International Baby Names · Nature, Place and Word Names
American Place Names
Across 11 pages
of 11
Maryland
English
"Mary's land"
Maryland appeared on the charts as a male name before a female one, but these days it's all girl.
Maui
Hawaiian place name and Polynesian mythology name
While Maui was a male trickster god in Polynesian mythology, the well-known Hawaiian place name Maui can work for either gender.
Maui
Hawaiian, Polynesian mythology
The name of the second-biggest (and third-most populous) island in Hawaii was one of the fastest-rising boys' names of 2017. A major factor was surely Dwayne Johnson's character in Moana , the…
Melrose
Scottish surname
"bare promontory"
Traditionally a Scottish habitational surname, but today could be viewed as a mashup of Melanie or Melissa and Rose. The '90s soap opera Melrose Place gives it a melodramatic vibe, but the…
Memphis
Greek and Coptic place-name
"Enduring and beautiful"
Tied to the bluesy southern city and to the world heritage cite in Egypt after which it was named, Memphis is a modern choice with ancient history. Currently significantly more popular for boys in…
Mesa
Spanish, Thai
"table; April"
Mesa is both the term for a flat-topped mountain, derived from the Spanish word for "table", and the Thai variation of April.
Mesa
Spanish, Thai
"table; April"
This multicultural option can refer to a flat-topped mountain, derived from the Spanish word for "table" or to the month of April in Thai.
Miami
Place-name
Miami -- or Florida, for that matter -- hasn't achieved the place-name stardom of southern sisters like Savannah and Georgia. Quincy Jones used it as his daughter KENYA's middle name.
Missouri
Native American
"dugout canoe"
Missouri, the name of a tribe, a state and a river, derives from the Illinois word mihsoori meaning "dugout canoe". It became a somewhat popular American girls' name in the mid-19th century. Missouri…
Moab
Hebrew
"from my father"
Moab is a Biblical name and an ancient place name. In the Old Testament, Moab was the son of Lot. The Kingdom of Moab, in modern-day Jordan, was Biblically significant for often being in conflict…
Mojave
Native American tribal and place-name
Resonant place-name of the beautiful Southern California desert.
Montana
Spanish place-name
"mountainous"
Overly trendy western place-name, as stated in the title of our book Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana.
Montana
Spanish place-name; "mountainous"
"mountainous"
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.
Nashville
Place name
The state capital of Tennessee — and the capital of country music — has seen some use for boys in recent years, now that more parents are daring to use meaningful place names. While not as popular as…
Nevada
Spanish place-name
"covered in snow"
Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's…
Nevada
Spanish place-name
"covered in snow"
Western place-name that feels equally appropriate for both genders. Note: Natives say rhyme that second syllable with had, so it's not nehv-AH-da.
Newport
English place-name
"new port"
For sailors or jazz lovers. Or smokers of menthol cigarettes.
Nolita
Latin
"unwilling"
A saucy Latin name that also defines a trendy New York area north of Little Italy.
Norfolk
English
"place of the northern people"
Would make a difficult choice even for those with ties to the Virginia city or British county.
Oakland
American nature name or place name
"oak land"
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…