Nature, Place and Word Names
State Capital Baby Names
Across 3 pages
of 3
Juneau
Place-name
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…
Juneau
Place-name
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…
Lansing
Dutch and English surname
"son of Lans; family of Wlanc"
Lansing is perhaps best known as the state capital of Michigan, which was named after the town of Lansing, New York. The original Lansing was named in honor of John Lansing Jr., a Chancellor of New…
Albany
Scottish place name
Not yet on the place-name map, this name has Shakespearean ties via the Duke Of Albany character in King Lear .
Lulu
Diminutive of Louise or Lucy, or Arabic
"pearl"
Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has…
Madison
English
"son of Matthew"
Madison was at one time a strictly boys' presidential name, reaching as high as Number 311 at the end of the nineteenth century. That all changed in 1985 when it entered the girls' list, zooming up…
Olympia
Greek
"from Mount Olympus"
With its relation to Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, and to the Olympic games, this name has an athletic, goddess-like aura, making it the perfect Olivia substitute. A well-known art reference…
Pierre
French variation of Peter
"rock, stone"
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,…
Providence
English
"divine protection or care"
A Puritanical virtue name and also a place name, belonging to the state capital of Rhode Island and several other towns and cities in the US.
Raleigh
English
"meadow of roe deer"
Attractive North Carolina place-name and surname of explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. Distinctive, classy-but-approachable choice for either sex.
Raleigh
English
"meadow of deer"
An attractive North Carolina unisex place name, Raleigh's soft sound is particularly appropriate for a girl.
Richmond
German
"powerful protector"
Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia, US, and a town in London, UK — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard.
Saint
American word name
"Saint"
Saint went quickly from word to celebrity baby name to accepted baby boy name and now to baby girl name. And there's nothing historically or etymologically gendered about Saint, so why not?
Tally
Diminutive of Talia
"gentle dew from heaven"
Nickname sometimes heard on its own, sort of an updated Sally and playmate of Hallie.
Topeka
Place name from Kansa
"place of potatoes"
The name of the capital city of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County, which is thought to come from a Kansa word meaning "good place to grow potatoes".
Trenton
English, place-name
"Trent's town"
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.…
Lincoln
English
"town by the pool"
Lincoln might be considered one of the quintessential American names , calling to mind the great president who freed enslaved people and is memorialized in Washington. Although better known as a…
Albany
Scottish place name
A capital place-name possibility.
Atlanta
American place name from Greek
"Atlantic Ocean"
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…
Augusta
Feminine variation of Augustus, Latin
"great, magnificent"
Augusta is a dignified name reminiscent of wealthy great-aunts and stately homes, but with the fashion for both August and Gus for boys, and the renewed interest in clunky classics like Gwendolyn and…