Baby Names
Because you can’t put a flower crown on a baby named Blake.
I have had the same aesthetic since I was a little kid. I want an old stone cottage, covered in vines and wildflowers. I want enamel colanders filled with fresh berries glistening on my countertops, I want a pie cooling at the edge of the window, I want calico sheets on my two little girls’ beds. I want cottagecore and I want it now. Like a golden goose egg! Like an Instagram influencer trying to get you to buy allergy medicine.
OK, maybe not the latter. Look, cottagecore is a thing now. It “embraces a simpler, sustainable existence that is more harmonious with nature.” It is nostalgic and romantic. Words like lovely and darling come to mind. It’s a lot of vintage and a lot of traditional, mixed with the sepia filters on Instagram. It’s a whole vibe, and honestly, I love it. And I can see why more and more parents are turning to cottagecore baby names. Both of my little girls have old-fashioned names — Alice and Lucy — and they feel both perfect for the tiny babies they are and the grown women they will one day be. Did I dream of dressing them in vintage dresses and bonnets, nestling them into a Silvercross pram as I trundled them down the cobblestones of a tiny English village? (Where maybe I would fall in love with a detective because TV has told me those villages are full of murders.)
Yes. Of course I did. And I still do!
So if you also have some cottagecore running through your veins, if you imagine ruffled bassinets and flower wallpaper and a tea kettle that whistles as you nurse your baby to sleep for her mid-morning nap, then my friend, feast your eyes on these baby names. May they be everything your peasant-dress-wearing heart desires.
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Poppy
I mean... if you’re going to put a flower crown on a baby girl, why not name her Poppy? It’s so sweet and has a brightness to it. I feel like it works as a spunky little girl name, and a very docile newborn moniker.
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George
Georgie Porgie is the nickname you must use for a little baby boy named George if you want to score all the cottagecore points. OK, it also has a lot of royal vibes, so if you want to call him Prince George forever, I’ll allow it. But the name actually means “farmer,” which also feels very cottagecore.
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Anne
Anne, Annie, Ann — however you want to spell or differentiate this name is fine. It’s just so darn sweet, but has a grown-up feel to it, too. It means “grace,” which is also just darling. And if you tell everyone you named her after the patron saint of cottagecore, Anne of Green Gables, then even better.
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Alder
So botanical and full of nature vibes, Alder can mean both “alder tree” and “old.” It’s a perfect unisex name, and the -er ending feels a bit old fashioned and traditional.
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Mary
I don’t know why, but Mary just feels so simple and perfect to me. Of course, there are a million literary and biblical references to Mary, but it’s considered a fairly unique name by today’s standards. It means “drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved,” which makes me think of a storm, crashing waves up on the shore. Peak cottagecore.
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Robin
Robin! It brings both Winnie-the-Pooh vibes — thanks to Christopher Robin — and also just pure, beautiful nature vibes. It’s a lovely unisex name, and whether you like it for its connection to a pretty bird in your yard or everyone’s favorite bear-handler in his perfect knee-high socks, it’s a good choice.
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Benjamin
Benjamin also has major English garden/Beatrix Potter vibes. Ben, Benji, Benny — so many options for cute little boy nicknames.
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Willow
Willow. I want to say it both in a reference to “Use the wand, Willow!” and Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s best friend. Either way, it’s a cottagecore nickname for its connection to nature and the feeling of a calm summer day, sitting under a tree with a picnic. Do it for the ’gram.
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Freddie
Freddie is just darling. You can go with Frederick if you want, but Freddie feels super cottagecore to me. Just enough tradition meets “cute little guy” to give you all the feels. The name also means “peaceful ruler.”
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Fern
Oh, Fern. Clearly you have to decorate her nursery in a Charlotte’s Web theme, and if you don’t say, “Salutations!” the first moment you see her sweet face, then you’re not as cottagecore as I thought.
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Birdie
Birdie has become fairly popular with celebrities and Instagram influencers alike, but it really is just a cute, fun name for a little girl. I also think spelling it with a -y instead of -ie is nice.
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August
OK, both Mandy Moore and Princess Eugenie used this name within like a week of each other, so it’s probably going to get popular soon. But Gus or Auggie are very cute nicknames to go with it, and it feels super literary and rich.
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Leif
Leif is like a comfortable sigh in baby name form. It’s Scandinavian and means “heir,” which feels super royal, but it also gives off some nature vibes like leaf. I think it’s both strong and vulnerable, and it would also look perfect as one of those giant wooden name plaques over their — brass? painted yellow? wicker and pale wood? — crib.
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Olive
If you’re not saying daily, “Olive, olive you,” then what are you even doing? It feels a bit ethereal but, for some reason, a bit mysterious, too. I just love it.
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River
More nature vibes! All of the Thoreau feels! Give them to us! River is so cute, and is a great unisex name for your little cottagecore babe.
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James
James has become mega popular, and Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds turned it into a unisex name. It makes me think of Elizabeth James in the Lindsay Lohan Parent Trap, and if that’s not #cottagecore, I don’t want to talk about it.
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Beatrice
Bea and Trixie are both super cute names for Beatrice — and it sounds a lot like our girl Beatrix Potter. For extra cottagecore feels, clock the meaning of the name: “she who brings happiness, blessed.” I mean. Come on.
