Since the early 20th century, floral names have been a popular and much loved feature of British names. Lily is currently the favourite, while it was Ivy that topped in 1904 and 1914, Violet in 1924, Iris in 1934, Rosemary from 1944-1964, Heather in 1974 and 1984, and Holly in 1994.
With such pretty and symbolic namesakes, it's not hard to see why they have enjoyed such success. But, not everyone likes their nature cultivated, and one of the wonderful things about the British Isles is the great variety of natural landscapes. Wild and windy highlands, towering rock cliffs on shingle coasts, irrigated fields, fenlands, forests and valleys.
Listed below is a selection of nature-inspired words that are not flowering plants.
Alluvium Aquifer Arete Atoll Barley Basalt Bay Beach Beck Bracken Breccia Brecks Brook Burrow Caldera |
Canyon Carr Cave Cavern Chase Clay Cliff Clint Coral Corrie Cove Delta Dew Dune Esker |
Fallow Fen Fern Firn Firth Fjord Flint Ford Forest Furrow Glade Graben Grove Gully Hamada |
Harbour Heath Kame Kaolin Karst Lake Loam Marina Marram Marsh Meadow Mesa Moor Moraine Moss |
Neve Oasis Ocean Oolith Polder Prairie Quarry Ravine Reed Reef Ria Ridge River Rush Rye |
Sandur Savanna Seif Shale Shore Sierra Slate Stone Terrace Tide Timber Tor Torrent Valley Wave |