Many parents find themselves choosing names that have a special meaning or are significant to their lives. Themed names are growing in popularity, with many parents drawn to the strength and power of ocean names. I
t’s no surprise that ocean themed names are on your mind. Finding the perfect name for your little one that goes with a theme can be an extra challenge, but this list will surely help.
Finding a water-inspired name is not hard to do as there are so many different deities and mythologies related to oceans, rivers, and seas as well as so many named rivers and bodies of water you can choose from. Water-inspired baby names are not hard to come by, but finding baby names that mean ocean can pose an extra challenge.
On this list, you’ll find both ocean baby names as well as water themed names. Your little water baby deserves the perfect baby name!
Baby Names Meaning Ocean
A list of ocean names that are perfect for your little water baby. This list is ideal for parents that specifically want an ocean-inspired name.
- Avisa – a girl name of Sanskrit origin
- Kaimana – a unisex Hawaiian name that means “power of the ocean”
- Kaia – a beautiful girl name that means “ocean” and comes from either Hawaiian, Latin, or Scandinavian origin
- Kairi – Japanese origin
- Mira – a gorgeous girl name of Latin origin
- Moana – a Hawaiian girl name
- Arnav – a boy name of Indian origin
- Gyatso – a Tibetan boy name
- Oceanus – traditionally a boy name of Greek origins
- Okeanos – a Greek boy name
- Muhit – an Arabic boy name
- Ocean – an English unisex name
- Vasa – a Samoan boy name
Girl Names Inspired By The Ocean
A list of names that are traditionally female for parents that want a girl name inspired by ocean, water, the sea, or water nymph stories.
- Anahita – a gorgeous girl name of Persian origin that means “water goddess”
- Ariel – a beautiful name that means “lion of God” and is of Hebrew origin. This name was made popular by Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
- Asherah – an Arabic girl name that means “she who treads on the sea”
- Asia – the name Asia is of Arabic origin and means “rising sun”, but in Greek mythology Asia was the daughter of Oceanus
- Aqua – one of the most “ocean names” there is – this name is a Latin name for “water”
- Aquata – a Greek name that means “body of water”
- Avisa – this Sanskrit name means “ocean”
- Beverly – a British name that means “beaver stream” and is often shortened to Bev or Everly
- Brenna – derived from the Irish male name Brennan, the meaning of the name “ is drop of water”
- Brinna – also spelled Brynna, this ocean themed name means “little drop of water”
- Brizo – from the Greek word meaning “to slumber”, Brizo was also the goddess of the sailors and fisherman in Greek mythology
- Brooke – an English name that means “tiny stream”. This popular girl’s name is the perfect choice for parents that want something more common.
- Brynne – Brynne is a Gaelic name meaning “little drop of water.”
- Calypso – a gender-neutral Greek name that means “she who hides”. In Greek mythology, Calypso was a sea nymph.
- Coral – a Latin name meaning “coral reef”
- Coralie – a French girl name that means “coral”. This is a popular choice for parents that love the names Cora or Coral, but want something less literal.
- Cordelia – a pretty name that means “daughter of the sea” or “jewel of the sea” and has Welsh origins.
- Cove – a unisex name of English origins that means “small bay”
- Coventina – this name means “water goddess”. In Roman mythology, Coventina was the goddess of water.
- Darya – a Persian girl name that means “the sea”
- Delmare – meaning “of the sea”, this unique girl name is of French origin
- Delphine – a French girl name meaning “dolphin”
- Deniz – a gender-neutral name of Turkish origin that means “sea”
- Derya – a Turkish and Kurdish name that is unisex and means “sea”
- Doris – a unique name of Greek origin that means “gift from the sea”
- Dwyn – a unique water-inspired girl name of Welsh origins that means “wave”
- Dylan – a unisex water name that means “son of the sea” and has Welsh roots
- Earwyn – a unique name of English origin that means “sea friend” or “friend of the sea”
- Eldoris – a Greek name that means “of the sea”. This name is perfect for parents that love unique baby girl names
- Firtha – a unique name of Scottish origin that means “arm of the sea”
- Gali – a rare Hebrew name that means “wave”. This is name is great for parents that love short girl names.
- Ginevra – a cute girl name of Italian origin that means “white wave”
- Guinevere – a Welsh baby girl name that means “white wave” or “white shadow”
- Hali – a Greek name that means “sea”.
- Halimeda – a Greek name that means “thinking of the sea”. In Greek mythology, Halimeda was the daughter of Nereus and Doris.
