Nature, Place and Word Names
Rare Place Names for Babies
Across 7 pages
of 7
Bimini
Place-name
Name of a tiny Bahamian island that's better suited to a girl.
Bolivia
Spanish place name
"land of Bolivar; land of the windmill valley"
If you're tired of Olivia, you could be the first on your block to introduce this unique sound-related place name with Latin flair. The country of Bolivia was named after the revolutionary Simón…
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.
Brazil
Place-name
A geographical name that does the samba...and was also borne by a Celtic saint: a winning combination. Well used in the Creole community.
Calais
French place-name
Undiscovered name of picturesque northern French port.
Caledonia
Latin place-name for Scotland
"hard or rocky land"
Caledonia is a rhythmic and alluring place name used by singer Shawn Colvin for her daughter. It would make an interesting and apt choice for a girl with Scottish ancestry.
Cathay
Anglicized version of Italian Catai; place name
A perfect example of what a difference a single letter can make. Add an 'a' to the ho-hum Cathy and you have the old name for China, often used by such poets as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Ezra Pound.
Cayman
Place-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.
Ceylon
Place name, English from Portuguese and Sanskrit
"lionlike"
Lovely, international, tea-scented possibility undiscovered by baby names. Ceylon may ultimately be derived from the Sanskrit siṃhala , meaning "island of lions" or "abundance of lions."
Charleston
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…
Cluny
Irish
"from the meadow"
Likable Irish surname name, but bound to be confused with Clooney.
Kodiak
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.
Arabia
Place name from Greek
A phonetically attractive place-name that can be used for babies but rarely is.
Cuba
Place-name
"abundant fertile land; great place"
Soul singer Cuba Gooding and his actor son of the same name put this unexpected geographical name on the map for boys, but it has a longer history of use than you might expect. Deriving from the…
Cyprus
Latin from Greek
"cypress tree; copper"
This Mediterranean island name would be a plausible choice for parents with a Greek or Turkish heritage.
Danube
River name
Some parents are turning to rivers and other bodies of water in the search for undiscovered place-names, and this has the feel of a Viennese waltz.
Deimena
Lithuanian, river name
One of the more subtle place names, Deimena is the Lithuanian word for the river Deyma, located in the Kaliningrad Oblast. It has seen small but steady use in Lithuania since the 1960s, peaking in…
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.…
Diani
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…
Alamo
Place-name, Spanish
"poplar tree"
The unique O-ending makes this name memorable, especially for someone with ties to Texas.