Philly-inspired Baby names

Baby boy and girl names that keep Philadelphia at the top of your mind while you eat that cheesesteak.
  1. Barnes
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "someone who lives or works near the barn"
    • Description:

      This is a solid surname choice for people looking for a change from Cooper, Parker and Carson. Australian parents will probably instantly associate this name with famous rock legend Jimmy Barnes, but this has an even older pedigree as a namesake - Barnes Wallis was a UK aviator and inventor, most remembered for designing the Dambuster bomb (a bomb that bounces across water to reach its target) and working on supersonic flight in the 1940s and 50s.
  2. Betsy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a comeback, pigtailed Betsy could return as well.
  3. Billie
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Wilhelmina, Wilma
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Billie is a tomboy nickname name, part of the growing trend for using boyish nicknames for girls and now destined for stardom along with its most famous contemporary bearer, music sensation Billie Eilish.
  4. Bryn
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "hill"
    • Description:

      Bryn is an up-and-coming gentle, yet substantial, Welsh name that would also be effective in the middle spot. In Wales it's a traditional boys' name, but it's far more popular for girls now in the US.
  5. Cecil
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "blind"
    • Description:

      Once a powerful Roman clan name, Cecil has lost much of its potency over the years, though it retains a strong presence in the sports and jazz worlds. Past bearers include film giant Cecil B. DeMille, poet Cecil Day Lewis, father of Daniel, and photographer Cecil Beaton. Fictional Cecils appear in Oscar Wilde's play, Lady Windemere's Fan, E. M. Foster's A Room With a View and the film Lee Daniel's The Butler.
  6. Chester
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "fortress, walled town,"
    • Description:

      Chester is a comfortable, little-used teddy-bear of a name that suddenly sounds both quirky and cuddly.
  7. Clark
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "scribe, secretary, cleric, scholar, clerk"
    • Description:

      Clark seemed to have been Gone with the Wind, but parents looking for a short, strong boy's name are now beginning to appreciate its cool combination of Gable charm with Superman power.
  8. Clive
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "lives near a high cliff"
    • Description:

      Clive started life as a surname for someone who lived near a cliff, making it a secret outdoorsy name.

  9. Coltrane
    • Origin:

      Irish surname
    • Meaning:

      "descendant of Coltarán"
    • Description:

      The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan.
  10. Darby
    • Origin:

      Irish or Norse
    • Meaning:

      "free from envy, or from the deer estate"
    • Description:

      Once a common boys' name in Ireland (e. g. , Darby O'Gill and the Little People), the dynamic Darby now has a definite unisex feel. Actor Paul Rudd has a young daughter named Darby.
  11. Delancey
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "from Lancey"
    • Description:

      This is an energetic dance of an Irish surname, great for both genders. Could also be spelled Delancy.
  12. Drexel
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "to turn"
    • Description:

      Drexel is an occupational surname but the original meaning of what a person who "turned" for a living actually did is unclear: It may mean turning the soil or making hay or spinning cloth or creating decorative objects. With the rise of the similar-sounding Dexter, Drexel might catch on.
  13. Franklin
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "free landholder"
    • Description:

      A doubly Presidential name, via Pierce and Roosevelt, Franklin was given an initial boost via the fame of Benjamin Franklin. It also has a literary tie to the main character of the Wilkie Collins classic The Moonstone.
  14. Girard
    • Jawn
      • Kelly
        • Origin:

          Irish
        • Meaning:

          "war"
        • Description:

          Once the quintessential bouncy teenager name, Kelly helped launch the trend of unisex Irish names . But it now takes a backseat to more substantial surname names like Kennedy.
      • Kennedy
        • Origin:

          Irish
        • Meaning:

          "misshapen head"
        • Description:

          This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert Kennedy, Kennedy is now one of the most popular unisex names for girls as well as the top girls' name starting with K. This is one name that manages to sound trendy and classic at the same time.
      • Kobe
        • Origin:

          Swahili
        • Meaning:

          "tortoise"
        • Description:

          Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, whose name was inspired by a Japanese steak house, brought this energetic and appealing name into -- and out of -- the mix. Bryant's tragic death in a helicopter crash in 2020 increased the popularity of his name, as fans and admirers named their children Kobe in honor of the star.
      • Liberty
        • Origin:

          Word name
        • Description:

          Less common than other virtue names, Liberty is nonetheless a name with a long American heritage.
      • Logan
        • Origin:

          Scottish
        • Meaning:

          "small hollow"
        • Description:

          According to exclusive Nameberry data, Logan is officially the Number 1 gender-neutral name in the US, but that statistic is somewhat misleading given that nearly 90 percent of the baby Logans born in 2023 were boys.