- Hama – a Japanese name that means “beach”
- Iluka – an Aboriginal Australian name that means “by the sea”
- Isla – a Spanish girl name that means “island”
- Jordan – a popular ocean themed name that means “to flow down” and is a biblical name with Latin roots.
- Juturna – according to Roman mythology, Juturna was the goddess of fountains and springs. Some believe the name Juturna to mean “sea nymph”
- Kaia – a beautiful girl name that means “ocean” and has Hawaiian, Latin, or Scandinavian roots
- Kailani – a Hawaiian name that means “sea and sky”. This is a beautiful ocean inspired girl name that is also spelled Keilani.
- Kaimana – a rare, unisex Hawaiian name that means “power of the ocean”
- Kairi – this name is of Japanese origin and means “ocean” or “sea”
- Kelsey – an Old English name meaning “ship’s victory”
- Lana – a Hawaiian name that means “calm as still waters”
- Máire – a form of Mary, meaning “of the sea of bitterness”. It is pronounced “moy-ra” and is of Irish origins
- Maren – a nautical girl name that means “star of the sea” and is of Latin origins
- Mariana – a Portuguese girl name that means “star of the sea”
- Maribel – a French girl name meaning “star of the sea”
- Marina – this gorgeous girl name means “one of the sea” and has Latin roots
- Maris – a unique name of Latin origin that means “of the sea”
- Mary – There are many theories as to what the name Mary means, including “sea of bitterness”, “beloved”, and “wished for child”. Mary is a biblical name that is commonly used as a family name.
- Maura – an Irish name that means “star of the sea”
- Maureen – an Irish girl name meaning “star of the sea”
- Meri – meaning “sea”, this name is of Finnish origin
- Merielle – also spelled Meriel, this Irish girl name means “sea nymph”
- Mira – a gorgeous girl name of Latin origin that means “ocean”
- Miriam – a Hebrew girl name that means “drop of the sea”
- Moana – a Hawaiian girl name that means “ocean”. This name was made famous by the Disney movie Moana.
- Moira – means “drop of the sea” and is the Anglicized version of the name Máire
- Molly – meaning “star of the sea”. Molly is of Irish origins as the nickname for Mary.
- Morgan – a Welsh name that is gender-neutral and means “sea-song” or “sea-born”
- Morgana – this rare girl name means “dweller of the sea” and is of Welsh origins
- Moria – a variation of Maureen, also meaning “star of the sea”
- Morwenna – a Welsh baby name that means “sea wave”
- Moryana – this Russian baby name means “sea”
- Naia – meaning “river flowing”, this unique baby name comes from Greek origins
- Naida – a Greek name that means “mermaid”
- Nerida – a Greek name that means “sea nymph” or “mermaid”
- Nerissa – another Greek girl name that means “sea nymph”
- Nori – a name of Japanese origin that means “seaweed”
- Onda – an Italian name with Latin roots that means “wave”
- Ondina – a Latin girl name that means “little wave”
- Orabelle – a unique girl name that means “beautiful seacoast”
- Pearl – a girl name of English origin that means “sea stone”
- Ria – a name meaning “small river”
- Rosemary – this classic name has a few cute nicknames. Rosemary is a Latin name that means “dew of the sea” and is commonly shortened to Rosie and Rose.
- Sabrina – a Latin girl name meaning “river nymph”
- Saylor/Sailor – a German name that means “sea man”
- Sedna – a unique baby girl name that comes from Native American Inuit origin and means “Goddess of the sea”
- Sereia – the Portuguese word for “mermaid”
- Shannon – this Irish girl name is pretty common in the United States. Shannon means “wise river”.
- Stellamaris/ Stella Maris– a Latin girl name that means “star of the sea”
- Talia – a girl name that means “dew from heaven; by the water” and comes from Hebrew origins.
- Tallulah – a Native American girl name that means “leaping water”
- Thalassa – a Ancient Greek girl name that means “sea” and has ties to Greek mythology.
- Ula – a rare, three letter girl name of Celtic origin that means “gem of the sea”
- Urmi – also spelled Oormi, this name means “wave” and is of Indian origin
- Vanora – a Welsh girl name that means “white wave”
- Yara – an Arabic name that means “water lady”
- Zarya – a Slavic name that means “water priestess” or “sea goddess”
- Zenevieva – a unique name with a few different meanings. This Celtic baby name has Russian roots and means either “white shoulders” or “white waves”
Related:80+ Beautiful Royal Girl Names Fit For A Princess
Boy Names That Mean “Ocean” or “Water”
This list contains traditionally male names for parents that want water, sea, or ocean themed baby names.
