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Water is the universal symbol for life. It's constantly evolving, flowing, and necessary to live. So why not use its variations as baby names for your new family addition?
Whether it's the name of an existing body of water, has an aqua-related meaning, or simply means "water" in another language, the name inspirations are endless.
Here are the best 20 baby boy names inspired by water:
- Adrian — The names comes from the Adriatic Sea and is one of the most popular boys names in America. In 2013 it finished as number 60 on the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 baby name list, no doubt thanks to gorgeous actor Adrian Grenier.
- Beck — Beckham is one of the most popular names for boys, but be original and shorten it to Beck, which means "stream" in Old Norse.
- Bourne — It might mean "one who lives near a stream," in ancient Middle English but we all know that the Matt Damon association is clearly tops here.
- Brooks — It refers to a small stream, but it's also the name of Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock's top man… before he left the show and Des with a broken heart.
- Calder — While it's an traditional Welsh last name, Calder makes a cool first name. It means "rocky water" or "stony river," in Welsh but for any hockey fan, it's the highest trophy in the minors.
- Coburn — Another name that's traditionally been used as a surname, but while Coburn refers to a small stream ("burn" is a name for a brook in Scotland), it's also delicate enough to be a first name.
- Conway — The name has a strong spiritual tie, especially in Welsh, where it means "holy water." Plus, it has yet to break into mainstream American baby name lists, so get this one while it's still fairly underground.
- Dover — It's a town in Massachusetts, it's Welsh for "water," and it's the name of a British seaport on the English Channel, so there will are plenty of references to your little boy's popular moniker.
- Dylan — It has been a steadily popular name for decades now. Most recently, it was number 23 on the SSA 2013 baby name list, and has one beautiful water connection: it means "son of the sea" in Welsh. Bet you didn't know that one.
- Ford — It's not just the name of a former president or the auto magnate. A ford is also the shallow place in the body of water where one can cross across a stream. The name definitely peaked around the start of the 20th century, but Owen Wilson recently gave it to his son, so expect a resurgence.
- Hurley — While you might immediately think of actress Elizabeth Hurley, this is actually an old Irish name that means "sea tide."
- Kai — This name has been most popular in Hawaii, where it means "sea," but it's made its way to the rest of the U.S. and has was the 199th most popular name in 2013, according to the Social Security Administration
- Lincoln — It's one of the most popular celebrity baby names on the market right now. Teen Mom Kailyn Lowry gave it to her little boy, while Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard gave it to their daughter, which definitely contributed to making it number 95 on the top 1,000 baby names by the SSA in 2013. It's a more modernized version of the Welsh "llyn," but the top association is definitely with our sixteenth president.
- Morrisey — The famous English crooner and songwriter is most responsible for bringing the name to the worldwide stage, but it's "choice of the sea" meaning in Irish also makes it a perfect water-related name.
- Murray — Hey, Bachelorette fans! It's the name of one of Andi Dorfman's suitors, but it also means "settlement by the sea" in Scottish. Plus, it's another last name-as-first name possibility, which is a hot, hot, hot trend right now.
- Murphy — The name is the modern English version of the Gaelic "Murchadh", which means "sea warrior." Don't discount Murchadh as a possibility either. You're pretty guaranteed your kiddo's name won't be repeated.
- River — Straight and to the point, this water name has risen in popularity over recent years, and ranked as number 372 on the Social Security Administration's list.
- Trent — As in the River Trent (in England), the word Trent means "gushing waters" in Latin. The trendy name even finished as number 440 in 2013's top name list, according to the Social Security Administration.
- Wade — You can wade through water, or literally define it as a "river crossing," but both associations are water-related and ideal for a tiny dude.
- Zale — The name means "strong sea" or "power of the sea" in Greek, so your little man will definitely show some fortitude right from the start.
For more baby name ideas and to find your perfect baby name, visit Baby Name Wizard.
Would you choose a water-inspired name for your son?
Image via Philippe Put/Flickr; © iStock.com/Deejpilot
