rid'n the baby name wave

75+ Gnarly Baby Name Ideas For Your Future Surfing Legend

Aren’t you stoked?

by Hedy Phillips
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Surfer names are perfect for babies who love the ocean and beach.
Alexey Aryutov/Getty Images

Surfer names are all the rage for beach-loving families who never want to leave the water. Just think about it — sun, sand, crystal clear waters, and your favorite surfboard. What more could you want? It makes sense to give your baby a surf-inspired name if you’re someone who either spends a lot of time surfing or has high hopes that your baby will.

The beauty of something like surfer names is that there are a lot of ways you can think about this. You can draw inspiration from some of the most iconic surfers who have ever ridden the waves — both men and women — and use their first or last names to bestow upon your own bundle of joy. Kelly Slater is one of the most famous surfers in history, and both his first and last name could work for your little shredder. Then there are surfers in pop culture. We love a good baby name based on a fictional character, and you can do that with your fave fictional surfer or surfing spot. No one ever said your baby’s name had to be based in reality.

But beyond that, you can also think about some popular surfing beaches. If you’re a surf fanatic who has a go-to beach, consider using that place as a name for your baby. If you and your partner have any special memories from a beach, this is also a great way to incorporate that into your baby name! It doesn’t always have to be literal, though — you can take the name of the beach and spin it so that it works. And yet another way to think about how to name your surfer baby is just to immerse yourself in all things water and beach. Ocean or Oceana makes a lovely, surf-tastic name for a baby.

When it comes time to name your baby, you can, of course, find inspiration anywhere — or just pick a name you like — but there’s something extra special about finding inspiration in something meaningful. If surfing is something you have beautiful memories tied to or has been a large part of your life, there are some amazing baby names that will bring your love of surfing to the newest member of your family. This will especially work well if you already consider yourself a surfing family and want to set your little one up for surf success.

Names Inspired by Famous Surfers

  1. Kelly — Kelly Slater(bright headed)
  2. Layne — Layne Beachley (path or roadway)
  3. Keely — Keely Andrew (slender or pretty)
  4. Malia — Malia Manuel, Malia Ward (bitter or of the sea)
  5. Bronte — Bronte Macauley (thunder or bestower)
  6. Julian — Julian Wilson (downy or youthful)
  7. Miki — Miki Dora (three trees together, quick or nimble)
  8. Declan — Declan Wyton (full of goodness or worthy)
  9. Foster — Marvin Foster, Beau Foster (woodsman)
  10. Adrian — Adrian Buchan (son of Adria or rich)
  11. Slater — Kelly Slater (hewer of slates)
  12. Beau — Beau Foster (beautiful, admirer, or sweetheart)
  13. Chase — Chase Lieder (a huntsman or to hunt)
  14. Cooper — Gene Cooper, Jodie Cooper, Bob Cooper (maker and repairer of wooden vessels)
  15. Chapman — Chapman Cooper (a merchant or trader)
  16. Laird — Laird Hamilton (status name for a landlord)
  17. Taj — Taj Burrow (crown)
  18. Dane — Dane Kealoha, Dane Reynolds (from Denmark or valley)
  19. Alana — Alana Blanchard (beautiful offering)
  20. Chelsea — Chelsea Hedges, Chelsea Roett, Chelsea Tuach (chalk landing place)
  21. Frieda — Frieda Zamba (peace)
  22. Maya — Maya Gabeira (good mother)
  23. Kirra — Kirra Pinkerton (beautiful woman, life, or dancing leaf)
  24. Italo — Italo Ferreira (from Italy)
  25. Lakey — Lakey Peterson (Lake)
  26. Kanoa — Kanoa Igarashi (the free one)
  27. Sage — Sage Erickson (wise or healthy)
  28. Keala — Keala Kennelly (the path)
  29. Eddie — Eddie Aikau (guardian of riches, wealthy)
  30. Jordy — Jordy Smith (down flowing)

