Names That Mean Water
Water names are calm, fluid and full of life. A few say it outright — Hebrew Mayim, Turkish Su and Hawaiian Kawai all mean simply “water” — while others name a particular kind of water: a spring (Izumi, Maayan, Pınar), a river (Jordan, Sarita), a wave (Nami, Nalu) or the open sea (Marina, Deniz, Moana).
Here are 90+ water names from around the world, grouped by the kind of water they describe, plus the gods and spirits of rivers and seas. Looking for something more specific? Try names that mean ocean, names that mean rain or our list of real river names, and see every theme in name meanings.
Names that literally mean water
The simplest water names: in their languages, these words are “water” itself.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Mayim | Water | Hebrew |
| Su | Water | Turkish |
| Kawai | The water | Hawaiian |
| Neer | Water | Sanskrit, Hindi |
| Neera | Water, nectar | Sanskrit |
| Nira | Water (a variant of Neera) | Sanskrit |
| Toya | Water | Sanskrit |
| Jalaj | Born of water; the lotus | Sanskrit |
| Moses | Folk etymology “drawn out of the water” (Exodus 2:10); likely Egyptian “son” | Hebrew, Egyptian |
| Undine | Water spirit (Latin <em>unda</em>, “wave”) | Latin, German folklore |
| Ondine | French form of Undine | French |
| Naida | Water nymph, from the Greek naiads | Greek |
Spring, fountain and water-drop names
Fresh springs have long been sacred, and many cultures name children after them. Several Arabic names here come from the rivers and springs of paradise described in the Quran.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Izumi | Spring, fountain (泉) | Japanese |
| Maayan | Spring, fountain | Hebrew |
| Pınar | Spring, fountain | Turkish |
| Damla | Drop of water | Turkish |
| Shizuku | Water drop (雫) | Japanese |
| Salsabil | A spring in paradise (Quran 76:18) | Arabic |
| Tasnim | A fountain in paradise (Quran 83:27) | Arabic |
| Zamzam | The sacred well in Mecca | Arabic |
| Nahla | A drink of water, first sip | Arabic |
| Fontaine | Fountain | French |
| Fontana | Fountain | Italian |
| Wells | Dweller by the springs | English |
| Bourne | Stream, spring | English |
River and stream names
Rivers give some of the most beautiful water names, from biblical Jordan to India’s sacred Ganga. For place-inspired picks, see our river names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| River | A flowing body of water | English |
| Brook | Small stream | English |
| Beck | Stream, brook (Old Norse <em>bekkr</em>) | English, Norse |
| Jordan | To flow down, descend; the river Jordan | Hebrew |
| Sarita | River, stream | Sanskrit |
| Nadi | River | Sanskrit |
| Tarangini | River, “full of waves” | Sanskrit |
| Ganga | The sacred river Ganges | Sanskrit |
| Yamuna | The sacred river, sister of Yama | Sanskrit |
| Kaveri | The great river of South India | Sanskrit, Tamil |
| Narmada | Giver of joy; a holy river | Sanskrit |
| Irmak | River | Turkish |
| Ghadir | Stream, brook | Arabic |
| Kawthar | Abundance; a river in paradise (Quran 108) | Arabic |
| Afon | River | Welsh |
| Shannon | Ireland’s longest river, named for the goddess Sionann | Irish |
| Clyde | The river of Glasgow | Scottish |
| Chuan | River (川) | Chinese |
| Rio | River | Spanish, Portuguese |
| Kinneret | The Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake | Hebrew |
| Lachlan | From the land of the lochs (lakes) | Scottish Gaelic |
Sea and ocean names
The sea is the most popular water theme of all. Find many more in our dedicated names that mean ocean and ocean names lists.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Marina | Of the sea | Latin |
| Maris | Of the sea (from <em>Stella Maris</em>, “star of the sea”) | Latin |
| Marisol | Sea and sun | Spanish |
| Delmar | Of the sea | Spanish |
| Muriel | Bright sea (Muirgheal) | Irish |
| Dylan | Great tide, son of the sea | Welsh |
