Place Names for Babies

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."

A saucy Latin name that also defines a trendy New York area north of Little Italy.

Mythical wonderland makes strong, evocative first name for either gender.

Daytona Beach is a city in Florida named after founder Matthias Day in 1870. It is well-known as the home of NASCAR's Daytona International Speedway, the racetrack which hosts the Daytona 500.

A spiritually significant name used in honor of the Virgin Mary. In Spanish, her title is Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, meaning "Our Lady the Queen of the Angels."

South America provides a continent of interesting, undiscovered names -- Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, and the tango-rhythmed Argentina.

This beautiful New Mexican pueblo locale has long attracted artists and skiers, and now may attract some baby namers as well.

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.

An island off the coast of Florida makes an intriguing name choice. Sanibel was originally named Santa Isybella, after Queen Isabella of Castille, and was later shortened to San Ybel and eventually Sanibel. Would make a unique alternative to Annabel or Isabel.

The name Lamorna belongs to a village, valley and cove in an area of outstanding natural beauty in West Cornwall, and to a popular Cornish folk song referencing the area. The name possibly derives from nans "valley" + mor "sea", or from lann "area around a church" + morlanow "high tide".

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.

Introduced to the baby name lexicon by Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick when they used it as the middle name for their daughter Penelope. As they've proven, it's a nouveau way to honor a Scott.

Though this Biblical place name is found among early American settlers, usually as a male name, today it sounds completely feminine. As a place name, its gender is mutable in any case. An unusual and intriguing Biblical option, albeit one with an unhappy meaning.

Son of Sicily.

Lacks the cachet of some newer place-names.

A new crop of gender-neutral English place names have suddenly become trendy — those ending in -ton. Multi-syllabic but not dramatic, these names are rising quickly for girls and boys. Think Charleston, Lexington, and Kensington. Livingston isn't as hot as some of the others, but its time will soon come. For a girl, Livingston boasts the nickname Liv.

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

Austria is an nteresting, appealing, unexplored geographic destination, much fresher than American cousin Austin.

Zuma is a name that can appeal to almost anyone — just pick your association! There's former South African president Jacob Zuma, the Malibu beach, video game, and more. Children will associate it with the male Paw Patrol character — which may explain why Zuma is becoming more popular among dogs.

The name of a town in North Carolina, Ellerbe is derived from the Old English surname Elwordebi, meaning "Aelfweard's farmstead". Contracted and altered overtime, it appears in various forms, including Elleby, Ellerby, Elerbie, and more.