260+ Names That Mean Water (With Origins & Meanings)

The eternal flow of water has long captivated human imagination, shaping cultures and inspiring beautiful names across civilizations.

Water brings life, represents purity, and embodies both gentle streams and mighty oceans.

Parents drawn to water’s symbolic depth increasingly choose names tied to this vital element.

Your search for the perfect water-inspired name mirrors water’s own journey – flowing through different cultures, carrying deep meanings, and connecting us to nature’s most precious resource.

This guide dives deep into names celebrating water in all its forms, from peaceful rivers to vast seas, bringing you hundreds of meaningful options with rich histories and cultural significance.

Boy Names That Mean Water

Kai – Hawaiian origin, meaning “sea”
Dylan – Welsh name meaning “son of the waves”
Wade – English origin, meaning “to go through water”
Moreau – French name meaning “dark water”
Neptune – Roman origin, named after the god of the sea
Llyr – Welsh mythology, the god of the sea
Bodhi – Sanskrit origin, meaning “awakening water”
Arnav – Indian origin, meaning “ocean”
Morgan – Welsh origin, meaning “sea chief”
Nereus – Greek origin, ancient sea god
River – English nature name
Thalassios – Greek origin, meaning “of the sea”
Marino – Italian origin, meaning “of the sea”
Koby – Japanese origin, meaning “water’s heart”
Beckham – English origin, meaning “home by the stream”

Girl Names That Mean Water

Marina – Latin origin, meaning “from the sea”
Cordelia – Celtic origin, meaning “daughter of the sea”
Mira – Sanskrit origin, meaning “ocean”
Talia – Hebrew origin, meaning “dew from heaven”
Kendra – Indian origin, meaning “water goddess”
Cascade – English origin, meaning “waterfall”
Ondine – Latin origin, meaning “little wave”
Tallulah – Native American origin, meaning “leaping waters”
Azure – Persian origin, meaning “blue water”
Brook – English nature name
Coral – Greek origin, meaning “sea maiden”
Delta – Greek origin, meaning “river mouth”
Lynn – Welsh origin, meaning “lake”
Mayim – Hebrew origin, meaning “water”
Pearl – English origin, associated with ocean treasures

Gender-Neutral Names That Mean Water

Rain – Nature name representing water from the sky
Ocean – English nature name
Storm – Weather-related name connected to water
Mist – Atmospheric water name
Jordan – Hebrew origin, named after the sacred river
Lake – English nature name
Caspian – Persian origin, from the Caspian Sea
Bay – English origin, meaning “inlet of water”
Nile – Egyptian origin, from the great river
Aqua – Latin origin, meaning “water”
Shannon – Irish origin, from the river
Indus – Indian origin, from the mighty river
Thames – English origin, from the river
Yam – Hebrew origin, meaning “sea”
Delta – Greek origin, meaning “river mouth”

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Popular Names That Mean Water

Luna – Latin origin, tied to ocean tides
Hudson – English origin, “Hugh’s son” but associated with the river
Maya – Sanskrit origin, means “water” in some contexts
Adrian – Latin origin, meaning “from the Adriatic Sea”
Isla – Scottish origin, meaning “island” surrounded by water
Fisher – English origin, connected to water life
Brooks – English origin, meaning “of the stream”
Misty – English origin, water in the air
Dorian – Greek origin, “child of the sea”
Marlowe – English origin, “from the hill by the lake”
Rio – Spanish origin, meaning “river”
Cove – English origin, meaning “small bay”
Arno – Italian origin, from the river
Murray – Scottish origin, “settlement by the sea”
Jennifer – Cornish origin, meaning “white wave”

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Vibrant Names That Mean Water

Aalto – Finnish origin, meaning “wave”
Zale – Greek origin, meaning “sea strength”
Beryl – Greek origin, “sea-green gem”
Naia – Greek origin, “water nymph”
Kai-Ren – Chinese origin, “open water lily”
Varsha – Indian origin, “rain”
Niara – African origin, “one with high purpose like deep waters”
Thalassa – Greek origin, primordial sea goddess
Morrissey – Irish origin, “sea choice”
Nerissa – Greek origin, “sea sprite”
Lir – Irish origin, “sea god”
Nixie – German origin, “water sprite”
Nahla – Arabic origin, “drink of water”
Yara – Brazilian origin, “water lady”
Kaimana – Hawaiian origin, “power of the ocean”

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Unique Names That Mean Water

