Names That Mean Land

This state name emerged in the eighties along with westerners Dakota and Montana, and it's still used occasionally by high-profile parents such as Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck. Action man Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) makes Indiana "Indy" forever cool for a boy.

A brisk and beachy word name. For those of us saddened that Cove now has negative connotations, Coast could be an appealing alternative.

Two beloved, fashionable names combined to make one: Kai, a simple and serene Hawaiian name meaning "ocean" and Kylo, created for Star Wars character Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. With Kailo, you get the best of both worlds.

Laird is a Scottish title for the landed gentry – it ranks just below a Baron – with a pleasantly distinctive Scottish burr that must have appealed to Sharon Stone, who chose it for her son.

Nice Scottish sound, but too tied to sweaters and socks.

A surname occasionally used as a first, as in former attorney general Ramsey Clark. This spelling is now closely associated with the psychopathic Game of Thrones villain Ramsay Snow (later Ramsay Bolton), and so is probably best avoided as long as the show and books are popular.

Oakland is a place name associated mainly with the city near San Francisco, pretty obviously meaning "oak land". Theoretically unisex but used mainly for boys, Oakland is one of a trending group of oak-related names, led by Oakley for both genders, with Oakland and Oaklen trending for boys while baby girls are more often given spellings Oaklynn and Oaklyn.

Caledonia is a rhythmic and alluring place name used by singer Shawn Colvin for her daughter. It would make an interesting and apt choice for a girl with Scottish ancestry.

Acre feels at home with other modern, fresh word names like Rumor, Snow and Ace. But with the feeling of wide open spaces and nature, Acre also offers a softer, earthier tone that will appeal to those seeking a unique name with a distinctly Americana feel.

Immigrated into American pop culture in the person of 1940s superstar Tyrone Power, Jr. It has been on a steady decline since the 1970s.

Ancient saint's name used for cowardly cartoon lion.

A surname with potential as a first — Ramsey was given to a little over 100 baby boys in 2022.

A patriotic spin on Armie, with roughly the same meaning whether you consider it a variation or a totally separate word name.

This common German-Jewish surname is a fast riser among boys but lately has been picked up by parents of girls as well. Notable figures with the surname include designer Jonathan Adler, Freud contemporary Alfred Adler, and decorator Frances Adler Elkins and her brother, architect David Adler.

Unusual name chosen for her son by actress Nia Long, who combined it with the even more unusual literary middle name, Zhivago.

Less commercial-sounding than Brand.

The cruelly-macho character of Ramsey Bolton on Game of Thrones would seem to mitigate against this name being seen as the least bit girlish, but in 2021 there were 120 female Ramseys born to 134 male, placing it among the most popular of the truly unisex baby names.

The Japanese word for the land of the dead. It's not quite Heaven nor Hell, although it more closely resembles the latter. It's also the name of a video game, which is likely why five baby girls were named Yomi one recent year.

Name hovering near the bottom of the Top 1000 that may move higher with the fashion for two-syllable surnames. You could do worse...but you probably could also do better.

Conjures up pleasant images of lakes, but the pronunciation challenge makes the Anglicized Loughlin preferable.