Names That Mean Place
Across 17 pages
of 17
Viveca
Swedish, Nordic
"alive, life; place of refuge"
This is one of the most vibrant and feminine of the names meaning life , and it's sure to gain more attention as the whole sisterhood of Viv- names rise. Celebrated Swedish actress Viveca Lindfors,…
Chester
Latin
"fortress, walled town,"
Chester is a comfortable, little-used teddy-bear of a name that suddenly sounds both quirky and cuddly. Chester was a Top 100 name in the US from the 1880s to 1929, gradually fading till it finally…
Valletta
Maltese place name
Valletta is the capital city of Malta. It takes on an air of attractiveness via model Amber Valletta and could make an appealing alternative to the somewhat dated Valerie.
Valetta
Latin place and surname
This name of the major Maltese city takes on an air of attractiveness via model Amber Valletta, making it an appealing alternative to the overexposed Valerie and Vanessa.
Marston
English
"residence near a marshy place"
Streamline it to Marsh, Mason, or Carson.
Locke
English
"enclosure or fortified place"
Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically…
Torille
Italian place name
Torille is the name of an Italian town, and is also found as a surname/
Easton
English
"eastern town"
Easton is a stylish Waspy-sounding surname that's climbing up the popularity charts. TV actress Elisabeth Rohm named her daughter Easton August Anthony, which seemed like a real gender bender, and…
Norfolk
English
"place of the northern people"
Would make a difficult choice even for those with ties to the Virginia city or British county.
Percy
French surname from place name Perci-en-Auge
Percy is an adorable old name that is finally shedding its pampered Little Lord Fauntleroy image in this new era of boys with soft yet traditionally male names like Jasper and Elijah. Originating as…
Adair
Scottish and Irish, Brazilian
"oak tree ford; wealthy spearman; wealth and fame"
A unisex name with lots of flair and a daring spirit, Adair was first noticed as a girl's name in the 1980's, thanks to the long-running daytime drama Search for Tomorrow , with the character Adair…
Livingston
English and Scottish surname
"dear friend's place"
When Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves chose the old English surname and place name Livingston for their third child, they elevated it from half of a Stanley & Livingston joke to a modern…
Salton
English
"place in the willows"
Stiff and sedate surname name, despite its salty start.
Shelton
English
"place on a ledge or bank"
We're not too surprised that Shelton Lee changed his name to Spike.
Kelso
Scottish place and surname
"chalk ridge, lime mountain"
This name of a town in Scotland, one of the earliest recorded surnames in the whole British Isles, has more vitality than Kelsey. Distinctive in sound with a cool -o ending and a stylish K initial,…
Thackeray
English
"place with thatching"
The name of the famous British man of letters might just appeal to some English majors as a more interesting alternative to Zachary. An appropriate playmate for Russell Crowe's boy Tennyson.
Thornton
English
"place in the thorns"
Despite Thornton Wilder, playwright of the perennial Our Town, only a handful of baby boys receive this name each year..
Tibor
Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene
"of Tibur (Tivoli)"
Commonly heard in Hungary and some Slavic countries, Tibor has a large measure of continental dash. The name derives from the Roman town of Tibur, now called Tivoli. It is a Top 100 pick for baby…
Rio
Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
"river or place of the cherry blossoms"
Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls' names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio…
Houghton
English
"place in an enclosure"
A family name, a bit haughty.