Ocean names: 130+ ocean-themed sea and water names with meanings
134 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest
The best ocean names mean sea or ocean outright, like Marina (Latin, of the sea), Moana (Hawaiian, ocean) and Kai (Hawaiian, sea). Ocean-themed names also come from waves, tides, harbors, pearls and the gods of the deep, and almost every coastal culture adds its own, from Deniz in Turkish to Umi in Japanese.
Below are more than 130 real ocean and water names. They are grouped into girl names, boy names and unisex ocean-themed names, then mythical ocean names of sea gods and water spirits, names that mean wave, names for rivers, springs and water, and pearl and seashell names. Each note gives the meaning and the language of origin, with a pronunciation where it helps.
Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks
Marino
Of the sea; Italian and Spanish, from Latin
Lahari
Wave; Sanskrit, an Indian girl's name
Wave
A rising swell of the sea; a rare English word name
Nami
Wave, written 波; Japanese
Morvarid
A pearl; Persian, a classic Iranian name
Muireann
Fair one of the sea; Irish Gaelic. Say MWIR-en
Find an ocean name on this page
Narrow 134 names by how common they were for US babies in 2025, by section, length or first letter, or search the meanings.
Ocean names for girls
Girl names that mean sea or ocean, from Latin and Irish Gaelic to Hawaiian, Japanese and Basque.
- Mar 129 in 2025: The sea; Spanish, from a title of the Virgin Mary
- Muireann Under 5 in 2025: Fair one of the sea; Irish Gaelic. Say MWIR-en
- Muriel 32 in 2025: Bright sea; Irish and Scottish Gaelic, via English
- Manami Under 5 in 2025: Love and sea, written 愛海; Japanese
- Derya Under 5 in 2025: Sea, ocean; Turkish, from Persian. Say der-YAH
- Darya 43 in 2025: Sea, ocean; Persian (the Russian Darya is a different name). Say dar-YAH
- Itsaso Under 5 in 2025: Ocean; Basque. Say eet-SAH-so
- Pelagia Under 5 in 2025: Of the sea; Greek, from pelagos, the open sea
- Meltem Under 5 in 2025: Sea breeze; Turkish, the summer wind of the Aegean
- Sindhu Under 5 in 2025: River, sea; Sanskrit, also the name of the Indus River
- Marinette 10 in 2025: Little Marina, of the sea; French
- Marinka Under 5 in 2025: Little Marina, of the sea; Slavic
- Marisol US #667: Short for María Soledad, or Spanish mar y sol, sea and sun
Boy names that mean sea or ocean
Boy names that mean sea, ocean or sea warrior.
- Marinus Under 5 in 2025: Of the sea; Latin, still used in the Netherlands
- Kaito 71 in 2025: Sea and soaring, written 海翔; Japanese
- Sagar Under 5 in 2025: Ocean, sea; Sanskrit. Say SAH-gur
- Samudra Under 5 in 2025: Ocean; Sanskrit, used in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia
- Hafsteinn Under 5 in 2025: Sea stone; Old Norse, an Icelandic name
- Hafþór Under 5 in 2025: Sea and Thor; Old Norse, an Icelandic name
- Varun 15 in 2025: Modern form of the name of the Hindu god of the waters; Hindi
- Ratnakar Under 5 in 2025: Jewel mine, a Sanskrit name for the ocean. Say RUT-na-kar
- Muirchertach Under 5 in 2025: Mariner; Old Irish, the name of several High Kings
- Caspian US #491: After the Caspian Sea, via C. S. Lewis's Prince Caspian (1950)
Unisex ocean-themed names
Gender-neutral sea and ocean names used for girls and boys, including English word names for the coast.
