American Place Names
- Hawaii
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
An actual Hawaiian first name would convey the aura of the islands more originally and effectively.
- Indiana
Origin:
American place-nameMeaning:
"land of the Indians"Description:
This state name emerged in the eighties along with westerners Dakota and Montana, and it's still used occasionally by high-profile parents such as Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck. Action man Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) makes Indiana "Indy" forever cool for a boy.
- Jersey
Origin:
English place name, Old NorseMeaning:
"Geirr's island"Description:
An established place name, associated with a sunny island in the English Channel, the Garden State in the US, knitted pullovers, reality TV, and a Broadway musical. It peaked in the late 2000s and though it is now in decline, 130 girls and nearly 50 boys received the name in 2023.
-ey meaning "island". Alternative theories suggest it comes from jarl ,meaning "earl" or hjǫr meaning "sword".
- Juneau
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Juneau could go either way as a name. The newfound fame of the movie heroine Juno knocks this unrelated though identical-sounding Alaskan name out of consideration for boys, for the moment. Though (male) writer Junot Diaz may put the sound-alike name back in the running for boys.
- Maine
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Strong and spare state name, maybe better in the middle -- or for a boy.
- Philadelphia
Origin:
Greek place-nameMeaning:
"brotherly love"Description:
Place-name mentioned in the New Testament and not yet on the name map. Philadelphia Thursday was the character played by Shirley Temple in John Ford's 1948 "Fort Apache."
- Tennessee
Origin:
Native American, Cherokee, place-nameMeaning:
"bend in the river or meeting place"Description:
When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size.
- Texas
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
After Dallas, Austin, and Houston, the new cowboy on the block. Old-school Western nickname: Tex.
- Utah
Origin:
American place name, UteMeaning:
"people of the mountains"Description:
This would make a startling but likable choice; poet Dylan Thomas used it for a character in his play "Under Milk Wood."
- Vermont
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"green mountain"Description:
Place-name waiting to be discovered.
- Wyoming
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
A possibility for your li'l cowgirl.
- Boulder
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
A tough and rugged nature name.
- Burbank
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"riverbank where burrs grow"Description:
Beautiful downtown Burbank -- about as glamorous a place-name as Akron...or Detroit.
- Miami
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Miami -- or Florida, for that matter -- hasn't achieved the place-name stardom of southern sisters like Savannah and Georgia. Quincy Jones used it as his daughter KENYA's middle name.
- Atlanta
Origin:
American place name from GreekMeaning:
"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.
- Boise
Description:
Boise as a masculine name takes inspiration from the city of Boise, Idaho, which itself derives from the French word "boisé" meaning "wooded." This place name has occasionally been adopted as a personal name, particularly in the United States where geographic names often inspire parents. As a first name, Boise carries a strong connection to the American West and evokes natural imagery of forests and mountain landscapes. The name has a short, clear pronunciation (BOY-see) and a distinctive sound that sets it apart from more common names. Extremely rare as a given name, Boise might appeal to parents with a connection to the Idaho capital city or those seeking an uncommon name with an outdoorsy, place-based association and simple spelling.
- Chicago
Origin:
American place name, AlgonquinMeaning:
"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.
- Lexington
Origin:
English place nameDescription:
Lexington is trending as a unisex name, used just about evenly for the genders. For Americans, it's got a patriotic feel, given the importance of Lexington, Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War. Lexington, Kentucky, in horse country, is another well-known city with the name. Short form Lex is user friendly.
- Portland
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"land near the port"Description:
There are two lovely Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, but not many babies with their name.
- Baltimore
Origin:
Place name, English from IrishMeaning:
"town of the big house"Description:
With place names extending their range, this is an unmapped possibility, though a bit stiff. Baltimore, Maryland was named after Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Baron Baltimore. Baltimore is ultimately derived from the Irish Baile an Tí Mhóir, meaning "town of the big house."
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