Unique Place Names for Babies
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, Salish, Gwenonwy, or Kitts.
Or you could choose a place name for your baby that is virtually unused, including Amalfi, Madrid, Ravello, and Ottowa. 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 Clovelly in their Kindergarten class.
Consult our complete collection of rare and uncommon place names for babies below, ranked according to their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- 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.
- 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 nameMeaning:
"of Delphi; womb"Description:
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.
- Illyria
Origin:
Ancient place-name, feminine variation of Illyrius, GreekDescription:
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.
- Ajman
Origin:
Variation of Ayman, or place name, ArabicMeaning:
"blessed, lucky; foreigner"Description:
Familiar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ajman might be used as a variation of the Arabic name Ayman, in turn, associating it with good luck, or more literally, with the right hand. In this case, it would be said as eye-man.
- Marseille
Origin:
French place nameDescription:
Opulent French place name Versailles has been catching parents' attention in recent years, and Marseille, located in Southern France, is a similar feeling option. Reminiscent of other familiar choices like Marcelle, Marcy, Marisol, and Marlow, Marseille was given to 5 girls in the last year.
- 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.
- Salish
Origin:
Place name, English form of Séliš, SalishanMeaning:
"Salish people"Description:
The Salishan are ingenious people from the Pacific North West, made up of four major groups who speak one of 23 Salishan languages. The name "Salish" is an anglicization of Séliš, the local name of the Salish Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in Montana. They are known for their weaving and work with red cedar wood.
- Verona
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Verona is a scenic place-name with the added attraction of a Shakespearean connection, as in Two Gentlemen of....
- Inca
Origin:
German, Finnish, Serbian, Spanish, AzerbaijaniMeaning:
"ancestor; emperor; slender, thin, soft"Description:
More familiar as the name of an ancient empire from South America, when used as a given name, Inca can have a variety of different origins. While it is more likely to be spelled as Inka (or İncə) as a first name, Inca has seen usage around the world.
- Milos
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"gracious, dear, beloved"Description:
Milos, typically 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
- Pomona
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"apple"Description:
This name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees is also associated with a suburban town in Southern California.
- Amol
Origin:
Indian, Sanskrit, Marathi, ArabicMeaning:
"priceless, invaluable; unfading, everlasting; hope"Description:
Amol is a succinct and versatile name used by Indian parents, which can mean "priceless and invaluable" from its Sanskrit origins and "everlasting" in the Marathi language. Some sources additionally connect it the the Arabic name Amal, meaning "hope".
- 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.
- Fife
Origin:
Scottish place name, German, FrenchMeaning:
"path; small shrill flute"Description:
Also spelled Fyfe, this zippy sounding name would make a great middle name choice for music lovers or those with Scottish roots. The name has a double meaning: it is both a Scottish place name, likely derived from fiamh meaning "path", and also the name of an instrument, which takes its name from the German Pfeife and the French fifre meaning "pipe".
- Perth
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"thornbush thicket"Description:
There's a Perth in Scotland and a bigger one in Australia; this name could make a statement similar to Heath.
- England
Origin:
English place nameMeaning:
"land of the Angles"Description:
Most parents would prefer London for their daughters.
- Nevis
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Highly unusual name of a small, tranquil island in the Caribbean; chosen for her daughter by singer Nelly Furtado.
- Chicago
Origin:
American place name, AlgonquinMeaning:
"wild garlic"Description:
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have done it again for their third child: Chosen a name that feels iconic yet strangely inevitable. They named North and Saint's younger sister Chicago, after Kanye's hometown. The name Chicago derives from a Native American word for "wild garlic," which once grew plentifully in the Illinois city, the third most populous in the US.
- Brynmor
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"great hill"Description:
Derived from the Welsh place name Brynmawr, this adventurous sounding name, feels at once as rugged as its meaning but with a hint of gentleness, thanks to the unisex Bryn.

