One Syllable Nature Word Names - Colt, Sage & Onyx

There's something undeniably attractive about one syllable names. They're a good option if you want an (almost) nickname proof first name, or want to balance out a long and complicated last name. They can also work some magic in the middle position when you want to create a particular flow between multi-syllable first and last names.

Nature word names are among the most popular single syllable names, especially in the middle. Lee and Rose are two in particular that are perennial middle name favourites. Disney Baby also pegged nature names - and word names - as trends for middle names in 2013.

Choices range from the tried and true to the quirky and rare - and there is definitely a very wide range of them to choose from. My below list is restricted just to nature words, and still comes in at an impressive 160 names long! There are sure to be other great choices that could be added, and if you widen the scope even further to include names with nature related meaning, this list doubles.

One thing is for sure though - even with just one syllable, nature names do not have to be boring!

Golda

"On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five gold rings"

This line of  'The Twelve Days of Christmas' is special for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the melody and the time signature of this line is different - it's twice as many beats as the other lines and offers carolers a slight chance to catch their breath when they are getting to the last few verses of the song. The other is that it is possibly the only gift that is an inanimate object (well, objects to be precise).

I say possibly, because there are a couple of claims that this line actually refers to birds too, which would make the first seven gifts all birds. Some say that the five gold rings really represent the gold rings found on the neck of the ringed pheasant bird. Others say it is a mis-interpretation and that the line was originally "five goldspinks", which is an old name for a Goldfinch. Others argue though that an illustration from the first known 1780 English publication clearly shows the rings as jewellery. The song most likely pre-dates that and had French rather than English origins, so a lost in translation interpretation is possible, but is something that may never be able to be proven definitively.

Whichever interpretation you use, all have the gold in common. This song isn't the only connection that Gold has to Christmas and Jesus either - one of the gifts from the wise men is gold, and Jesus is often depicted with a gold halo. Christmas carol 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' contains the lines "Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore". And the colour is often dominant in Christmas decorations. So the pretty name Golda would make for a lovely festive season baby name.

Golda is thought to be both an English name (derived from the word Gold) and Yiddish. Its most famous bearer is Golda Meir, who became Israels' fourth Prime Minister in 1969.  It's one of those names that people have very divided opinions on. For some it is a family name that is generations old. This can make it seem dated and homely, or maybe familiar and charming. For other, some will see it as a simple, understated and elegant name, while others will find it garish and flashy, akin to people naming their children Diamond or Precious, for example.

I tend to fall more on the side of understated and stylish. Many of the precious metals and gemstone names are very "sparkly" by nature, such as Sapphire and Emerald. Both of which I also really like. But Golda feels like it sits more comfortably with vintage beauties such as Pearl, Opal and Ruby. It's not overly surprising then that Golda and Pearl peaked in usage in the U.S. in the 1890's, Opal and Ruby in the 1910's and Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond and Precious in the 1990's. From that point of view, it is a name from a different era.

Yet that is not a bad thing. Clearly there is still love out there for gemstone and precious metal names. It does mean that at the moment a young girl with this name is rare. However, Ruby is on the way up again - it's super popular here in Australia - and Pearl has recent celebrity baby endorsement. So it's not crazy to think that Golda may also be in for a revival soon.

If you're in agreement with those who find it sweet, elegant and understated, then Golda could be the Christmas name for your shining little girl that you've been looking for.

Emeralda

For the designers, decorators and artists among you, you may already be aware that Emerald is the Pantone colour of the year for 2013. If you're not sure what that means, basically it means that the colour Emerald will feature strongly in most designs, decorating schemes, soft furnishings, clothing, products and whatever else you can think of this year. Pantone usually pick a colour that they feel connects with the current spirit of society. Or maybe with two 'Wizard of Oz' movies coming out this year, they simply thought that when audiences saw those gorgeous images of the Emerald City they would have a renewed love of all things Emerald.

