Names related to the ocean (or any type of water) hold great importance for a reason – it holds a special charm with its abundance of wondrous sea creatures and one-of-a-kind plant life. The ocean is also connected to power and enigma, creating the perfect setting for countless folk tales, fables, and legends from various cultures globally – take, for instance, Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid.
Some people may also feel a special connection to the ocean, perhaps due to the circumstances surrounding their birth. For example, if they were born under one of the water signs of the zodiac – Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces. Interestingly, the Aquarius sign, which is represented by a water bearer, is actually an air zodiac sign.
Of course, you don’t need a specific reason to name your child (or four-legged friend) after an element of the ocean; liking the way a particular name sounds, its meaning, or its origin is reason enough.
There are plenty of great options for both boys and girls, with names like Coral and Adrian being popular choices. You can also find more generic ocean-themed names, mythical ocean names, and names that mean ocean in various languages.
So, if you want your child to grow up with an affinity for the salty waters or are simply looking for an interesting or unique name, read on for our list of ocean-inspired baby names!
100+ Ocean Baby Names To Inspire You
There are hundreds of baby names that denote water or the sea, most of which have an obvious connection to the ocean. However, there are others that have a more subtle or hidden meaning that many people may not know.
The list below contains a mixture of these names, as well as names with multiple meanings, so you’ll have no shortage of options to choose from.
We’ve also divided this list of ocean names into baby girl names, baby boy names, and names for pets. However, some of these names are gender-neutral and several of the ones that we’ve suggested for pets can be used for people, so please don’t take offense if you find your child’s name under the pet names!
Ocean Baby Names For Boys
This is a list of baby boy names that mean ocean and other aquatic-themed names for boys.
- Aalto – A name with Scandinavian roots, this boys’ name means “wave”.
- Adrian – Formerly used to refer to a person from the Adriatic Sea, the name Adrian is of Latin origin and means “wealthy” or “tanned”.
- Alon – An unusual boys’ name meaning “waves”.
- Arnav – A boys’ name of Indian origin, Arnav means “ocean”.
- Calder – Of English origin, this boys’ name means “flowing stream”.
- Caspian – Although the name itself means “daring”,the Caspian Sea is an inland body of water between Europe and Asia.
- Cove – A popular baby name in the United States, a “cove” refers to a coastal inlet.
- Delmar – Originally a surname of Spanish origin, Delmar means “of the sea”.
- Delmore – This boys’ name of French origin means “of the sea”.
- Deniz – Traditionally a boys’ name of Turkish origin, Deniz is now a unisex name that means “sea”. Variations include Dennis and Denise.
- Douglas – This boys’ name is of Scottish origin and means “dark river”. It is often shortened to Doug.
- Dylan – A common boys’ name that can also be used for girls, Dylan is a Welsh name meaning “sea god”.
- Earwyn – Meaning “friend of the sea”, Earwyn is a surprisingly common boys’ name in the United States.
- Eldoris – The male version of Doris, meaning “sea-loving”.
- Gyatso – This boys’ name of Indian origin means “ocean”.
- Hali – A unisex name with a Greek origin meaning “loves the sea”.
- Heli – This unisex name of Celtic origin means “saltwater”. It’s found in the name of the Welsh town Pwllheli, which translates to “saltwater pool”.
- Hurley – A boys’ name of Irish origin meaning “the tide”.
- Irving – More common as a surname, this name of Scottish origin means “sea friend”.
- Jordan – A popular unisex name, Jordan is of Hebrew origin and means “down-flowing river”.
- Kai – An extremely popular name in the United Kingdom, Kai is actually derived from the Hawaiian word for “sea”.
- Kano – A name with mixed roots from Africa and Japan, Kano means “god of the water”.
- Laguna – A gender-neutral name, Laguna has an Italian origin and means “lake”.
- Llŷr – Pronounced somewhat like “leer”, this Welsh name means “the sea”.
- Malik – An Arabic boys’ name meaning “wave”. Alternative spellings include Malek or Maliq.
- Marin – A name of French origin, meaning “ocean-loving”.
- Maury – A name of Latin origin, Maury means “sea channel”.
- Moses – A Biblical boys’ name that means “drawn from the water”.
- Murdoch – Originally a nickname for a person associated with the sea, Murdoch is of Scottish origin and can also be spelled as Murdock.
- Murray – An old Scottish name that means “sea-loving” or “sailor”.