Anahita – Persian origin, ancient water goddess
Calder – Scottish origin, “rocky water”
Hydra – Greek origin, water serpent
Nimue – Arthurian legend, lady of the lake
Ren – Japanese origin, “water lily”
Saga – Norse origin, goddess of wells and waterfalls
Talise – Native American origin, “dew on the grass”
Yemaya – Yoruba origin, mother goddess of the ocean
Zarya – Russian origin, “sea priestess”
Crio – Greek origin, “of the sea”
Destan – Turkish origin, “sea story”
Erizo – Spanish origin, “sea urchin”
Lakshmi – Sanskrit origin, born from ocean of milk
Nori – Japanese origin, “seaweed”
Qing – Chinese origin, “clear water”

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Beautiful Names That Mean Water

Arielle – Hebrew origin, “lion of God” – associated with sea through Little Mermaid
Kendall – English origin, “valley of the River Kent”
Rosemary – Latin origin, “dew of the sea”
Moana – Polynesian origin, “ocean”
Sedna – Inuit origin, goddess of the sea
Branwen – Welsh origin, “blessed white wave”
Nereida – Greek origin, “sea nymph”
Calypso – Greek origin, “she who conceals” – sea nymph
Marin – Latin origin, “of the sea”
Darya – Persian origin, “ocean”
Kailani – Hawaiian origin, “sea and sky”
Meredith – Welsh origin, “guardian of the sea”
Adriana – Latin origin, “from the Adriatic”
Morgana – Welsh origin, “born from the sea”
Undine – Latin origin, “little wave”

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Top Names That Mean Water

Atlas – Greek origin, titan who held the ocean
Delmare – French origin, “of the sea”
Malik – Arabic origin, “wave”
Nebula – Latin origin, “mist”
Poseidon – Greek origin, god of the sea
Rhine – German origin, from the river
Sabrina – Celtic origin, river goddess
Thames – English origin, great river
Varuna – Sanskrit origin, god of water
Yamuna – Sanskrit origin, sacred river
Aegir – Norse origin, sea giant
Coral – Latin origin, sea formation
Dover – English origin, “waters”
Evian – French origin, from water source
Laguna – Spanish origin, “lagoon”

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Creative Names That Mean Water

Aquarius – Latin origin, “water bearer”
Beryl – Greek origin, “sea-green jewel”
Cascade – English origin, “waterfall”
Delphin – Greek origin, “dolphin”
Einar – Norse origin, “ocean warrior”
Fjord – Norwegian origin, “where the sea meets land”
Galene – Greek origin, “calm seas”
Hali – Greek origin, “sea”
Indra – Sanskrit origin, “possessing drops of rain”
Kano – Japanese origin, “water god”
Lachlan – Scottish origin, “land of lakes”
Marella – Latin origin, “shining sea”
Nereus – Greek origin, “wet one”
Oceane – French origin, “ocean”
Pelagius – Greek origin, “of the sea”

Traditional Names That Mean Water

Moses – Hebrew origin, “drawn from water”
Bhairavi – Sanskrit origin, “of the sacred waters”
Clyde – Scottish origin, from the river
Dubhghlas – Gaelic origin, “dark water”
Enbah – Native American origin, “water”
Florence – Latin origin, “flowering” – associated with River Arno
Gustav – Swedish origin, “staff of the Gods” – water deity
Hannah – Hebrew origin, “grace” – associated with rain
Irving – Scottish origin, “green water”
Kendrick – Welsh origin, “son of the water”
Lincoln – English origin, “lake settlement”
Monroe – Scottish origin, “mouth of the river”
Niall – Irish origin, “cloud” – associated with rain
Oscar – Irish origin, “friend of water”
Ross – Scottish origin, “headland” – surrounded by water

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Mythological Names That Mean Water

Amphitrite – Greek origin, sea goddess and wife of Poseidon
Aegaeon – Greek origin, hundred-armed sea god
Charybdis – Greek origin, sea monster
Dagon – Mesopotamian origin, fish-god
Erechtheus – Greek origin, sea-born king
Fontus – Roman origin, god of wells and springs
Glaucus – Greek origin, sea god and oracle
Hydros – Greek origin, primordial water god
Idothea – Greek origin, sea nymph
Juturna – Roman origin, goddess of fountains
Keto – Greek origin, sea monster goddess
Llŷr – Celtic origin, sea god
Manannan – Irish origin, god of the sea
Njord – Norse origin, god of the sea and winds
Oceanus – Greek origin, titan of the ocean

