Place Names for Babies

Back in the 5th century, Gwynedd was a kingdom in northern Wales, though in modern times, it is both an unusual, unisex name and a Welsh county. For girls, it is more familiar in its modern form, Gwyneth or Gweneth.

A minimalist choice, Uz is the Biblical home of Job. It's also the name of a character in the Bible, the father of Aram and the grandson of Shem, as is Uzziah. Uz is one of those names that could go either way depending on the personality of your child: super-cool or scuzzy. Proceed with caution.

Iceland is a futuristic place name that works as well for babies as Ireland. We predict it's going to be one of the top baby names of 2050, along with other girl names that end in land, such as Scotland, Graceland, and Zealand.

Pronounced my-ORK-a, the name of this lovely Balearic Island, located in the Mediterranean, is one of the prettiest and most feminine of place names. The Spanish spelling is MALLORCA.

Valletta is the capital city of Malta. It takes on an air of attractiveness via model Amber Valletta and could make an appealing alternative to the somewhat dated Valerie.

Lydda is the name of a Biblical town whose similarity to Lydia makes it plausible as a first name. But if you're considering Lydda, we can't help but wonder: Why not just stick with Lydia?

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.

Place name and surname that sounds a tad snooty.

This name of an old Armenian city, might sound a little too masculine for use here. Variations include the more feminine Garine and Karine.

The sidekick in a John Wayne western.

Unlikely to make it onto the name map.

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.

A city in Italy, or simply an alternative spelling of Barry.

This is one place-name we'd put off-limits, for obvious reasons.

Both Soho and Noho--no-no.

The real city is now known as Mumbai, but the original name is far more evocative.

An actual Hawaiian first name would convey the aura of the islands more originally and effectively.

Moorish region and city in Spain that makes a melodic and unusual first name.

An unexplored choice, evocative of the snowcapped Andes, with a pleasant, catchy sound.