American Place Names

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

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."

Alabama is a hot southern place-name, picking up from Georgia and Savannah. This is not a geographical name come lately, though--there have been girls named Alabama dating back well over a century.

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

Strong and spare state name, maybe better in the middle -- or for a boy.

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.