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Literature-Inspired Names That Mean Water

Ariel – Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” – water spirit
Bernadette – From “Song of Bernadette” – associated with healing waters
Caoimhe – From Irish literature, “gentle river”
Doris – From Greek poetry, mother of sea nymphs
Elaine – Arthurian legend, Lady of the Lake
Fin – From Irish folklore, associated with water
Gulliver – Swift’s character who traveled seas
Hester – From “The Pearl” – oceanic tale
Ishmael – From “Moby Dick” – seafarer
Jonah – Biblical figure associated with sea
Lorelei – German literature, Rhine maiden
Miranda – Shakespeare’s character raised by the sea
Nerissa – “Merchant of Venice” – sea nymph
Odysseus – Greek literature’s great seafarer
Prospero – “The Tempest” – master of island waters

Find names representing memory and legacy

Adorable Names That Mean Water

Dewey – English origin, “like morning dew”
Splash – Modern English, playful water name
Naia – Greek origin, “water nymph”
Ripple – Nature-inspired English name
Bubbles – Modern English, water association
Droplet – English nature name
Misty – English origin, water in air
Puddle – English nature name
Rain – Nature name
Brook – English origin, “small stream”
Crystal – Greek origin, “clear water”
Daisy – English origin, “day’s eye” covered in dew
Wade – English origin, “to cross water”
Coral – Latin origin, “sea formation”
Poppy – English flower name associated with morning dew

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Japanese Names That Mean Water

Mizuki (水木) – “water tree”
Kaito (海斗) – “sea soarer”
Umiko (海子) – “child of the sea”
Nami (波) – “wave”
Kaisei (海清) – “calm sea”
Mizu (水) – “water”
Umi (海) – “ocean”
Kairi (海里) – “sea village”
Namiko (波子) – “wave child”
Minato (港) – “harbor”
Suitaka (水鷹) – “water hawk”
Kaori (香織) – “sea weaver”
Nagisa (渚) – “seashore”
Suiren (睡蓮) – “water lily”
Mio (美緒) – “beautiful thread” – associated with waterway

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Names That Mean Water in Different Languages

Latin-Based Languages

Aqua – Latin
Mare – Italian
Agua – Spanish
Mer – French
Riu – Catalan

Germanic Languages

Wasser – German
Water – English
Vatten – Swedish
Vand – Danish
Vesi – Finnish

Slavic Languages

Voda – Russian
Woda – Polish
Voda – Czech
Vada – Bulgarian
More – Serbian

Asian Languages

Mizu (水) – Japanese
Shui (水) – Chinese
Mul (물) – Korean
Paani – Hindi
Air – Thai

Continue exploring more nature-inspired names

Celtic Languages

Uisce – Irish
Dŵr – Welsh
Dour – Breton
Burn – Scottish
Uisge – Gaelic

Middle Eastern Languages

Mayaa – Arabic
Mayim – Hebrew
Su – Turkish
Ab – Persian
Maya – Kurdish

African Languages

Maji – Swahili
Amanzi – Zulu
Metsi – Sotho
Mmiri – Igbo
Omi – Yoruba

Indigenous American Languages

Atl – Nahuatl
Yaku – Quechua
Nipi – Algonquin
Mni – Dakota
Bea – Cherokee

Pacific Languages

Wai – Hawaiian
Vai – Samoan
Vai – Tongan
Ranu – Indonesian
Tubig – Tagalog

Ancient Languages

Hydor – Ancient Greek
Aqua – Classical Latin
Mem – Ancient Hebrew
Mu – Ancient Egyptian
Ap – Sanskrit

Nordic Languages

Vann – Norwegian
Vatn – Icelandic
Vesi – Estonian
Ūdens – Latvian
Vanduo – Lithuanian

Other Languages

Jal – Nepali
Neer – Tamil
Vellam – Malayalam
Pani – Bengali
Thui – Vietnamese

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Names That Mean Water with Meanings

Sacred Water Names

Aaliyah – Hebrew, “rising water, ascending”
Benedict – Latin, “blessed water”
Ganga – Sanskrit, “flowing sacred river”
Hailey – English, “hay meadow by sacred waters”
Jordan – Hebrew, “flowing down”
Kiara – Irish, “clear holy water”
Moses – Hebrew, “drawn from sacred waters”
Noah – Hebrew, “rest, wanderer of waters”
River – English, “flowing water”
Talitha – Aramaic, “little water girl”

