American Place Names

  1. Roswell
    • Yuma
      • Origin:

        North American Indian
      • Meaning:

        "son of a chief"
      • Description:

        The a ending gives it a feminine feel.
    • Albany
      • Origin:

        Place-name
      • Description:

        Not yet on the place-name map, this name has Shakespearean ties via the Duke Of Albany character in King Lear.
    • Chicago
      • Origin:

        American place name, Algonquin
      • Meaning:

        "wild garlic"
      • Description:

        Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have done it again for their third child: Chosen a name that feels iconic yet strangely inevitable. They named North and Saint's younger sister Chicago, after Kanye's hometown. The name Chicago derives from a Native American word for "wild garlic," which once grew plentifully in the Illinois city, the third most populous in the US.
    • Mojave
      • Origin:

        Native American tribal and place-name
      • Description:

        Resonant place-name of the beautiful Southern California desert.
    • Cleveland
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "hilly land, from the cliff"
      • Description:

        A presidential and place-name that's not a stand-out in either category.
    • Cimarron
      • Origin:

        Spanish, English
      • Meaning:

        "wild, untamed"
      • Description:

        Cimarron is a Great Plains city and river name used by Edna Ferber as the title of a popular novel. The Cimarron people of Panama were previously enslaved Africans who had escaped from their Spanish masters and lived together in defiance of colonial rule. In the 1570s, they allied with Francis Drake of England to defeat the Spanish conquest.
    • Detroit
      • Origin:

        Place name
      • Description:

        Detroit, the name of the down-on-its-heels Michigan city, has a so-far-out-it's-gotta-be-cool quality. A handful of boys were named Detroit last year, and if you have ties to the Motor City -- familial or musical -- you may want to consider it, especially as a middle name.
    • Hawaii
      • Origin:

        Proto-Polynesian place name
      • Meaning:

        "place of the gods"
      • Description:

        Evocative of the lush islands, Hawaii is a place name that will transport you — at least in spirit.
    • Lexington
      • Origin:

        English place name
      • Description:

        Lexington is trending as a unisex name, used just about evenly for the genders. For Americans, it's got a patriotic feel, given the importance of Lexington, Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War. Lexington, Kentucky, in horse country, is another well-known city with the name. Short form Lex is user friendly.
    • Mesa
      • Origin:

        Spanish
      • Meaning:

        "table"
      • Description:

        Mesa is the term for a flat-topped mountain, derived from the Spanish word for "table".
    • Atlanta
      • Origin:

        Place name
      • Meaning:

        "Atlantic Ocean"
      • Description:

        The capital of Georgia is far from the ocean, but got its name from the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran through the city. Best known as a hub of industry and transport, and for its roles in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, it has never been popular as a baby name despite sounding like one. Its peak popularity was in 1995, the year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.

    • Joplin
      • Origin:

        English surname
      • Meaning:

        "son of Job"
      • Description:

        Used as a first name for a handful of girls every year, Joplin could be seen as a distant cousin of other -lin names, like Caitlin, Brooklyn and Braelynn. We think it works even better as a musical middle name possibility for fans of Janis... or Scott. Both great connections — albeit very different from one another.

    • Aberdeen
      • Origin:

        Scottish place-name
      • Description:

        Amiable, undiscovered geographic option.
    • Yosemite
      • Origin:

        Native American tribal name
      • Meaning:

        "those who kill"
      • Description:

        The evocative name of one of our most beautiful national parks -- yes, but also the bombastic cartoon character, Yosemite Sam.
    • Taos
      • Origin:

        American place-name
      • Description:

        This beautiful New Mexican pueblo locale has long attracted artists and skiers, and now may attract some baby namers as well.
    • Athens
      • Origin:

        Greek place name
      • Description:

        Athens is one of the newer place names, used for both baby boys and girls. The Greek city got its name from Athena, goddess of wisdom and courage.
    • Abilene
      • Origin:

        English from Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "grass"
      • Description:

        New Testament, Texas, and Kansas place-name more fitting for a girl.
    • Utah
      • Origin:

        Place-name
      • Description:

        This would make a startling but likable choice; poet Dylan Thomas used it for a character in his play "Under Milk Wood."
    • Providence
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "divine protection or care"
      • Description:

        A Puritanical virtue name and also a place name, belonging to the state capital of Rhode Island and several other towns and cities in the US.