Many parents understandably want to choose a baby name that not only flows well with the child’s last name, but they also want the name to have a meaningful definition. If your family has connections to the water—maybe you live near a lake, grew up going to the ocean, love swimming and diving, or always take cruises—these baby names that mean “water” are perfect options to explore for your little one.
All 205 of these monikers are related to water in some way. Many of them have ocean-themed meanings, others have connections to lakes and rivers and there are even options that cover rain and other similar weather. Basically, if you want a water-oriented baby name, you’re covered with this list.
Using research from these baby name books: The Name Book, Baby Names Made Easy and A Dictionary of First Names, as well as data from NameBerry, Ancestry.com and the Social Security Administration, Parade has compiled this expansive list of baby name options. So if the water means something special to your family, and you’re looking for a moniker to match, these monikers are perfect. And with both boy, girl and gender-neutral options—there’s something here for every expectant parent.
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205 Best Names That Mean ‘Water’
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1. Moana — This Disney character has a fitting moniker, because Moana means “ocean” in Hawaiian.
2. Morgan — This Welsh name means “bright sea.”
3. Beckham — Meaning “one who lives by a brook,” this boy’s name ranked in the top 200 in 2024.
4. Dylan — Stemming from the Celtic language, this name means “sea.”
5. Ria — In Spanish, this name means “estuary,” which is a place where freshwater and saltwater meet.
6. Kelsea — Not only does this name literally have “sea” in it, but it has a water-themed meaning in Irish: “harbor.”
7. Meri — In Finnish, this word means “sea.” It’s a unique variation of “Mary.”
8. Rain — You could also spell this Rainn, like the actor Rainn Wilson from The Office.
9. Cordelia — In Welsh, this moniker translates to “jewel of the sea.”
10. River — Conjuring an image of flowing water, this name was in the top 300 for both boys and girls in 2024.
11. Meredith — This Welsh moniker means “guardian of the sea,” and it was in the top 500 for girls in 2024.
12. Sabrina — Symbolizing the Roman river goddess, this name was in the top 400 for girls in 2024.
13. Bradford — This name means “from the water crossing.”
14. Jordan — Referring to the river in the Middle East, this name translates from Hebrew to “flow down.”
15. Rosemary — With Latin roots, this name means “dew of the sea.”
16. Brooke — This name was the 308th most popular choice for girls in 2024. It refers to a small stream.
17. Rhoda — In Celtic, this name means “powerful river.”
18. Hurley — This Gaelic name means “lover of the sea.”
19. Marina — Meaning “from the sea,” this moniker also represents where boats are kept.
20. Ariel — You could name your daughter after the most famous mermaid. This name made it into the top 300 for girls in 2024.
21. Lynn — This Irish name stands for “from the lake.”
22. Amaya — In Japanese, this moniker means “night rain.”
23. Marvin — This Welsh name means “lover of the sea.”
24. Laiken — This unique moniker symbolizes lakes, and it can be used for boys or girls.
25. Dorian — Stemming from the Greek word “doros,” it means “from the sea.”
26. Mira — In Sanskrit, this name means “ocean.”
27. Brooks — A top 100 name for boys in 2024, this name comes from a small stream, aka a brook.
28. Reva — This Hebrew name means “rain.”
29. Marietta — This Italian name means “drop of the sea.”
30. Fisher — Unsurprisingly, this occupational name refers to people who fish. It stems from Middle English.
31. Rhea — With Greek origins, this moniker translates to “flowing stream.”
32. Maris — This moniker means “of the sea.”
33. Maxwell — This Scottish moniker means “from the great spring.”
34. Banks — Fittingly, this name represents a riverbank.
35. Blaine — Meaning “river source,” this name has English roots.
36. Brooklyn — This New York borough got its name from the Dutch word for “marshland.”
37. Rio — This name translates from Spanish to “river.”
38. Kai — A Hawaiian word, Kai means “the sea.”
39. Dover — From the Welsh word dwfr, which means “water.”
40. Zaire — This moniker has African origins and means “river.”
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Girl Names That Mean ‘Water’
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41. Marie — This French name has Latin origins and means “of the sea.”