| Morgan | Possibly “sea-born” or “sea circle” | Welsh |
| Deniz | Sea | Turkish |
| Derya | Sea, ocean | Turkish |
| Darya | Sea | Persian |
| Umi | Sea (海) | Japanese |
| Kai | Sea (Hawaiian); also 海, “ocean,” in Japanese | Hawaiian, Japanese |
| Moana | Ocean, wide expanse of water | Hawaiian, Māori |
| Hai | Sea (海) | Chinese |
| Sagar | Ocean | Sanskrit |
| Samudra | Ocean | Sanskrit |
| Thalassa | Sea; the primordial sea goddess | Greek |
| Pelagia | Of the sea | Greek |
| Marin | Of the sea | Croatian, French |
| Morvoren | Mermaid, “sea maiden” | Cornish |
| Nerissa | Possibly “sea nymph,” from Nereus | Greek, via Shakespeare |
Wave names
Short, bright and full of movement, wave names work especially well for surf-loving families.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Nami | Wave (波) | Japanese |
| Nalu | Wave, surf | Hawaiian |
| Tarang | Wave | Sanskrit |
| Lahar | Wave | Sanskrit, Hindi |
| Lehar | Wave, ripple | Hindi, Punjabi |
| Lahari | Wave | Sanskrit |
| Urmi | Wave | Sanskrit |
Water gods, goddesses and spirits
Gods of rivers and seas appear in every coastal culture. More deities in our Greek god names, Norse god names and mermaid names.
| Name | Who they are | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| Poseidon | God of the sea | Greek |
| Neptune | Roman god of the sea | Roman |
| Nereus | The old man of the sea, father of the Nereids | Greek |
| Triton | Messenger of the sea, son of Poseidon | Greek |
| Tethys | Titan goddess of fresh water | Greek |
| Oceanus | Titan of the world-encircling ocean | Greek |
| Amphitrite | Queen of the sea, wife of Poseidon | Greek |
| Galatea | A sea nymph, “milk-white” | Greek |
| Llŷr | God or king of the sea | Welsh |
| Manannán | Sea god, rider of the waves | Irish |
| Varun | God of water and the ocean (Varuna) | Hindu |
| Yemaya | Mother of the ocean (Yemọja) | Yoruba |
| Oshun | Orisha of rivers, love and fresh water | Yoruba |
| Sedna | Goddess of the sea and its creatures | Inuit |
| Mazu | Goddess of the sea, protector of sailors | Chinese |
| Ryujin | Dragon king of the sea | Japanese |
| Njord | God of the sea, winds and seafaring | Norse |
| Ran | Goddess of the sea who nets drowned sailors | Norse |
| Aegir | Giant of the sea and brewer of the gods | Norse |
| Vellamo | Goddess of lakes and seas | Finnish |
| Ahti | God of the waters and fish | Finnish |
| Nammu | Primeval sea goddess | Sumerian |
How to choose a water name
- Pick your kind of water. A spring (Izumi, Maayan), a river (Jordan, River), a wave (Nami) or the sea (Marina) each carries a different mood.
- Short works well. Su, Kai, Umi and Nalu are one or two syllables and easy in any language.
- Combine with nature names. Water names pair beautifully with nature names and names that mean earth in a sibling set.
- Mind the pop-culture link. Moana is now strongly associated with the Disney film; Ariel and Marina less so.
- For pets, water names are perfect for fish, turtles and water-loving dogs — see fish names.
Frequently asked questions
What name means water?
Mayim (Hebrew), Su (Turkish), Kawai (Hawaiian) and Neer or Neera (Sanskrit) all mean “water.” Undine and Naida refer to water spirits.
What girl name means water?
Popular choices include Marina (“of the sea”), Izumi (“spring”), Nami (“wave”), Maayan (“fountain”), Sarita (“river”), Neera (“water”) and Moana (“ocean”).
What boy name means water?
Dylan (“son of the sea”), Jordan (“flowing down”), Kai (“sea”), Sagar (“ocean”), Neer (“water”), Delmar (“of the sea”) and River are all good options.
What does Dylan mean?
Dylan is Welsh and is usually translated as “great tide” or “son of the sea.” In Welsh legend, Dylan ail Don was a sea god who took to the waves as soon as he was born.
What does Mayim mean?
Mayim is the Hebrew word for water. It is best known in the US through actress Mayim Bialik.