Rare Place Names for Babies

An undiscovered place-name with an appealing o-sound ending.

A phonetically attractive place-name that can be used for babies but rarely is.

A globetrotting placename — Diani Beach is a popular tourist destination on the Indian Ocean in Kenya. It's similar enough to Dion and Diana to feel namelike, although it is actually very rare in the US.

A perfect example of what a difference a single letter can make. Add an 'a' to the ho-hum Cathy and you have the old name for China, often used by such poets as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Ezra Pound.

If you're tired of Olivia, you could be the first on your block to introduce this unique sound-related place-name with Latin flair.

Unlikely to make it onto the name map.

The name of an island in the English Channel that might make an attractive first name, but would work better for a boy.

Pronounced my-ORK-a, the name of this lovely Balearic Island, located in the Mediterranean, is one of the prettiest and most feminine of place names. The Spanish spelling is MALLORCA.

In Greek mythology, Zakynthos was a legendary figure who founded a colony on an island in the Ionian sea. The island, still known as Zakynthos today, is now a popular tourist destination thanks to its warm weather, white cliffs, and stunning beaches. To the Venetians who ruled the island between the 15th and 18th century, it was known as the "Flower of Levant". Zakynthos may also be written as Zacynthus, and the island is also called Zante.

The name of the 20th-century-created capital of Brazil has a good measure of spicy Latin rhythm and could make a possible female choice, while BRAZIL might work for a boy.

Iberia, the name of the Spanish-Portuguese peninsula, makes an attractive, unusual first name.

Sweet, spirited, and unexpected as a given name, reality TV star Lala Kent brought Sosa into the spotlight when she chose it for her daughter in 2024. A Spanish name deriving from the Portuguese surname Sousa, Sosa is a unique choice that still fits in with the likes of Luna, Rosa, Nova, and Luz.