City Names - Oceania

Adelaide is now heading straight uphill on the coattails of such newly popular sisters as Ava, Ada, and Audrey, and in the company of Adeline and Amelia. It was chosen by actress Katherine Heigl for the name of her second daughter.

Sydney was a hot girls' name in the 1990s, but she's arguably still cool. One of the original old man names adopted for baby girls, Sydney's popularity may be down but she's not out.

Wellington is a tony-sounding English surname turned baby name by pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who calls her son Wells for short. It's also the middle name of one of the Sweet Home sextuplets, Blu Wellington.

Nelson is a rather stiff and dated surname name that is sometimes used to honor distinguished South African activist Nelson Mandela, as Celine Dion did for one of her twin boys. Other notable associations are with the British Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, novelist Nelson Algren and movie operetta star Nelson Eddy. It was also the given name of "Rabbit" Angstrom, protagonist of John Updike's series of novels.

Enough parents have found naturalist Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, a worthy hero to keep Darwin relatively consistently in the Top 1000. It has a lovely meaning too—"dear friend."

Levin, known in the U.S. mostly as a surname, is a Top 100 boys' name in Germany. There have been saints with variations of this name, whose meaning relates to love.

A name with a double animal connection via two distinct origins, one Native American and the other Hebrew and Biblical. Yona is rare in the US but not unknown: It was given to a dozen baby girls in 2021.

There's a Perth in Scotland and a bigger one in Australia; this name could make a statement similar to Heath.

Best associated with the Australian city, Melbourne is occasionally used as a given name. The city itself was named after the British Prime Minister, William Lamb, the 2nd Viscount Melbourne - Melbourne also being a market town in Derbyshire.

Daru is a masculine name with diverse cultural roots. In Persian, it means 'remedy' or 'medicine,' reflecting its connection to healing and wellness. In Hindi, Daru can mean 'wine' or 'alcohol.' It's also found as a surname in various Asian cultures. The name has remained relatively uncommon in Western countries, giving it a distinctive quality for those who bear it. Its brevity and easy pronunciation make it appealing across different linguistic backgrounds. Daru carries a strong, compact sound while maintaining a gentle resonance that balances masculine energy with approachability.

Unless it runs in your family, or Alexander Hamilton is your particular hero, you might consider something less imposing -- and without the teasable nickname Ham.

This beautiful lakeside town in southern New Zealand would make an unusual but wearable choice for a daughter. It benefits from having a great meaning, too.

The surname of the influential early Scottish inventor of logarithms could make an inspiring middle name choice for a mathematically inclined family.

Buna is a succinct feminine name with diverse cultural origins. In Ethiopian traditions, particularly among the Oromo people, Buna refers to coffee and its important cultural ceremonies. The name also appears in Eastern European contexts, particularly in Romanian and Albanian communities. Additionally, Buna exists as a place name in several countries including Papua New Guinea and Texas. This multicultural name carries different meanings depending on its origin—from representing a cherished beverage tradition to potentially deriving from words for "good" in some Slavic languages. Buna's simplicity, pleasing sound pattern, and cross-cultural presence make it an uncommon but accessible option for parents seeking a short, distinctive name with international connections.

Nouveau name that's cute but slight, ala older sisters Tori and Teri.

Jakarta, the name of the capital and largest city of Indonesia, is located on the island of Java. Both Jakarta and Java could make interesting and unusual choices for a girl.