New York Neighborhood Names
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Thu Jul 27 2023
New York neighborhood names profess a love for the Big Apple, whether you’re a NYC native, transplant, or out-of-town visitor. Brooklyn is, of course, the most widely used of these choices, but Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz added baby name Bronx to the mix and there are lots of other intriguing New York-themed baby names here.
Along with Brooklyn, other New York City neighborhood names in the US Top 1000 include Arden, Briar, Chelsea, Eden, Harlem, Hudson, Jackson, Laurel, and Sutton. Iconic names pulled from the NYC map include Arverne, Canarsie, Morrisania, and Tribeca. Baby names inspired by New York neighborhoods may kindle a connection between your child and NYC. Take a look at all the options — from traditional to one-of-a-kind — in our full list, below.
You may also be interested in our full collection of Place Names for Babies.
- Rose
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"rose, a flower"Description:
Rose is derived from the Latin rosa, which referred to the flower. There is also evidence to suggest it was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning “famous type,” and also Hros, "horse". In Old English it was translated as Roese and Rohese.
- Willow
Origin:
English nature nameMeaning:
"willow tree"Description:
Willow came into use as a given name after the willow tree, whose name was derived from the Old English word welig, meaning "willow." Willow trees are associated with grace and elegance, which gave way to the adjective "willowy." Other names with meanings related to willows include Arava, Willoughby, Dozier, Wellesley, Selby, and Salton.
- Nicholas
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Nicholas is derived from the Greek Nikolaos, a name that evolved from the components nikē, meaning “victory”, and laos, “people.” It shares origins with Nike, the name of the Greek goddess of victory. Nicholas is also a New Testament name that is well-used in literature, such as in Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby.
- Hudson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"Hugh's son"Description:
Hudson has risen quickly up the charts after emerging at the bottom of the list in 1995, now solidly in the Top 100.
- Eden
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"place of pleasure, delight"Description:
Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the seventeenth century.
- George
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"farmer"Description:
Iconoclasts though we may be, we like Fred, we like Frank, and we like George, which was among the Top 10 from 1830 to 1950, when the number of little Georges started to decline. Solid, strong, royal and saintly, yet friendly and unpretentious, we think that George is in prime position for a comeback, especially since it was chosen by Britain's royal couple.
- Arden
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"valley of the eagle; high"Description:
Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys.
- Cooper
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"barrel maker"Description:
The genial yet upscale and preppy Cooper was one of the first occupational last names to catch on -- and Cooper remains a pleasing option.
- Lincoln
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"town by the pool"Description:
Lincoln cracked the Top 50 for boys' names for the first time in 2016, more than 150 years after the death of its most famous bearer. This is especially remarkable because, as crazy as it seems now, Lincoln was deeply out of fashion as recently as the late 90s, consistently hovering near the bottom of the Top 1000. This admirable presidential choice with a stylish two-syllable sound projects the tall, rangy, upright, image of Honest Abe. Bill Murray is father to a son named Lincoln, and Kathryn Erbe's boy Carson has Lincoln for his middle name. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard gender-bent it for their daughter.
- Madison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Matthew"Description:
Madison originated as an English surname, a variant of Mathieson, meaning "son of Matthew." It is occasionally translated as "son of Maud," as Maddy was historically a nickname for Maud. It was introduced as a feminine given name in the 1984 movie Splash, in which the main character takes her name from New York’s Madison Avenue street sign.
- Hope
Origin:
Virtue nameDescription:
Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be corrupted, a lovely classic that deserves all the attention it's getting.
- Briar
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"a thorny patch"Description:
Fairy-tale memories of Sleeping Beauty inspire some parents—such as Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen—to call their daughters Briar Rose. But Briar plus a different middle name might work even better. It's one of the newly popular nature-word names, charting in the US for the first time in 2015 for both genders.
- Hunter
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"one who hunts"Description:
Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened masculinity. Hunter was for years attached to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; Josh Holloway used it for his son.
- Jackson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jack"Description:
Cool name Jackson is one of the celebrisphere's top favorite boy names, having been chosen by, among others, Spike Lee, Poppy Montgomery, Carson Daly, Maria Bello, Natalie Maines, Scott Wolf, Maya Rudolph, and Katey Sagal. After a spectacular rise, this stylish presidential name has been in the Top 25 since 2010, overtaking John as one of the most popular boy names starting with J.
- Sutton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from the southern homestead"Description:
Sutton is a plain-sounding surname most notably worn by Tony-winning Broadway actress Sutton Foster, now starring in TV Land's Younger -- based on a novel written by Nameberry co-creator Pamela Redmond Satran.
- Laurel
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"laurel tree"Description:
Laurel takes Laura back to its meaning in nature, resulting in a gentle, botanical option. Even more directly than Laura, Laurel relates back to the laurel wreath signifying success and peace in ancient Rome.
- Jerome
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"sacred name"Description:
Jerome has a bespectacled, serious, studious image, just like its namesake saint, who was a brilliant scholar. St. Jerome is the patron saint of students, librarians, and archaeologists.
- Travis
Origin:
French occupational nameMeaning:
"tollgate-keeper"Description:
Has a laid-back rural feel some would associate with country singer Travis Tritt; Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon chose it for their son. Travis Scott, born Jacques Webster Jr., a popular rap artist, is another famous Travis.
- Astoria
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
Long more associated with the New York Waldorf- hotel and the neighborhood in Queens than as a baby name, Astoria is finally beginning to emerge from their shadow and find favor with parents looking to move beyond Brooklyn. The name Astoria is drawn from the surname of titan of industry John Jacob Astor, theorized to mean "hawk."
- Howard
Origin:
German or EnglishMeaning:
"high guardian or brave heart"Description:
Howard, once hugely popular -- in the Top 50 from the 1870s to early 1950s, hitting Number 24 in 1920 -- has been stuck in Dad-Grandad limbo for decades, but is showing some signs of stirring back to life. Along with such formerly-fusty names as George and Harold, Howard may soon feel baby-appropriate, perhaps with the short form Ward.