Ooh, how fun! I’ll play!
[name_f]Willow[/name_f] - I have a deep relationship with willow trees…they were my sanctuary growing up. They seem fragile, always bending with the wind, but that very flexibility is what makes them strong. There’s the wise and nurturing Grandmother [name_f]Willow[/name_f] of my childhood (via Disney’s Pocahantas), but even more significantly, there is the unforgettable [name_f]Willow[/name_f] Rosenburg of [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] the Vampire Slayer. There are few characters I identify with the way I do [name_f]Willow[/name_f], and her journey from shy bookworm to powerful witch to out-of-control addict to scarred, older, and wiser soul perfectly mirrors my own. This name will always be one of the first in my heart.
[name_f]Snow[/name_f] - I am head over heels for this name lately. Soft and crisp at the same time, delicate and vast. I love the obvious winter connection. I also associate this name with a pivotal character in one of my favorite books, someone gentle and strong who quietly rescues the one she loves…and of course there is the beautifully re-imagined [name_f]Snow[/name_f] White of Once Upon a Time (I definitely prefer the woodsy huntress [name_f]Snow[/name_f] to the [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] version)
[name_f]Wisteria[/name_f] - I’m convinced these are the most perfect flowers known to man. Such pretty dangling purple and white clusters, unbelievably fragrant in the Southern sun. This name inevitably reminds me of home and summer. Endlessly optimistic, but mysterious and enchanting as well.
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] - Another sentimental connection. [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] was the first essential oil I ever used, and was singularly responsible for setting me on the path to my dreams of being an aromatherapist, apothecary, and practitioner of herbal medicine. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a whiff of that shadowy purple-green scent is enough to soothe my weary soul, and the oil is still my go-to all-purpose cure for anything from insomnia to stress to a pulled muscle. I associate the name with gentleness, peace, and healing.
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f] - My ultimate magical watery word name. I think of mermaids and ethereally waving kelp beds and sunken ships overflowing with ancient buried treasure. I love the iridescence and sheen of pearls more than I have ever loved the “bling” look of the more sparkling gemstones. I fell in love with [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] after hearing it used as a name for the first time on a TV show…the character owned the local apothecary, which makes me even happier with the name.
[name_u]Wren[/name_u] - [name_u]Wren[/name_u] is full of surprises. A brown, quiet-looking, cheeky little bird with such a delightful trilling song. This is another connection to my childhood home, as wrens were my state bird. There is also a tremendously epic retelling of Arthurian legend in which the main character, [name_m]Merlin[/name_m]'s daughter, goes by [name_u]Wren[/name_u]. And it’s the first name Husband has ever voluntarily suggested, so it gets major brownie points for that!
[name_u]River[/name_u] - In addition to its lovely watery imagery, this is the ultimate badass sci-fi heroine name. There’s [name_u]River[/name_u] [name_m]Tam[/name_m] from Firefly with her uniquely brilliant and fragmented mind, psychic abilities, and insane martial arts skills. And there’s the [name_m]Doctor[/name_m]'s [name_u]River[/name_u] Song…saucy, fiesty, stubborn, compassionate, and resourceful. Two fabulous role models for a little lady!
[name_f]Saffron[/name_f] - I would use this name in a heartbeat. I love the soft sounds, the double F, the spicy exoticism. I love the look and feel and smell and taste of saffron…the color is so rich and vibrant. Also a powerful healing reference, as the herb is used in many cures and even thought to be anticarcinogenic. It’s a total GP name though…Husband vetoed her because of the thief on Firefly (who I personally think adds to the charm…but he does not agree).
I know that isn’t a full 10, but after this point we drop to a bunch of names that I love with various degrees of enthusiasm, but none as much as the eight I’ve listed here 
If we were doing the word name genre, I could easily fill out a top 10 and then some, but for strictly nature, these are all of my top tier choices
