Most popular baby names inspired by the ocean

Thunder, Ocean, Juniper and Whimsy Lou are some of the trendiest baby names of the year thanks to celebrities thinking outside of the box. As of late, there’s been a rise in water names inspired by the waves of the ocean.

“There’s such high awareness of the environment and appreciation for nature that many parents have strong feelings for wanting to identify the majesty of the ocean with their child,” baby-naming consultant Pamela Redmond of Nameberry told Today.com.

Nameberry released a list of more than 200 baby names inspired by the ocean. So, whether your baby has a calm personality or knows how to rock the waters, here are the top three trendy names for boys, girls, gender neutral and with a little uniqueness.

Trendiest names for boys

• Kai: Hawaiian, meaning the sea
• Caspian: Geographical, meaning large salty sea between Asia and Europe
• Rafferty: Irish, meaning flood tide and an abundance

Trendiest names for girls

• Cordelia: Latin/Celtic, meaning the daughter of the sea
• Kailani: Hawaiian, meaning the sea and sky
• Nixie: German, meaning water nymph

Trendiest gender neutral names

• Dune: French origin with Dutch and German ties, meaning sand hill
• Murphy: Irish and Scottish origin, meaning the warrior of the sea
• Ocean: Greek, comes from Oceanus, which means the sea.

Unique names correlating directly to the sea or ocean

• Mariner: British and French, meaning seaman and sailor
• Merrigan: Irish, meaning a person who derived from Muir sea
• Wave: English origin that means arched form of water or sound

“It’s almost like people naming a child after someone they admire or someone in the Bible or the Quran their child can emulate,” Redmond said. “The ocean has that same inspirational power.”