Place Names for Babies
- Wellesley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the farm amonst the willows"Description:
Even if you'd like your daughter to attend the venerable women's college, don't saddle her with this pretentious British surname.
- Jericho
Origin:
Biblical place-nameDescription:
The scope of biblical names has expanded to include sacred place-names, and this makes a plausible possibility, though it does have a masculine feel.
- Maui
Origin:
Hawaiian, Polynesian mythologyDescription:
The name of the second-biggest (and third-most populous) island in Hawaii was one of the fastest-rising boys' names of 2017. A major factor was surely Dwayne Johnson's character in Moana, the Polynesian demigod named Maui, a mythological trickster who slowed the sun to create the days. (It fell back to normal levels in the following years.)
- Vegas
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"meadows"Description:
Viva Las Vegas? What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? We think not. Maybe Vega, the name of an actual heavenly star?
- Sequoia
- Chantilly
Origin:
French place nameMeaning:
"white"Description:
The name of a French city famous for its fine lace. Another association: Chantilly cream – a sweetened whipped cream apparently invented there in the 17th century by a chef at the Château de Chantilly. The town probably takes is name from the Gallo-Roman personal name Cantilius, derived from a word for "white".
- Euston
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"heart"Description:
Euston is best known as a London railway station, which got its name from a stately home and village in the English county of Suffolk. Ultimately it is thought to mean "settlement of a person called Efe". Unlike its Top 1000 soundalike Houston (as in Texas), Euston has never been recording on the charts.
- China
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional spelling, the Mamas and the Papas's Michelle Phillips went further afield with Chynna (of the group Wilson Phillips).
- Nevis
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Highly unusual name of a small, tranquil island in the Caribbean; chosen for her daughter by singer Nelly Furtado.
- Colwyn
Origin:
Welsh place name / river nameDescription:
An example of the Welsh love of naming children after rivers and places. Colwyn is rare in the States but has genuine appeal: no hidden spelling traps, and similar-yet-different to names like Colton, Colson and Colin.
- Lorca
Origin:
Spanish place name and surnameDescription:
The haunting Lorca is a place name from the Spanish province of Navarre, but far more famous as the surname of the eminent Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, who was the direct inspiration for the name of Leonard Cohen's now-grown daughter Lorca.
- Scotia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"Scotland"Description:
Place names can be a nod to your cultural heritage or a commemoration of a favorite destination. Scotia comes from the Latin name for Scotland, which may be a perfect fit for a family of Scottish heritage if Scotland feels too on-the-nose. Caledonia is another possibility, used by the Romans for the land north of Hadrian's Wall in England, which marked the upper boundary of the Roman Empire. And Nova Scotia (meaning "new Scotland") is also the name of a Canadian province.
- Vicus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"village or street"Description:
Vicus, an unusual ancient Roman place-name, is used for modern-day boys in Africa.
- Zamzam
Origin:
Arabic place nameDescription:
Zamzam has to be the ultimate impact name. Despite all those Zs, Zamzam, is not a trendy modern invention by some rock star; in fact Zamzam derives from the Well of Zamzam, which is the holiest place in Mecca.
- Lucerne
Origin:
Swiss place-name or LatinMeaning:
"lamp"Description:
Projects the calm and pristine image of the picturesque Swiss lake and mountain town.
- Halifax
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
If you want to honor your grandfather Hal but can't work up much enthusiasm for his full name Harold, consider the more stylish (if a bit pretentious) capital of Nova Scotia.
- Zanzibar
Origin:
Swahili place name from PersianMeaning:
"black coast"Description:
Zanzibar is an island region off the coast of Tanzania. It's never been recorded as a baby name, but for those with a connection to Zanzibar, it's an intriguing and unique option chock full of zesty Zs.
- Seville
Origin:
Spanish from PhoenicianMeaning:
"plain, valley"Description:
A rare and evocative place name for a girl. Seville is the capital of Andalusia, an autonomous community in Spain. The Spanish name, Sevilla, derived from the Phoenician word sefela, meaning "plain" or "valley."
- Harlem
Origin:
Place-nameMeaning:
"home on a forested dune"Description:
With Brooklyn, Trenton, and Camden on the rise, Harlem can't be far behind. It's already been picked by one celebrity, and it certainly has a strong historical and cultural identity -- not to mention its similarity to other popular choices like Harley and Harper.
- Italy
Origin:
English variation of Italia, Italian place nameDescription:
Why has it taken so long for us to discover Italy? The name, that is.