Names Inspired by Surfing in Pop Culture

  1. Bodhi — character played by Patrick Swayze in 1991 cult classic Point Break (understanding of true nature)
  2. Oakley — popular surf brand and World Surf League partner (from the oak tree field)
  3. Sando — professional surfing character in Australian author Tim Winton’s Breath (defender of humanity)
  4. Nathaniel — a member of the surf gang in Point Break (given by God)
  5. Braxton — surname of surfing characters in Australian soap opera Home and Away (badger)
  6. Nani — the surfing sister from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch (beauty, splendor)
  7. Tank — surfing penguin character in the 2007 animated film Surf’s Up
  8. Gidget — eponymous female character from the 1950s books-turned-movies
  9. Roxy — popular surf brand and professional circuit sponsor (dawn, bright)
  10. Spicoli — Jeff Spicoli, the beloved stoned surfer from Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Names Inspired by Popular Places for Surfing

  1. Florian — Florianòpolis, Brazil (blossoming, flourishing)
  2. Bell — Bell’s Beach, one of the best surf peaks in Australia (beautiful, fair, lovely one)
  3. Maverick — legendary (and dangerous) Maverick’s, California (independent, nonconforming)
  4. Sebastian — from Florida’s Sebastian Inlet, as well as Spain’s San Sebastian (venerable or revered)
  5. Buxton — North Carolina city where Cape Hatteras Lighthouse surf spot is located (bowing stones)
  6. Byron — mellow surfing town of Byron Bay in New South Wales, Australia (cowshed)
  7. Margaret — Margaret River Valley in Australia, also known as “The Box” (pearl)
  8. Marley — the name of popular surfing spots in both Malta (Europe) and Australia (from the boundary field or pleasant seaside meadow)
  9. Rincon — California’s Rincon, as well as a Puerto Rican town on the Caribbean Sea (corner)
  10. Hanalei — Hawaii’s Hanalei Bay, known for its overhead tubes and consistent waves (crescent bay or garland valley)
  11. Surin — Surin Beach in Phuket, Thailand (grape)
  12. Preta — Ponta Preta, meaning “black point,” is located in Maia, Cape Verde
  13. Tairā — Tairāwhiti, also known as Gisborne, a region on New Zealand’s North Island (peace)
  14. Folly — Folly Beach, South Carolina, a quirky coastal town and popular surf hangout (free-spirited or eccentric person)
  15. Ulu — Ulu Watu in Bali (rich and noble heritage; wolf power)

Names Inspired by Surfing and the Beach

  1. Moana — Polynesian name meaning “deep ocean, sea”
  2. Onja — Malagasy name meaning “waves”
  3. Destin — Destin, Florida, a popular beach destination
  4. Cruz — Santa Cruz, a beach town on California’s Central coast
  5. Cove — gender-neutral English name meaning “small bay”
  6. Neptune — Roman god of the sea
  7. Seton — Seton Sands, a rocky beach in East Lothian, Scotland
  8. Koa — Hawaiian name meaning “warrior”
  9. Marina — Latin name meaning “from the sea”
  10. Lake — English name evocative of a body of water
  11. Finn — nature name evocative of the fins of sea creatures
  12. Ocean — nature name evocative of the sea
  13. Saylor — occupational name derived from sailor
  14. Sunny — nature name evocative of sunshine
  15. Nixie — German name meaning “water nymph”
  16. Summer — seasonal name evocative of the popular time of year for beachgoing
  17. Kai — Hawaiian name meaning “sea”
  18. Delta — nature name evocative of an area of low land formed when a river splits
  19. Isla — Scottish place-name meaning “island”
  20. Morwenna — Welsh name meaning “waves of the sea”
  21. Aqua — Latin name meaning "water" or "sea blue"
  22. Arena — Greek name meaning "sand" or "holy one"
  23. Bolger — French name meaning "a leatherworker" or "wallet"
  24. Homok — Hungarian name meaning "sand"

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