Names That Mean Ocean
The ocean covers most of the planet, so it’s no surprise nearly every language has a name for it. Hawaiians and Māori say Moana, Turks say Deniz, Persians Darya, Japanese Umi and Sanskrit speakers Sagar or Arnav. Celtic languages hide the sea inside familiar names like Muriel (“bright sea”) and Murphy (“sea warrior”).
This list brings together 95+ ocean names: words for the sea itself, waves and shorelines, seafaring boy names, treasures from the deep and the gods who ruled it. For fresh water and rain, see names that mean water; for real seas and oceans, our list of ocean names; and for something magical, mermaid names. All themes live in name meanings.
Names that literally mean ocean or sea
Every name here is simply the word for “ocean” or “sea,” or a direct derivative of it.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Moana | Ocean, open sea | Hawaiian, Māori |
| Kai | Sea, ocean | Hawaiian |
| Umi | Sea (海) | Japanese |
| Kaiyo | Ocean (海洋); rare as a given name | Japanese |
| Haiyang | Ocean (海洋) | Chinese |
| Deniz | Sea | Turkish |
| Derya | Ocean, sea | Turkish |
| Darya | Sea | Persian |
| Yam | Sea; a modern unisex name | Hebrew |
| Bahari | Sea, ocean | Swahili |
| Lwandle | Sea | Xhosa, Zulu |
| Sagar | Ocean | Sanskrit |
| Samudra | Ocean, gathering of waters | Sanskrit |
| Arnav | Ocean, sea | Sanskrit |
| Sindhu | Ocean; the Indus River | Sanskrit |
| Ratnakar | “Mine of jewels,” a poetic name for the ocean | Sanskrit |
| Thalassa | Sea; also the primordial sea goddess | Greek |
| Pelagia | Of the sea | Greek |
| Océane | Ocean; a popular name in France | French |
| Ocean | The English word, used for boys and girls | English |
| Mar | Sea; also short for María del Mar | Spanish |
| Marina | Of the sea | Latin |
| Marin | Of the sea (from Marinus) | Latin, French, Croatian |
| Marino | Of the sea | Italian, Spanish |
| Maris | Of the sea, as in <em>Stella Maris</em>, “star of the sea” | Latin |
| Maren | Of the sea; Scandinavian form of Marina | Danish, Norwegian |
| Marisol | Sea and sun (originally from María de la Soledad) | Spanish |
| Muireann | Sea-white, sea-fair | Irish |
| Muriel | Bright sea (from Muirgheal) | Irish |
| Muirgen | Born of the sea | Irish |
Wave, tide and shoreline names
Names for the moving edges of the ocean — waves, tides, capes and harbors. Browse more in Hawaiian names and Japanese boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Nalu | Wave, surf | Hawaiian |
| Kainalu | Ocean wave | Hawaiian |
| Kailani | Sea and sky | Hawaiian |
| Nami | Wave (波) | Japanese |
| Ushio | Tide (潮) | Japanese |
| Nagisa | Shore, beach (渚) | Japanese |
| Misaki | Cape, headland (when written 岬) | Japanese |
| Minato | Harbor (港) | Japanese |
| Kaito | Sea + soar or sea + dipper (海翔, 海斗) | Japanese |
| Kairi | Sea + village (海里) | Japanese |
| Gal | Wave | Hebrew |
| Galit | Wave | Hebrew |
| Alon | Wave (Tagalog); in Hebrew it means “oak” | Filipino |
| Lahar | Wave | Hindi |
| Sagarika | Wave, born of the ocean | Sanskrit |
| Tide | The rise and fall of the sea | English |
| Wave | A moving swell of water | English |
| Cove | A small sheltered bay | English |
| Harbor | A safe haven for ships | English |
| Bay | A curved inlet of the sea | English |
| Reef | A ridge of rock or coral near the surface | English |
Seafaring and sea-warrior names for boys
Strong names with deep ocean roots, many from the Celtic world. For boats rather than babies, see boat names and pirate ship names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Dylan | Son of the sea, or “great tide” | Welsh |
| Morgan | Possibly “sea-born” or “sea circle” | Welsh |
| Murphy | Sea warrior (from Murchadh) | Irish |
| Murdoch | Mariner, seaman (from Muireadhach) | Scottish |
| Mortimer | Still or “dead” sea, from a Norman place name | French, English |
| Delmar | Of the sea | Spanish |
| Pelagius | Of the sea; a 5th-century theologian | Latin |
| Mariner | A sailor | English |
| Sailor | One who sails | English |
| Caspian | From the Caspian Sea; a prince in C. S. Lewis’s Narnia | English |
Pearl, coral and sea-treasure names
Gifts of the ocean make delicate, vintage-feeling names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Pearl | The gem formed inside an oyster | English |
| Perla | Pearl | Spanish, Italian |
| Margaret | Pearl (Greek <em>margarites</em>) | Greek |
| Marit | Pearl; Norwegian form of Margaret | Norwegian |
| Lulu | Pearl | Arabic |
| Durra | Pearl | Arabic |
| Moti | Pearl | Hindi |
| Mukta | Pearl; also “liberated” | Sanskrit |
| Coral | The colorful reef-building sea creature | English |
| Marjan | Coral | Persian, Arabic |
| Delphine | Dolphin (from Greek <em>delphis</em>) | French |
| Halcyon | Kingfisher; in myth, the bird that calmed the sea | Greek |
Sea gods and goddesses
Mythology is full of ocean deities, and many make bold names. See also Greek god names and goddess names.
