Favorite Place Names

[susan]

I have been thinking about how some of my favorite places in the world are associated with some of my favorite names. There is a large, beautiful garden that I often visited with my beloved grandpa, step grandma, and my sister when I was young that we all loved so much. The garden is still there and is filled with trees, plants, brooks, flowers, animals and birds that inspire beautiful names which I associate with my grandpa. There was also a little Japanese garden within the larger garden where we could buy tea and little almond cookies. We could sit at a wooden table and have our tea next to a dark green pond with a view of a curving red bridge.
If you love a certain place and associate it with someone you love, that place can inspire wonderful names. If I wanted to name my son after my grandpa, but didn't like my grandpa's first or middle name, then I could still honor my grandpa by naming my son after a place we both loved. Or I could name my son after a tree, a bird, or an animal in that place. If I had a little daughter, I could give her a feminine or even a unisex name that reminds me of my grandpa, and it wouldn't have to be Bernadette (my grandpa was named Bernard). It could be a name from that garden or even another place that my grandpa and I both loved.
Do you have a very favorite place in the world? Does that place remind you of a beloved person? What names do you associate with that place?

[susan]

Descanso Gardens Names

Oak
Fern
Brooke

Flowers:
Camellia
Azalea
Iris
Rose

Animals and birds:
Ava (means bird)
Drake (means male duck)
Paloma (means dove)
Penelope (means duck)
Roscoe (means deer forest)

A few Japanese names to represent the little Japanese garden:
Hiroshi (generous)
Keiko (happy child)
Kenzo (strong and healthy)
Miko (flower stem)
Suki (loved one)

[cora]

One of my favorite places in the world is Concord, MA, although it's not associated with any relatives. I felt drawn to Concord when I first visited as a little girl, which makes sense, as I love American History. When I walk by Louisa May Alcott's house in Concord, I feel so at home with the area's historic sites and names.

The names I love are all classic, and feel as though they came straight from Concord/ New England:
Rose
Annabelle
Genevieve
Emmeline
Josephine
Charlotte
Cora
Louisa
Grace
Caroline
Blythe
Lydia
Catherine
Eliza
Felicity
Julia
Susannah
Tess
Celia
Maude

Edward
Henry
Oliver
Nathaniel
Benjamin
Samuel
Charles
Gideon
Gabriel
Harrison
Miles
Joseph

[susan]

Your list is so beautiful! I went to Louisa Mae Alcott's house, too, and loved it so much that I could hardly breathe. Then we went to see an old graveyard. I love your list of names-many of them are my favorites!

[cora]

Thanks, Susan! Out of curiosity, which names are your favorites? I'm so glad to hear you love the Alcott home, too! It's so neat how Emerson lived right across the street! (I love his house, too.) I can't wait to move back to Boston soon!

[susan]

Jill, these are my favorites (the ones I comment on):
Rose-love this for a first name or as a nn for Rosemary.
Annabelle-I love this so much spelled Annabel. I tend to like less frilly.
Genevieve-I just love this.
Emmeline
Josephine-so opulent.
Charlotte-loved this until Lola pointed out it has the word "harlot" inside it. Now I just like it.
Cora-I love this because it reminds me of coral. Love the color. Love beautiful things in the ocean. Plus coral is a soft, warm color in the desert.
Louisa-I love this so much, too and I love Lulu. I used to buy a soft drink in Mexico called "Little Lulu".
Grace-My aunt's name. She was really nice, so I might use this for a middle.
Caroline-adore this.
Blythe-I love this because there is a small town out in the California desert called Blythe.
Lydia-It's nice for other people's kids.
Catherine-I am in love with Catherine with a "C". reminds me of pearls and pink frosting.
Eliza-love because of Eliza Doolittle.
Felicity
Julia-It's funny. I really love Julie, but not for a young girl. For someone my age.
Susannah-love it. Sounds like my name.
Tess
Celia-love it because of "The Importance of Being Earnest". Cecily is a girl in the play.
Maude-for someone else, it is lovely.

Edward-love because of Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre
Henry-love because of the character in the Beverly Cleary books. She wrote "Ramona".
Oliver-I love Oliver.
Nathaniel
Benjamin
Samuel-I love Samuel in the bible. He is one of my faves!
Charles-I love Charles, maybe because of Laura Ingalls' father.
Gideon
Gabriel
Harrison
Miles
Joseph-I love Joseph because of Jesus' father. He was open-minded and kind to women.
I live in Southern CA and have only been to the Boston area maybe three times. It is very exotic to a Californian.