When it comes to baby names, parents have so many amazing sources of inspiration. Many people choose to look back to their family history, to select a name from an ancestor, a grandparent or great-grandparent, or even a close family friend. But we don't have to only name children after people we have known and loved (or are related to). We can also be inspired by the world around us. And what is more eternal and beautiful than considering the weather? We may choose to name a baby after the weather conditions on the day of the baby's conception, birth, or the day we first found out we were pregnant. We may also choose a weather event that inspires or awes us, such as the aurora borealis. (And Aurora makes such a beautiful name — as well as being the name of a Disney princess!)
Many of these names are less well-known — although there are a few weather-inspired names that you may be surprised by how common they are. One thing to consider when naming a baby is how unusual the name is. Everyone feels differently about this issue: some people want a name that is common or trendy because they know nobody will have trouble understanding or pronouncing the child's name. Other people want to choose something unusual so that their kid can stand out from the pack. For us, we think there's a happy medium to be accomplished here. But no matter what we choose, we know our kid will understand how much thought we put into selecting his name — especially when it is as natural and organic as a weather-inspired name. But moms who love a weather-inspired name can consider other names derived from the natural world, too. Consider nature-inspired boy names, nature-inspired names for babies of either sex, and baby names inspired by the beach.
Rain
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Rain, abundant blessings
Rain, from the Old English "regn," couldn't be cleaner and more classic. It means what it says, a drizzle, mist or deluge, the tears of the gods, life-giving rain. Rain is a sign of blessings and abundance in Eastern and Native American beliefs; it signifies the same good fortune when it's attached to a baby. Rain, or Rayne, works for boys and girls and can be paired with seasonal or descriptive names — like Summer or Misty — for a hippie vibe.
Aurora
Popularity rank in the US: 116
Meaning: Dawn
Aurora is from Latin and the name of the Roman goddess of sunrise — her tears become the morning dew. It's also the name of the dazzling northern lights, the aurora borealis, caused by space weather systems. Disney's Sleeping Beauty is named Aurora, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote an epic poem, "Aurora Leigh." The princess in the nursery will be blinding with her own dancing lights. Bring that high-flown gleam and glimmer down to earth with the popular nickname for Aurora, "Rory."
Indra
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Possessor of rain
Indra was the principal god in the sacred Hindu text, the Rig Veda, a warrior deity of sky and rain. Indra was a powerful figure who controlled the weather. Today Sanskrit-derived Indra is a given name for girls, an uncommon first name in the West that honors an Indian heritage or a love for the Sanskrit language and Hindu mythology.
Storm
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Tempest, disturbance of the atmosphere
Storm is a commanding name that hints at a forceful personality, even as it describes the disruption of an uneventful day by wind, rain, thunder, or snow. Storm will always shake it up and clear the air, leaving calm seas and sky and the promise and beauty of the rainbow. The Old English moniker worked for baseball players, jazz musicians, novelists and Olympic athletes. The little mini-whirlwind might be a perfect candidate for the name.
Tempest
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Turbulent, stormy
Tempest is both chill and hot. The girl's name evokes the wild magic of a fierce storm — like the one in Shakespeare's famous play — or a larger-than-life stripper. It may be taking a risk on this one, so be sure that big-personality baby will be happy with the turbulent moniker as she grows up. Tempest is from the Renaissance English word for storm — she can default to "Tess" as a nickname. Or just play it safe and call her Miranda, the lovely heroine at the heart of Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Soleil/Sunny
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Sun
Soleil — pronounced soh-LAY — is French for "sun," and a golden little girl is a ray of sunshine to banish any cloudy day. Girls and boys might be named the English word Sunny, less elegant but just as warm. Choose Soleil for a dancing and delicate girl, lighthearted and cheerful; it's an affectionate predictor of a bright and friendly personality.
Zephyr
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Mild breeze, west wind
Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind, and baby Zephyr personifies that gentle and favorable breeze. His presence is felt on mild spring and early summer days, a welcome and refreshing breath of air that stirs the flowers and creates the most pleasant weather all year. Zephyr is a short, neat, original and evocative name for an easy, breezy baby boy.
Mistral
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Dominant wind
Le Mistral is the strong, cold wind that spills over the Alps, rushing across Provence toward the French Riviera and the Mediterranean Sea. Its name comes from Latin, and the Mistral is exactly that, a wind that dominates everything, blowing hard for days at a time and affecting the weather in North Africa, Sicily, and the Mediterranean. But the mistral clears the clouds away, dries the atmosphere, sweeps away the grime, and reveals the bright sun and vivid colors of Provence. Mistral is an out-of-the-ordinary girl's name for a beneficial force to be reckoned with.
Varsha
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Rain
Varsha is a Hindu name from the Sanskrit word for "rainy season." It has a touch of the exotic, a hint of tropical monsoon — the time when sweeping rains restore the parched land, turning dry fields to soft green and stippling the surface of the sacred Ganges River. Varsha works smoothly with almost any surname and is an inspired departure from the plain English name Rain. The name can also be spelled Barsha, although that is less common.
Niamh
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Bright, radiant, snow
Niamh, pronounced and sometimes spelled Neve, is an Irish name for the daughter of the mythical sea god Manannan. She was a beautiful princess known as Niamh of the Golden Hair who lived with her love in an enchanted land where hundreds of years seemed to pass in weeks. The Gaelic means "bright" and the Italian word "neve" means "snow," so the varied spellings connect Niamh/Neve to the radiance of a new snowfall.
Rainbow
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: Rainbow; a symbol of peace and serenity
Rainbow is a beautiful and unusual baby name. A colorful name with a hippie vibe to it, it instantly reminds us of the wonderful, intelligent, charismatic, and slightly self-aggrandizing Dr. Rainbow Johnson on the hit T.V. show Black-ish.
Bise
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked
Meaning: A cold, dry wind
The Bise is a strong wind that blows form the north over the Alps mountain range system, down into France and Switzerland. It is strongest at Lake Geneva. Anyone with a connection to these countries — or a special love of Lake Geneva — should consider this unusual and beautiful name.
Skye
Popularity rank in the US: 315
Meaning: Adventurous, protection, scholar
Skye is a Scottish girls' name, named for the Isle of Skye, which is among the most beautiful places in the world. It's filled with medieval castles, small fishing villages, and sharply stunning Scottish landscapes. The name Skye is also a variant of Skyler or Skylar.
Thora
Popularity rank in the US: 5,471
Meaning: Thunder
A Scandinavian name, Thora is a feminine variation on the name Thor, the Norse god of thunder. It's fairly old-fashioned, and while it's easy for American tongues to pronounce, it's not going to be a name that many other kids in the class are likely to have.
Helen
Popularity rank in the US: 413
Meaning: Ray of shining light
Helen is a name of Greek origin. The name is both ancient and modern-sounding. The story of Helen of Troy, the King of Troy's wife whose face is allegedly responsible for launching a thousand ships, will probably be called to mind. The French variation is Elaine.
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