Names That Mean Land

The Anglophile Howard.

One of the coolest new word names we've discovered lately — Coast conjures up images of big waves, beach days, and expansive shorelines.

An old-man name that sounds cute when used for a little girl, and is starting to seem cool again for boys too.

Less commercial-sounding than Brand.

The Old Irish name for Ireland, now Éire, which is the source of Erin (via its genitive form Éireann "of Ireland"). In Irish mythology, Ériu is the mother goddess of Ireland, whose name may derive from a Proto-Celtic word meaning "full, abundant" – i.e. "land of abundance".

Aurembiaix was an impressive medieval countess, whose father Ermengol fought for her to inherit his lands, title and estate. Aurembiaix later fought for her right to succeed her father, and being a skilful negotiator was able to convince her local nobles to back her, despite being a woman. She later saved her city from invaders by dressing local women in men's clothing to give the appearance of greater military might. A year before she died she married Pedro, exiled prince of Portugal. When she died, she had no children and therefore she was the last of her dynasty.

This is a rarely heard feminization of the rarely heard Roland.

The name Persia derives from Avestan Parsa, the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran in about 1000 BCE. Perseus feels more namelike.

Short for Indiana or Indio... or just use it on its own. Indi makes a cool and punchy option for either sex.

Familiar-but-new and ultra-rare (for girls anyway), Zealand has a lot going for it with its spunky Z initial and globe-trotting vibes. Sparingly used for boys since the 2000s and even more occasionally used for girls since 2010, YouTube family The Labrants brought this name into the spotlight when they called their son Zealand in 2019.

Referring to the ancient region of Nairi and its breathtaking landscape, Nayiri is a gender-neutral name in Armenia.

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

Courtlandt, with its added U, is an English form of the Dutch habitational surname Cortlandt. Cortlandt was a village near modern-day Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands. Its name was derived from the Dutch elements cort, meaning "short" or "narrow," and landt, "land."

Kirkland originated as a surname for someone who lived on land belonging to the church. There are six communities in the US called Kirkland, and it's also associated with Costco's store brand of products.

Although Kyleena has a pleasant sound, it's a baby name best to avoid — Kyleena is the trade name of an IUD.

Ballet dancer Misty Copeland may draw more parents to consider her surname for a baby girl — which at last count was 29% female.

More distinctive than Grace and more creative than Presley, Graceland is a contemporary name that could catch on with parents searching for a unique honorific.

There are two lovely Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, but not many babies with their name.

Courtland, with its added U, is an English form of the Dutch habitational surname Cortlandt. Cortlandt was a village near modern-day Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands. Its name was derived from the Dutch elements cort, meaning "short" or "narrow," and landt, "land."