The 230+ Best Water & Ocean Inspired Baby Names

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Plus water names from ancient mythology and beyond

Co-authored by Sonya Prior and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: October 7, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Girl Names
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• Boy Names
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• Gender-Neutral
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• Mythical Names
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• Water-Inspired
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• Aquatic Life

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Are you ready to take a plunge into the wonderful world of water-themed names? You’ve come to the right place! Names that mean water (or relate to water) reflect the majesty of water in all its forms—from the wind-tossed waves of the ocean to the gently flowing currents of a river. In this article, we’ve compiled an expansive collection of the best “water” names from around the world. Ready to take a look? Let’s dive in!

Water-Inspired Names

Name expert Sonya Prior explains that there are tons of water or ocean-inspired names. In addition to obvious options like Cordelia ("daughter of the sea") and Dylan ("son of the sea"), consider names like Delphine ("dolphin") or Odessa ("sea voyage"). Here are more water-inspired names:

• Girl names: Aqua, Cordelia, Derya, Mai, Varsha
• Boy names: Alon, Beckett, Glyndwr, Malik, Marinus
• Gender-neutral names: Aalto, Jiang, Kaimana, Lynn, Morgan
• Water-inspired names: Azure, Eira, Hersilia, Hudson, Lachlann
• Mythology names: Agrona, Leander, Poseidon, Thalassa, Vivien

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Section 1 of 6:

Girl Names that Mean “Water”

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1. 
   Let’s begin with traditionally feminine names! Not all of these names directly translate to water; some combine “water” with another word or refer to the ocean or seas instead. Either way, these lovely girls’ names are 100% water-themed!

   • Aqua - Latin term meaning “water.”
   • Aysu - Turkish and Azerbaijani name meaning “moon” (Ay) and “water” (su).
   • Belinay - Turkish name that means “reflection of the moon on a lake.”
   • Cansu - Another name of Turkish origin; it means “soul,” “life,” and “water.”
   • Cordelia - Celtic name meaning “daughter of the sea” and “heart.”
   • Damla - Turkish and Azerbaijani name meaning “water drop.”
   • Derya - A name of Turkish origin meaning “ocean.”
   • Kailani - Hawaiian name meaning “sea” (Kai) and “sky” (lani).
   • Lital - Hebrew name meaning “My dew.”
   • Mai - A name of many origins; in Arabic, it means “water.”
   • Manami - Japanese name meaning “love” and “ocean” (or “beautiful”).
   • Marisol - Spanish name meaning “sea” (Mar) and “sun” (sol).
   • Maya - Hebrew name meaning “water.”
   • Meri - Finnish name that means “sea.”
   • Muirgel - Irish name meaning “bright sea.”
   • Nehir - Turkish name meaning “river.”
   • Neith - Egyptian name that means “water.”
   • Su - Turkish name meaning “water.”
   • Talia - Hebrew name meaning “dew from God,” or Australian for “near water.”
     • Tali - A related Hebrew name meaning “dew.”
   • Tallulah - Native American name meaning “leaping water.”
   • Vaihere - Tahitian name meaning “water” and “loved.”
   • Varsha - Indian name meaning “rain.”
   • Zhaleh - Persian name that means “dew” or “hoarfrost.”
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Section 2 of 6:

Boy Names that Mean “Water”

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1. 
   Believe it or not, not many boys’ names literally mean “water,” so for this list, we’ve gathered up the best masculine names that have water (or a body of water) in their definition. See if one of them catches your eye!

   • Alon - Filipino name meaning “wave.”
   • Alton - Old English name meaning “town at the source of a river.”
   • Anup - Sanskrit name meaning “water” or “lagoon.”
   • Ardalion - Greek name that means “water pot.”
   • Beckett - English name meaning “stream” or “brook.”
   • Burim - Albanian name meaning “water source” or “spring.”
   • Conway - English name derived from the Welsh River Conwy; it may mean “foremost water” in Welsh.
   • Ghayth - Arabic name that means “rain.”
   • Glyndwr - Welsh name meaning “valley water.”
   • Gürsel - Turkish name meaning “flowing water.”
   • Hải - Vietnamese name meaning “sea” or “ocean.”
   • Ibai - Basque name meaning “river.”
   • Jorah - Hebrew name meaning “early rain.” (It’s also the name of Ser Jorah Mormont from Game of Thrones.)
   • Kaito - Japanese name meaning “sea” and “fly.”
   • Malik - Greenlandic name meaning “wave” or “sea.”
   • Marinus - Latin name meaning “of the sea.”
   • Mortimer - French name meaning “still water.”
   • Muir - Scottish name meaning “moor” or “sea.”
   • Sganyodaiyo - Native American name from the Seneca people that means “handsome lake.”

