Place Names for Babies

Lacks the cachet of some newer place-names.

Ischia is an Italian island thought to be a derivative of the term "insula major", meaning "island par excellence."

A rare geographical option which has never been given to more than 50 baby girls 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".

Pilgrimage site in Italy.

Gentle and southern-inflected, redolent of the North Carolina landscape.

Maryland appeared on the charts as a male name before a female one, but these days it's all girl.

A place name that became a heady way of life, and a rarely-if-ever-used baby name.

Less-traveled member of this fashionable group, with less than attractive sound.

Provo is the name of a conservative Utah city that's unlikely to be among the most fashionable place-names. You'd do better with Utah.

The historic name for the south-west corner of Wales, deriving from the British tribe of the Demetae.

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

Transferred from the geographical name, Jerusalem is a sacred city in many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is given to around a dozen babies of each sex per year in the US.

Named after the mythological Io, the Greek island of Ios is located in the Aegean Sea.

Derived from Caeredin, the Welsh name for the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. The origin of this name element is lost in the mists of time.

Torille is the name of an Italian town, and is also found as a surname/

This Caribbean island and popular travel destination is known for its stunning white sand beaches and bright blue waters. The name Aruba is thought to stem from the word Oruba, meaning "well-situated island" in the native Caiquetio language.

A city in southern Jordan that some believe will be the site of the Second Coming.

Missouri, the name of a tribe, a state and a river, derives from the Illinois word mihsoori meaning "dugout canoe". It became a somewhat popular American girls' name in the mid-19th century.

The name of the 20th-century-created capital of Brazil has a good measure of spicy Latin rhythm and could make a possible female choice, while BRAZIL might work for a boy.