourne – A stealthy English name meaning “one who lives near a stream.”
  11. Bradford – An English name representing a “wide river crossing.”
  12. Brooks – A preppy English surname-turned-first-name meaning “of the brook.”
  13. Carlow – An elegant Irish boy name meaning “four-part lake.”
  14. Clyde – A Scottish name meaning “river,” offering authentic vintage vibes.
  15. Cove – A gorgeous water-themed English name meaning “small bay.”
  16. Deniz – The Turkish variant of Dennis, meaning “sea.”
  17. Deveraux – A dapper French boy’s name meaning “riverbank.”
  18. Douglas – Ideal for a moody vibe, this Scottish name means “dark water.”
  19. Dylan – A chart-topping Welsh name meaning “son of the sea.”
  20. Eaton – A preppy English water name that means “riverside.”
  21. Fisher – An outdoorsy English occupational name meaning “fisherman.”
  22. Fleetwood – A rhythmic English name meaning “woods with a stream.”
  23. Ford – An English name meaning “dweller at the ford” with a bold reputation.
  24. Hancock – A water-inspired English surname meaning “shellfish-gatherer.”
  25. Holmes – A down-to-earth name meaning “from the island in the river.”
  26. Hudson – A classic choice symbolizing the famous river and meaning “Hugh’s son.”
  27. Hurley – A sporty Irish name meaning “sea tide.”
  28. Innes – A Scottish boy name meaning “from the river island.”
  29. Irving – A traditional Scottish name meaning “green river” or “sea friend.”
  30. Kano – A powerful African and Japanese name meaning “the god of the waters.”
  31. Kelvin – A Scottish name defining a “narrow or wooded river.”
  32. Loch – A modern, short form of Lachlan meaning “lake.”
  33. Marsh – An English nature name representing wetlands.
  34. Moses – A classic biblical boy’s name meaning “delivered from the water.”
  35. Nen – An Egyptian masculine name meaning “ancient waters.”
  36. Po – The simplest of Italian boy names, meaning “river.”
  37. Rio – A spirited Spanish name meaning “river.”
  38. Romney – A well-known Welsh surname meaning “winding river.”
  39. Strom – A unique German twist on Storm, meaning “stream.”
  40. Tahoe – A cool Native American male name meaning “edge of the lake.”
  41. Talcott – A cozy English name meaning “cottage near the lake.”
  42. Varuna – A Hindu name full of character meaning “god of water and the ocean.”
  43. Wade – A smooth English male name meaning “at the river crossing.”
  44. Wilton – A dashing old-fashioned name meaning “place by a stream.”
  45. Windsor – A royal English name meaning “riverbank with a winch.”
  46. Wolcott – A clean-cut English name meaning “cottage near a stream.”
  47. Wyre – An English origin name meaning “winding river.”
  48. Zenebe – An African Amharic name meaning “raining.”

13 Cool Unisex Names Meaning Water

There are endless gender-neutral water names for your baby-to-be. Here are our top picks.

  1. Adair – A Scottish and English name meaning “river near oaks.”
  2. Banks – A trendy English name referring to the “edge of the river.”
  3. Cary – A laid-back Latin name meaning “pleasant stream.”
  4. Jordan – A popular Hebrew name meaning “flowing down.”
  5. Kai – A super common water name for “sea” in Hawaiian.
  6. Kendall – An English favorite meaning “valley of the river Kent.”
  7. Lake – A straightforward English nature name for a “body of water.”
  8. Maxwell – A Scottish name meaning “great stream” that works for any gender.
  9. Morgan – A classic Welsh name meaning “sea-born,” “sea-song,” or “sea-circle.”
  10. Nile – A Greek name meaning “champion” representing the famous Egyptian river.
  11. Rain – An English word name meaning “rain” or “blessings from above.”
  12. Remington – A charming English name meaning “place on a riverbank.”
  13. Rowan – While often associated with the tree, this name has Gaelic roots linked to water and “little redhead.”

Water Names FAQs

What Girl Name Means “Wave?”

Get lost in these stunning girl names that mean “wave”:

Dwyn: “wave.”
Gali: “wave.”
Morwenna: “waves of the sea.”
Onda: “wave.”
Undine: “little wave.”

What Girl Names Mean “Ocean?”

These are the prettiest girl names meaning “ocean”:

Doris: “gift of the ocean.”
Kaimana: “the power of the ocean.”
Moana: “deep ocean” or “sea.”
Oceana: “ocean.”
Pasha: “of the ocean.”

What Are Some Boy Names That Mean “Sea?”

Check out some water-based boy names that mean “sea”:

Deniz: “sea.”
Hurley: “sea tide.”
Irving: “green river” or “sea friend.”
Kai: “sea.”

What Are Some Japanese Names That Mean Water?

Japanese culture offers beautiful water-inspired names.

Kai: “sea” or “ocean.”
Kairi: “ocean village.”
Mizu: “water.”
Rio: “village cherry blossom” (often associated with rivers in other cultures).
Nami: “wave.”

What Name Means Spirit of the Water?

If you are looking for a mystical or spiritual water name, consider these:

Naida: “water nymph.”
Nixie: “water sprite.”
Kelpie: A Scottish shape-shifting water spirit.
Melusine: A fresh-water spirit in folklore.

Are There Any Names That Mean Rain?

Yes, several names celebrate the rain.

Rain: Literal English word name.
Varsha: Hindu name for “rain.”
Indra: “Possessing drops of rain.”
Jora: “Autumn rain.”
Reva: “Rain.”

What Is the Most Popular Water Name?

Currently, River is one of the most popular gender-neutral water names in the United States. Brooks and Kai are also topping the charts for boys, while Isla is a favorite for girls.

What Names Mean Blue Water?

These names evoke the color of the water:

Aqua: Latin for “water” or “sea blue.”
Azula: Spanish/Arabic inspired for “blue.”
Cyan: A greenish-blue color name.
Derya: Turkish for “sea” (often associated with deep blue).

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About the Author

Myesha Alleyne

Myesha Alleyne is a freelance writer, author, and formally trained elementary educator. During her time teaching, she found herself longing to fulfill a childhood dream of writing. She’s a dedicated mother and wife who loves to read and watch the Food Network in her spare time.