Section 3 of 6:

Gender-Neutral Names that Mean “Water”

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1. 
   These water-themed names aren’t exclusively masculine or feminine; they’ll work for any gender. And all of them capture the sparkling tranquility associated with water one way or another. For example:

   • Aalto - Finnish name meaning “wave.”
   • Afon - Welsh name meaning “river.”
   • Agam - Hebrew name meaning “lake.”
   • Baran - Persian name meaning “rain.”
   • Beck - English name that means “stream.”
   • Deniz - Turkish name meaning “sea.”
   • Giang - Vietnamese name meaning “river.”
   • Göksu - Turkish name meaning “water from the sky.”
   • Hà - Vietnamese name meaning “river.”
   • He - Chinese name that means “river” or “stream” in addition to “peace” and “water lily.”
   • Jiang - Chinese name that means “river.”
   • Kai - A name of multiple origins; in Hawaiian, it means “sea.”
   • Kaimana - Hawaiian name meaning “sea” (kai) and “power” (mana).
   • Lynn - Welsh name that means “lake.”
   • Moana - Maori and Hawaiian name that means “ocean” or “deep sea.” (Also, the name of Moana, a Disney character with a close bond to the ocean.)
   • Morgan - Welsh name that means “circular sea.”
     • Morgaine - The French form of “Morgan.”
   • Shui - Chinese name meaning “water.”
   • Tal - Hebrew name that means “dew.”
   • Tasi - Chamorro name (indigenous people of the Mariana Islands) meaning “ocean” or “sea.”
   • Tirta - Indonesian name meaning “sacred water.”
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Section 4 of 6:

Myth & Deity Water Names

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1. 
   1
   Mythical water names for girls Throughout the centuries, cultures worldwide have established countless pantheons and pieces of folklore. But what about the gods in those pantheons—are there any whose names mean water? The answer is: absolutely. Check out these water-themed mythology names for girls:

   • Agrona - A Celtic and Welsh goddess of war who also influenced the names of two rivers in Wales (River Aeron) and Scotland (River Ayr).
   • Amphitrite - A goddess of the sea and saltwater as well as Poseidon’s wife (and Triton’s mother) in Greek mythology.
   • Anahita - An ancient Iranian goddess of water and fertility; her name means “immaculate” in Old Persian.
   • Anat - Semitic name likely derived from the word for “water sprint.” Anat is also the name of a Semitic fertility goddess.
   • Anuket - The goddess of the Nile River in Egyptian mythology.
   • Arethusa - A nymph in Greek mythology who turned herself into a freshwater spring to get away from the river god’s amorous advances.
   • Asherah - A mother goddess associated with water and the seas in ancient Semitic cultures; her name means “she who walks in the sea.”
   • Hydra - A legendary Greek sea serpent (as well as a constellation).
   • Iara - A mermaid in Tupi mythology who could attract sailors with her voice.
   • Jūrate - The Lithuanian goddess of the sea; her name also means “sea.”
   • Melusine - A water fairy in European legends believed to transform into a sea serpent from the waist down on Saturdays.
   • Muirgen - A mermaid captured and turned into a human in Irish folklore; she’s also known as “Lí Ban.” Her name means “born of the sea.”
   • Nephele - A cloud nymph in Greek mythology.
   • Nereida - Greek name derived from Nereus, a sea god. The name means “sea sprites.”
   • Nimue - The name of the Lady of the Lake (a sorceress) in Arthurian legends.
   • Saraswati - The name of a Hindu river goddess; this name comes from the Sanskrit term for “flowing water.”
   • Terhi - A sprite associated with forests and the mist in Finnish mythology; her name means “mist.”
   • Thalassa - A sea goddess in Greek mythology whose name means “sea.”
   • Tiamat - A primordial sea goddess in Babylonian mythology whose name means “sea” and “the deep.”
   • Vivien - Another name for the Lady of the Lake in Alfred Tennyson’s Arthurian tale, Idylls of the King.
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   Mythical water names for boys Plenty of masculine gods (and other mythical figures) were also associated with water, from tragic Greek monarchs to Old Norse giants! Take a look at these mythological water names for boys:

