photograph of the garden

Celebrating gardening-themed names


Gardening-related names have a long history in the UK, often reflecting traditional occupations, local landscapes and plants that shaped everyday life. With so many of these names still flourishing in today’s baby name charts, RHS Garden Wisley is celebrating the long-standing connection between people and gardening.

  • Rose has been one of the UK’s most enduring floral names since the 19th century
  • Hazel grew in popularity in the early 20th century and has seen a strong revival in recent years
  • Ivy became one of the UK’s fastest rising names of the 2010s
  • Violet, associated with modesty and springtime, has Victorian origins and is now enjoying a new wave of popularity
  • Surnames such as Bloom, Gardener, Berry, Leaf, Moss, Field and Flowers often trace back to medieval occupations or landscape features.

  • More than 200 plant or gardening-inspired names are in use in the UK today from Lily, Daisy and Holly to rarer gems like Sorrel, Rue and Tansy.

Get involved

The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.