- Ocean US #720: The open sea; English word name, for girls and boys
- Deniz 69 in 2025: The sea; Turkish. Say deh-NEEZ
- Lwandle Under 5 in 2025: Ocean; Zulu and Xhosa, from South Africa
- Hai Under 5 in 2025: Sea, written 海; Chinese. Say high
- Haiyang Under 5 in 2025: Sea and ocean, written 海洋; Chinese
- Haiyan Under 5 in 2025: Sea swallow, written 海燕; Chinese, the storm petrel; also the name of a deadly 2013 typhoon
- Bay 7 in 2025: A wide, sheltered curve of coast; English word name
- Harbor 85 in 2025: A safe haven for ships; English word name
- Sailor 246 in 2025: One who sails the sea; English word name
- Kairi 281 in 2025: Sea and village, written 海里 (also the word for nautical mile); Japanese
- Ushio Under 5 in 2025: Tide, written 潮; Japanese, for girls and boys
Mythical ocean names: sea gods, nymphs and water spirits
Mythical ocean names from Greek, Roman, Norse, Welsh, Irish, Polynesian, Japanese, Yoruba, Haitian and Tupi tradition. Several are still honored in living faiths, so use them with respect, especially for pets.
- Thalassa Under 5 in 2025: The sea; Greek, the ancient spirit of the sea
- Ægir Under 5 in 2025: The sea; Old Norse, the sea giant, used in Iceland. Say EYE-gir
- Llŷr Under 5 in 2025: The sea; Welsh, a sea figure of legend. Say HLEER
- Lir Under 5 in 2025: The sea; Irish, father of the four swan children of legend
- Muirgen Under 5 in 2025: Born of the sea; Irish, a woman turned mermaid in legend
- Nereida Under 5 in 2025: Sea nymph; Spanish, from the Nereids of Greek myth
- Hafdís Under 5 in 2025: Sea goddess; Old Norse, an Icelandic name
- Iara 7 in 2025: Lady of the water; Tupi, a river spirit of Brazilian folklore
- Oceanus Under 5 in 2025: The Titan of the great river circling the world; Greek, root of ocean
- Eurybia Under 5 in 2025: A sea goddess, daughter of Pontus and Gaia; Greek, wide force
- Ceto Under 5 in 2025: A Greek sea goddess, mother of many sea monsters
- Halia 55 in 2025: A Nereid sea nymph; Greek, from hals, the salt sea
- Kymopoleia Under 5 in 2025: Wave walker; Greek, a daughter of Poseidon
- Benthesikyme Under 5 in 2025: Wave of the deep; Greek, a daughter of Poseidon
- Salacia Under 5 in 2025: Roman goddess of salt water, wife of Neptune
- Tangaroa Under 5 in 2025: Māori god of the sea and everything in it
- Hinemoana Under 5 in 2025: Ocean maiden; Māori, the personified ocean
- Kanaloa 14 in 2025: Hawaiian god of the ocean, often linked with the octopus
- Nāmaka Under 5 in 2025: Hawaiian sea goddess and rival of her sister Pele
- Watatsumi Under 5 in 2025: A Japanese sea god of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki
- Olokun Under 5 in 2025: Yoruba and Edo deity of the deep ocean
- Agwé Under 5 in 2025: Haitian Vodou spirit of the sea and patron of sailors
Names that mean wave
Wave names from Hebrew, Japanese, Icelandic, Basque, Sanskrit, Chinese and Estonian.
- Nami 156 in 2025: Wave, written 波; Japanese
- Gal 15 in 2025: Wave; Hebrew, for girls and boys (reads as gal in English)
- Galit 8 in 2025: Wave; Hebrew. Say gah-LEET
- Adva Under 5 in 2025: Small ripple; Hebrew, a modern Israeli name
- Urmila Under 5 in 2025: Wave, billow; Sanskrit, a heroine of the Ramayana
- Alda Under 5 in 2025: Wave; Icelandic, a short and simple Nordic name
- Hrönn Under 5 in 2025: Wave; Old Norse, a daughter of the sea giant Ægir
- Naia 133 in 2025: Wave, sea foam; Basque. Say NAH-ya
- Bára Under 5 in 2025: Wave; Icelandic, a girl's name (also a Czech pet form of Barbara). Say BOW-ra
- Bylgja Under 5 in 2025: Billow, wave; Icelandic, a daughter of the sea giant Ægir
- Laine 180 in 2025: Wave; Estonian, and the Finnish word for wave
- Tarang Under 5 in 2025: Wave; Sanskrit, an Indian boy's name. Say tuh-RUNG
- Lahari 8 in 2025: Wave; Sanskrit, an Indian girl's name
- Urmi Under 5 in 2025: Wave; Sanskrit, a Bengali girl's name. Say OOR-mee
- Haitao Under 5 in 2025: Sea waves, written 海涛; Chinese
- Wave 40 in 2025: A rising swell of the sea; a rare English word name
Names that mean water, river or spring
Water names for rivers, streams, springs, drops and lakes.