   • Achelous - A Greek god of water and rivers who once fought Heracles over Deianeira.
   • Ægir - The Old Norse name of an ocean-dwelling giant whose name also means “ocean.”
   • Aegeus - An Athenian king in Greek mythology who drowned himself in the sea, believing his son Theseus was dead; thus, that sea was named the “Aegean.”
   • Ahti - A Finnish god of the ocean, rivers, and fishing.
   • Ea - The ancient Mesopotamian god of water and creation; this Akkadian name means “house of water.”
   • Enki - The god of water, wisdom, and creation in ancient Sumerian mythology, whose name means “lord of the earth.”
   • Glaucus - A mortal in Greek mythology who turned into a sea god and aids fishermen.
   • Hydros - The primordial god of water in Greek mythology (whose name also means “water”).
   • Indra - A Hindu god of rain and thunderstorms.
   • Khnum - An Egyptian god of the Nile, water, and fertility.
   • Ler - A sea god in Irish mythology.
   • Leander - Hero’s lover in Greek folklore. Leander was said to have swum across the Hellespont to meet Hero, but he drowned one day; Hero followed him into the waters.
   • Llŷr - A sea god in Welsh mythology whose name means “the sea.”
   • Neptune - The god of the sea (Poseidon’s equivalent) in Roman mythology.
   • Nereus - The Old Man of the Sea in Greek mythology; his name is derived from the word for “water.”
     • Nereo - The Italian and Spanish version of “Nereus.”
   • Njord - Old Norse name for the god of the sea, sailing, and fishing; his children were Freya and Freyr.
   • Nu - The god of the primordial water abyss in ancient Egypt. His name means “primeval water.”
   • Oceanus - A Titan in Greek mythology. Oceanus was the personification of a river believed to circle the entire Earth.
   • Pontus - An ancient Greek god of the sea, sired by Gaia.
   • Poseidon - The Greek god of the sea (and one of the most powerful gods in the pantheon).
   • Sujin - The Shinto god of water in Japanese mythology whose name means “water spirit.”
   • Triton - The son of Poseidon and Amphitrite in Greek mythology; his name means “messenger of the sea.”
   • Väinämöinen - The name of a hero in Finnish folklore whose name means “wide and slow-flowing river.”
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Section 5 of 6:

Names that Relate to Water

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1. 
   1
   Names that relate to water for girls Rather than having “water” in the definition, these names are just connected to water in some way; they encapsulate water in different forms, bodies of water, and even characters in heavily water-themed works of fiction! Take a look:

   • Adva - Hebrew name meaning “small wave” or “ripple.”
   • Alda - Icelandic name meaning “wave.”
   • Amaya - Basque (and Japanese) name meaning “night rain.”
   • Ameyalli - Nahuatl (a Central American people, including Aztecs) name meaning “spring, fountain.”
   • Ariel - While this Hebrew name means “lion of God,” it’s also the name of the main character in Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
   • Azure - English name referring to a shade of sky blue.
   • Bay - English term for a coastal body of water partially surrounded by land and connected to a sea or lake.
   • Brooke - Name originating from the English word “brook,” which is a small stream.
   • Darya - Persian name meaning “sea, ocean.”
   • Dima - Arabic name meaning “downpour.”
   • Eira - Welsh name meaning “snow” (frozen water).
   • Euri - Basque name meaning “rain.”
   • Halimede - Greek name meaning “sea, brine.”
   • Hersilia - Greek name meaning “dew.”
   • Ihintza - Basque name meaning “dew.”
   • Irmak - Turkish name meaning “river.”
   • Itsaso - Basque name meaning “ocean.”
   • Kasumi - Japanese name meaning “mist” (which is a form of water).
   • Kawisenhawe - Mohawk (Native American) name meaning “she holds the ice.”
   • Kelda - Old Norse name derived from the word kildr, which means “a spring.”
   • Laguna - Spanish name meaning “lagoon” or “lake.”
   • Laine - Estonian name meaning “wave.”
   • Lluvia - Spanish name meaning “rain.”
   • Mar - Spanish and Catalan name meaning “sea.”
   • Maraĵa - Esperanto name meaning “made of the sea,” derived from the word maro, which means “sea.”
   • Marina - Latin name meaning “of the sea.” A marina is also a harbor where boats are kept.
     • Marinella - An Italian diminutive of “Marina.” The French and Armenian form is “Marine,” the French form is “Marinette,” and the Romanian form is “Marinela.”
   • Maris - Latin name meaning “of the sea.”
   • Meital - Hebrew name meaning “dew drop.”
   • Mira - Sanskrit name meaning “sea” or “ocean.”
   • Misty - English name referring to mist (specifically, describing a “misty” day or “misty” weather).
   • Muirenn - Old Irish name meaning “sea” (muir) and “blessed” (finn).
   • Naia - Basque name meaning “wave” or “sea foam.”
   • Noelani - Hawaiian name meaning “heavenly mist.”
   • Nyambura - Kikuyu (a Kenyan language) name meaning “rain.”
   • Océane - French name derived from océan, which translates to “ocean.”
   • Rasa - Lithuanian and Latvian name meaning “dew.”
   • Sarita - Sanskrit name that means “flowing.”
   • Selin - Turkish name of Arabic origin meaning “flood.”
   • Tempest - English term meaning “storm.”
   • Tamya - Quechua (South American language) name meaning “rain.”
   • Ursula - This Latin name means “little bear,” but it’s also the name of the villainous sea witch in The Little Mermaid.
   • Vale - English term for a river valley.
   • Vesa - Albanian name meaning “dew.”
   • Wave - English term; this name references the movement of the oceans and seas!
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   2
   Names that relate to water for boys Now let’s jump into masculine names with a water motif. These names describe bodies of water in different languages and a variety of water-filled areas (from swamps to fjords). For example:

