American Place Names

Norwegian city name heard much more often as a last name than a first.

The name of cities in Mexico and Colorado, Durango is a pleasant, fresh option from the atlas.

Moab is a Biblical name and an ancient place name. In the Old Testament, Moab was the son of Lot. The Kingdom of Moab, in modern-day Jordan, was Biblically significant for often being in conflict with Israel.

Arley is a fast-rising surname-name for girls, and Arlington isn't far behind.

Would make a difficult choice even for those with ties to the Virginia city or British county.

Two-syllable place-names are stylish, and this one is attached to a British city noted for its white chalk cliffs, but there are a couple of minuses: associated with the fish, Dover sole, and also rhymes with the doggy Rover.

Juliet sound-alike Joliet actually derives from the name Jolie, and was historically a term of endearment, later a surname. It's an attractive alternative to Juliet names and could work to honor a Joe or Joseph in your life.

Has not caught on as much as other Golden State place-names -- Sierra, Marin, West, or even Francisco -- probably because of its length.

If you like your place names bold and undiscovered.

Vanderpump Rules star Stassi Schroeder put this place name on the map when she used it for her daughter Hartford Charlie Rose.

Common California place-name that could work for a girl.

While Maui was a male trickster god in Polynesian mythology, the well-known Hawaiian place name Maui can work for either gender.

A possibility for your li'l cowgirl.

With place names extending their range, this is an unmapped possibility, though a bit stiff. Baltimore, Maryland was named after Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Baron Baltimore. Baltimore is ultimately derived from the Irish Baile an Tí Mhóir, meaning "town of the big house."

Unlike many other western city names, Tulsa has not proved attractive to parents. The name derives from Tallasi, meaning "old town" in the Creek language. Elvis Presley played a character named Tulsa in the 1960 musical comedy G. I. Blues.

More distinctive than Grace and more creative than Presley, Graceland is a contemporary name that could catch on with parents searching for a unique honorific.

An unlikely place name today, but one that was found among enslaved people in the 1800s.

If you live in the city, you might call your urban baby Urbana; if you live in the suburbs--don't even think of Surbana.

With its ties to tranquil Walden Pond, and harmonious meaning, this could be a modern virtue name.