Of Emerald, Pantone says that it is "Lively. Radiant. Lush. A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony". And also that "Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. Also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity, no other color conveys regeneration more than green."

This reminded me of a name I heard a little while back that I had been keeping note of - Emeralda. What I love about Emeralda is that it is so similar to Emerald, the gemstone, but sounds a little more "namey", like Esmeralda. And at the same time it manages to sound just that bit fresher and spunkier than either of those. Esmeralda and Emeralda are in fact different versions of Emerald, which is a Persian word for the gemstone, meaning 'green'.

All three are pretty rarely used. Emerald appeared in the American top 1000 for girls from 1991 to 2001, peaking at #766 in 1994. It has also occasionally been used for boys. Esmeralda has also been used a similar amount of times for boys, but has been more popular than Emerald for the girls. It's been in the top 1000 since the fifties, and in 2011 was #332. By contrast, Emeralda has only shown in the charts in 1991, when it was given to just 5 girls.

 A few other reasons why you might want to choose an Emerald themed name include:

• wanting to honour an Irish background (as in the Emerald Isles)
• for a child born in May, under the sign of cancer, or on a Tuesday or Friday (as the Emerald is the birthstone for these times)
• to honour someone else born at those times
• to honour someone whose favourite gemstone is/was Emerald, or favourite colour is/was green
• to honour someone with an "Em" name, such as Emma or Emory.

Emeralda would be a rare, exotic choice, with the benefits of not sounding too strange. And it's easy to associate all of those great things that people think about Emerald with Emeralda. With so many great reasons to use Emeralda, it would be a very fashionable name to use in 2013.

Tutu dress from Little Dreamers on Etsy

Obsidian

While the prettily coloured, sparkly names of Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst and Emerald are now making regular appearances on birth certificates, if you like your gemstones a little more dark and mysterious it's worth taking a look at Obsidian.

Obsidian (pronounced ob-SID-ee-an) is a black, transparent stone that forms from volcanic lava. Obsidian has been around since the stone age. It was commonly used in the past to make blades and arrowheads, or was polished to be used as a mirror. It has been found across the world - even on Easter island as the pupils of the eyes of their Moai statues! Today you are more likely to find it used as a surgical blade (as it is sharper than steel) and used in jewellery and ornamental objects.

As a name, Obsidian is much rarer than the stone. It seems that it has largely been viewed as a "goth" name because it is seen as darkly exotic. It is also a pagan name, as it is also known as the Wizard's Stone, and is believed to have healing powers (pain relief and lifting depression) and magical uses (protection against negativity and protection when travelling).

A DC Comics superhero is perhaps the most notable Obsidian in popular culture. Todd Rice by day, Obsidian and his twin sister Jade (aka Jennie-Lyn) were founding members of superhero team Infinity Inc. He later worked for the Justice League, before succumbing to a mental illness that turned him into an evil villain. When defeated by the Justice League that he turned on, he overcame his mental illness and returns to the side of good in his retirement years.

Because Obsidian is a rare name people have very few preconceived notions as to whether it is a "boys" name or "girls" name. This is great if you are looking for a gemstone name to bestow on a boy (besides the currently popular Jasper), as most of the commonly used ones have firmly become entrenched in our minds as girls names. I have also recently seen the name Obsydia considered as a fantasy name in a forum on Nameberry, which I think could be a very beautiful variation for a girl. Plus, names starting with "O" are very in vogue at the moment, as witnessed by the popularity of names such as Olivia and Oscar.

If you like your names dark, mysterious, exotic and extremely rare, Obsidian is a definite contender. This is truly a name that your child (or character if you are a writer) could make their own.

Azura

The Shrine of Azura in 'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'

Azura is one of my favourite names. It is an elegant and understated name, without being snobbish or trashy. It also has a slightly exotic feel, which is largely thanks to its' "z". Azura is pronounced ah-ZYUR-ah, and is a form of the word French Azure, meaning 'blue'.

