Rare Place Names for Babies
- Atlanta
Origin:
Place nameMeaning:
"Atlantic Ocean"Description:
The capital of Georgia is far from the ocean, but got its name from the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran through the city. Best known as a hub of industry and transport, and for its roles in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, it has never been popular as a baby name despite sounding like one. Its peak popularity was in 1995, the year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.
- Basel
Origin:
Swiss place nameMeaning:
"king"Description:
The Swiss city of Basel was first Basilia, thought to have been dubbed in honor of the Roman castle of the same name. The castle's name would have derived from Basilius, a Roman personal name from which the name Basil also originated.
- Corsica
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Corsica, the picturesque Mediterrean island birthplace of Napoleon, makes an easy switch from atlas to baby name book, with its delicate, feminine ending. Just don't consider neighboring island Sardinia.
- Brynmor
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"great hill"Description:
Derived from the Welsh place name Brynmawr, this adventurous sounding name, feels at once as rugged as its meaning but with a hint of gentleness, thanks to the unisex Bryn.
- England
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Most parents would prefer London for their daughters.
- Quito
Origin:
Spanish, Place-nameDescription:
Quito is a place-name (it's the capital of Ecuador) with lots of lively energy--as long as it's pronounced correctly.
- Fiji
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"place name"Description:
One of several fascinating names used in Charlaine Harris's Midnight, Texas books and the NBC adaptation thereof, Fiji is a pleasingly quirky place name that's been little used for babies. Though it has been used quite a lot for fancy bottled water, we don't think it quite qualifies as a water name.
- Indio
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"Indian"Description:
This name of a California desert town, used by Deborah Falconer and Robert Downey, Jr. for their son, makes a much livelier and more individual – not to mention more masculine – improvisation on the themes of India and Indiana.
- Alamo
Origin:
Place-name, SpanishMeaning:
"poplar tree"Description:
The unique O-ending makes this name memorable, especially for someone with ties to Texas.
- Peru
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
An unexplored choice, evocative of the snowcapped Andes, with a pleasant, catchy sound.
- Cluny
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"from the meadow"Description:
Likable Irish surname name, but bound to be confused with Clooney.
- Trinidad
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"holy trinity"Description:
Rhythmic name with both religious and geographical ties, commonly heard in Latin countries.
- Ethiopia
Origin:
English from GreekMeaning:
"Burnt-face, red-brown"Description:
The place name Ethiopia was derived from the Greek word for an Ethiopian, Aithiops, from the components aithō, "I burn" and ōps "face." As a noun, it takes on the meaning of "Burnt-face," which the Greeks used to distinguish between those in Africa and those from the Middle East, who had lighter skin. In adjective form, Aithiops means "red-brown."
- Sevilla
Origin:
Spanish place-nameDescription:
This legendary Andalusian city, according to myth founded by Hercules, is an undiscovered baby name destination.
- Ceylon
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
Lovely, international, tea-scented possibility undiscovered by baby names.
- Miami
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Miami -- or Florida, for that matter -- hasn't achieved the place-name stardom of southern sisters like Savannah and Georgia. Quincy Jones used it as his daughter KENYA's middle name.
- Austria
Origin:
Place-name, Latinization of German, OsterreichDescription:
Austria is an nteresting, appealing, unexplored geographic destination, much fresher than American cousin Austin.
- Sonoma
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Sonoma, the name of a beautiful northern California wine-growing region, might inspire some parents. Other California place names beyond Sonoma: Marin, Berkeley, Sierra.
- Argentina
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"silver"Description:
South America provides a continent of interesting, undiscovered names -- Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, and the tango-rhythmed Argentina.
- Galway
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Associated with the poet and novelist Galway Kinnell, this name of an Irish city, county, and bay would make an evocative choice. For further literary cred, writers Liam O'Flaherty and Frank Harris both hail from Galway.