Coastal Water Names

Adrian – Latin, “from the Adriatic Sea”
Bay – English, “inlet of the sea”
Clifford – English, “ford by the cliff”
Dover – English, “waters”
Harbor – English, “shelter for ships”
Marina – Latin, “of the sea”
Pascal – French, “born at Passover by the sea”
Porto – Portuguese, “harbor”
Shore – English, “coastal land”
Wade – English, “at the crossing”

Storm Water Names

Audra – Lithuanian, “storm”
Barane – Kurdish, “rain”
Cloud – English, “rain bearer”
Darya – Persian, “ocean storm”
Ember – English, “spark in rain”
Indra – Sanskrit, “possessing rain drops”
Neptune – Latin, “ruler of storms”
Storm – English, “tempest”
Thunder – English, “storm voice”
Varsha – Sanskrit, “rain”

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Crystal Water Names

Beryl – Greek, “sea-green jewel”
Crystal – Greek, “ice, clear water”
Dew – English, “fresh morning water”
Glacie – Latin, “ice”
Ivory – English, “pure as water”
Jasper – Persian, “treasurer of water”
Mirror – English, “reflecting pool”
Pearl – English, “sea gem”
Sapphire – Greek, “blue like deep water”
Silver – English, “shining like water”

Spring Water Names

Ainsley – Scottish, “one’s own meadow spring”
Fount – Latin, “spring source”
Joyce – Latin, “lord of the spring”
Kelsey – English, “ship’s victory at the spring”
Linda – Spanish, “beautiful spring”
Source – French, “spring origin”
Spring – English, “season of water”
Wallace – Scottish, “foreigner by the spring”
Wells – English, “spring dweller”
Wyatt – English, “guide to the spring”

Deep Water Names

Abyssal – Greek, “bottomless waters”
Deep – English, “profound waters”
Kendra – English, “royal water”
Mariana – Latin, “of the deepest seas”
Morgan – Welsh, “sea chief”
Murray – Scottish, “settlement by deep waters”
Nereus – Greek, “wet one of the depths”
Pacific – Latin, “peaceful deep waters”
Thalassa – Greek, “the great sea”
Triton – Greek, “messenger of the deep”

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Names That Mean Water or Ocean

Aquarius – Latin origin
- Traditional water bearer constellation
- Represents flowing wisdom
- Connected to innovation and forward thinking
Cordelia – Celtic origin
- Means “daughter of the sea”
- Associated with loyalty and heart
- Features in Shakespeare’s King Lear
Drake – English origin
- Means “dragon” but associated with sea voyages
- Historical connection to sea explorers
- Represents adventure and bravery
Moana – Polynesian origin
- Direct translation means “ocean”
- Deep cultural significance in Pacific islands
- Symbolizes vastness and freedom
Triton – Greek origin
- Son of Poseidon
- Messenger of the sea
- Known for his mighty conch shell

Learn about more names representing messengers

Names That Mean Water Goddess

Amphitrite – Greek origin
- Queen of the sea
- Wife of Poseidon
- Mother of sea creatures
Chalchiuhtlicue – Aztec origin
- Goddess of water, rivers, seas
- Name means “she of the jade skirt”
- Protector of childbirth and baptism
Ran – Norse origin
- Goddess of the stormy seas
- Collector of drowned sailors
- Wife of Aegir
Salacia – Roman origin
- Goddess of salt water
- Queen of the deep
- Protector of marine life
Tethys – Greek origin
- Titan goddess of fresh water
- Mother of rivers
- Wife of Oceanus

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Final Thoughts

Water names carry profound meaning across cultures and traditions. They connect us to the essential force of life itself – from gentle streams to mighty oceans.

These names often represent:

Strength: Like the unstoppable force of waves
Purity: As clear as mountain springs
Life: The source of all living things
Change: Ever-flowing and dynamic
Mystery: The depths of the unknown

When choosing a water-inspired name, consider:

Your cultural heritage
The specific water element that resonates with you
The name’s pronunciation and meaning
Its historical significance
How it might shape your child’s identity

Remember that water names often carry deep spiritual significance in many cultures.

They can represent:

Cleansing and renewal
Emotional depth
Natural power
Divine connection
Eternal movement

The perfect water name might be:

Traditional like Moses
Modern like River
Mythological like Poseidon
Nature-inspired like Brook
Cultural like Kai

Discover more names representing new beginnings

Whatever name you choose, it will carry the timeless power and beauty of water – the element that connects all life on Earth.