Place Names for Babies

There are two lovely Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, but not many babies with their name.

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

A city name that sounds more legit than most because of its similarity to Peyton and other such names in circulation.

A pretty private park in Manhattan, doesn't quite make it as a baby name.

American place and tribe name, derived via French from the Dakota word ayúxba "sleepy ones".

Cool tropical Latin word name.

The Arabic word for Palestine made the US charts for the first time in 2021. It makes a unique first or middle name choice to honor Palestinian heritage.

A geographical name that does the samba...and was also borne by a Celtic saint: a winning combination. Well used in the Creole community.

A southwestern city name that could make a distinctive alternative to Dallas.

A phonetically attractive place-name that can be used for babies but rarely is.

A noveau place-name and surname combo.

A fun, unexpected way to honor your home state or a Mary in your life. As geographical girl names such as Ireland, Scotland, and Oakland slowly rise up the charts, Maryland could be a future favorite.

With so many other places translating to first names, why not this major Japanese city -- especially if it holds some personal significance.

A perfect example of what a difference a single letter can make. Add an 'a' to the ho-hum Cathy and you have the old name for China, often used by such poets as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Ezra Pound.

Place-name that suggests the highest heights and carries a hippyish aura.

Columbia is a rarely used name with many associations. From the eighteenth century it has been used as a female personification of the United States, often appearing as a flag-draped patriotic figure. And as such it's inspired a plethora of place and company names, from the District of Columbia to Columbia University to Columbia Records, and songs like "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean." A character called Columbia appears in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

This name of Angola's capital city has occasionally been used for baby girls.

An undiscovered place-name with an appealing o-sound ending.