American Place Names
- 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.
- Houston
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"Hugh's town"Description:
Looking for a Texas name more distinctive than Austin and Dallas? Houston is a lanky, roguish place-name, right in style with its Texas accent and cowboy image.
- Arizona
Origin:
Place-name from Papago IndianMeaning:
"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.
- 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.
- Fargo
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Fargo as a baby name? Though we haven't heard of any babies named for this frigid North Dakota city, it's certainly on the map of possibilities.
- Portland
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"land near the port"Description:
There are two lovely Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, but not many babies with their name.
- 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."
- Reno
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Has a lively and swaggering sound, and also some unfortunate associations with Reno, city of gambling and failed marriages.
- 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.
- Vermont
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"green mountain"Description:
Place-name waiting to be discovered.
- Erie
Description:
Erie is an uncommon feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from the Erie Native American tribe and the Great Lake named after them, giving it a natural, geographical connection. The name could also relate to the Old English 'eerie,' meaning fearful or mysterious, though this association is less common. As a given name, Erie has remained quite rare throughout history, never achieving widespread popularity. It offers a concise, distinctive option for parents seeking a name with natural connections that's easy to spell and pronounce. The name's brevity and open 'e' ending give it a light, airy quality that feels both distinctive and unpretentious.
- Tulsa
Origin:
CreekMeaning:
"old town"Description:
Unlike many other western city names, Tulsa has not proved attractive to parents. The name derives from Tallasi, meaning "old town" in the Creek language.
- 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.
- Nevada
Origin:
Spanish place-nameMeaning:
"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.
- Hawaii
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
An actual Hawaiian first name would convey the aura of the islands more originally and effectively.
- Colorado
Origin:
Spanish place-nameMeaning:
"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.
- 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."
- Rochester
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"stone camp or fortress"Description:
Rochester was Jack Benny's famous valet and sidekick, played by early African-American comic Eddie Anderson.
- Nashua
Origin:
Place name from PenacookMeaning:
"beautiful stream with a pebbly bottom"Description:
The name of a city in New Hampshire which takes its name from the Nashua River, named by the Indigenous Algonquian tribe the Nashuway or Nashua. A striking alternative to Joshua.
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