​
​
Advanced Search

American Place Names

  1. Houston

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  2. Hawaii

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      An actual Hawaiian first name would convey the aura of the islands more originally and effectively.
  3. 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.
  4. Vermont

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "green mountain"

    • Description:

      Place-name waiting to be discovered.
  5. Dayton

    • Origin:

      English, variation of Deighton

    • Meaning:

      "place with a dike"

    • Description:

      If Dayton, like Trenton and Camden, is finding favor with parents, it's more because of its popular two-syllable surname feel and -on ending than the industrial city in Ohio.
  6. 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.

  7. Rochester

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "stone camp or fortress"

    • Description:

      Rochester was Jack Benny's famous valet and sidekick, played by early African-American comic Eddie Anderson.
  8. Tulsa

    • Origin:

      Creek

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  9. 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.
  10. Wyoming

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      A possibility for your li'l cowgirl.
  11. 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.
  12. Washington

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "home of the Wassa people"

    • Description:

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

    • Origin:

      American place-name

    • Meaning:

      "Charles' town"

    • Description:

      Lovers of the languid South Carolina city might be attracted to this rich-sounding name. Could make an interesting update on Charles -- and can certainly work for a girl too. Actor Joey Lawrence used it for his daughter.
  14. Boulder

    • Origin:

      Nature name

    • Description:

      A tough and rugged nature name.
  15. Juneau

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Description:

      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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
Nameberry App Logo