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American Place Names

  1. Vermont

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "green mountain"

    • Description:

      Place-name waiting to be discovered.
  2. Nevada

    • Origin:

      Spanish place-name

    • Meaning:

      "covered in snow"

    • Description:

      Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's trampled tourist attraction.
  3. Florida

    • Origin:

      Place name and Spanish from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "flowery"

    • Description:

      Lacks the cachet of some newer place-names.
  4. Columbus

    • Origin:

      Variation of Columbo or Columbia, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "dove"

    • Description:

      This is a big name, both in heritage and sound. On the right child, this could be inspired, but others may shrink from all the connotations. While your preferred nickname for this option might be Col (or Kit if you're connecting it to Christopher Columbus), you may end up with the slightly more cumbersome "Bus" as the short-form.
  5. Trenton

    • Origin:

      English, place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Trent's town"

    • Description:

      There's only one Trenton, New Jersey, but it's a widely used name, more for its fashionable -on ending than the reference to the city. Since 2007, however, Trenton has been on a steady decline. Trenten is another popular spelling.
  6. Arizona

    • Origin:

      Place-name from Papago Indian

    • Meaning:

      "little springs"

    • Description:

      We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510 in 1882, before Arizona became a state. One notorious vintage bearer: criminal "Ma" Barker, born Arizona Clark.
  7. Portland

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "land near the port"

    • Description:

      There are two lovely Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, but not many babies with their name.
  8. Fairbanks

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "bank along the pathway"

    • Description:

      Alaska's second most populous city makes a baby name with a preppy, even aristocratic, flavor.
  9. 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.

  10. California

    • Origin:

      Place name, Spanish from Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "land of Califia, land of the caliph"

    • Description:

      Has not caught on as much as other Golden State place-names — Sierra, Marin, West, or even Francisco — probably because of its length.
  11. Washington

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "home of the Wassa people"

    • Description:

      Lincoln, Tyler, Taylor, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Kennedy, Carter -- yes. Washington -- probably not.
  12. Lexington

    • Origin:

      English place name

    • Description:

      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.
  13. Missouri

    • Origin:

      Native American

    • Meaning:

      "Dugout canoe"

    • Description:

      Missouri, the name of a tribe, a state and a river, derives from the Illinois word mihsoori meaning "dugout canoe". It became a somewhat popular American girls' name in the mid-19th century.
  14. Albany

    • Origin:

      Scottish place name

    • Description:

      A capital place-name possibility.
  15. Louisiana

    • Origin:

      French place-name

    • Description:

      Louisiana is a geographic spin on the Louise theme. Pretty, if a bit of a syllable overload. Short form Lou or Lulu lightens it.
  16. Utah

    • Origin:

      American place name, Ute

    • Meaning:

      "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."
  17. Boulder

    • Origin:

      Nature name

    • Description:

      A tough and rugged nature name.
  18. Colorado

    • Origin:

      Spanish place-name

    • Meaning:

      "colored red"

    • Description:

      More unusual than Dakota or Austin, Colorado conjures images of majestic mountains and windswept wilderness. Some will prefer the more preppy Aspen, but Colorado feels like the true explorer.
  19. Miami

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      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.
  20. Hawaii

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      An actual Hawaiian first name would convey the aura of the islands more originally and effectively.