睡莲属（学名：Nymphaea）是睡莲科下的一属。

睡莲属的学名Nymphaea来自于古希腊语单词“Νυμφαία”，这个来自于“Νύμφη”，“Νύμφη”的意思是宁芙。宁芙是希腊神话中一类住在湖泊、森林、河流、岩洞和海边中的美丽女神，深受众神和男人的崇敬与爱慕。

Nymphaea /nɪmˈfiːə/ is a genus of hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Many species are cultivated as ornamental plants, and many cultivars have been bred. Some taxa occur as introduced species where they are not native, and some are weeds. Plants of the genus are known commonly as water-lilies. The genus name is from the Greek νυμφαια, nymphaia and the Latin nymphaea, which mean "water-lily" and were inspired by the nymphs of Greek and Latin mythology.