Names That Mean City
Across 2 pages
of 2
The names
Sebastian
Latin from Greek
"person from ancient city of Sebastia, venerable"
With international flair and elegance, Sebastian is a saintly, Shakespearean and Disney-inspired choice: refined, classic-yet-unconventional, and totally in tune with other popular choices like…
Oneida
Native American
"long awaited"
One of the few familiar Native_American choices, but now associated with several trade names.
Samaria
Place-name, Hebrew
"to guard, to keep"
Similar to but distinct from Samara, this pretty name was chosen for his daughter by rapper LL Cool J. It's the name of an ancient Palestinian city, located in present-day Jordan, and is associated…
Urban
Latin
"of the city"
This name of eight popes might appeal to confirmed city-dwellers, but Urbana would be more feminine.
Urbana
Latin, feminine form of Urban
"of the city"
If you live in the city, you might call your urban baby Urbana; if you live in the suburbs--don't even think of Surbana.
Bas
Dutch, diminutive of Bastiaan and Sebastian
"person from the city of Sebastia"
Bas is a fashionable name in its own right in the Netherlands, where it's been in the Top 10. Used throughout Europe, it may have a future here as a straightforward-but-charming nickname name. Baz is…
Bastien
French and Spanish, diminutive of Sebastien
"person from ancient city of Sebastia"
In this form, or as Sebastian or as Bas, Bastien is a fashionable Euro name with a possible future in America. There is a one-act comic opera by Mozart titled Bastien and Bastienne . An alternate…
Carlisle
English
"from the walled city"
This stuffy English surname and hotel name took on Twilight cool when attached to vampire Carlisle Cullen. Inspired by the character, it's more popular in this spelling than as Carlyle and more…
Carlyle
Variation of Carlisle, English
"from the walled city"
Carlisle is more popular than Carlyle for both genders, and in both spellings more widely used for boys than for girls. It's a name we see on the rise in either spelling.
Gaetano
Italian
"from the city of Gaeta"
The progenitor of the English name Guy, Gaetano has a lot more gusto.
Melchior
Dutch from Hebrew
"city of the king; king of light"
The least used of the Three Wise Men's names, but a strong option for bold namers to consider. The exact origins of Melchior are unknown, but it is speculated that it derived from either the Hebrew…
Napoleon
Greek
"lion of the new city"
Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite.
Stirling
Scottish
"from the city of Stirling"
Though the usual U.S. spelling is Sterling, this is the authentic Scottish family name version.
Urban
Latin
"of the city"
Urban was not an uncommon name through the 1930s (rising as high as Number 435), having been attached to several saints and early popes, but it has completely disappeared from the landscape--both…
Carlisle
English
"from the walled city"
Carlisle may be a male name in Twilight (he's vampire hero Edward's adoptive father), but in the real baby naming world, it's used about a quarter of the time for girls. Unusual now, we think…
Spartacus
Latin
"from the city of Sparta"
Spartacus is the famous name of an ancient Roman slave -- and star of his own eponymous TV series! -- who led a slave revolt and became a renowned gladiator, only to die in the ring. Not considered…
Sebbe
Swedish variation of Sebastian
"person from ancient city of Sebasta"
This Swedish form of Sebastian would work nicely as a nickname.
Melker
Modern Swedish variation of Melchior
"city of the king; king of light"
Melker, a modern phonetic spelling of ancient Three Wise Men name Melchior, is in the Swedish Top 100 though not used in the US, where it would be heard as "milker." Nickname Mel is not exactly a…
Urbain
French
"city dweller"
French form of Urban or Urbanus, borne by eight popes.
Jerusalema
Variation of Jerusalem, Hebrew
"city of the ancient god Shalem"
Jerusalema is the name of a viral song released by Master KG, a South African DJ, in 2019. The #JerusalemaChallenge was an international sensation during Summer 2020, and in 2021, Jerusalema debuted…