State Names California Edition

Acton

English

"village with oak trees"

This name's buttoned-up British vibe is what makes it cool - that, and the fact that it was chosen by Anne Bronte as her pseudonym - Acton Bell. That's quite the literary - and may we add feminist -…

Almond

English word name or variation of Almund or Aleman, German

"almond; noble strength; German"

Almond may seem like a hippy modern name, but its use for American boys goes right back to the mid-nineteenth century. In these cases, it was either a variation of Almund, meaning "noble strength,"…

Angeles

Spanish

"angels"

While Angel is primarily used among Hispanic baby boys, Angeles is overwhelmingly feminine. This is because it's typically a reference to Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles , a title of the…

Bernardino

Bernardino is a masculine name of Italian and Spanish origin, derived from Bernard, which combines the Germanic elements 'bern' meaning 'bear' and 'hard' meaning 'brave' or 'strong.' This extended…

Cougar

Nature name

Several animal names, from Fox to Wolf and even to Tiger, ccan work, but Cougar should stay in its cage. Even John Mellencamp has dropped it.

Dorado

Spanish

"golden"

A gilded name that calls to mind the legendary lost city of El Dorado, the promise of which drew conquistadors into the rainforests and mountains of South America. But the mythical city has never…