The Top Ten Floral Names For Baby Girls

In Victorian England, beginning around the middle of the 19th century, little girls were routinely named after flowers. The flowery nature of that era - which gave rise to countless Violets, Hyacinths, and even little Buttercups - extended into the early 20th century, after which time, both in England and the United States, floral baby names faded from sight almost completely.

In the England of the Industrial Revolution, perhaps as a way of maintaining a connection with a fast-disappearing natural landscape, house plants were introduced into homes, and floral names were bestowed on girls. Names such as Blossom, Dahlia, Marigold, Primrose, Posy, Poppy, and even Daffodil, are all recorded in the authoritative Dictionary of First Names, by Hanks and Hodges, as having been popular girls' names in Victorian England. Their popularity extended beyond the turn of the century, and a few, such as Poppy, stayed in vogue even until the 1920s. After that time, the use of floral names tapered off considerably. The most notable exception is the name Heather, which was not really a Victorian favorite, but surprisingly, was extremely popular in the United States in the 1970s through the 1980s.

Today, while floral baby names are still unusual, they retain a special niche, and in some cases are enjoying a resurgence. In the past year alone, at least five celebrities have used the name Rose for their daughters. Inexplicably, as if they liked the name "Rose" but lacked confidence in their choice, the name was used each time as a middle name! The actress Anna Gunn, of HBO's Deadwood; the English soccer star John Terry; singer Melissa Etheridge; actor Jon Favreau, and comedian Jon Stewart all bestowed the name Rose as a middle name on their newborn daughters.

This list of today's top ten floral names is based for the most part on data from the Social Security Administration's Baby Names website. The number ten name, Marguerite, is ranked number ten based on its most recent census ranking, because like many floral baby names, it does not appear on the Social Security Administration's top 1000 list, and thus its exact ranking is not known.