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Okay, so we know that there are certain plant names which have a history of being used as first names, oftentimes for women. We can all think of a few examples, like the simple but overly common Rose or the simple but gentle Ivy... or old-fashioned and posh names like Gardenia and Petunia.

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But... personally, I feel like many of these are too known by now, making them seem a bit bland and meh to my ears. So, I started wondering... isn't there more than this, something more exciting? That's when I went on a quest for more unusual plant names. Plant names seem a little bit underfeatured at BtN still, so I went to Wikipedia and dug up more names from the plant world.

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A selection of them is featured below, and I am curious to hear whether there are any names among them that you like or love. I guess most of these names are suitable for a guilty pleasure list only (especially the ones that are quite a mouthful), but surely there are a few among them that you would like to see on a girl or a woman someday? If so, feel free to let us know which ones. ;)

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Virtually all names are of plant genera, with a few of subgenera as well. The majority of these names are of Greek origin etymologically, with a fair few Latin ones as well. A small number of them are derived from English surnames (since they were named after their discoverer), some of which surprised me by appearing and sounding more charming than I would have expected.

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Also, I made an effort to only list plant names that are not featured in the main database (yet), so that is why e.g. Calanthe, Crescentia, Primula, Prunella and Zinnia are absent from this list.

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Lastly, my own favourites are marked with an asterisk (*):

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* = "Hmm, (surprisingly) interesting!"
** = "Yeah, I like it."
*** = "Love it! I'd like to meet a girl or woman with that name someday."

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Alright, enough with the talking. ;) Here, finally, is the list! :D

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A
Abatia
Abelia
Aberia
Abronia **
Acalypha
Acanthura
Acidanthera
Acidonia
Acisanthera
Acradenia
Acranthera
Acrolophia
Acrymia
Adamantinia
Adelphia **
Adenandra (or Adinandra)
Adenaria
Adenia
Agnesia
Agrimonia
Aidia
Aira
Airyantha
Alania
Aldina
Aldrovanda
Alectra
Aleisanthia
Allamanda
Allardia
Alocasia
Alomia
Alophia
Aloysia **
Alpinia **
Alsobia
Alstonia *
Althaea
Alyogyne
Alyxia **
Amarygia
Amauria
Ambrosina *
Amesiella
Amherstia
Amicia
Amoria **
Amorimia
Amsonia
Andersonia *
Andira
Anemonella
Angelonia
Annona
Anredera
Anthelia *
Anychia
Aphandra
Aphelia *
Arabis
Aralia ***
Ardisia
Aremonia
Arenaria
Argania
Argylia
Argyreia
Aridaria
Aristea **
Aristida
Armoracia
Arnebia
Arnica
Aronia ***
Arundina
Arytera
Asarina
Asimina
Aspilia
Astelia **
Asteranthe *
Asteranthera *
Asterella
Asteropeia
Astiella
Astiria
Astonia
Astrantia *
Asystasia
Atalantia
Atalaya *
Athamanta
Aulandra
Aurinia *
Australina
Autumnalia
Avonia
Axyris
Azara
Azilia
Azorella
Azorina
Azetura

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B
Baileya
Baillonia
Ballantinia *
Banksia
Baptisia
Barbarea
Barkeria
Barklya
Barnadesia
Baroniella
Barringtonia *
Bartholina
Bartonia
Basselinia
Bassia
Beallara
Beaufortia
Beaumontia
Begonia
Bellevalia
Bellis
Bellonia
Bellucia
Belmontia
Bergenia
Bergia
Berrya
Bertolonia
Berzelia
Bessera
Beta
Bignonia
Bionia
Bismarckia *
Bocconia
Bollea
Boltonia
Bongardia
Boronia
Boykinia
Brassaia **
Brassia
Brassica
Breynia
Briza
Bromelia **
Brunia **
Brya
Bulbinella
Bulnesia
Bursaria
Burtonia *

