Place Names for Babies

The name of a port town in Maine, named after the birthplace of one of its founders Alexander Shapleigh, of Kittery Court, Devon, England.

Some parents are turning to rivers and other bodies of water in the search for undiscovered place-names, and this has the feel of a Viennese waltz.

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

This evocative place-name is rising in popularity -- despite (or perhaps because of) the unfortunate association with an airplane that went missing in March 2014.

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.

Two-syllable place-names are stylish, and this one is attached to a British city noted for its white chalk cliffs, but there are a couple of minuses: associated with the fish, Dover sole, and also rhymes with the doggy Rover.

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

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.

Sex doesn't belong in a baby name.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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."

With its ties to tranquil Walden Pond, and harmonious meaning, this could be a modern virtue name.

Jakarta, the name of the capital and largest city of Indonesia, is located on the island of Java. Both Jakarta and Java could make interesting and unusual choices for a girl.

Idalah is a town in Zebulon that makes a distinctive first name for a modern girl. Where the boys get most of the ancient yet unusual Biblical names, Idalah is one for the girls' side.

Rumors abound about Waneta, which is a Canadian place name. Some say it's an Anglicization of Juanita, while others claim it's a Native American name. Interestingly, Waneta is a common name among the American Amish.