42. Galia — In Hebrew, this moniker means “wave of God.”
43. Lynette — The English translation of this name is “brook.”
44. Raina — This is a sweet name that references the rain. It was the lucky 1,000th most popular name for baby girls in 2024.
45. Bay — This moniker means “sea inlet.”
46. Niagara — You could name your daughter after the impressive Niagara Falls.
47. Miriam — This Hebrew name means “of the sea.”
48. Kawa — In Japanese, this moniker means “river.”
49. Nerida — This moniker means “sea sprite” in Greek.
50. Meryl — This Celtic moniker means “bright sea.”
51. Iris — Stemming from Greek, this moniker represents the end of a rainstorm and means “rainbow.”
52. Nahla — This Arabic name means “drink of water.”
53. Doris — In Greek mythology, Doris was a sea nymph.
54. Beverly — This Old English name was used for people who lived near streams inhabited by beavers.
55. Liyana — This Zulu name means “it is raining.”
56. Maren — With Latin roots, this name means “sea.”
57. Indra — This Sanskrit name means “raindrops.”
58. Ama — This Cherokee word means “water.”
59. Guadalupe — With Spanish roots, this moniker means “river of the wolf.”
60. Nerissa — Stemming from Greek, this moniker means “from the sea.”
61. Yoko — In Japanese, this name means “ocean child.”
62. Kendall — This moniker translates to “valley of the river Kent,” and it has English origins.
63. Marnie — This Latin-origin name means “sea.”
64. Cari — This Turkish name means “flowing like water.”
65. Neva — In Finnish, this name means “bog” or “swamp.”
66. Nila — Meaning “river,” it symbolizes the Egyptian Nile River.
67. Marna — This Scandinavian name means “sea.”
68. Ivria — This Hebrew name refers to the Euphrates River in Asia.
69. Kenda — This moniker means “water baby.”
70. Misty — A more obvious water-themed name, it was given to 36 baby girls in 2024.
71. Muriel — This name means “of the bright sea” in Irish.
72. Avonlea — This name means “field near the river,” and it has English roots.
73. Halsey — This English-origin moniker means “from the ruler’s island.”
74. Nami — In Japanese, this word means “wave.”
75. Kailani — In Hawaiian, this name means “sea and sky.”
76. Krystalynn — This moniker means “perfectly clear water,” and it stems from the Greek word for ice, aka “kristallos.”
77. Varsha — In Hindi, this word translates to “rain.”
78. Maya — This name means “water,” and it was the 51st most popular option for girls in 2024.
79. Oceana — Derived from the Greek word “okeanos,” this moniker means “ocean.”
80. Kisa — This name translates to “rain” from Bosnian.
81. Lindsey — Meaning “lake settlement” or “island,” this name has English roots.
82. Geneva — This name references a popular lake in Wisconsin.
83. Karilynn — This combination of the names Katherine and Lynn means “pure water.”
84. Marissa — This moniker is derived from the Latin word “mare” for “sea.”
85. Nessie — For a unique take on a water theme, you could name your daughter after the mythical Scottish lake creature. In 2024, five baby girls were given this moniker.
