Tree Names
Trees have given us some of the oldest words in the English language — oak, ash, birch and elm all go back more than a thousand years — and some of the loveliest first names, too. This page covers both: more than 120 tree names, starting with real species (with their scientific names so you can tell a sugar maple from a red maple) and ending with tree-inspired names for babies, pets and fictional characters.
Use the species lists if you're identifying trees, planning a garden or naming streets, a farm or a campsite. If you're here for a name, jump to the girl and boy sections, then branch out into our wider lists of nature names, forest names and flower names.
Common tree names in North America
These are the trees you’re most likely to see in American parks, backyards and woodlands. Most belong to large genera, so we’ve given one well-known species for each.
| Tree | Scientific name | Where you’ll find it |
|---|---|---|
| White oak | Quercus alba | Eastern US; the classic long-lived shade oak |
| Northern red oak | Quercus rubra | Northeast and Midwest; red fall color |
| Southern live oak | Quercus virginiana | Gulf Coast and Southeast; draped in Spanish moss |
| Sugar maple | Acer saccharum | Northeast and Great Lakes; source of maple syrup |
| Red maple | Acer rubrum | Most of the eastern US; brilliant scarlet in fall |
| Paper birch | Betula papyrifera | Northern states and Canada; peeling white bark |
| American elm | Ulmus americana | Once lined Main Streets before Dutch elm disease |
| White ash | Fraxinus americana | Eastern forests; traditional baseball-bat wood |
| American beech | Fagus grandifolia | Eastern forests; smooth silver-gray bark |
| Quaking aspen | Populus tremuloides | Rocky Mountains; leaves tremble in the breeze |
| Eastern cottonwood | Populus deltoides | Riverbanks of the Great Plains |
| American sycamore | Platanus occidentalis | Stream valleys; mottled white bark |
| Tulip tree | Liriodendron tulipifera | Appalachians; tulip-shaped orange-green flowers |
| Sweetgum | Liquidambar styraciflua | Southeast; star-shaped leaves and spiky seed balls |
| Shagbark hickory | Carya ovata | Midwest and East; bark peels in long strips |
| Black walnut | Juglans nigra | Central and eastern US; prized dark timber |
| American basswood | Tilia americana | Eastern US; also called linden |
| Black cherry | Prunus serotina | Eastern forests; valued furniture wood |
| Honey locust | Gleditsia triacanthos | Common city street tree |
| Ohio buckeye | Aesculus glabra | Midwest; Ohio’s state tree |
| Black tupelo | Nyssa sylvatica | Eastern swamps and uplands; fiery fall color |
| Sassafras | Sassafras albidum | Eastern US; mitten-shaped leaves |
Evergreen and conifer tree names
Needle-leaved conifers dominate the West and the far North. Several of them — cedar, juniper, cypress — double as popular nature names for babies and pets.
| Tree | Scientific name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coast redwood | Sequoia sempervirens | Northern California; the tallest trees on Earth |
| Giant sequoia | Sequoiadendron giganteum | Sierra Nevada; the most massive trees by volume |
| Douglas fir | Pseudotsuga menziesii | Pacific Northwest; a top timber and Christmas tree |
| Eastern white pine | Pinus strobus | Northeast; soft needles in bundles of five |
| Ponderosa pine | Pinus ponderosa | Western mountains; bark smells like vanilla |
| Great Basin bristlecone pine | Pinus longaeva | California, Nevada, Utah; lives nearly 5,000 years |
| Blue spruce | Picea pungens | Rocky Mountains; silvery-blue needles |
| Balsam fir | Abies balsamea | Northeast and Canada; classic fragrant Christmas tree |
| Eastern hemlock | Tsuga canadensis | Cool, shady Appalachian ravines |
| Western red cedar | Thuja plicata | Pacific Northwest; used for canoes and totem poles |
| Cedar of Lebanon | Cedrus libani | Eastern Mediterranean; on Lebanon’s flag |
| Bald cypress | Taxodium distichum | Southern swamps; famous knobby “knees” |
| Tamarack | Larix laricina | Northern bogs; a conifer that turns gold and drops its needles |
| English yew | Taxus baccata | Europe; churchyard tree, extremely long-lived |
| Eastern red cedar | Juniperus virginiana | Actually a juniper; widespread in the East |
| Monkey puzzle | Araucaria araucana | Chile and Argentina; spiky, prehistoric-looking |
Flowering and ornamental trees
Spring-blooming trees are the showstoppers of gardens and city streets. For more blossom-inspired picks, see our names of flowers.