   • Adawosgi - Cherokee (Native American) name meaning “he is swimming.”
   • Adrian - Latin name meaning “man of Adria” (an Etruscan town), though also derived from the terms for “water” or “sea” (the Adriatic Sea’s namesake).
   • Aled - Welsh name derived from the name of a river in Wales.
   • Alwyn - Another Welsh name that comes from a river in Wales—the River Alwen.
   • Anan - Hebrew name meaning “cloud.”
   • Caspian - The name of a sea (the Caspian Sea) as well as a character in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia.
   • Corentin - French and Breton name that means “hurricane” or “storm.”
   • Dacre - English name that means “trickling stream.”
   • Dathan - Hebrew name from the Bible that may mean “fountain.”
   • Delmar - English name meaning “from the pond.”
   • Douglas - Scottish name meaning “dark water,” and connected to natural bodies of water in Scotland.
   • Firth - Scottish name that means “arm of the sea.” Typically references lengthy estuaries in Scotland.
   • Ford - Name derived from the term for “dweller at the ford” (which is a crossing point at a river or stream).
   • Gyatso - Tibetan name meaning “ocean.”
   • Hodei - Basque name meaning “cloud.”
   • Hudson - The name of the Hudson River (in New York), which got its name from English explorer Henry Hudson.
   • Heremoana - Tahitian name meaning “loved’ (here) and “ocean” (moana).
   • Irving - Scottish name meaning “green water.” (It comes from the name of the River Irvine in Scotland.)
   • Jafar - Arabic and Persian name meaning “stream.”
   • Jubal - Hebrew name (in the Bible) meaning “stream.”
   • Kellen - English name derived from the German word kel, meaning “swampy area.”
   • Kelvin - Scottish name that comes from the River Kelvin, meaning “narrow water.”
   • Kerr - Scottish name meaning “thicket” or “marsh.”
   • Kyle - English name derived from the Gaelic word caol, which means “channel” or “strait.”
   • Lachlann - Scottish Gaelic name meaning “land of the lakes.”
     • Lauchlan - Another Scottish version of “Lachlann.”
   • Lamar - English and African American name derived from the French la mare, which means “the pool.”
   • Lanford - Old English name meaning “long ford.”
   • Loch - Irish and Scottish term meaning “lake.”
   • Murrough - Irish name meaning “sea battle.” This version is the anglicized form of “Murchadh” (below).
     • Murchadh - Another version of “sea battle” in Old Irish.
   • Neilos - Greek name for the Nile River in Egypt; it may come from a word for “river” in the Semitic languages.
     • Nilo - Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese translation of the name “Neilos.”
   • Pelagius - Greek name meaning “the sea.” This name is the Latinized form of “Pelagios.”
   • Sæwine - Old English name meaning “sea friend.”
   • Takumi - Japanese name meaning “expand, open” (taku) and “ocean” (mi).
   • Zaire - Name from the Democratic Republic of Congo meaning “the river that swallows all rivers” (in reference to the Congo river).
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   Gender-neutral names that relate to water These gender-neutral names also have a water motif to them; many are derived from the names of bodies of water around the world, or words describing different bodies of water. You might be surprised to find that plenty of names are based on specific locations (like lakes, rivers, and streams in the area). For example:

