Place Names for Babies

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.

While Maui was a male trickster god in Polynesian mythology, the well-known Hawaiian place name Maui can work for either gender.

A possibility for your li'l cowgirl.

A Greek island and popular summer destination, Paros received its name after Parus, a son of the Arcadian king Parrhasius.

This Scottish surname and Scottish and Australian place name has a pleasant airy and breezy sound to it. Camden mayor Lara Symkowiak chose the name for her daughter born in 2016.

A limerick is an often humorous form of poetry with five lines (the last of which is the punchline). Limerick could be a fun choice for families with Irish heritage or a good sense of humor.

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

Chenoa is the Native American name for the Kentucky River. This name has come into prominence as the stage name of Argentine singer María Laura Corradini Falomir. In the US it is given to a handful of girls each year.

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

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."

Unlike many other western city names, Tulsa has not proved attractive to parents. The name derives from Tallasi, meaning "old town" in the Creek language. Elvis Presley played a character named Tulsa in the 1960 musical comedy G. I. Blues.

Luxor is just waiting to be discovered as a baby name. It has a lot going for it — an easy and fashionable nickname (hello, Lux!), unisex appeal, and a place name connection. Luxor is the modern-day name for the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. It was derived from the Arabic term al-ʾuqṣur, referring to palaces or castles.

More distinctive than Grace and more creative than Presley, Graceland is a contemporary name that could catch on with parents searching for a unique honorific.

A town in Catalonia, sometimes used as a unisex name.

An unlikely place name today, but one that was found among enslaved people in the 1800s.

The Egyptian city of Luxor was the ancient city of Thebes, at one time the capital of Ancient Egypt. The name derives from the Arabic term al-ʾuqṣur, meaning "the palaces" or "castles."

Sex doesn't belong in a baby name.

If you live in the city, you might call your urban baby Urbana; if you live in the suburbs--don't even think of Surbana.