If you’re a new parent-to-be who loves the ocean, longs for a riverside campsite (remember when we could do that? camping??), or feels like you were probably a dolphin in a previous life, you’re in luck when it comes to baby-name picks. While you could certainly name your kid after your favorite part of the California coast, or give them a nature name that’s not entirely, um, water-based, you know you’ll probably be happiest with a beachy name that calls to mind the world’s waters and the fine folks (fish and sexy lifeguards alike) who love them, just like you do.
We’ve rounded up a bevy of beachy names for boys that surfer kids and river rats (of any species) will be proud to call theirs.
Names that mean “water”
Wishful water-dwellers will love the baby names below, which all mean “water,” “ocean,” “stream,” “river” or something else that evokes aquatic adventures.
- Avon: River
- Beckham: Home by the stream
- Bourne: Stream
- Brooks: Water, small stream
- Calder: Stream
- Colwyn: River in Wales
- Conway: Holy river
- Destin: By the still waters
- Douglas: Black river
- Dover: Water
- Earvin: Green, fresh water
- Escott: Hut near the river
- Ford: River crossing
- Hali: The sea
- Harford: Ford of the hares
- Havelock: Sea competition
- Holmes: Islands in the river
- Hudson: River in New York
- Hurley: Sea tide
- Irving: Fresh water
- Kai: The sea
- Kenn: Bright water
- Lachlan: From the land of lakes
- Lake: Inland body of water
- Leomaris: Lion of the sea
- Lincoln: Lake colony
- Locke: Pond
- Marino: Of the sea
- Mario: Star of the sea
- Marvin: Sea friend
- Morgan: Circling sea
- Mortimer: Dead sea
- Murdock: Protector of the sea
- Murphy: Sea warrior
- Neptune: Roman god of the sea
- Orman: Sea man
- River: Place and nature name
- Seton: Sea settlement
- Strom: Brook, stream
- Tahoe: Big water
- Trent: Gushing waters
- Wiley: Well-watered meadow
Beachy names we love
- Cannon (Cannon Beach, Oregon)
- Dillon (Dillon Beach, California)
- Huntington (Huntington Beach, California)
- Monty (Monterey Bay)
- Vashon (Vashon Island, Washington)
- Zuma (Zuma Beach, California)
Surfer baby names
If you’re hoping to score a name that sounds like someone who scales the waves all day, guess what: We’ve gathered some of the coolest real-life surfer names for you.
- Andy Irons: Hawaiian surfer
- Barton Lynch: Aussie surfer
- Butch Van Artsdalen: U.S. surfer
- Clay Marzo: Hawaiian surfer
- Damien Hobgood: U.S. surfer
- Duke Paoa Kahanamoku: Hawaiian surfer
- Mick Fanning: Aussie surfer
- Mickey Munoz: U.S. surfer and surfboard shaper
- Shane Beschen: U.S. surfer
- Simon Anderson: Aussie surfer
- Sunny Garcia: Hawaiian surfer
- Taj Burrow: Aussie surfer
Fictional aquatic names
Real life doesn’t always have the answers, so we turned to literature and film to hunt down fictional lifeguard, surfer, ship-folks and fish names for your baby.
- Bodhi: From Point Break
- Brady: From Teen Beach Movie
- Brody: Chief Martin Brody from Jaws
- Cody: From Baywatch
- Frankie: From Beach Party
- Hobie: From Baywatch
- Jack: From Big Wednesday
- Jesse: From Free Willy
- Lockie: From Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo
- Logan: From Baywatch
- Luke: From The Reef
- Murph: From The Perfect Storm
- Nathaniel: From Point Break
- Sebastian: From The Little Mermaid
Another fun option is to name your baby after a favorite beach, surfing spot or body of water. If you’re worried the watery name is a little too weird, consider using it as a middle name so your child can choose what he wants to be called as he gets older. Jack Atlantic, anyone?
A version of this article was originally published in April 2011.
For more baby name inspo, look no further than this year’s Oscars.
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