Desert Names

Mesa
- Origin:
  Spanish, Thai
- Meaning:
  "table; April"
- Description:
  Mesa is both the term for a flat-topped mountain, derived from the Spanish word for "table", and the Thai variation of April.
Coal
- Origin:
  Word name
- Description:
  This recently coined respelling of Cole darkens its image.

Slate
- Origin:
  Word name
- Description:
  One of the more unusual of the current crop of strong, single-syllable boys' names, evoking the images of both old-fashioned blackboards and modern stepping-stones and countertops.
Shale
- Origin:
  Word name
- Description:
  Slate, Stone and Steel are on the rise, so why not Shale?
Nevada
- Origin:
  Spanish place-name
- Meaning:
  "covered in snow"
- Description:
  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.

Prairie
- Origin:
  Nature name
- Description:
  An evocative, windswept choice that is part of the third generation of western-influenced names, picking up where first Jesse and then Dakota left off, though with a slight feminine edge.
Cayenne
- Origin:
  Word name, English from Tupi
- Meaning:
  "pepper"
- Description:
  Spicy.
Copper
- Origin:
  Word name
- Description:
  It's a beautiful burnished metal -- but also slang for policeman.

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