Azura may be a colour name, but could also be considered to be a gemstone inspired name. Have you ever seem some of the ancient jewellery from any Ancient civilisations, such as the Egyptians? You may have noticed a beautiful blue stone used for a lot of inlay work on various items, and in some of their most intricate jewellery. That blue stone is called Lapis Lazuli, which translates to 'stone of azure'. There is also a carbon mineral called Azurite, named for its similar clear, deep blue colour. Azurite has been used as a pigment in dyes and paints for centuries.

Both Azura and Azure are fairly rarely seen as given names, which seems strange considering it seems most people find them both to be very pretty names. I first became aware of it on actress Azura Skye. Yes, this combination literally means 'blue sky', a somewhat "hippy" sounding name, but the use of Azura makes it subtle and somehow magical. I'm not the only one who must think so, as at least one other parent gave this combination to their daughter according to one For Real Baby Names post last year.

The other variation of this name I've seen is Azhure, a major character in the fantasy novel series' "The Axis Trilogy" and "The Wayfarer Redemption". In fact, Azura has quite some presence in the fantasy world. She is The Lady of Twilight in the game 'The Elder Scrolls', a superhero in the Marvel comics universe (also known as Thena), a character in a Canadian fantasy animated TV show called 'Di-Gata Defenders'; and an island fortress in the game 'Gears of War 3'. This is great for people like me who love their fantasy and sci-fi names. But if fantasy isn't your thing, the name Azura also appears in the bible, as the wife of Seth.

Most Azuras love their name, and it's hard to find a lot of teasing potential for young girls named Azura. Possible nicknames if you're looking for one could be Az, Zuzu or Zulie. I'd be tempted to go with the simple but lovely Blue though (despite the possible Blue Ivy connection). As people are often looking for the next almost-fantasy-inspired but little-known "established" name,  Azura could possibly become a lot more popular once it is "discovered". My advice is, if you love it get in early before others cotton on to just what a gorgeous name it is and Azura becomes the next Aria/Arya or even Zelda.

Cameo

Word names are now huge, and look to be getting only more and more popular. One of the word names for a girl that I've seen thrown into the mix is Cameo, and I have to say that this is my favourite of the bunch.

There are many reasons why I'm attracted to Cameo, so here they are in no particular order:

 # Cameo ends with the magical O sound (I'm sure there's a good joke there, but I'll leave that one alone) which is the "vowel sound of the moment" in Australia right now. Whether at the start (Olivia, Olive, Oliver, Oscar), in the middle (Chloe, Zoe, Noel, Jacob) or at the end (Cleo, Echo, Hugo, Leo), O is the vowel to have.

# Cameo comes with the cute girly but tomboyish nickname Cami, or even Cam.

# The word cameo is based on the Italian word 'cammeo', and is a delicate gem portrait carved in relief. So when I hear the word I picture this beautiful style of jewellery, which makes me smile. I like names with immediate positive connections.

# Cameo is also the term used for a brief appearance, such as when a huge star makes a quick appearance in a movie. Think Ryan Reynolds in 'Ted', or Dave Grohl in 'The Muppets'. It's a nice surprise when you're least expecting it - another reason to smile when you hear this word.

#Even though it's a part of the current word name trend, it's not actually new to use Cameo as a name. It was also briefly popular as a name in the late 18th and 19th centuries. So it's a 'new' but established name.

#Not many people are using it. I certainly haven't seen any Cameo's in the local birth announcements.

#The benefit of word names (in theory) are that people are already familiar with the word, so should be able to spell and pronounce the word without needing to ask how. Plus it's "real", not made up like a lot of names appear to be these days as parents strive to make old name stand out from the pack and seem new again. Sometimes this works, more often it just looks like you don't know how to spell.

So there you have it - turns out I have seven lucky reasons why Cameo would be a good name for a little girl. What's your favourite word name?