Unique Place Names for Babies
Updated Tue Jan 30 2024
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Unique place names are a hot category right now, following up on more popular place names for babies such as Savannah, Brooklyn, and Austin, all making the Top 100. But if you look a bit further down the map, you’ll find plenty of unique place names being used as baby names.
Certain unique place names — including Chicago, Essex, and Morocco — have been familiarized by their use on celebrity babies but haven’t caught on with the general public. You may be interested in a unique place name that bears resemblance to a currently fashionable name, such as Bolivia, Cyprus, Juneau, and Zennor.
Or you could choose a place name for your baby that is virtually unused, including Amalfi, Genoa, Kauai, and Ravello. These unique place names were given to 25 or fewer babies last year, meaning your child is practically guaranteed to be the only Quebec or Louisiana in his or her Kindergarten class.
Consult our complete collection of rare and uncommon place names for babies below, ranked according to their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Fraser
Origin:
Scottish from FrenchMeaning:
"strawberry"Description:
Though TV's "Frasier" made the name famous, and Frazier is a well-used variation, Fraser is the original, used mostly in Scotland.
- Delphi
Origin:
Greek place nameDescription:
An interesting unisex possibility, with an air of mystery connected to the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in ancient Greece; it was also a major site for the worship of the god Apollo.
- Deia
Origin:
Place name; LatinMeaning:
"joy; goddess"Description:
Sam Branson (son of businessman Sir Richard Branson) and his wife put this pretty place name on the baby name map when they called their daughter Eva-Deia in 2015. Their inspiration was the beautiful bohemian village of Deià in Mallorca, where the Branson family has a luxury residence.
- Verona
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Verona is a scenic place-name with the added attraction of a Shakespearean connection, as in Two Gentlemen of....
- Zuma
Origin:
American place-name and ArabicMeaning:
"peace"Description:
Zuma was entered in the American name lexicon when musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale chose it for their son. Californians will recognize Zuma as the name of a beautiful beach in Malibu, and it's also the surname of a South African president. With the lovely meaning of peace and its place-name associations, Zuma is one of those American names that literally sprang from the earth.
- Milos
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"gracious, dear, beloved"Description:
Milos, often spelled Miloš, derives from various names including the Slavic element, milŭ , such as Miloslav, Bogomil, or Milrad. Popular in the Czech Republic, the name is also used in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovakia
- Illyria
Origin:
Greek place-name and feminine variation of IllyriusDescription:
Illyria can trace all its varied associations to the name of an ancient place in the western part of the Balkan peninsula, also called Illyricum. Its inhabitants, conquered by the Romans in 168 BC, were called the Illyrians. Its mythological ancestor was Illyrius, a demigod and son of King Cadmus and the goddess Harmonia.
- Pomona
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"apple"Description:
This name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees is also associated with a suburban town in Southern California.
- Rugby
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"rook fortress"Description:
Rough and sporty, but too specific.
- Cyprus
Origin:
Latin from GreekMeaning:
"cypress tree; copper"Description:
This Mediterranean island name would be a plausible choice for parents with a Greek or Turkish heritage.
- Caledonia
Origin:
Latin place-name for ScotlandMeaning:
"hard or rocky land"Description:
Caledonia is a rhythmic and alluring place name used by singer Shawn Colvin for her daughter. It would make an interesting and apt choice for a girl with Scottish ancestry.
- Amalfi
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
This name, from the picturesque town on the Italian Riviera, borrows a bit from Amelia and a bit from Emily.
- Dominica
Origin:
Italian, feminine variation of DominicMeaning:
"belonging to the Lord"Description:
Fashionably Continental and much fresher than Dominique, though it's been used since the Middle Ages. Dominica can be spelled any number of ways, from Dominika to Domenica, but we prefer this version.
- Antarctica
Origin:
Latin from GreekMeaning:
"opposite the north"Description:
Ed Sheeran put this continental place name on the map when he used it as the middle name for his daughter Lyra, born in 2020.
- Tempe
Origin:
Greek place nameDescription:
The Vale of Tempe is an important place in Greek mythology as well as a real place in Greece. The ancient poets wrote of it as the halcyon dwelling of Apollo and the Muses. The modern cities in Arizona and Australia are named for the Greek Tempe, which is pronounced tem-pee.
- Oxford
Origin:
English place-nameMeaning:
"from the oxen crossing"Description:
High-collared and straightlaced, with the deadly "Ox" nickname.
- Aberdeen
Origin:
Scottish place-nameDescription:
This undiscovered Scottish port city name has a nice, upbeat feel and lots of good nickname possibilities.
- Shenandoah
Origin:
Native American place-nameDescription:
While some sources assign the place-name the romantic meaning "beautiful daughter of the stars," the Virginia region itself says the name is of uncertain Native American origin with many possible but no definitive meaning. No matter: Shenandoah is a lovely name that's rare but usable.
- Zennor
Origin:
Cornish place and saint's nameDescription:
This Cornish place name is possibly named after a female saint, Senara. However, it can work just as well on a boy and would make a very interesting choice for those of Cornish descent or who love Cornwall.
- Juneau
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Juneau, the name of the city in Alaska, has rightfully taken a back seat as a name to the classic Juno. Most famous reference: When the pregnant teenager is introduced in the movie "Juno," the prospective adoptive father says, "Oh, like the city in Alaska." Juno takes a deep breath and then says simply, "No."