User-created list
Place Names for Boys!
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Chad
English
"battle warrior"
Despite all the "hanging," "dangling," and "pregnant" chad jokes of the 2000 election, this saint's name and remnant of the Brad-Tad era didn't get a boost in popularity. But Chad still holds some…
Charleston
American place-name
"Charles' town"
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…
Cleveland
English
"hilly land, from the cliff"
A presidential and place-name that's not a stand-out in either category.
Colorado
Spanish place-name
"colored red"
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.
Columbus
Variation of Columbo or Columbia, Latin
"dove"
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…
Cuba
Place-name
"abundant fertile land; great place"
Soul singer Cuba Gooding and his actor son of the same name put this unexpected geographical name on the map for boys, but it has a longer history of use than you might expect. Deriving from the…
Detroit
Place name
Detroit, the name of the down-on-its-heels Michigan city, has a so-far-out-it's-gotta-be-cool quality. A handful of boys were named Detroit last year, and if you have ties to the Motor City --…
Dover
British place-name
Two-syllable place-names are stylish, and this one is attached to a British city noted for its white chalk cliffs, but there are a couple of minuses: associated with the fish, Dover sole, and also…
Dublin
Irish place-name
With Galway and Ireland in play as names (not to mention Shannon and Kerry), there's no reason this one can't work, too.
Eiffel
German placename
An interesting international choice. Most closely associated with the Parisian monument, the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel was also responsible for much of the interior of the Statue of Liberty. The…
Germany
Country name
"genuine"
Germany doesn't seem to have the same possibilities as a first name as other countries and continents do. It's unlikely to become another Asia or Africa, India or Ireland. But there was an early…
Glasgow
Scottish place-name
An undiscovered place-name with an appealing o-sound ending.
Jersey
English place name
"Geirr's island"
The New Jersey cities of Camden and Trenton are in, but the name of the state has not caught on to anywhere near the same extent, possibly due to its association with knitted pullovers and reality…
Kenya
Place name, Kikuyu
"mountain of white"
A bold and evocative African place name. The country of Kenya gets its name from Mount Kenya, referred to it as "Kirinyaga" or "Kerenyaga" by the local Kikuyu people, meaning "mountain of whiteness"…
London
Place-name
"Capital city of England"
In the US, London is popular for both sexes, though as the name has risen for girls, it's levelled off for boys. Currently given to around 200 boys each year, it is nearly five times more popular for…
Montana
Spanish place-name; "mountainous"
"mountainous"
Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.
Montego
Place-name
Montego Bay is a beach resort in Jamaica.
Newport
English place-name
"new port"
For sailors or jazz lovers. Or smokers of menthol cigarettes.
Ontario
Place-name
This geographical name with Iroquois roots has a lot going for it: a strong sound, a vigorous o ending, and -- a quality prized today -- rarity.
Oxford
English place-name
"from the oxen crossing"
High-collared and straightlaced, with the deadly "Ox" nickname.