Place Names for Babies
- Vicus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"village or street"Description:
Vicus, an unusual ancient Roman place-name, is used for modern-day boys in Africa.
- Irian
Origin:
Place name; modern literary nameDescription:
An ethereal name with elements of Irene and Miriam, Irian is a woman/dragon character in Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea novels, and a historic name for the island of New Guinea, now with colonial associations.
- Afton
Origin:
Scottish place nameDescription:
This Scottish town name sounds strong and modern on both boys and girls.
- Attica
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"from Attica"Description:
Attica has not taken off as a baby name for girls the way Atticus has for boys partly because it's the name of an infamous prison in upstate New York where an deadly riot took place in 1971. Fewer than 5 baby girls were named Attica in the US in 2021, but half a century after the riots and with the rise of brother name Atticus, that well could change.
- Fairfax
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"blond"Description:
If this name makes you think of Victorian novels, it's because Fairfax was part of Mr Rochester's name in Jane Eyre, and the surname of a minor character in Jane Austen's Emma. It has a distinctly aristocratic feel, despite its straightforward meaning. Fairfax is also a city in Virginia.
- Aberdeen
Origin:
Scottish place-nameDescription:
Amiable, undiscovered geographic option.
- 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.
- Zennor
Origin:
Cornish, place nameDescription:
This Cornish place name is possibly named after a female saint, Senara. It makes a very interesting choice for those of Cornish descent or who love Cornwall.
- Brixton
Origin:
British place nameDescription:
Brixton, a formerly rough but now cool-and-gentrified area of London, is also gaining notice as a baby name, especially for boys. About 20 baby girls were given the name in the US in the most recent year, vs. about 300 baby boys. Its similarity to the trendy Braxton and the x in the middle place help make it appealing to contemporary parents.
- Arbel
Origin:
Hebrew place nameDescription:
A popular Israeli baby name inspired by Mount Arbel in the north, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee.
- Milano
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"from Milan"Description:
An attractive surname, but also the name of a popular cookie.
- Monaco
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
With its trendy -o ending and connotations of luxury, we think the name of one of the smallest and wealthiest countries in the world has rich baby name potential. Jeannie Mai Jenkins and Jeezy used it for their daughter, born in 2022, which may have contributed to the debut of Monaco as a girl's name in the US charts the same year.
- Cytherea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"from the island of Cythera"Description:
Cytherea, a place-name that is the home of Aphrodite, seems stuck in ancient Greece.
- Baltimore
Origin:
Place name, English from IrishMeaning:
"town of the big house"Description:
With place names extending their range, this is an unmapped possibility, though a bit stiff. Baltimore, Maryland was named after Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Baron Baltimore. Baltimore is ultimately derived from the Irish Baile an Tí Mhóir, meaning "town of the big house."
- Kenya
Origin:
Place name, KikuyuMeaning:
"mountain of white"Description:
A bold and evocative African place name. The country of Kenya gets its name from Mount Kenya, referred to it as "Kirinyaga" or "Kerenyaga" by the local Kikuyu people, meaning "mountain of whiteness" due to its snow-capped peak.
- Lancaster
Origin:
English place-nameDescription:
British place-name unlikely to evoke much passion in any baby namer.
- Bethlehem
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"house of bread"Description:
The Spanish name Belén is a well-established girl name, but parents have been slower to use the English equivalent. It is beginning to come into wider use, along with other New Testament place names like Galilee and Nazareth.
- Livingston
Origin:
English and Scottish surnameMeaning:
"dear friend's place"Description:
When Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves chose the old English surname and place name Livingston for their third child, they elevated it from half of a Stanley & Livingston joke to a modern possibility. Kind of. The only other well-known bearer of the name in the contemporary world is singer Livingston Taylor, brother of James, who is called Liv. Given that little Livingston McConaughey's older brother is named Levi, that uplifting nickname may be too close, though his parents apparently like its sound. An original choice.
- Almeria
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"mirror of the sea"Description:
Evocative Spanish city name that would make a one-of-a-kind given name.
- Sevilla
Origin:
Spanish place-nameDescription:
This legendary Andalusian city, according to myth founded by Hercules, is an undiscovered baby name destination.