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C
Cadia
Caladenia
Calamaria
Calamintha
Calandrinia *
Calathea
Calliandra **
Callisia
Calluna
Calomeria
Caltha
Calytrix *
Camassia
Canarina
Caragana
Cardamine
Carelia
Carlina
Carmichaelia
Carpentaria and Carpenteria *
Carphalea
Carya
Cassinia
Cassiope
Castalia
Castanea
Casuarina
Cedrela
Cedronella
Celosia
Celtis
Centaurea
Centradenia
Cephalaria
Ceraria
Ceratandra
Ceratonia
Cerbera
Ceropegia
Chorisia
Christella
Christianella
Clarkia
Claytonia
Cleonia
Clintonia
Codia
Codonanthe
Collomia
Conradina
Consolida
Convallaria
Copernicia
Cordia
Coriaria
Corokia
Coronilla
Cortaderia
Corymbia
Corypha
Coryphanta
Crossandra
Cunonia
Cydonia **
Cypella

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D
Darlingia
Darwinia
Dasiphora
Datura
Davidia
Decarya
Decumaria
Deinandra
Deinanthe
Deltaria
Dianella
Dianthera *
Diascia
Dicksonia
Dillenia
Dilophia
Dimerandra
Dimeria
Dionaea
Dirca
Disa
Discaria
Docynia
Dorstenia
Drimys
Drosera
Dryadella
Dryandra *
Drymonia
Drynaria
Duranta
Duvalia
Duvaliandra
Dymondia
Dysphania

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E
Echeveria
Egeria
Egleria
Elaeis
Elegia
Elettaria
Ellisia
Elodea
Elymandra
Emelianthe *
Encelia
Encyclia
Endiandra
Ephedra
Epigaea
Episcia
Epithelantha
Eranthis *
Erasanthe
Eremia
Eria
Eriandra **
Erigenia
Erythrina
Eucryphia
Eulophia
Eurya
Euthamia
Everistia
Exellia

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F
Fabronia
Fallopia
Fallugia
Fargesia
Faucaria
Faxonia
Fernelia
Feroniella
Ferraria
Ferula
Firmiana
Fittonia
Fontanesia
Fordia
Forsythia **
Fortunella
Fragaria
Frithia
Fuchsia

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G
Gaillardia
Galactia
Galagania
Galatella
Galeandra
Galega
Galenia
Galianthe
Gasteria
Gastonia
Gaultheria
Gazania
Gentiana
Gilia **
Gillenia
Ginoria
Glia
Globularia
Gloriosa
Gloveria
Gloxinia
Glyceria
Gordonia *
Grindelia **
Griselina (or Griselinia)
Gundelia
Gunnera
Gustavia

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H
Hagenia
Halesia
Hamelia
Handelia
Harperia
Harrisia
Hatiora
Havardia
Heliconia
Hepatica
Herbertia
Hesperantha *
Hillia
Homeria *
Hovenia

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I
Idesia
Iresine
Isandrina *
Iseia
Ixia *
Ixora

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J
Jacaranda
Jamesia
Jeffersonia
Jodina
Jollydora
Justicia

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K
Kalmia
Karinia
Kerianthera
Kerria
Knightia
Knoxia

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L
Lambertia
Landolphia
Lantana
Larentia
Latania
Laurelia *
Lauridia
Lavandula
Lavatera
Lawsonia
Lethia
Libertia
Ligularia
Linaria
Lindera
Lintonia
Lirianthe *
Liriope
Lithodora *
Littonia
Lomandra
Lomatia
Lophira
Ludisia
Ludovia
Luma
Lunaria *
Lustrinia
Luzula
Lycaste
Lyonia *
Lysimachia

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M
Mackaya
Macranthera
Mahonia **
Malope
Malva
Mandragora **
Manettia
Maranta
Marchantia
Marsilea
Maurandella
Maurandya
Maxillaria *
Maxonia
Medinilla
Melanthera
Melica
Melinia
Mentha
Merendera
Meriandra *
Mertensia
Metaxya
Michelia
Mikania
Milicia
Millettia
Miltonia *
Mimosa
Mirabilis
Mironia
Mitella
Molinia
Monarda
Monardella
Montia
Montinia
Moraea
Morelia
Morina or Morinia
Morisia
Mutisia
Mylia
Myriandra *
Myrica
Myrinia

