Arizona

Place-name from Papago Indian
"little springs"

Arizona Origin and Meaning

The name Arizona is a girl's name of Native American origin meaning "little springs".

We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510 in 1882, before Arizona became a state. One notorious vintage bearer: criminal "Ma" Barker, born Arizona Clark.

This unusual and evocative southwestern place name was picked for his daughter by former Everclear frontman Art Alexakis. It popped up as a first name on the quirky Dr. Arizona Robbins, introduced on Grey's Anatomy in 2009, played by Jessica Capshaw.

# 934 in the US

Arizona Rank in US Top 1000

Arizona Popularity

Famous People Named Arizona

  • Arizona Muse
    American supermodel
  • Arizona Donnie "Ma" Barker
    American member of the Barker criminal gang
  • Zoey Arizona Grenier
    American beauty queen; Miss Alaska 2015
  • Arizona Star Alexakis (b. 2007)
    daughter of American musician Art Alexakis

Arizona in Pop Culture

  • Arizona Robbins
    pediatric surgeon on the TV show "Grey's Anatomy"
  • "Arizona
    " song by Kings of Leon
  • "Arizona
    " 1940 film
  • "Raising Arizona
    " 1987 film
  • Arizona
    USA
  • "Arizona
    " song by Highly Suspect