- Okeanos – In Greek mythology, Okeanos referred to the body of water that was believed to encircle the earth.
- River – Meaning “flowing water”, we included this name here because all rivers lead to the ocean.
- Trent – A name of Latin origin meaning “gushing water”.
- Wade – Meaning “crossing a river”; you can also “wade” through the sea.
Ocean Baby Names For Girls
This is a list of female baby names that mean “sea”. It also includes other ocean-themed baby names for girls.
- Aerwyna – This is a girls’ name of English origin meaning “friend of the sea”.
- Amphitrite –Amphitrite was the queen of the sea and the wife of Poseidon in Greek mythology. It means “encircling third”.
- Ariel – An ever-popular girl name thanks to Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Ariel is of Hebrew origin and actually means “God’s lion”.
- Asherah – Derived from Hebrew, Asherah means “lady of the sea”.
- Aukai – A girls’ name of Hawaiian origin meaning “explorer of the sea”.
- Avisa – A Sanskrit name that means “ocean”, this girls’ name also has origins with the Latin word “avis”, meaning “bird”.
- Beryl – Meaning “sea-green jewel”, Beryl is a sweet name for a green-eyed baby girl.
- Cari – This girls’ name has two meanings: one of Welsh origin, where it means “beloved”; and one derived from Turkish that means “flows like water”.
- Chantara – An unusual girls’ name with Thai origins, Chantara means “moon water”.
- Coral – A timeless ocean-inspired name of Latin origin, Coral will never go out of fashion.
- Cordelia – Meaning “jewel of the sea”, Cordelia is a girls’ name with Welsh and Latin roots.
- Daria – An alternative spelling of “Darya”, which is derived from Persian, meaning “ocean”.
- Delja – A girls’ name of Polish origin meaning “daughter of the sea”.
- Delmare – A gender-neutral name that has French origins, Delmare means “seagoing”.
- Derya – A Turkish girls’ name that means “ocean”.
- Doris – Meaning “sea-loving” or “sea nymph”, this girls’ name has a Greek origin.
- Dwyn – Of Welsh origin, Dwyn means “wave”.
- Essene – While not directly water-related, Essene is a beautiful girl’s name of Slavic origin meaning “of the wind” – like the wind that fills a ship’s sails.
- Firtha – Meaning “arm of the sea”, this girls’ name is of Scottish origin.
- Galia – A Hebrew girls’ name that means “flows”.
- Ginevra – A shortened version of Guinevere, Ginevra means “white wave”.
- Iluka – A Yaygir Aboriginal name meaning “by the sea”.
- Itsaso – A girls’ name of Spanish origin that means “sea”.
- Jennifer – A Celtic name that means “white wave”.
- Kaiulania– A pretty girls’ name of Hawaiian origin meaning “sea and heavens”.
- Kaimana – A gender-neutral Hawaiian name that means “strength of the ocean”.
- Kairi – A girls’ name of Japanese origin that means “ocean”.
- Kendra – Of English origin, this girls’ name means “water baby”.
- Leene – A Scandinavian girls’ name meaning “siren”.
- Manami – A name of Japanese origin that has multiple meanings, including “ocean”.
- Mar – Derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word for “sea”, Mar can be used for both girls and boys.
- Marcelline – Meaning “defender of the sea”, Marcelline is a pretty name for a girl that has French origins .
- Maree – A French alternative for Mary that means “star of the sea” or “sea of bitterness”.
- Marella – A girls’ name of Latin origin meaning “star of the sea”.
- Maren – Another girls’ name with Latin roots that means “ocean-lover”.
- Marina – A Latin name meaning “lover of the ocean”.
- Marissa – A Latin girls’ name that means “sea-loving”.
- Marjorie – A girls’ name of English and Greek origin, Marjorie means “pearl”, the birthstone of the sea.
- Mazu – A girls’ name of Chinese origin meaning “goddess of the sea”.
- Meri – A girls’ name with Finnish and Estonian roots that means “sea”.
- Mira – A beautiful Latin name for girls that has a few different meanings, one of which is “ocean”.
- Moana – Made popular by the Disney movie, Moana, this is a Polynesian girls’ name that means “sea”.
- Morgan – A popular Welsh name that means “girl on the seashore” or “seaman”, Morgan is also suitable for boys.
- Morwenna – Another girls’ name of Welsh origin that means “seamaiden”.
