Place Names for Babies

Most parents would prefer London for their daughters.

The name of an area of Peru, this could be a possibilty for a springtime baby born under the sign of Taurus.

Fargo as a baby name? Though we haven't heard of any babies named for this frigid North Dakota city, it's certainly on the map of possibilities.

Similar in sound to Meredith, this could be an interesting choice for parents looking for a unique name. Merri is an obvious and appealing nickname.

Moab is a Biblical name and an ancient place name. In the Old Testament, Moab was the son of Lot. The Kingdom of Moab, in modern-day Jordan, was Biblically significant for often being in conflict with Israel.

It's a place. It's a wine. It's a color. -- no wonder trend-heavy Burgundy's been discovered as a name.

This would make a startling but likable choice; poet Dylan Thomas used it for a character in his play "Under Milk Wood."

With the fashions for tree names, place names, and nickname names, Derry is a three-way winner.

Rhythmic name with both religious and geographical ties, commonly heard in Latin countries.

Has not caught on as much as other Golden State place-names -- Sierra, Marin, West, or even Francisco -- probably because of its length.

An unusual place, Lausanne is a hilly city on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Its name comes from the Latin Lausanna, ultimately from a Proto Celtic word meaning "slab" though other sources suggest it could mean "place where one dines".

In America, it is inextricable from the popular '90s line dance, but Macarena is a traditional feminine name in Spain. It is used in honor of the Virgin of Hope of Macarena, an epithet of the Virgin Mary. Macarena is also the name of a hip neighborhood in Seville.

This name of an attractive and arty California town could make an unusual but friendly choice.

Quito is a place-name (it's the capital of Ecuador) with lots of lively energy--as long as it's pronounced correctly.

This place-name is more unique and offbeat than London or Milan. The name Seoul just debuted on the US charts in 2022.

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.

A rare geographical option which has never been given to more than 12 baby boys per year in the US, but is familiar to everyone. The actual meaning of the state's name, which comes from that of a local tribe, is unknown, but it has often been said to mean "people of the west wind".

Unlike other place names, this one might be tied too tightly to a single locale -- the Maryland suburb of D. C. -- to work as a first name.

The name of a tidal island off of Loch Creran in Scotland, Eriska means "water spirit or brownie island", the name borrowed from the Scottish Gaelic
Ùruisg
. The island is now privately owned and not to be confused with the similar Eriskay, the name of an island in the Out Hebrides.

It's a place in the Bible but also relates to the name Zebulon.