| Tree | Scientific name | Bloom |
|---|---|---|
| Southern magnolia | Magnolia grandiflora | Huge creamy-white, lemon-scented flowers |
| Flowering dogwood | Cornus florida | White or pink bracts in spring |
| Eastern redbud | Cercis canadensis | Magenta-pink buds along bare branches |
| Yoshino cherry | Prunus × yedoensis | The pale pink cherry blossoms of Washington, D.C. |
| Jacaranda | Jacaranda mimosifolia | Violet-blue clusters; iconic in Los Angeles and Pretoria |
| Crape myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica | Summer-long pink, red or white blooms in the South |
| Northern catalpa | Catalpa speciosa | Orchid-like white flowers, long bean pods |
| Royal poinciana | Delonix regia | Flame-red canopy; also called flamboyant |
| Weeping willow | Salix babylonica | Catkins; loved for its cascading branches |
| Common hawthorn | Crataegus monogyna | White May blossom; Old World hedge tree |
| Mountain ash (rowan) | Sorbus aucuparia | White flowers, then bright red berries |
| Silk tree | Albizia julibrissin | Fluffy pink powder-puff flowers |
| Golden chain tree | Laburnum anagyroides | Long hanging yellow chains (all parts toxic) |
| Frangipani | Plumeria rubra | Fragrant blossoms used in Hawaiian leis |
Fruit and nut trees
Orchard trees are a good source of sweet, homey names. Our fruit names page goes further.
| Tree | Scientific name | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | Malus domestica | Fall; thousands of named cultivars |
| Pear | Pyrus communis | Late summer to fall |
| Peach | Prunus persica | Summer; Georgia’s signature crop |
| Plum | Prunus domestica | Late summer |
| Apricot | Prunus armeniaca | Early summer |
| Fig | Ficus carica | Summer and fall; one of the first cultivated plants |
| European olive | Olea europaea | Fall; symbol of peace since antiquity |
| Lemon | Citrus limon | Year-round in warm climates |
| Orange | Citrus × sinensis | Winter; Florida and California |
| Pomegranate | Punica granatum | Fall; ruby seeds |
| Persimmon | Diospyros virginiana | After the first frost |
| Mulberry | Morus alba | Early summer; silkworms feed on the leaves |
| Pecan | Carya illinoinensis | Fall; the only major nut tree native to the US |
| Almond | Prunus dulcis | Late summer; California grows most of the world’s crop |
| American chestnut | Castanea dentata | Nearly wiped out by blight in the 1900s |
| Avocado | Persea americana | Year-round in Southern California |
Exotic and tropical tree names
Beyond North America, these trees are famous for their size, shape or cultural importance.
| Tree | Scientific name | Native to |
|---|---|---|
| Baobab | Adansonia digitata | African savanna; stores water in its massive trunk |
| Banyan | Ficus benghalensis | India; national tree, grows aerial roots |
| Sacred fig | Ficus religiosa | South Asia; the Bodhi tree of Buddhism |
| Ginkgo | Ginkgo biloba | China; a “living fossil” with fan-shaped leaves |
| Dragon blood tree | Dracaena cinnabari | Socotra, Yemen; umbrella-shaped with red sap |
| Rainbow eucalyptus | Eucalyptus deglupta | Philippines and Indonesia; multicolored bark |
| Kauri | Agathis australis | New Zealand; giant sacred trees of the Māori |
| Teak | Tectona grandis | South and Southeast Asia; weatherproof timber |
| Mahogany | Swietenia macrophylla | Central and South America |
| Sandalwood | Santalum album | India; fragrant heartwood |
| Coconut palm | Cocos nucifera | Tropical coasts worldwide |
| Red mangrove | Rhizophora mangle | Tropical shorelines; grows on stilt roots |
| Umbrella thorn acacia | Vachellia tortilis | African savanna; flat-topped silhouette |
| Joshua tree | Yucca brevifolia | Mojave Desert; technically a giant yucca |
| Kapok | Ceiba pentandra | Tropical Americas and West Africa; sacred to the Maya |
Tree-inspired names for girls
Tree names feel grounded but graceful, which is why so many are climbing the baby-name charts. Pair them with our names that mean earth for a full nature theme.
