Place Names for Babies

Unlikely to take over Kenya's spot as the dominant African place-name.

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

One of the unisex western names that rode in with Dakota and Montana.

This name of the North Dakota city has been used for at least one female (we know, because she wrote to us) but it doesn't meet the Social Security's five-baby threshold to ever make it onto the official records for either sex. But it certainly can work as a first name as well as or even better than many place-names. After all, it rhymes with Margo!

Iberia, the name of the Spanish-Portuguese peninsula, makes an attractive, unusual first name.

The Maricopa people are a Native American tribe who have lived on the banks of the Gila River for centuries. The tribe calls themselves Piipaash or Piipaa (meaning "people") — the term Maricopa is borrowed from Spanish.

Concord, Massachusetts is home to tranquil Walden Pond, and as a word name, concord has a harmonious meaning, making this a modern virtue name.

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 Catalan county name used for both girls and boys in its homeland.

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

Oriini Kaipara is a Māori journalist who made headlines by becoming the first person with a face tattoo (Moko Kauae) to host the prime-time news in New Zealand. Her name may derive from the New Zealand place name Orini.

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

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.

A familiar Canadian city name that could easily translate to use as a baby name. Cal and Callie are potential nickname options.

Place-name with character.

Itziar is the name of a Basque village, notable for its shrine to the Virgin Mary, inside its 8th century temple, The sanctuary of Santa María de Itziar. The name possibly translates to "ancient rock" or "old stone" and is fairly well-used in Spain, ranking in the Top 200 names for girls in the 2010s.

Originally used as a surname for someone from Verlaine in the Liege province of Belgium, its use as a given name was inspired by the 19th century French poet, Paul Verlaine. Predominantly used as a feminine name, sources suggest it could mean "true" or "truth" from the French vrai or the Latin veritas, or from the French laine meaning "wool" in reference to wool production in Liege.