- Su 9 in 2025: Water; Turkish, short and sweet
- Damla Under 5 in 2025: Drop of water; Turkish. Say dahm-LAH
- Pınar Under 5 in 2025: Spring, water source; Turkish. Say puh-NAR
- Irmak Under 5 in 2025: River; Turkish. Say ur-MAHK
- Nehir 6 in 2025: River; Turkish, from Arabic
- Maayan 17 in 2025: Spring of water; Hebrew. Say mah-YAHN
- Izumi 20 in 2025: Fountain, spring, written 泉; Japanese
- Irving 90 in 2025: Green water; Brythonic, from a Scottish river name
- Niraj Under 5 in 2025: Water-born, lotus; Sanskrit, a Hindi and Marathi name
- Nahla 60 in 2025: A drink of water; Arabic. Say NAH-la
- Ameyalli 6 in 2025: Spring, fountain; Nahuatl, from Mexico. Say ah-meh-YAH-lee
- Ibai Under 5 in 2025: River; Basque. Say ee-BYE
- Göksu Under 5 in 2025: Sky water; Turkish, for girls and boys
- Tasnim 39 in 2025: A spring in paradise; Arabic, from the Quran
- Jiang Under 5 in 2025: River, written 江; Chinese, often the Yangtze
Pearl and seashell names
Pearls and shells are treasures of the sea. These names carry that meaning in a dozen languages.
- Margalit 9 in 2025: A pearl; Hebrew, from Greek
- Pnina Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Hebrew. Say pnee-NAH
- Jumana 28 in 2025: A pearl; Arabic. Say joo-MAH-na
- Mererid Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Welsh, from Latin margarita. Say meh-REH-rid
- Momi Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Hawaiian, short and sweet
- Leimomi Under 5 in 2025: Pearl lei; Hawaiian. Say lay-MOH-mee
- Morvarid Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Persian, a classic Iranian name
- İnci 8 in 2025: A pearl; Turkish. Say in-JEE
- Shinju Under 5 in 2025: A pearl, written 真珠; Japanese
- Sadaf 22 in 2025: Seashell, mother-of-pearl; Arabic, used in Persian and Urdu
- Markéta Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Czech form of Margaret. Say MAR-keh-tah
- Durrah Under 5 in 2025: A large pearl; Arabic. Say DOOR-rah
- Mutiara Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Indonesian and Malay
- Margareta Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Scandinavian and Romanian form of Margaret
- Marit 14 in 2025: A pearl; Norwegian and Swedish short form of Margaret
- Maarit Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Finnish form of Margaret. Say MAH-rit
- Marged Under 5 in 2025: A pearl; Welsh form of Margaret. Say MAR-ged
How to pick the right name
Pick sea, wave or water
Marina, Moana and Deniz mean the sea itself. Nalu, Nami and Gal mean a single wave, and River, Irmak and Douglas point to fresh water. Decide which picture you want before you choose.
Go short for a beachy feel
Kai, Su, Mar, Nami and Bo are one or two syllables and pair easily with longer surnames. Longer names like Muireann and Pelagia feel more traditional.
Check the characters for Japanese and Chinese names
Kaito, Nanami and Hai mean sea only when written with the sea character 海. Choose the characters along with the sound.
Mind the look-alikes
Morgan and Mary are often listed as sea names, but their meanings are uncertain. Every name here has a sea or water meaning, or a clear link to the sea in myth.