| Name | Tree / meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Willow | The willow tree; grace and flexibility | English |
| Hazel | The hazel tree; linked to wisdom in Celtic lore | English |
| Magnolia | The magnolia, named after botanist Pierre Magnol | French / Latin |
| Juniper | The evergreen juniper shrub-tree | Latin |
| Laurel | The bay laurel, a symbol of victory | Latin |
| Olive | The olive tree; peace | Latin |
| Linden | The linden (lime) tree | German / English |
| Maple | The maple tree | English |
| Aspen | The quaking aspen | English |
| Daphne | Greek for “laurel” | Greek |
| Elowen | Cornish for “elm tree” | Cornish |
| Ilana | Hebrew for “tree” | Hebrew |
| Sakura | Japanese for “cherry blossom” | Japanese |
| Holly | The holly tree, an evergreen of winter | English |
| Acacia | The acacia tree; from Greek “thorny” | Greek |
| Cypress | The cypress tree; unisex | Greek |
| Sylvie | From Latin silva, “forest” | French |
| Myrtle | The myrtle shrub-tree, sacred to Venus | Greek |
Tree-inspired names for boys
Many tree names read as strong and outdoorsy on boys. Several are unisex, and some come from surnames that meant “lives by the oak” or “lives by the ash.”
| Name | Tree / meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rowan | The rowan tree; also Irish “little red one” | Gaelic / Norse |
| Oakley | “Oak clearing” | English |
| Ash | The ash tree; Yggdrasil in Norse myth | English |
| Cedar | The cedar tree | English |
| Alder | The alder tree | English |
| Forrest | “Dweller by the forest” | English |
| Elm | The elm tree | English |
| Birch | The birch tree; “bright, shining” | English |
| Silas | From Silvanus, Roman god of woods | Latin |
| Sylvan | Latin silvanus, “of the woods” | Latin |
| Oren | Hebrew for “pine tree” | Hebrew |
| Alon | Hebrew for “oak tree” | Hebrew |
| Elon | Hebrew for “oak tree” | Hebrew |
| Sequoia | The redwood, named for Sequoyah | Cherokee |
| Holt | Old English for “wood, thicket” | English |
| Ashby | “Ash tree farm” | Norse / English |
| Hawthorne | “Hawthorn hedge” | English |
| Hollis | “Near the holly trees” | English |
Famous trees with their own names
Some individual trees are so old, tall or historic that they have names of their own.
| Tree | Species | Location |
|---|---|---|
| General Sherman | Giant sequoia | Sequoia National Park, California |
| Hyperion | Coast redwood (tallest known tree) | Redwood National Park, California |
| Methuselah | Great Basin bristlecone pine | White Mountains, California |
| Pando | Quaking aspen clonal colony | Fishlake National Forest, Utah |
| Old Tjikko | Norway spruce | Fulufjället, Sweden |
| Major Oak | English oak | Sherwood Forest, England |
| Angel Oak | Southern live oak | Johns Island, South Carolina |
| Jōmon Sugi | Japanese cedar | Yakushima, Japan |
| Sri Maha Bodhi | Sacred fig | Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka |
| Survivor Tree | Callery pear | 9/11 Memorial, New York City |
How to choose a tree name
- Think about the symbolism. Oak suggests strength, willow grace, olive peace and laurel victory — pick the quality you want the name to carry.
- Use the full common name for places. For streets, cabins or farms, “Sugar Maple Lane” or “Bald Cypress Hollow” sounds more specific and charming than a single word.
- Check the unisex factor. Rowan, Aspen, Cedar and Sequoia work for any gender; Willow and Hazel read strongly feminine in the US.
- Look at other languages. Hebrew (Alon, Oren, Ilana), Japanese (Sakura) and Cornish (Elowen) give you tree meanings with a less obvious sound. Our Celtic names are full of tree lore.
- Mind the toxic trees for pets. Naming a cat Yew or Laburnum is harmless — but keep the actual plants away from animals.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common trees in the US?
According to US Forest Service inventory data, red maple is the most abundant tree in the country, followed by species such as loblolly pine, sweetgum, Douglas fir and quaking aspen.
What is the oldest tree in the world?
Methuselah, a Great Basin bristlecone pine in California’s White Mountains, is over 4,800 years old and is the oldest known non-clonal tree. Clonal colonies like Pando in Utah are far older as a whole.
What is the tallest tree in the world?
Hyperion, a coast redwood in Redwood National Park, measures about 380 feet (116 m). Its exact location is kept secret to protect it.
What are good tree names for a baby girl?
Willow, Hazel, Magnolia, Juniper, Laurel, Olive and Elowen are all popular choices with a soft sound and a clear tree meaning.
Which tree names work for boys?
Rowan, Oakley, Ash, Cedar, Alder, Silas and the Hebrew names Alon and Oren (“oak” and “pine”) are strong tree-inspired picks for boys.
What is the difference between a conifer and an evergreen?
Conifers bear cones; evergreens keep their leaves year-round. Most conifers are evergreen, but tamarack and bald cypress are conifers that drop their needles, and holly is an evergreen that isn’t a conifer.