86. Dima — In Arabic, this means “persistent rain.”
87. Sarita — This name comes from the Sanskrit word for “river.”
88. Talia — This Hebrew name means “Heaven’s dew.”
89. Vanora — Meaning “white wave,” this is a Celtic name.
90. Coralee — This sea-connected name comes from the Latin word “corallium” for “coral.”
91. Sariya — This Arabic name means “night rain.”
92. Pelagia — From the Greek word “pelagos,” this name means “open ocean.”
93. Jamaria — This is a combination of “James” and “Maria,” and it means “of the sea.”
94. Mariana — This is the name of the deepest part of the sea.
95. Lerryn — From Cornish, this name translates to “flood.”
96. Maureen — This moniker is derived from the Irish word “muir,” which means “sea.”
97. Kaia — From the Hawaiian word “kai,” this name means “sea.”
98. Isla — This Spanish-rooted name means “island.”
99. Athena — This moniker means “from the sea,” and it has roots in Greek mythology.
100. Guinevere — In Welsh, this name means “white wave.”
101. Sirena — In Spanish, Sirena translates to “mermaid.”
102. Varuna — This is the Hindu water deity.
103. Kiwa — This name means “Pacific Ocean” in Māori.
104. Makara — In Hindu mythology, Makara is a sea creature.
105. Delta — In Greek, this means “mouth of a river.”
106. Laguna — In Latin languages like Spanish and Italian, this name means “lagoon.”
107. Merivale — This Cornish name translates to “valley near the lake.”
108. Kairi — Translated from Japanese, this means “sea.”
109. Elynn — This moniker means “clear pool.”
110. Whitney — Meaning “white island,” this moniker has English origins.
111. Sereia — Translated from Portuguese, this word means “mermaid.”
112. Skye — Despite what it sounds like, this name doesn’t literally mean “sky.” It has Scottish origins and is the name of one of the largest islands in Scotland.
113. Merilynn — This moniker means “drop of the sea.”
114. Hydra — In Greek, this moniker signifies a “water serpent.”
115. Tallulah — From the Choctaw tribe, this name means “leaping water.”
116. Merial — This name means “bright sea.”
117. Seine — You could name your daughter after this famous French river.
118. Naida — In Greek, this moniker means “water nymph.”
119. Venice — This Italian city is known for being built on the water, and it makes for a pretty girl’s name.
120. Mary — This Hebrew name means “drop of the sea”
121. Selkie — In Scottish folklore, selkies are humans on land and seals in the water, sort of like mermaids.
122. Brenna — From the Irish for “moisture,” Brenna is a unique girls’ name and was given ot just 93 babies in 2024.
123. Aqua — In Latin, this name means “water.”
124. Aysel — This is a Turkish name that means “moon flood.”
125. Mairenn — Derived from Gaelic, this name means “fair sea.”
126. Sedna — This is the goddess of the sea in Inuit culture.
127. Riviera — From Italian, this name means “river bank.”
128. Lana — In Hawaiian, this moniker means “afloat.”
129. Scylla — In Greek mythology, Scylla was a sea creature.
130. Neri — This Greek-origin name means “ocean spirit.”
131. Thalassa — In Greek, this name means “the sea.”
132. Aquamarine — This moniker combines the Latin words “aqua” and “marina,” meaning “water of the sea.”
133. Brigid — In Ireland, many of the Holy water wells are named after Saint Brigid.
134. Eirlys — This Welsh name means “snowdrop.”
135. Saraswati — This name means “water” or “lake” in Sanskrit.
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Boy Names That Mean ‘Water’
136. Harbor — A harbor is a boat dock, and it makes for a unique boy’s name.
137. Eaton — An English-origin name, Eaton means “river settlement.”
138. Hudson — You could name your son after the famous New York river.
139. Lamar — This French name means “the sea.”
140. Beck — This Middle English name means “from the stream.”
141. Kelvin — With Celtic origins, this name means “from the narrow river.”
142. Ford — This moniker refers to a river crossing, and it also brings to mind a fjord—a narrow sea inlet between high cliffs.
143. Alon — In Tagalog, this name means “wave.”
144. Triton — King Triton was Ariel’s father in The Little Mermaid. In Greek mythology, Triton was also the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea.
145. Beckett — This moniker represents someone who lives by a brook.
146. Stratford — This Old English name means “river crossing.”
147. Blue — You could name a boy or a girl after this color, which represents our expansive ocean.
148. Moses — This Hebrew moniker means “drawn from the water,” as Moses was in the Bible.
149. Loch — This Scottish word means “lake.”
150. Ocean — This is a unique water-themed option that works for boys or girls.
151. Lake — You could go a literal route and name your child after a landlocked body of water, also known as a lake.
152. Caspian — This moniker refers to the Caspian Sea between Europe and Asia.
153. Wade — With English roots, this name refers to someone who crosses through shallow water.
154. Marlin — This Welsh name represents the sea, and it’s also a type of fish. It was also Nemo’s dad’s name in Finding Nemo.