Save this list for later
Pin it to a naming board, or tap the heart next to any name to keep it in your favorites on this device.
Ocean names in US data: the sea names Americans use, how a film can make a name, and what to check in Japanese names
By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 25, 2026 · How we research names
The most used sea names in the US are short ones. Dylan, from Welsh words for toward and tide, was No. 41 for boys in 2025, Kai No. 93 and River No. 111; for girls, River (No. 220) and Kailani (No. 253) lead. Most names on this page are far rarer, many given to fewer than 5 US babies a year.
A name's sea meaning is not always the whole story: a film, a storm or another language can change how it reads. The finder above narrows the names by section, length and US popularity, and the tags show each name's 2025 rank.
The sea names Americans use most
- A film can make a name. US girls named Moana went from 18 in 2015 to 57 in 2016, the year Disney's film came out, and 141 in 2017, then fell back to 35 by 2025 (Social Security data). In many European countries the character was renamed Vaiana because of a trademark conflict (Wikipedia)).
| Name | US rank, 2025 | Babies, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Dylan (boys) | #41 | 6,208 |
| Kai (boys) | #93 | 3,768 |
| River (boys) | #111 | 3,139 |
| Margaret (girls) | #112 | 2,436 |
| Jordan (boys) | #131 | 2,732 |
| River (girls) | #220 | 1,401 |
| Kailani (girls) | #253 | 1,215 |
| Brooke (girls) | #313 | 972 |
| Caspian (boys) | #491 | 614 |
| Marina (girls) | #602 | 488 |
Source: US Social Security Administration. Kai peaked at No. 59 in 2022; Ocean was No. 720 for boys and No. 787 for girls in 2025.
What to check before you choose
- Japanese names use approved kanji. A Japanese given name may use only the 3,000 kanji approved for names, 2,136 jōyō and 864 jinmeiyō (Wikipedia). Kaito, Nanami and Umi mean sea only when written with 海.
- The same characters can mean something else. 海里, read Kairi, is also the everyday word for a nautical mile (Wiktionary).
- Sea or river? In Greek myth Oceanus was the great river circling the world and Pontus the sea itself (Wikipedia), so Thalassa, the Greek word for sea, is the closer match for ocean.
- Storms and gods. Haiyan was the name of a deadly 2013 typhoon, and several sea gods on this page, like Olokun and Kanaloa, are still honored in living faiths.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What name means ocean?
Moana means ocean in Hawaiian, Océane means ocean in French, Itsaso means ocean in Basque, Samudra means ocean in Sanskrit and Lwandle means ocean in Zulu. Ocean itself is also used as a name.
What names mean water?
Su means water in Turkish, Maayan means spring of water in Hebrew, Saraswati means possessing water in Sanskrit and Nahla means a drink of water in Arabic. Iara means lady of the water in Tupi.
What boy names mean sea?
Marino and Pelayo mean of the sea, Sagar means ocean in Sanskrit, Murchadh means sea warrior in Gaelic and Kaito uses the Japanese character for sea. Kai and Deniz work for boys and girls.
What are some mythical ocean names?
Thalassa, Oceanus, Ægir, Lir, Tangaroa, Kanaloa and Salacia are mythical ocean names from Greek, Norse, Irish, Māori, Hawaiian and Roman myth.
What name means wave?
Nalu means wave in Hawaiian, Nami in Japanese, Gal and Galit in Hebrew, Urmila in Sanskrit, Alda and Hrönn in Icelandic and Naia in Basque.
Which ocean names are most popular in the US?
Dylan, from Welsh words for toward and tide, was No. 41 for US boys in 2025, followed by Kai (No. 93) and River (No. 111). For girls, River (No. 220) and Kailani (No. 253) were the top sea and water names.
Why is Moana called Vaiana in Europe?
Because of a trademark conflict, Disney renamed the character Vaiana in many European countries when the 2016 film came out. The Hawaiian and Maori word moana means ocean or open sea.
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