- Aalto – a boy name of Finnish origins that means “wave”
- Adrian – this boy name has a few different meanings including “of the Adriatic sea”, “dark one”, and “black water”. It has Greek roots.
- Afon – a Welsh name that means “river”
- Arnav – this Indian boy name means “ocean”
- Aukai – a Hawaiian boy name that means “sailor”
- Beckham – an English name that means “home by the sea”
- Brooks – a German and English name that means “water” or “small stream”
- Calder – a unique boy name of Scottish origins that means “rough waters”
- Caspian – a place name of English origin that means “white”. The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water
- Cove – a unisex name of English origins that means “small bay”
- Delmar – a unique Spanish name that means “of the sea”
- Deniz – a gender-neutral Turkish name that means “sea”
- Derya – a Turkish and Kurdish ocean themed name that is unisex and means “sea”
- Douglas – a Scottish Gaelic boy name that means “dark waters”
- Dylan – a unisex water name that means “son of the sea” and has Welsh roots
- Ford – an English boy name that means “river crossing”
- Gyatso – a Tibetan name that means “ocean”
- Hali – a Greek name that means “sea”.
- Hudson – an English name meaning “son of Hud”. The Hudson River is located in New York State.
- Hurley – an Irish name that means “sea tide”
- Irving – a Scottish name that means “green river”
- Jordan – a popular name that means “to flow down” and is a biblical name with Latin roots. It is also a common English surname.
- Kai – this unique name means “sea” and is of Hawaiian origin
- Kaimana – a rare, unisex Hawaiian name that means “power of the ocean”. This is a strong ocean inspired baby name for a boy.
- Kairi – this name is of Japanese origin and means “ocean” or “sea”
- Lachlan – a Scottish name that means “land of the lakes”
- Leith – a Scottish name that means “broad river”
- Lir – an Irish boy name that means “the sea”. This is a unique ocean inspired name.
- Mariner – an occupation name of Old English origins that means “seaman”
- Mano – a boy name meaning “shark” and comes from Hawaiian origins
- Maxwell – a cool name of Scottish origin that means “great stream”
- Morgan – a gender-neutral name that means “sea-song” or “sea-born”. It is of Welsh origin.
- Muhit – an Arabic name that translates to “ocean”
- Murdoch – an Irish and Scottish name that means “Sea warrior”
- Murphy – derived from an Irish surname, this name means “sea warrior”
- Murray – a Gaelic name that means “by the sea”
- Neptune – a Latin name that refers to the Roman God of the Sea
- Njord – in Norse mythology, Njord was the god of the sea. The name means “north” and has Scandinavian roots
- Nori – a name of Japanese origin that means “seaweed”
- Ocean – a nature name that quite literally means “ocean” and comes from the English word
- Oceanus – a Greek name that means “of the ocean”
- Okeanos – a Greek name that translates to “ocean”
- Rain – an English name that means “rain”
- Remington – a boy name that means “place on the river” and is of English origins
- River – a British boy name that means “small stream” or “flowing water”
- Ronan – of Irish origin meaning “seal”
- Sailor – a gender-neutral name of German origin that means “boat man”
- Shahrooz – an Arabic name meaning “great river”
- Tiberius – a Latin name that means “of the Tiber river”
- Trent – an English boy name that means “gushing water”
- Varuna – an Indian boy name that means “water God”
- Vasa – meaning “ocean” and is of Samoan descent
- Wade – an English name that means “ford; river crossing”
- Wai – from the Hawaiian word for “water”, this modern name is charming and unique
- Zale – a Greek baby name that means “sea strength”
Popular Water-Inspired Names
For parents that want a traditional name inspired by water.
- River
- Morgan
- Jordan
- Mary
- Kelsey
- Brooke
- Brooks
- Molly
- Mary
Unique Ocean Themed Baby Names
Perfect for parents that want a water name that isn’t popular, these uncommon choices are great for your little one.
- Varuna
- Wai
- Kairi
- Derya
- Calder
- Caspian
- Orabelle
- Juturna
- Earwyn
- Aalto
Related: The Best Japanese Twin Boy Names (2022)
If you love any of these water names, or know other ocean-inspired baby names, leave a comment below! There are so many amazing water names out there!
