Names That Mean Place

Tiggy

English diminutive of Antigone, Greek

"worthy of one's parents, in place of one's parents"

An energetic nickname name occasionally encountered in England, particularly among Telegraph-reading circles. It is traditionally short for Antigone, but nowadays it's just as often bestowed as a…

Hawaii

Proto-Polynesian place name

"place of the gods"

Evocative of the lush islands, Hawaii is a place name that will transport you — at least in spirit.

Urgell

Catalan place name

A Catalan county name used for both girls and boys in its homeland.

Efrat

Variation of Ephrath, Hebrew

"fruitful place"

Bryher

Cornish

"place of hills"

Bryher, a homophone of Briar, is the name of an Isle of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall. It was the penname of novelist Annie Winifred Ellerman, who chose the name in honor of the island. Today,…

Rushlee

English place name

"rush clearing"

In the same unisex placename/surname style as Oakley and Hadlee, this name makes total sense but has never been on the American charts. Rushlee Buchanan is a New Zealand Olympic cyclist.

Araluen

Aboriginal Australian

"water lilies; place of the water lilies"

Araluen is a beautiful Aboriginal Australian place name, used in several sites, always connected to the dainty water lily. In terms of sound Araluen offers it all - the "Ara" beginning made popular…

Azha

Persian

"the breeding place"

Star name that could also be another spelling of Asia or Aja.

Brasilia

Portuguese place name

"land of brazilwood; ember-colored land"

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

Delphi

Greek place name

"of Delphi; womb"

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.…

Jamaica

Native American place name

"rich in springs"

Among the least gimmicky, most appealing and colorful of all the names found in the atlas, Jamaica almost sings out the rhythms of the West Indies. Part of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean,…

Majorca

Spanish place name

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.

Torille

Italian place name

Torille is the name of an Italian town, and is also found as a surname/

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.

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,…