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Some Place Names I Like

writer.needs.names
By writer.needs.names
Updated Mon Jan 18 2021
I'm not always a big fan of place names, ironic considering I myself am named after a country. Here are a few place names that are just obscure enough to not be mainstream and just sensible enough not to be downright strange.
  1. Adelaide

    • Origin:

      Variant of Adelheidis, German

    • Meaning:

      "noble, nobility"

    • Description:

      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.
  2. Amberly

    • Origin:

      Modern variation of Amber

    • Description:

      A rarely used play on Amber, making it more feminine and both more modern and old-fashioned at the same time.
  3. Arcadia

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "region offering peace and contentment"

    • Description:

      Arcadia, a name for an unspoiled paradise, makes an attractive secular alternative to Nevaeh or Eden. For parents who want an unusual name with a friendlier nickname, Arcadia has the advantage of cute Cady.
  4. Aspen

    • Origin:

      Nature and place-name

    • Meaning:

      "a poplar tree that quakes in the breeze"

    • Description:

      Aspen is part of two groups of stylish and unique baby names: nature names and place-names. The name of a graceful tree in the poplar family with heart-shaped leaves so delicate they quiver in the gentlest breeze, Aspen is also the name of a trendy Colorado ski resort. Aspen started as a unisex name possibility but now is much more frequently worn by girls.
  5. Aspen

    • Origin:

      Nature and place-name

    • Meaning:

      "a poplar tree that quakes in the breeze"

    • Description:

      As trendy as the chic Colorado ski resort, with a hint of whimsy from the shimmering trees, Aspen has been climbing the charts for boys since the early 90s. While it has always been more popular for girls, it could work for a boy too.
  6. 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.

  7. Bristol

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Meaning:

      "the site of the bridge"

    • Description:

      Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Alaska governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, grabbed her own share of headlines after her pregnancy and having appearing on Dancing With The Stars. She subsequently (almost) single-handedly propelled her distinctive name, derived from the name of a city in England, into the Top 1000 and up the charts.
  8. Bristol

    • Origin:

      British place-name

    • Meaning:

      "site of the bridge"

    • Description:

      This name of a busy British port city -- as well as of several places in America -- has a brisk and bustling air. It will now--and for years to come--be identified as a Sarah Palin name, chosen for her eldest daughter, who is now a TV personality herself.
  9. Brooklyn

    • Origin:

      Place-name from Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "marshland"

    • Description:

      It may be the hippest of hispter neighborhoods, but as a baby name Brooklyn is now on the decline: down from a peak of 120 births for boys in 1999, and over 7000 births for girls in 2011.
  10. Brooklyn

    • Origin:

      Place-name from Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "marshland"

    • Description:

      Extreme makeover: Brooklyn has gone from jokey Borough Boy name in the 1990s to a leading girls' name starting with B. The status of New York's Brooklyn as hipster heaven is ironic as few bona fide Brooklyn hipsters would choose this name.
  11. Cairo

    • Origin:

      Egyptian place-name, Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "the conqueror, the victorious"

    • Description:

      Cairo is an exciting place name possibility with upbeat o ending and an on-trend first syllable. Debuting in the US Top 1000 in 2015, it has been climbing ever since, and, as of 2023, it is given to more than 1000 babies each year.
  12. Cairo

    • Origin:

      Place name, Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "the strong; the conqueror"

    • Description:

      On trend for boys but with plenty of unisex appeal too, the place name Cairo was put on the map for girls when model Beverly Peele chose it for her daughter. Given to around 50 girls each year, it hasn't caught on just yet but with its similar sounds to Kaia and Skyler, it might do in the future.
  13. Camden

    • Origin:

      American and British place-name, Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "winding valley"

    • Description:

      Camden is a surprise hit, probably as a result of some star baby cred: it has been chosen by no less than four celebrity parents since 2012. Gentle but not flimsy, Camden could be an updated spin on Cameron, Callum, or Caden.
  14. Camden

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "winding valley"

    • Description:

      Newly popular boys' name could cross over in much the way the related Cameron has.
  15. Caspian

    • Origin:

      Place name

    • Meaning:

      "white"

    • Description:

      One of the most romantic of appellations, Caspian is a geographical name referring to the large salty sea between Asia and Europe. It's also the name of the hero of C.S. Lewis's beloved Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian.
  16. Chelsea

    • Origin:

      London and New York neighborhood name

    • Description:

      Chelsea for a boy? Yes--and we've got two maleberry Chelseas to prove it (one of whom even wrote a blog for us about his experience)! Boy Chelseas would more likely be named for the British football team than the old Joni Mitchell song sung by Judy Collins.
  17. Chelsea

    • Origin:

      London and New York place-name

    • Description:

      Chelsea is still being used, with about 400 baby girls named Chelsea in the US last year. But it was much more popular a few decades ago, peaking at Number 15 in 1992.
  18. Dakota

    • Origin:

      Place-name; Sioux

    • Meaning:

      "friendly one"

    • Description:

      An early and still one of the most popular unisex names, also a place name and name of a Native American people in the northern Mississippi valley, which makes it a controversial baby name choice. While the popularity of Dakota is trending downward for both genders, it's one of those rare genuinely gender-neutral names that is used for nearly equal numbers of boys and girls.
  19. Dakota

    • Origin:

      Native American tribe and place name; Sioux

    • Meaning:

      "friendly one"

    • Description:

      A Native American tribe name which is found in the names of two US states, Dakota was one of the first trendy nineties place names, but is now flagging a little in popularity. The cultural question around using a Native American tribe name as a baby name may be partly to blame.
  20. Dallas

    • Origin:

      Place name, surname and Irish

    • Meaning:

      "meadow dwelling, valley house, skilled"

    • Description:

      A laid-back cowboy name which feels both cool and gentle, Dallas has ranked in the US Top 500 since records began in 1880. Never super popular but surprisingly never out of style, Dallas is given to nearly 1400 boys in the US every year.