Nameberry of the Week: Nanala
April 28
This week’s Name of the Week was nominated by @SimiNova!
If you would like to nominate a name yourself, you can head over to the name of the day thread on our forums.
Weather is warming and flowers are blooming — a reminder that summer is just around the corner.
In my own longing for all things bright and sunny, the Hawaiian word for sunflower, Nanala, perfectly encompasses this vibe.
Nanala, pronounced nah-NAH-lah, literally means “sun gazer”, and is also used figuratively to describe people who gaze towards the sun.
Hawaiian names, often just as lyrical and nature-inspired, have been gaining attention across the world in recent years.
Leilani, Malia, Alani, Kaia, and a number of others are climbing up the US charts for girls, with meanings related to flowers, the sea, the sky, and the heavens.
Other stunning names meaning sunflower include Spanish Girasol, Japanese Himari or Hinata, or for a bold namer, Sunflower itself.
In case you missed these Nameberries of the Day:
Nameberry of the Day: Linnea
Today’s Name of the Day is Linnea, inspired by Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus, who was born on May 23, 1707. Known as the father of modern taxonomy, Linnaeus formalized the system by which biologists named and classified organisms. In the 18th century, the exploration of natural history prompted Linnaeus to develop a
Nameberry of the Day: Zebulon
American explorer Zebulon Pike, for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named for, passed away on April 27, 1813. Pike is famous for leading two military expeditions through the Louisiana Purchase. His first, which took place in 1805-1806 took him north, following the Mississippi River. In 1807, he explored west, to the border of Spanish-occupied Texas and Ne…