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N
Nananthea
Nandina
Naravelia
Nebelia
Nerine
Nertera
Nicandra *
Nicotiana
Nidorella
Nimiria
Nolana
Northia
Nymania
Nymphaea

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O
Oberonia
Obregonia
Odixia
Odonia
Odontonia
Olea
Oleandra
Olearia
Olinia
Oliveriana
Onosma
Ophrys
Opuntia
Orchis
Orixa
Oroya
Oryza
Osmarea
Osmaronia *
Osmunda *
Ostrya
Oxalis
Oxandra
Oxyria

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P
Pamianthe **
Panderia
Pandorea
Paradisea
Pariana
Parisia
Parnassia *
Parodia
Patersonia *
Patrinia *
Pavonia
Perilla
Persea
Petrea
Philesia
Photinia
Phylica
Physaria
Pimpinella
Pinellia
Pisonia
Pistacia
Pistia
Pistorinia
Plumeria
Podalyria
Potentilla
Potinara
Pratia
Prestonia *
Prinsepia
Prioria
Prostanthera *
Protea
Punica
Purpusia
Purshia
Pyracantha *
Pyrola

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Q
Quadrella
Quesnelia
Quintinia

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R
Radulina
Ramonda
Ranzania
Raoulia
Raphia
Ravenala
Ravenia
Regelia
Reldia
Reseda
Retama
Rhexia *
Rhodanthe ***
Rhodiola
Rigidella
Rivinia
Robinia **
Rochelia
Rolandra *
Romulea
Rondeletia
Rosularia **
Ruellia
Ruschia
Russelia

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S
Sagittaria
Salvia *
Salvinia *
Sandersonia *
Sanguinaria
Santolina
Sanvitalia
Saponaria
Saranthe *
Saritaea
Sarmienta
Sarracenia
Satyria
Saxifraga
Schisandra
Scopolia
Scrophularia
Scutellaria
Selaginella
Senna
Serissa
Sesbania
Sesleria
Setaria
Silene
Siphantera
Smithiantha
Sobralia
Solandra *
Soldanella
Sonerila
Sophora
Sorbaria
Spartina
Stellaria
Stromanthe
Styphelia *
Sutera
Symphyandra
Synthyris

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T
Talassia
Talinella
Talisia
Tamania
Tarachia
Tarasa
Taravalia
Taraxia
Taraxis
Tarenna
Taxandria **
Tecomanthe
Tecomaria
Telekia
Tellima
Telopea
Templetonia *
Tenaris
Tennantia
Tephrosia
Terminalia
Terminthia **
Tessaria
Tetraria
Thalassia
Thaleropia
Thalesia
Thelaia
Thelia
Thespesia
Thevetia
Thrincia
Thryptomene
Thuja (or Thuya)
Thulinia
Thunia
Thurovia
Thyana
Thymbra
Tiarella *
Tigridia
Tilia *
Timmia
Tinantia
Tithonia
Tolumnia
Torenia
Toronia
Torreya
Tovara (or Tovaria)
Triantha *
Tristania *
Triteleia
Tritonia ***
Tulipa
Typha

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U
Urandra
Urbinella
Ursinia *
Usteria

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V
Vagaria
Vahlia
Valantia
Valdonia
Valerianella
Vallea
Varilla
Varronia
Vernonia
Verrucifera
Vestia **
Vexatorella *
Vexibia
Vigna
Villadia
Villaria
Vinca
Virgilia
Viscaria
Vitaliana **
Vitellaria
Viticella

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W
Wallenia
Walleria
Wallichia
Walthera
Washingtonia
Watsonia
Weddellina
Wedelia
Weldenia
Welfia
Wigandia
Willia **
Willisia
Wisteria **
Wulfenia

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Y
Yavia
Ypsilandra *
Yulania
Yushania
Yvesia

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Z
Zamia
Zanderia
Zanonia
Zataria
Zea
Zingeria
Zippelia
Zizania
Zizia *
Zyzyxia

This message was edited 3/27/2012, 3:59 AM