| Name | Who they are | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| Poseidon | God of the sea and earthquakes | Greek |
| Neptune | Roman god of the sea | Roman |
| Oceanus | Titan of the great world-encircling ocean | Greek |
| Tethys | Titaness, wife of Oceanus | Greek |
| Pontus | Primordial god of the sea | Greek |
| Thetis | Sea nymph, mother of Achilles | Greek |
| Amphitrite | Queen of the sea, wife of Poseidon | Greek |
| Triton | Merman son of Poseidon | Greek |
| Galene | Goddess of calm seas | Greek |
| Nereus | “Old man of the sea,” father of the Nereids | Greek |
| Nerissa | Of the sea, sea nymph (Shakespeare) | Greek-inspired |
| Njord | God of the sea, wind and seafarers | Norse |
| Ægir | Giant of the sea and brewer of the gods | Norse |
| Rán | Sea goddess who nets drowned sailors | Norse |
| Llŷr | Figure of the sea in Welsh legend | Welsh |
| Manannán | Manannán mac Lir, Irish god of the sea | Irish |
| Tangaroa | God of the sea | Māori |
| Hinemoana | Personification of the ocean | Māori |
| Kanaloa | God of the ocean | Hawaiian |
| Varun | From Varuna, Vedic god of the waters | Hindu |
| Yemaya | Orisha of the ocean and motherhood | Yoruba |
| Olokun | Orisha of the deep ocean | Yoruba |
| Ryūjin | Dragon king of the sea | Japanese |
| Mazu | Goddess who protects sailors and fishermen | Chinese |
| Sedna | Goddess of the sea and its creatures | Inuit |
How to choose an ocean name
- Think about the sea you love. A Hawaiian name (Kai, Nalu, Moana) evokes the Pacific; Muriel or Murphy the Irish Atlantic; Marina the Mediterranean.
- Keep pop culture in mind. Moana is now closely tied to the Disney film; Kai and Marina feel more neutral.
- Mix meaning with sound. Dylan and Muriel carry the sea quietly, while Ocean and Tide say it outright.
- Build a sibling set. Pair ocean names with names that mean sky or names that mean rain for a nature theme.
- Great for pets too. Kai, Coral, Pearl and Nalu suit fish, turtles and beach dogs — see fish names.
Frequently asked questions
What name means ocean?
Moana (Hawaiian and Māori), Kai (Hawaiian), Deniz and Derya (Turkish), Darya (Persian), Sagar and Arnav (Sanskrit), Umi (Japanese), Thalassa (Greek) and Océane (French) all mean ocean or sea.
What girl name means ocean?
Moana, Marina, Maren, Maris, Muriel, Muireann, Derya, Umi, Océane, Thalassa and Kailani (“sea and sky”) are popular choices.
What boy name means ocean?
Kai, Dylan, Arnav, Sagar, Deniz, Marino, Delmar, Murphy (“sea warrior”) and Caspian are boy names tied to the ocean.
What name means wave?
Nalu (Hawaiian), Nami (Japanese), Gal and Galit (Hebrew), Lahar (Hindi) and Sagarika (Sanskrit) all mean wave.
Does Dylan mean son of the sea?
Traditionally, yes. In Welsh legend Dylan ail Don was a sea-born hero, and his name is usually interpreted as “son of the sea” or “great tide.”