Nature, Place and Word Names · Unisex Baby Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 37 pages
of 37
Place-name, Portuguese
"wood"
Madeira is an off-beat place name, notably appearing on the map as an island off Morocco, famous for its Madeira wine. Also the name of a city in Ohio (named for John Madeira, a 19th century…
Italian place-name
This lovely Umbrian hill town became a striking first name for the young daughter of Jade Jagger.
Biblical place-name
Anatolian city visited by Paul in the Bible, though risks sounding a tad antiseptic.
Greek
"from Attica"
Attica has not taken off as a baby name for girls the way Atticus has for boys partly because it's the name of an infamous prison in upstate New York where an deadly riot took place in 1971. Fewer…
Lydda is the name of a Biblical town whose similarity to Lydia makes it plausible as a first name. But if you're considering Lydda, we can't help but wonder: Why not just stick with Lydia?
Place name, Egyptian
"palaces, castles"
Luxor is just waiting to be discovered as a baby name. It has a lot going for it — an easy and fashionable nickname (hello, Lux!), unisex appeal, and a place name connection. Luxor is the modern-day…
Place name, Egyptian from Arabic
"the palaces, castles"
The Egyptian city of Luxor was the ancient city of Thebes, at one time the capital of Ancient Egypt. The name derives from the Arabic term al-ʾuqṣur , meaning "the palaces" or "castles." Luxor is a…
Place name, Latinization of German Osterreich
"eastern realm"
Austria is an nteresting, appealing, unexplored geographic destination, much fresher than American cousin Austin. A related and attractive possibility is Austria's capital city, Vienna, the name of…
French, place name
A picturesque city in eastern France that would make an unusual and stylish addition to the list of place names off the map.
Swiss place-name or Latin
"lamp"
Projects the calm and pristine image of the picturesque Swiss lake and mountain town.
Spanish
"bay"
Cool tropical Latin word name.
Spanish place-name
"lower"
Pronounced Bah-hah, this name of the Mexican peninsula attached to California makes for an out-of-the-ordinary possibility.
Place-name, capital of Azerbaijan
Why settle for Brooklyn or Boston when you can name your child for someplace so much more interesting.
Place name, English from Irish
"town of the big house"
With place names extending their range, this is an unmapped possibility, though a bit stiff. Baltimore, Maryland was named after Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Baron Baltimore. Baltimore is ultimately…
Place-name
This is one place-name we'd put off-limits, for obvious reasons.
Portuguese surname
"a place with many palm trees"
Barbossa (also spelled Barbosa) is derived from the Barbosa palm. It is also a common place name, with towns called Barbossa spread across Latin America. Film buffs might also recall that Barbossa is…
Catalan place name
Attractive but somewhat unwieldy place-name name.
French place name; Old English name
"ax-wolf"
Bardou is a holiday destination in France, known for its pictureque village nestled in mountains. It is also a region of Guinea. As a name, it is more commonly known from its English derivation,…
Old English
"ax-wielding wolf"
Bardou is a bright-as-a-button name that despite its zippy, modern feel is actually as old as the earth.
Italian place name
A city in Italy, or simply a feminized spelling of Barry.
