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American Place Names

  1. Vail

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Meaning:

      "valley"

    • Description:

      Aspen's sibling.
  2. Hanalei

    • Origin:

      Hawaiian

    • Meaning:

      "crescent bay or garland valley"

    • Description:

      An appealing Hawaiian name which belongs to a town, river and bay on Kauaʻi island in Hawaii. The two possible meanings of the name, "crescent bay" or "garland (lei) valley" both describe the beauty of the place.
  3. Charleston

    • Origin:

      American place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Charles' town"

    • Description:

      Lovers of the languid South Carolina city might be attracted to this rich-sounding name. Could make an interesting update on Charles -- and can certainly work for a girl too. Actor Joey Lawrence used it for his daughter.
  4. Macon

    • Origin:

      French place-name

    • Description:

      What with Mason scooting up the charts, this attractive place-name, with its thick Georgia accent, could make a more distinctive alternative.
  5. Princeton

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "princely town"

    • Description:

      This uppity name has been a fast climber in recent years, but we still think it's a bit much. Even abroad, where the connection to the prestigious university will be weaker, any name beginning with "Prince" will sound pretentious.
  6. Berkeley

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "where birches grow"

    • Description:

      Despite the strong association with the University of California, Berkeley, the more common version of this name omits the second E, Berkley.
  7. Tahoe

    • Origin:

      Native American

    • Meaning:

      "edge of the lake"

    • Description:

      A unique natural-wonder option, conjuring up the beauty of the lake between California and Nevada that has become a popular tourist destination.
  8. Hartford

    • Origin:

      English surname

    • Meaning:

      "deer ford"

    • Description:

      British habitational surname that calls to mind the Connecticut capital
  9. Sundance

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "sun dance"

    • Description:

      Long synonymous with the American outlaw Harry Longabaugh, aka The Sundance Kid, who got his nickname from the town of Sundance, Wyoming, where he was incarcerated as a teenager. The place name Sundance was taken from the sun dance ceremony practiced by local Native American tribes.
  10. Disney

    • Origin:

      French surname

    • Meaning:

      "from Isigny"

    • Description:

      The Disney surname is derived from the French d'Isigny, referring to someone from the Norman town of Isigny. Isigny may be etymologically related to the Germanic name Iso.
  11. Memphis

    • Origin:

      Greek and Coptic place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Enduring and beautiful"

    • Description:

      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 the US, as a place name with sounds reminiscent of Paris, Meredith and Emma, it has plenty of potential as a unisex choice.
  12. Atlanta

    • Origin:

      Place name

    • Meaning:

      "Atlantic Ocean"

    • Description:

      The capital of Georgia is far from the ocean, but got its name from the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran through the city. Best known as a hub of industry and transport, and for its roles in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, it has never been popular as a baby name despite sounding like one. Its peak popularity was in 1995, the year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.

  13. Chicago

    • Origin:

      American place name, Algonquin

    • Meaning:

      "wild garlic"

    • Description:

      Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have done it again for their third child: Chosen a name that feels iconic yet strangely inevitable. They named North and Saint's younger sister Chicago, after Kanye's hometown. The name Chicago derives from a Native American word for "wild garlic," which once grew plentifully in the Illinois city, the third most populous in the US.
  14. Joplin

    • Origin:

      English surname

    • Meaning:

      "son of Job"

    • Description:

      Used as a first name for a handful of girls every year, Joplin could be seen as a distant cousin of other -lin names, like Caitlin, Brooklyn and Braelynn. We think it works even better as a musical middle name possibility for fans of Janis... or Scott. Both great connections — albeit very different from one another.

  15. Richmond

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "powerful protector"

    • Description:

      Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard.
  16. Providence

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "divine protection or care"

    • Description:

      A Puritanical virtue name and also a place name, belonging to the state capital of Rhode Island and several other towns and cities in the US.
  17. Nevada

    • Origin:

      Spanish place-name

    • Meaning:

      "covered in snow"

    • Description:

      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 trampled tourist attraction.
  18. Washington

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "home of the Wassa people"

    • Description:

      Lincoln, Tyler, Taylor, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Kennedy, Carter -- yes. Washington -- probably not.
  19. Stanford

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "stony ford"

    • Description:

      Even if you're a loyal alumnus, consider something less ultraupright, like Yale or Cal.
  20. Yosemite

    • Origin:

      Native American tribal name

    • Meaning:

      "those who kill"

    • Description:

      The evocative name of one of our most beautiful national parks -- yes, but also the bombastic cartoon character, Yosemite Sam.