   • Adetokunbo - Yoruba name meaning “the crown returns from over the sea.”
   • Aeron - Welsh name that comes from a river in Wales; it may also be derived from Agrona, a Celtic goddess.
     • Aeronwy - The Welsh extended version of “Aeron.”
   • Blue - As in the color blue—the color of the oceans and seas.
   • Brooks - English name meaning “of the brook.”
   • Dylan - Welsh and English name derived from the Welsh terms dy (toward) and llanw (tide).
   • Gal - Hebrew name meaning “wave.”
   • Jordan - Hebrew name meaning “to flow down.” (This is also the name of the river dividing Jordan and Israel.)
   • Kendall - English name meaning “valley of the River Kent.”
   • Lake - English term referring to lakes, bodies of freshwater surrounded by land.
   • Lan - Chinese name meaning “mountain mist.” Also means “orchid” in Chinese and Vietnamese.
   • Marlowe - Old English name meaning “remnants of a lake.”
   • Minato - Japanese name meaning “harbor.”
   • Moray - Scottish name meaning “settlement by the sea.” (Also the name of an eel species.)
   • Ocean - English term referring to oceans—the vast bodies of water covering much of the Earth’s surface.
   • Rain - English term referring to rain (that falls from the sky).
   • Remy - English name derived from the French Rémy, which in turn comes from the Latin word for “oarsman” or “rower.”
   • Rio - Spanish and Portuguese name meaning “river.”
   • River - English term referring to large, natural streams of water.
   • Shannon - Irish name that comes from the River Shannon—Ireland’s longest river.
   • Storm - English term referring to weather events that often result in rain.
   • Xiang - Chinese name meaning “soar” and “good luck,” though it’s also a river in Southern China.
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Section 6 of 6:

Aquatic Plant & Creature Names

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1. 
   Finally, we have water names related to different fish, sea creatures, water plants, and beyond. Maybe you’d rather choose a name with stronger ties to nature (beyond just the water), and if so, this is the place to do it.

   • Adair - Unisex. Irish and Scottish name derived from the term for “a shallow place in a river near oaks.”
   • Aravind - Masculine. Sanskrit name meaning “lotus.”
   • Beverly - Unisex. English name meaning possibly derived from the terms for “beaver” and “stream.”
   • Bradán - Masculine. Irish name meaning “salmon.”
   • Coral - Feminine. English (and Spanish) term for aquatic invertebrates that form coral reefs.
   • Coraline - Feminine. A name of multiple origins, derived from the word “coral” and meaning “heart” or “maiden” in Greek.
   • Dory - Feminine. One of the central characters in Pixar’s Finding Nemo—a forgetful but optimistic fish.
   • Drake - Masculine. The term for a male duck. It’s also an Old English and Old Norse name meaning “dragon.”
   • Kunala - Masculine. Sanskrit name meaning “lotus.”
   • Lily - Feminine. References the flower, though it can also refer to water lilies (which bloom in water).
   • Nemo - Masculine. One of the main characters in Finding Nemo—a young, adventurous clownfish.
   • Nerida - Feminine. Indigenous Australian name that means “water lily.”
   • Niloufar - Feminine. Persian name meaning “water lily.”
   • Padma - Feminine. Sanskrit name meaning “lotus.”
   • Pearl - Feminine. English name referring to the round gems that form in oyster shells.
   • Ray - Masculine. English name referring to manta rays.
   • Raeburn - Masculine. Scottish name meaning “stream where deer drink.”
   • Ridley - Unisex. Old English name that means “reed clearing,” in addition to the name of a sea turtle species.
   • Rosemary - English name referring to an herb; rosemary’s Latin name is rosmarinus, meaning “dew of the sea.”
   • Sebastian - Masculine. The name of a crab character (and Ariel’s friend) in The Little Mermaid.
   • Vaitiare - Tahitian name meaning “water” (vai) and “flower” (tiare).

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