155. Pontus — This Scandinavian name means “sea bridge.”
156. Oaklyn — This is a boy’s name that means “oak lake.”
157. Stanford — Meaning “from the rocky riverbank,” this name has English origins.
158. Brizo — In Greek mythology, Brizo was the guardian of the sailors and fishermen.
159. Ceto — This moniker comes from the Greek word for “sea monster.”
160. Thames — This is a famous river in London.
161. Atlantis — This moniker references both the Atlantic Ocean but also the myth of the sunken city of Atlantis.
162. Deniz — In Turkish, this word means “sea.” You could also spell it Dennis, or even Denise for a girl.
163. Venn — This Irish name means “from the marsh.”
164. Douglas — In Scottish, this moniker means “black water.”
165. Trenton — Literally meaning “from the town by the river Trent,” this was a top 1,000 baby name for boys in 2024.
166. Irvine — From the Welsh words “yr” and “afon,” this means “fresh water.”
167. Delmar — In Spanish, this moniker means literally “from the sea.”
168. Remington — This Old English name means literally “boundary stream estate.”
169. Brighton — You could name your child after this popular seaside city in England.
170. Quan — This Chinese name refers to a spring of water, or a hot spring.
171. Irving — This means “green river” or “sea friend,” and it has Scottish roots.
172. Adrian — This name brings to mind the Adriatic Sea in the Mediterranean.
173. Huron — One of the five great lakes, this is a unique boys’ name.
174. Okeanos — In Greek mythology, Okeanos represented the sea.
175. Marshall — This name technically means “horse keeper,” but it also symbolizes a wetland ecosystem.
176. Lyle — This moniker means “from the island.”
177. Mortimer — With English origins, this moniker means “from the still pond.”
178. Bohai — This is the name of a sea off the coast of China.
179. Murray — This Scottish name means “settlement by the sea.”
180. Ellery — Literally translating to “island with elder trees,” this makes for a good boy or girl name.
181. Rodney — This English name refers to an island near a “swift river.”
182. Jorah — This Hebrew name means “autumn rain.”
183. Bo — This Chinese name means “wave.”
184. Hai — This name means “sea,” and it has Chinese origins.
185. Calder — This Scottish name means “wild water.”
186. Nalu — In Hawaiian, this word translates to “wave.”
187. Ramsey — This moniker refers to a wooded island, and it comes from Old English.
188. Estes — From Latin, this name means “tide.”
189. Marino — This Latin-origin name means “of the sea.”
190. Lago — This Italian word means “lake.”
191. Cove — Meaning a “coastal inlet,” this would make for a unique baby name.
192. Tahoe — This term comes from the Washoe tribe and means “lake.”
193. Yarrow — Also a type of plant, this name means “rough stream.”
194. Dalfon — This Hebrew name means “raindrop.”
195. Merton — In Old English, this name means “lake town.”
196. Lagoon — A lagoon is a shallow body of water, and also a unique baby name option. It sort of sounds like Logan, but more distinctive.
197. Regen — This German word means “rain.”
198. Pasha — In Russian, this name means “from the sea.”
199. Kenn — Translating to “bright water,” this is a Welsh name.
200. Zeus — In Greek mythology, Zeus was the god of rain, thunder, lightning and wind.
201. Lono — In Hawaiian culture, Lono is the god of rain.
202. Jalus — This name means “rainbow” and has origins in Tibet.
203. Neptune — As the Roman god of the sea (and also a planet), this is a unique name for a baby.
204. Achelous — In Greek mythology, Achelous was the god of rivers.
205. Zale — With Greek roots, this name means “strong sea.”
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This story was originally published by Parade on Nov 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Life section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.