New York Neighborhood Names
- Garvey
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"rough peace"Description:
Occasionally used in the African-American community to honor Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey, known as "Emperor of the Kingdom of Africa," though his first name is more frequently chosen. Another possible namesake is baseball player Steve Garvey. Garvey sounds more modern than Harvey.
- Meier
Origin:
German surnameMeaning:
"landlord, farmer"
- Bergen
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"lives on a hill"Description:
Norwegian city name heard much more often as a last name than a first.
- Kensington
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
A posh area of London, as well as being a section of Brooklyn, Kensington would make an overly formal, butlerish boy's name. There are several preferable paths to the nickname Ken, including KENYON, KENDALL and KENNEDY.
- Corona
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"crown"Description:
Corona was once an improbable choice due to the beer brand. After the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, its firmly cemented its status as a nonviable baby name.
- Kew
Origin:
CornishMeaning:
"chick"Description:
Kew is an offbeat name of a saint from Cornwall with boyish appeal.
- Gramercy
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
A pretty private park in Manhattan, doesn't quite make it as a baby name.
- Fordham
Origin:
English surname and place-nameMeaning:
"meadow by a stream"Description:
English surname most notably used by Ashley Hebert for her son in 2014.
- Manhattan
Origin:
Munsee Lenape, Native AmericanMeaning:
"place for gathering the [wood to make] bows"Description:
Manhattan is the smallest yet one of the most populous New York City boroughs. The area was historically inhabited by Munsee Lenape and Wappinger tribes of Native Americans, and the name Manhattan is derived from the Munsee Lenape language. Hickory trees that were used to make bows grew on the southern part of Manhattan, which inspired the term manaháhtaan, from the Munsee Lenape words for "gather" and "bow."
- Beverley
- Soho
Origin:
place nameDescription:
Both Soho and Noho--no-no.
- Ansonia
Origin:
Feminine variation of AnsonDescription:
Sounds too much like the name of a hotel.
- Tremont
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"over the hill"Description:
A harsh definition to inflict on a baby boy.
- Tribeca
Origin:
American place-nameDescription:
Tribeca was the term created for New York City's TRIangle BElow CAnal Street. Stangely enough--that aside--it almost does sound like a plausible girls' name, nicknamed Becca.
- Canarsie
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
Has much too strong of a Brooklyn accent.
- Morrisania
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
New Yorkers will recognize this as a Bronx place name, others will see it as a gussied-up female version of Morris.
- Arverne
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
The name of a Queens, New York neighborhood sounds like a lost-in-limbo girls' name such as LAVERNE.