Unique Place Names for Babies
- Jamaica
Origin:
Native American place nameMeaning:
"rich in springs"Description:
Among the least gimmicky, most appealing and colorful of all the names found in the atlas, Jamaica almost sings out the rhythms of the West Indies.
- England
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Most parents would prefer London for their daughters.
- Kauai
Origin:
Hawaiian place-nameDescription:
Kauai is known as the Garden Isle of Hawaii. Ironically, it qualifies as a baby name based on spelling variation and homonym Kawhi, as in basketball star Kawhi Leonard.
- Alps
Origin:
Place name, LatinMeaning:
"white; white flour; whitish; hill"Description:
With other mountainous names on the rise, such as Everest, Summit, and Monty, Alps could be a cool, rugged option and serve as an alternative for Ace, Alvin, or Atlas.
- Vesuvio
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Volcano name for an active, bubbly child -- but be careful -- volcanoes do erupt.
- Philadelphia
Origin:
Greek place-nameMeaning:
"brotherly love"Description:
Place-name mentioned in the New Testament and not yet on the name map. Philadelphia Thursday was the character played by Shirley Temple in John Ford's 1948 "Fort Apache."
- Barra
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair-headed"Description:
Barra is a Gaelic-speaking island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, that’s been inhabited since the Neolithic era. A male nickname for Finbarr in Ireland, as well as a stand-alone name, Barra was used by George R.R. Martin as a girl’s name. It means ‘fair-haired’.
- Maine
Origin:
American Place-nameDescription:
Strong, spare, and highly unusual -- there were no babies recorded of either gender receiving this name in one recent year -- place-name referring to the northernmost state in New England. All state names qualify as distinctly American names.
- Quito
Origin:
Spanish, Place-nameDescription:
Quito is a place-name (it's the capital of Ecuador) with lots of lively energy--as long as it's pronounced correctly.
- Indus
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
From the name of the river which flows through Pakistan, India, and Tibet.
- Fiji
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"place name"Description:
One of several fascinating names used in Charlaine Harris's Midnight, Texas books and the NBC adaptation thereof, Fiji is a pleasingly quirky place name that's been little used for babies. Though it has been used quite a lot for fancy bottled water, we don't think it quite qualifies as a water name.
- Bermuda
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Maybe if you spent your honeymoon there. We did say maybe. Bermuda was used in the 17th century, such as Bermuda Rolfe.
- Peru
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
An unexplored choice, evocative of the snowcapped Andes, with a pleasant, catchy sound.
- Judea
Origin:
Hebrew, variation of JudahDescription:
Judea — also spelled Judaea — is a mountainous region in the Middle East historically part of Jerusalem, that is significant in religions like Judaism and Christianity. As Jude and Judah dominate in the charts, and fresh Biblical place names like Jericho and Galilee feel stylish as ever, Judea holds a lot of potential.
- Ontario
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
This geographical name with Iroquois roots has a lot going for it: a strong sound, a vigorous o ending, and -- a quality prized today -- rarity.
- Madeira
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Madeira is an island off Morocco where the wine comes from. Despite the alcohol association, Madeira has a gorgeous sound.
- Jaffa
Origin:
Hebrew place-nameMeaning:
"beautiful"Description:
A pleasant and adaptable place name for a part of Tel Aviv.
- Trinidad
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"holy trinity"Description:
Rhythmic name with both religious and geographical ties, commonly heard in Latin countries.
- Ethiopia
Origin:
English from GreekMeaning:
"Burnt-face, red-brown"Description:
The place name Ethiopia was derived from the Greek word for an Ethiopian, Aithiops, from the components aithō, "I burn" and ōps "face." As a noun, it takes on the meaning of "Burnt-face," which the Greeks used to distinguish between those in Africa and those from the Middle East, who had lighter skin. In adjective form, Aithiops means "red-brown."
- Ceylon
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
Lovely, international, tea-scented possibility undiscovered by baby names.