Perfect Place Names

Rochester was Jack Benny's famous valet and sidekick, played by early African-American comic Eddie Anderson.

He was the original Roman, Remus's twin and a founder of Rome. But parents attracted to this name are advised to read the legend first. Romulus does have some less than savory characteristics, including killing his twin brother and making Rome in his own image, and is later deified as Quinnius. Romy and Quinn might make good twin names.

A beautiful and evocative place-name that deserves wider use.

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin's daughter Ireland opened up the map for names like Scotland, and now that it's been chosen by Kourtney Kardashian for her daughter Penelope's middle name -- in honor of daddy Scott Disick -- Scotland is sure to appear on more birth certificates. Can Scotlyn be far behind?

Sedona is an Arizona city name renowned for its beauty and tranquility, could translate into an agreeable baby name. As a name, Sedona is reminiscent of Sierra and Sienna.

Seneca was both a Roman philosopher-statesman and is a Native American Iroquois tribe. Occasionally used for both girls and boys, Seneca is now a Hunger Games character.

Senna is a flowering bush common in the tropics, with bright yellow flowers. In herbal medicine, Senna has gained some notice as the active ingredient in so-called "dieter's teas," which works mainly as a laxative. While that is a less-than-savory association, Senna has a pretty sound and is a fresh entry in the flourishing botanical names genus.

Sicily is a lilting Italian place-name that sounds like the elegant British Cicely -- which you might consider a plus or a minus.

Siena is a soft and delicate Tuscan town name given a big fashion boost by lovely young actress/gossip column staple Sienna Miller. A real up-and-comer.

Sierra is a name borrowed from the western mountain range, with Latin rhythm and cowboy charm, that has led to many offshoots: Cierra, Cyara, and so on. It is now probably past its peak but retains its pretty-yet-strong sound. The meaning refers to the sharp, irregular peaks of some of the Western mountains such as the Sierra Nevada.

Sonora may be a more unusual and melodic choice than Sierra, but this Mexican state name may sound too much like Senora to work as a name.

Swanky sound via New York's ritzy Sutton Place. It fits with current popular boys’ names, due to its two syllables and -on ending. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for boys in 2015, though it is currently more popular for girls.

When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size.

Terrence feels stuck in the 20th century, but Torrance could easily be worn by a child born in the 2020s.

There's only one Trenton, New Jersey, but it's a widely used name, more for its fashionable -on ending than the reference to the city. Since 2007, however, Trenton has been on a steady decline. Trenten is another popular spelling.

This lovely orange-scented Spanish place-name would make an inventive namesake for an Aunt Valerie.

Verona is a scenic place-name with the added attraction of a Shakespearean connection, as in Two Gentlemen of....

Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century saint.

Vienna is one of the more popular of the European place-names, with a particularly pleasant sound, evoking elegant images of the Blue Danube, of castles and cafes, sweets and sausages and Strauss waltzes—and Sigmund Freud. It could be a possible substitute for the popular Sienna, although Vienna has been climbing the charts herself. Vienna was one of the fastest rising girl names in 2023.