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Place Names for Babies

  1. Penrose

    • Origin:

      Cornish and Welsh place name and surname

    • Meaning:

      "top of the heath"

    • Description:

      Penrose – an ancient locational surname derived from several villages in Cornwall, Wales, and the Welsh border country of England – might work as a first name, although the "Rose" syllable might lead the uninitiated to assume it's a female name. As a middle name, however, it would make for a surprising and distinguished choice. A male Penrose could be called Pen/Penn, Ross or Roe for short.
  2. Israel

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "he who struggles with God"

    • Description:

      Though it was used by the Puritans in the sixteenth century, the founding of the modern Jewish state in 1948 transformed Israel from a traditional favorite into an icon of Judaism.
  3. Oakland

    • Origin:

      American nature name or place name

    • Meaning:

      "oak land"

    • Description:

      Oakland is a place name associated mainly with the city near San Francisco, pretty obviously meaning "oak land". Theoretically unisex but used mainly for boys, Oakland is one of a trending group of oak-related names, led by Oakley for both genders, with Oakland and Oaklen trending for boys while baby girls are more often given spellings Oaklynn and Oaklyn.
  4. Denver

    • Origin:

      English or French place-name and surname

    • Meaning:

      "green valley or from Anvers"

    • Description:

      Yet another creative character name from Toni Morrison, Denver was a daughter of Sethe's in the novel Beloved. Today Denver is most familiar as the name of the largest city in Colorado, used almost equally for girls and boys.
  5. Topanga

    • Origin:

      Native American

    • Meaning:

      "where the mountain meets the sea"

    • Description:

      Used for a free-spirited character on a 1990s sitcom, this name of a beautiful Southern California canyon does have an unconventional aura.
  6. Carlisle

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "from the walled city"

    • Description:

      This stuffy English surname and hotel name took on Twilight cool when attached to vampire Carlisle Cullen. Inspired by the character, it's more popular in this spelling than as Carlyle and more widely used for boys than for girls.
  7. Rome

    • Origin:

      Place name, Latin, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "to flow or hurry; strength"

    • Description:

      The name of this historic European city is more distinct than Paris and London but sounds similar enough to the rising Romy and well-established Ramona and Rosemary that it doesn't feel totally out there. Currently in the US Top 1000 for boys, Rome has been quietly used as a girl name since the 2000s and in 2023, it was given to around 60 girls. While it is therefore nine times more popular as a masculine name, it has plenty of unisex potential.
  8. Wellington

    • Origin:

      English surname from place name

    • Meaning:

      "people living in the hamlet in the cleared area near the temple"

    • Description:

      Wellington is a tony-sounding English surname turned baby name by pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who calls her son Wells for short. It's also the middle name of one of the Sweet Home sextuplets, Blu Wellington.
  9. Calais

    • Origin:

      French place-name

    • Description:

      Undiscovered name of picturesque northern French port.
  10. Canaan

    • Origin:

      Biblical place name, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "The Promised Land; humble, low"

    • Description:

      Pronounced KAY-nan, this Old Testament place name has a strong modern feel that blends in with on-trend choices like Carter, Colton, and Kayson, but also with Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Tobias. Associated in the Bible with "The Promised Land", it is also the name of one of Noah's grandsons.
  11. Dominica

    • Origin:

      Italian, feminine variation of Dominic

    • Meaning:

      "belonging to the Lord"

    • Description:

      Fashionably Continental and much fresher than Dominique, though it's been used since the Middle Ages. Dominica can be spelled any number of ways, from Dominika to Domenica, but we prefer this version.
  12. Dayton

    • Origin:

      English, variation of Deighton

    • Meaning:

      "place with a dike"

    • Description:

      If Dayton, like Trenton and Camden, is finding favor with parents, it's more because of its popular two-syllable surname feel and -on ending than the industrial city in Ohio.
  13. Sequoia

    • Description:

      Sequoia is a masculine name derived from the name of the massive redwood trees native to California, which were themselves named after Sequoyah (c.1770-1843), the Cherokee silversmith who created a syllabary for the Cherokee language. As a given name, Sequoia evokes qualities of strength, longevity, and natural majesty—sequoia trees are among the largest and longest-living organisms on Earth. This name has gained modest popularity in the United States since the late 20th century as part of the trend toward nature-inspired names. While still uncommon, Sequoia appeals to parents seeking a distinctive name with Native American connections and powerful natural symbolism. Though listed here as masculine, it's worth noting that Sequoia is used for children of all genders.

  14. Nile

    • Origin:

      River name, color name, or variation of Niall, Irish

    • Meaning:

      "champion"

    • Description:

      Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue or indigo.
  15. Montana

    • Origin:

      Spanish place-name; "mountainous"

    • Meaning:

      "mountainous"

    • Description:

      Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.
  16. Beulah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "married"

    • Description:

      In the Bible, Beulah is a place, not a person, applied to the land of Israel by the prophet Isaiah. The land of Beulah has sometimes been considered a reference to heaven. Beulah began to be used as a given name in England at the time of the Reformation and was used by the seventeenth century Puritans.
  17. Pierre

    • Origin:

      French variation of Peter

    • Meaning:

      "rock, stone"

    • Description:

      One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US, Pierre was most common in the 1980s but it has never cracked the Top 300.
  18. Carmel

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "garden"

    • Description:

      Carmel is a biblical place-name that is often used by Catholic parents around the world. It is given in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and is the name of a mountain ridge on the Mediterranean near Haifa in Israel, mentioned in the Old Testament, famous for its lush vegetation and said to have been often visited by Mary and the Infant Christ.
  19. Montserrat

    • Origin:

      Catalan

    • Meaning:

      "serrated mountain"

    • Description:

      Montserrat is a Catalan name meaning ‘serrated mountain’. That may not be the most appealing meaning, but the exceptional beauty of the Montserrat mountain range near Barcelona, Spain might change your mind. Montserrat is, unsurprisingly, most common among the Spanish community.
  20. Arran

    • Origin:

      Scottish place name

    • Meaning:

      "ridged island"

    • Description:

      Arran Island (not to be confused with the Aran Islands in Ireland) is a large island in Scotland's Firth (or bay) of Clyde. An attractive name, long popular in Scotland, but may be confused with the Biblical Aaron elsewhere. Currently in the Scottish Top 100, it recently re-entered the charts in England and Wales too.