Place Names

This phonetic spelling variation of Israel was given to 17 baby boys in 2022, but the spellings Israel and even Izrael rank much higher.

An unexplored choice, evocative of the snowcapped Andes, with a pleasant, catchy sound.

The city name Dublin ultimately derived from Irish elements dubh, meaning "dark," and lind, "pool." The dark pool in question was a tidal pool behind Dublin Castle.

The name America is given to around 100 baby girls each year, mostly within the Hispanic and Latin American communities. The national charts do not record diacritical marks like accents, but at least some of those baby girls spell their names with one. Model América González is among them.

A city in Italy, or simply an alternative spelling of Barry.

Brittany is firmly a mom name today, but Britain could easily be her daughter. The Britton spelling variation is more common for both genders.

Bardou is a holiday destination in France, known for its pictureque village nestled in mountains. It is also a region of Guinea. As a name, it is more commonly known from its English derivation, meaning axe-wielding wolf.

A Pilgrimage site in Italy that also serves as a unisex given name.

Iceland is a futuristic place name that works as well for babies as Ireland. We predict it's going to be one of the top baby names of 2050, along with other girl names that end in land, such as Scotland, Graceland, and Zealand.

In the same unisex placename/surname style as Oakley and Hadlee, this name makes total sense but has never been on the American charts. Rushlee Buchanan is a New Zealand Olympic cyclist.

Reno Sweeney is the heroine of the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes, played on Broadway by Ethel Merman, Patti Lupone, and Sutton Foster. While Reno was not used for any baby girls in 2022, it's certainly a gender-neutral choice. Reno, Nevada is named for Civil War Union General Jesse Lee Reno. The name is said to be an anglicization of Reynaud or Reynold, which means "powerful counsel".

Ravello is an Italian town on the Amalfi Coast. It's a popular travel destination and was a favorite spot for many notable creatives, including Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, and Tennessee Williams.

The name of a Queens, New York neighborhood sounds like a lost-in-limbo girls' name such as LAVERNE.

New Yorkers will recognize this as a Bronx place name, others will see it as a gussied-up female version of Morris.

LeeLee Sobieski, who knows a thing or two about unique names, chose this spelling twist for her daughter. Does the extra n make it more of a name and less of a place, or more of an invention and so less authentically appealing? Your call.

Torille is the name of an Italian town, and is also found as a surname/

Oriini Kaipara is a Māori journalist who made headlines by becoming the first person with a face tattoo (Moko Kauae) to host the prime-time news in New Zealand. Her name may derive from the New Zealand place name Orini.

The name of the 20th-century-created capital of Brazil has a good measure of spicy Latin rhythm and could make a possible female choice, while BRAZIL might work for a boy.