Nature, Place and Word Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
American place-name
"Charles' town"
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…
Place-name
Sonora may be a more unusual and melodic choice than Sierra, but this Mexican state name may sound too much like Senora to work as a name.
Sicily is a lilting Italian place-name that sounds like the elegant British Cicely -- which you might consider a plus or a minus.
Latin from Greek
"cypress tree; copper"
This Mediterranean island name would be a plausible choice for parents with a Greek or Turkish heritage.
Alutiiq, Native American
"island"
It's a bear, it's an island, it's (almost) a camera. It's starting to catch some parents' eyes as a wild, adventurous name. The largest proportion of boys named Kodiak is in Washington State.
Has a lively and swaggering sound, and also some unfortunate associations with Reno, city of gambling and failed marriages.
German
"borderline"
Edgy German capital with definite possibilities as a baby name.
This name's connection to the Caribbean Cayman Islands gives it a nice resortish feel, while still feeling like an in-tune-with-style boy's name.
Italian place-name
Verona is a scenic place-name with the added attraction of a Shakespearean connection, as in Two Gentlemen of ....
This name of one of the most romantic cities in the world could easily find its way onto an American baby girl's birth certificate.
Swiss place name
"king"
The Swiss city of Basel was first Basilia, thought to have been dubbed in honor of the Roman castle of the same name. The castle's name would have derived from Basilius, a Roman personal name from…
African place-name
Morocco is an attractive and rhythmic name, evocative of such fabled cities as Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakesh, in a country whose unique landscape and rich culture attracted such twentieth century…
Miami -- or Florida, for that matter -- hasn't achieved the place-name stardom of southern sisters like Savannah and Georgia. Quincy Jones used it as his daughter KENYA's middle name.
Scottish place name
Not yet on the place-name map, this name has Shakespearean ties via the Duke Of Albany character in King Lear .
Country name
"land of the Parsa"
The name Persia derives from Avestan Parsa , the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran in about 1000 BCE. Persis or Persea, the feminine form of Perseus, feel more…
Unknown origin
A globetrotting placename — Diani Beach is a popular tourist destination on the Indian Ocean in Kenya. It's similar enough to Dion and Diana to feel namelike, although it is actually very rare in the…
The site of Napoleon's exile became the great-great-aunt in the purple hat.
Armenian place name
Talin is a small town in Armenia with a big history: first settled around four thousand years ago, the town is renowned for the Cathedral of Talin, built in the 7th century. As a name, Talin is…
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…
A geographical name that does the samba...and was also borne by a Celtic saint: a winning combination. Well used in the Creole community.
