American Place Names

Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia, US, and a town in London, UK — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard.

Rochester was Jack Benny's famous valet and sidekick, played by early African-American comic Eddie Anderson.

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.

This name of the North Dakota city has been used for at least one female (we know, because she wrote to us) but it doesn't meet the Social Security's five-baby threshold to ever make it onto the official records for either sex. But it certainly can work as a first name as well as or even better than many place-names. After all, it rhymes with Margo!

Viva Las Vegas? What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? We think not. Maybe Vega, the name of an actual heavenly star?

A city name that sounds more legit than most because of its similarity to Peyton and other such names in circulation.

Not yet on the place-name map, this name has Shakespearean ties via the Duke Of Albany character in King Lear.

While Maui was a male trickster god in Polynesian mythology, the well-known Hawaiian place name Maui can work for either gender.

A possibility for your li'l cowgirl.

American place and tribe name, derived via French from the Dakota word ayúxba "sleepy ones".

A fun, unexpected way to honor your home state or a Mary in your life. As geographical girl names such as Ireland, Scotland, and Oakland slowly rise up the charts, Maryland could be a future favorite.

Norwegian city name heard much more often as a last name than a first.

Cool and breezy, Kansas is a rare geographical name, given to fourteen girls in a recent year. Known as the Sunflower State, Kansas is associated with rolling hills, vast prairies, and The Wizard of Oz, and its name, derived from that of a local tribe, has often been said to mean "people of the west wind".

More distinctive than Grace and more creative than Presley, Graceland is a contemporary name that could catch on with parents searching for a unique honorific.

Unlike other place names, this one might be tied too tightly to a single locale -- the Maryland suburb of D. C. -- to work as a first name.

Alabama is a hot southern place-name, picking up from Georgia and Savannah. This is not a geographical name come lately, though--there have been girls named Alabama dating back well over a century.

Visitors to Hawaii's Garden Isle may want to commemorate the island's beauty with this place-name.

Zuma is a name that can appeal to almost anyone — just pick your association! There's former South African president Jacob Zuma, the Malibu beach, video game, and more. Children will associate it with the male Paw Patrol character — which may explain why Zuma is becoming more popular among dogs.

Charleston is one of those baby names that may become more popular thanks to its nickname Charlie, now used about equally for boys and girls. If you want to call your daughter Charlie but believe she needs a more formal name, you might try Charleston instead of Charlotte. And Charleston is a lovely city in South Carolina.

This state name — it comes from the Ute tribe — has a strong but feminine sound.