Flower names have always been popular, but over the past few years the number of girls named after flowers has grown and grown.
- Lily – Beautiful star-like flowers and a magical scent
- Poppy – Latin for “from the flower”, available in many colours
- Daisy – Old English for “Daisy Flower”, the most common wild flower in the UK
- Holly – Green leaves with showy red berries in Autumn & Winter
- Jasmine – A climber with a beautiful fragrance
- Ivy – A long-lasting evergreen plant
- Rose – An iconic flower, often with a beautiful scent
- Willow – Long green leaves with soft catkins
- Violet – African Violets are popular houseplants. They have velvety flowers and like warm temperatures
- Iris – The word Iris means “Rainbow
* SOURCE: Baby Centre, 2014 
Celebrities choosing flower names As the popularity of flower names for children has increased, more and more celebrities are naming their daughters after flowers. Jamie Oliver’s girls are called Poppy, Daisy and Petal. Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise called their daughter Suri, which is the Persian name for “Rose”. Violet – a sentimental vintage name revived by Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck and also used by Foo Fighter Dave Grohl – has steadily climbed the charts in recent years, while another hot new revival is Iris, as chosen by Jude Law and Melanie Brown. More unusual flower names are shooting up too – Spice Girl Geri Haliwell, called her daughter Bluebell, after being inspired by the springtime flowers, and other springtime favourites such as Lilac, Tulip and Lotus are increasing in popularity too. 
Image courtesy of Connecta Baby Carrier Flower names run in the family But often flower names run in families. Sarah Squire (Squire’s Deputy Chairman) said “Squire’s have been in the gardening business for nearly 80 years, so perhaps it’s no accident that we have flower names in our family. My grandmother was called Violet, my daughter is called Felicia (which is a charming blue daisy-like bedding plant, and also a delightful variety of rose), my niece is called Rose, and even my dog has a flower name – Lily!” Most popular flowers at Squire’s Garden Centres Sarah Squire, Deputy Chairman at Squire’s commented: “The most popular flowers at Squire’s are ones that are fragrant, easy to care for, and look beautiful in a pot or in a flower bed. Heavily scented lilies are increasing in popularity, such as new varieties like “Cold Play”, “Acoustic” and “Maru”. 
Poppies are fantastic as they can be grown from seed very cheaply, or bought as a plant, and they are great in a wildlife garden. Squire’s have an unusual variety of poppy called “Ladybird”, which as you might imagine is red with black spots!Roses are always good sellers, as they have a great fragrance, come in a variety of colours, and are easy to grow.” 
If you love roses why not come to the Royal National Rose Society Summer Show, which is held at Squire’s in Shepperton on Saturday 27th June (12.30pm-5pm) and Sunday 28th June (10.30am-4.30pm). Entrance is free and you’ll get to see a beautiful display of roses from growers all across the country. Everyone’s welcome, and there’s no need to book – just turn up on the day. 
Boys There’s nothing sweeter or more feminine than a flower name for a girl, but what about the boys? Although there are few boys named after flowers, there are many tree, plant and herb names, such as Ash, Rowan, Linden, Briar, Heath, Logan, Aster, Florian (Latin name for flower/masculine form of “Flora”), Basil and Sage. Squire’s Garden Centres Come and discover the beauty of these flowers, plants and herbs at Squire’s Garden Centres. Experts are on hand to give you helpful advice, whether you simply want a pot by the front door, or want to plant up a bed in your back garden, they are there to help. And you may even meet some of the Squire’s team who are named after flowers! Look out for Emma-Rose, Jasmine, Hazel, Holly and Rosemary!
