Nature, Place and Word Names
Rare Place Names for Babies
Across 7 pages
of 7
Valencia
Spanish
"brave, strong"
This lovely orange-scented Spanish place-name would make an inventive namesake for an Aunt Valerie. Last on the popularity list in 1994, Valencia reached a high of Number 633 in 1969-70. The…
Venice
Italian place-name
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.
Verona
Italian place-name
Verona is a scenic place-name with the added attraction of a Shakespearean connection, as in Two Gentlemen of ....
York
English
"from the yew estate"
Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and…
Bronx
Place name
Rockers Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz put a new baby name on the map when they chose this downscale New York borough name for their son. The Bronx, the place, was named for early Dutch settler Jonas…
Indiana
American place-name
"land of the Indians"
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…
Sweden
Place-name
"Swede, one's own tribe"
You may be surprised to learn 73 girls have been named Sweden since the 2000s. Appearing sporadically in the US name stats over the last twenty years, the name derives from the Old Norse Svíar which…
Zealand
English place name from Dutch
"sea land"
Sunny and energetic, but with a hint of cool cowboy, Zealand has been sparingly used since the 2000s, Zealand but shot up the charts in 2021 after YouTube family The Labrants gave it to their son the…
Zakynthos
Greek Mythology
"legendary figure; Greek island"
In Greek mythology, Zakynthos was a legendary figure who founded a colony on an island in the Ionian sea. The island, still known as Zakynthos today, is now a popular tourist destination thanks to…
Mithian
Cornish place name
"unknown meaning"
With other Cornish names like Elowen and Jago catching people's attention, the mythical sounding Mithian might prove an unexpected and magical feeling choice. Traditionally called Mydhyan , Mithian…
Clovelly
Place name
"ravine under the mill"
Combining the sounds of familiar Ellie with the spark of contemporary Clover, Clovelly has a hint of Everly, Chloe, and Romilly about it too. Currently a very rare choice, and likely to remain so for…
Sosa
Spanish, Portuguese
"salty water; rocky, pebbly"
Sweet, spirited, and unexpected as a given name, reality TV star Lala Kent brought Sosa into the spotlight when she chose it for her daughter in 2024. A Spanish name deriving from the Portuguese…
Mithian
Cornish place name
"unknown meaning"
With other Cornish names like Elowen and Jago catching people's attention, the mythical sounding Mithian might prove an unexpected and magical feeling choice. Traditionally called Mydhyan , Mithian…
Brynmor
Welsh
"great hill"
Derived from the Welsh place name Brynmawr, this adventurous sounding name, feels at once as rugged as its meaning but with a hint of gentleness, thanks to the unisex Bryn . While this name wouldn't…
Verlaine
French and Belgium place and surname
Originally used as a surname for someone from Verlaine in the Liege province of Belgium, its use as a given name was inspired by the 19th century French poet, Paul Verlaine. Predominantly used as a…
Veryan
Cornish place name
"accompany, bring together"
The name of a beautiful village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, Veryan actually derives from a series of misunderstandings: Sen Veryan ("Saint Veryan") is a Cornish corruption of Severian,…
Veryan
Cornish place name
"accompany, bring together"
The name of a beautiful village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, Veryan actually derives from a series of misunderstandings: Sen Veryan ("Saint Veryan") is a Cornish corruption of Severian,…
Kilby
English place name and surname
"children's settlement"
A quirky habitational surname, Kilby is a town in Leicestershire in England. Derived from Old English and Old Norse, it could mean "child's settlement" from the elements cilda and by . Though it is…
Kilby
English Place name and surname
"children's settlement"
A quirky habitational surname, Kilby is a town in Leicestershire in England. Derived from Old English and Old Norse, it could mean "child's settlement" from the elements cilda and by . Though it is…
Lausanne
Place name, Latin
"slab"
An unusual place, Lausanne is a hilly city on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Its name comes from the Latin Lausanna, ultimately from a Proto Celtic word meaning "slab" though other sources…