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State Capital Baby Names

  1. Salem

    • Origin:

      Biblical place-name or Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "safe"

    • Description:

      Salem is a biblical place-name in Canaan, believed to be the same as Jerusalem. Americans may be more familiar with Salem as the name of the Massachusetts town famous for its witch trials in the late 1600s. It's also a popular Arabic name widely-used for both genders.
  2. Cheyenne

    • Origin:

      Sioux

    • Meaning:

      "people of a different language"

    • Description:

      The name of a courageous tribe, Cheyenne became quite popular in the 1990s, inspiring a wide range of spelling variations—Shyanne is one example that's still on the rise.
  3. Trenton

    • Origin:

      English, place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Trent's town"

    • Description:

      There's only one Trenton, New Jersey, but it's a widely used name, more for its fashionable -on ending than the reference to the city. Since 2007, however, Trenton has been on a steady decline. Trenten is another popular spelling.
  4. Saint

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "saint"

    • Description:

      Saint as a descriptive word name was first chosen by rocker Pete Wentz for his younger son (baby brother is Bronx), and now Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have catapulted the name into the celebrity stratosphere by choosing it for their baby boy. The couple called their baby "Saint" throughout the pregnancy because his conception had been so difficult. Saint was named in our predictions for the top baby name trends of 2015, on descriptive word names which also include Royal and Noble, King and Rogue. Saint is moving beyond the group of names that are only celebrity baby names and into the general lexicon.
  5. Indiana

    • Origin:

      American place-name

    • Meaning:

      "land of the Indians"

    • Description:

      Indiana is one of those place-names (think Camden and Trenton) that sounds cooler than the place that inspired it. Its fashionable -ana ending certainly sounds eminently name-like, and Indie/Indy/Indi is one of the hottest nickname names for girls right now.
  6. Jackson

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "son of Jack"

    • Description:

      No, Jackson is not the latest crazy name the girls are stealing from the boys. Oddly enough, Jackson was given to MORE girls a decade ago than it was last year, probably as a family name or as a tribute to the musicians. But Jackson's extreme popularity as a boys' name has probably made it feel less possible for girls.
  7. Carson

    • Origin:

      English and Scottish surname

    • Meaning:

      "son of the marsh dwellers"

    • Description:

      Very popular surname choice — it's in the Boys' Top 100 — beginning to catch on for girls. First female association: novelist Carson McCullers.
  8. Denver

    • Origin:

      English or French place-name and surname

    • Meaning:

      "green valley or from Anvers"

    • Description:

      Yet another creative character name from Toni Morrison, Denver was a daughter of Sethe's in the novel Beloved. Today Denver is most familiar as the name of the largest city in Colorado, used almost equally for girls and boys.
  9. Jefferson

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "son of Jeffrey"

    • Description:

      The name of the third U.S. President sounds, like Harrison and Jackson, more modern and stylish now than its root name. Used as a first name long before our surname-crazed era, Jefferson was most famously used as a first name by the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, which may justifiably make you not want to use it. Jefferson is the middle name of another Prez, William Clinton.
  10. Boston

    • Description:

      Boston as a feminine name represents the growing trend of using place names for children. Originally known primarily as the Massachusetts city named after an English town (derived from 'Botolph's stone' or 'Botolph's town'), Boston has transitioned into personal use in recent decades. While more commonly given to boys, its use for girls has increased, especially since the early 2000s. The name carries associations with American history, intellectualism, and New England charm. Parents may choose Boston for girls as a modern-sounding geographical name that expresses connection to the city or appreciation for its cultural significance. Boston projects strength and distinction as a feminine name, appealing to those seeking contemporary naming options with recognizable roots.

  11. Pierre

    • Origin:

      French variation of Peter

    • Meaning:

      "rock, stone"

    • Description:

      One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US, Pierre was most common in the 1980s but it has never cracked the Top 300.
  12. Boston

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      Unseen in the USA since 1901, Boston rocketed back into the Top 1000 in 2004 and, like other place-names such as Brooklyn, London and Paris, is now a reliable presence on the list.
  13. Indiana

    • Origin:

      American place-name

    • Meaning:

      "land of the Indians"

    • Description:

      This state name emerged in the eighties along with westerners Dakota and Montana, and it's still used occasionally by high-profile parents such as Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck. Action man Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) makes Indiana "Indy" forever cool for a boy.
  14. Raleigh

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "meadow of roe deer"

    • Description:

      Attractive North Carolina place-name and surname of explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. Distinctive, classy-but-approachable choice for either sex.
  15. Cheyenne

    • Origin:

      Sioux

    • Meaning:

      "people of a different language"

    • Description:

      This is a great American name that deserves more attention from parents looking for a name that balances a soft sound with a more traditionally masculine cowboy image.
  16. Juneau

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      Juneau could go either way as a name. The newfound fame of the movie heroine Juno knocks this unrelated though identical-sounding Alaskan name out of consideration for boys, for the moment. Though (male) writer Junot Diaz may put the sound-alike name back in the running for boys.
  17. Juneau

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      Juneau, the name of the city in Alaska, has rightfully taken a back seat as a name to the classic Juno. Most famous reference: When the pregnant teenager is introduced in the movie "Juno," the prospective adoptive father says, "Oh, like the city in Alaska." Juno takes a deep breath and then says simply, "No."
  18. Dover

    • Origin:

      British place-name

    • Description:

      Two-syllable place-names are stylish, and this one is attached to a British city noted for its white chalk cliffs, but there are a couple of minuses: associated with the fish, Dover sole, and also rhymes with the doggy Rover.
  19. Atlanta

    • Origin:

      Place name

    • Meaning:

      "Atlantic Ocean"

    • Description:

      The capital of Georgia is far from the ocean, but got its name from the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran through the city. Best known as a hub of industry and transport, and for its roles in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, it has never been popular as a baby name despite sounding like one. Its peak popularity was in 1995, the year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.

  20. Charleston

    • Origin:

      American place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Charles' town"

    • Description:

      Lovers of the languid South Carolina city might be attracted to this rich-sounding name. Could make an interesting update on Charles -- and can certainly work for a girl too. Actor Joey Lawrence used it for his daughter.