Rare Place Names for Babies

Sonoma, the name of a beautiful northern California wine-growing region, might inspire some parents. Other California place names beyond Sonoma: Marin, Berkeley, Sierra.

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.

Andorra is the pretty name of a pocket-sized princedom in the Pyrenees, noted for its skiing.

Two-syllable place-names are stylish, and this one is attached to a British city noted for its white chalk cliffs, but there are a couple of minuses: associated with the fish, Dover sole, and also rhymes with the doggy Rover.

Colombia is a South American country name, with a rhythmic sound and peaceful connotations. The Irish Colm, Scottish Callum, and Columba are all attractive relatives of Colombia (or Columbia, if you're thinking of the college).

Name of a tiny Bahamian island that's better suited to a girl.

Sharing her name with a country, a city, an isthmus, a gulf, a canal, and a hat might be a bit much for a child to handle.

The vowel ending tilts this sharply toward the feminine, and at this point Havana still has some political implications as well.

An interesting Canadian province and city name that has some literary history as the name of a character in Dickens's Bleak House; could make a distinctive choice for parents with northern roots.

Evocative of the beautiful South Pacific islands; we've also heard Samoan used as a name.

Some parents are turning to rivers and other bodies of water in the search for undiscovered place-names, and this has the feel of a Viennese waltz.

If you're looking for a really untouristed place name, Aquitaine could be it. Aquitaine is a region of France that includes both Bordeaux and Biarritz and is famous for such food and drink as its pates and cassoulets, Armagnac brandy and Bordeaux wines.

Son of Sicily.

Jakarta, the name of the capital and largest city of Indonesia, is located on the island of Java. Both Jakarta and Java could make interesting and unusual choices for a girl.

Unexplored Moroccan place name, conjuring up images of camels and palm trees and domed minarets.

Combining the sounds of familiar Ellie with the spark of contemporary Clover, Clovelly has a hint of Everly, Chloe, and Romilly about it too. Currently a very rare choice, and likely to remain so for now.

Pronounced Bah-hah, this name of the Mexican peninsula attached to California makes for an out-of-the-ordinary possibility.

A geographical name that does the samba...and was also borne by a Celtic saint: a winning combination. Well used in the Creole community.

A perfect example of what a difference a single letter can make. Add an 'a' to the ho-hum Cathy and you have the old name for China, often used by such poets as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Ezra Pound.

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