- Muriel – A Celtic girls’ name meaning “bright sea” or “shining sea”.
- Naia – A Hawaiian name for girls that means “water nymph”.
- Nerida – One of the most striking sea names for girls, Nerida is of Greek origin and means “mermaid”.
- Nerissa – Another girls’ name of Greek origin that means “from the sea”.
- Nori – Derived from the Japanese word for “seaweed”, Nori is a cute ocean-inspired name for a baby girl.
- Oceana – A name of Greek origin that would be ideal for a baby girl born under a water zodiac sign.
- Onda – A girls’ name of Italian origin that means “wave”.
- Ondine – Derived from Latin, Ondine means “little wave”.
- Pearl – Of English origin, Pearl is a great ocean-themed name for girls.
- Sedna – A name with Native American roots, Sedna means “sea goddess”.
- Sereia – Derived from Portuguese, this lovely name means “mermaid”.
- Serena – This girls’ name of Latin origin means “clear” or “tranquil”, evoking the image of a calm sea.
- Stellamaris – An unusual combination of Stella and Maris, this girls’ name means “star of the sea”.
- Tarni – A popular name in Australia meaning “wave” or “surf”.
- Thalassa – Of Greek origin, this unusual girls’ name means “ocean”.
- Ula – Another unusual girls’ name of Celtic origin that means “jewel of the sea”.
- Unda – A Scandinavian girl’s name meaning “water child”.
- Vanora – A unique girl’s name of Welsh origin that means “white wave”.
- Varuni – This girls’ name is the female form of Varuna, the name of the Hindi water god.
- Yara – Popularized by the character from George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, Yara is a name with Arabic and Brazilian roots meaning “water lady”.
- Zarya – In Slavic mythology, Zarya was a water priestess and the protector of warriors.
Ocean Names For Pets
Looking for some creative names for your fur baby? Here is a list of ocean-themed names that you can use for cats, dogs, and any other pet you might have. Of course, these sea names can also be used for naming human children.
- Azure – A bright blue color often associated with water, Azure is a great name for a female pet.
- Bardo – This name is of mixed origins and means “water” in more than one culture.
- Blue – A simple option, but appropriate.
- Bo – A short name of Chinese origin that means “wave”.
- Captain – A nautical name that would be a great choice for a large-breed male dog.
- Chop – One of the more humorous options on this list, this name evokes choppy ocean waves or rough seas.
- Crest – Like the frothing waves of the sea, this name is a good option for a bird or a reptile.
- Cruise – One of the coolest ocean names for a pet on this list.
- Knot – Another nautical name, a “knot” is a unit of speed that applies to ships.
- Marley – Meaning “pleasant seaside meadow”, this name was made popular by John Grogan’s book Marley & Me, which was also made into a film.
- Marvin – A masculine name of Welsh origin that means “sea hill”. It can also be spelled as Mervin.
- Merlin – While often associated with the mage in the legend of King Arthur, this name of English origin means “sea fortress”.
- Murphy – An Irish name that means “sea warrior”.
- Murray – A masculine name of Scottish origin meaning “sea-loving sailor”.
- Nen – A shortened form of the Egyptian name Nenet, meaning “sea goddess”.
- Neptune – Derived from the Roman sea god, this legendary ocean name is an excellent choice for a feline given their affinity for fish.
- Nixie – A sweet girls’ name with German roots meaning “water sprite”.
- Pasha – A gender-neutral name that means “of the sea”.
- Poseidon – Derived from the name for the god of the sea in Greek mythology.
- Reef – A laid-back name that is suitable for both male and female pets.
- Siren – Sirens were human-like creatures that lured sailors away from their ships onto the rocks with their beautiful singing voices in Greek mythology.
- Tallulah – A Native American name meaning “leaping water”.
- Tiberius – The name of a former Roman emperor, Tiberius is an excellent choice for a boy dog or one of the larger breeds of cat, like a Maine Coon. It can also be shortened to Tiber (as in the River Tiber in Italy).
- Tide – Another striking name that refers to the ocean tides.
- Triton – A name of Greek origin and the son of Neptune in Roman mythology.
- Zale – A strong Greek name meaning “power of the sea”.
In Conclusion
This is just a small sample of all the unique and inspiring names that mean ocean or something else water-related. Nevertheless, we hope that you find this list useful whether you’re looking for an ocean-inspired name for a baby girl, a baby boy, a cat, a dog, or any other pet.