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Margot
This is another name on this list that is steadily becoming popular and can also be spelled a few different ways, including Margaux. The French vibes are très cottagecore, and it’s also just a sweet, effervescent kind of name.
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Frances
Frances! After our girl Frances Hodgson Burnett, of course, the author of The Secret Garden. I’m sorry, could we be any more cottagecore here? You could also spell it as Francis, and Franny is the cutest little nickname.
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Huck
Huck! If this doesn’t conjure images of a little boy in overalls, barefoot, getting ready to sail across the great Mississippi... wait. OK, scratch some of that, but Huck is a little treasure chest of a name. It feels like he’s got some secrets and also that he will pick all the random weeds for you as a bouquet. (Huckleberry is also very cute.)
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Ivy
Ivy feels super modern to me, but the touch on nature can’t be ignored here. I also think Ivie is a sweet way to spell the moniker, which should give you lots of creeping vines over a cottage feels.
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Beryl
OK, hear me out. (I know my husband is reading this and rolling his eyes.) Beryl is an old school English name, but it literally means “sea-green jewel.” Does it get much more luxurious than that? It feels a little rough, a little wild, and a whole lot of pretty.
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Dorothy
I put this name on the list because a) it’s gorgeous, b) it’s clearly cottagecore, and c) it can have the nickname Dottie, which is just *chef’s kiss.* Dorothy also means “gift of God,” which is very meaningful and gives me chills.
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Edmund
If Chronicles of Narnia is suddenly in your brain, then you get me. Edmund is one of the four Pevensie children in the series, and if you remember him and the Turkish delight, you’re right on track. In a very sweet move, the name also means “fortunate protector,” which just feels right for your little baby Edmund.
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Susan
Another one of the children from Chronicles of Narnia, Susan isn’t nearly as popular as it used to be, but I think it’s time we bring it back. The name means “lily,” so it has both a nature feel and also a weathered, vintage feel.
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Katherine
Katherine in all of its spellings is lovely, but I prefer the K version. Kat, Kate, and Kit are some of my favorite nicknames for this one, and it just makes me think of a little girl in a white lace dress, her knees dirty from running around and picking flowers. The sweetest part of this name? Katherine means “lovely.”
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Agnes
Don’t panic, just hear me out: Agnes is very, very cute. You could go with Aggie as a nickname, but I just love the proper Agnes, which means “pure” or “holy.” Come on, how sweet is that? And you can almost 100% guarantee there will not be another Agnes in her class.
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Fiona
I love Fiona so much, especially the nickname Fi. Fiona also means “fair” which is just light and as lovely as can be.
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Lily
A flower name is just delightfully #cottagecore, and Lily gives you the chance to make a Harry Potter reference, so you’re basically golden hour over here.
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Christopher
I have always loved the full name Christopher, but am not so much a fan of the name Chris. If you want a more formal, #cottagecore-like name, try to keep your baby’s name to Christopher, which means “bearer of Christ.” It makes me think of Christopher Robin, of course.
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Cordelia
Cordelia is not only a beautiful-sounding name, it’s just one of those that feels nice to say out loud. Try it: Cordelia. I love it so very much. It has a few different meanings, including “heart” and “daughter of the sea,” which is very much a #cottagecore vibe, but the best part are all the sweet nicknames. Cordy, Lia, Delia, Rory — so much cuteness.
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Oscar
Oscar is just gorgeous. The name means “spear of the gods” which is pretty bad*ss if you ask me, and makes me think of a #cottagecore world full of fishing and sunshine and running through a creek. (I... might have romanticized this a bit.)
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Ernest
The Importance of Being Earnest, anyone? No? Fine, even though we just talked about Oscar. Let’s just focus on the name Ernest which is very... earnest. It just feels like a genuinely good, solid name, and makes me think of a boy who will stand up for what’s right and be a voice for those who need it. It quite literally means “serious,” but there’s a fun catch: You can call your baby Ernie, which is just the sweetest.
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Oliver
Oliver has become increasingly popular over the years, and currently stands on the Social Security Administration’s top 10 baby name list at #3. Whether you think Oliver Twist (I’m sorry, a collection of Charles Dickens books on your piano is peak #cottagecore) or Oliver and Company (also, sorry, being a huge adult fan of Disney kind of coincides with #cottagecore), your baby’s in good company. Plus you get to call him Ollie. So cute.
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Meg
OK look, I can not think of #cottagecore without thinking of Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women. All of the March sisters have sweet names, but Meg is one of my favorites. Short for Margaret, which means “pearl” (how quaint!), Meg is also a very cute name all on its own. I don’t think you have to do the formal Margaret, you can just tell everyone your baby is named after the eldest March sister, who really did her best to hold everyone together and keep them all on the right, good path.
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Philip
I mean, it’s a very royal name, but it’s also just darling. Philip, which can also be spelled Phillip, is from the Greek name Philippos, which means “friend of horses.” Over time, the name Philip has shortened to mean “friend” or “lover,” which is very #cottagecore. It’s just one of those boy names that sounds right for a little guy playing with a fire truck, but also for a grown-up man with an office and responsibilities.
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Millie
Whether you choose this one because it can be a nickname for Amelia — which means “work” — or because you like it as a standalone choice (it also means work, but also the better sounding “industrious” and “ striving”), Millie is a fine #cottagecore choice. It just sounds like a sweet little girl running through a field of daisies, and I”m obsessed with any name that ends in -ie.
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