User-created list
The Atlas of Names
Across 6 pages
of 6
Cheyenne
Sioux
"people of a different language"
The name of a courageous tribe, Cheyenne became quite popular in the 1990s, inspiring a wide range of spelling variations—Shyanne is one example that's still on the rise.
Harlem
Place-name
"home on a forested dune"
With Brooklyn, Trenton, and Camden on the rise, Harlem is one to watch out for. It has lingered down the lower end of the US Top 1000 since 2018 but has been trending upwards. It's already been…
Aberdeen
Scottish place-name
Amiable, undiscovered geographic option.
Africa
Place name, various meanings
Most Africas today would be named for the continent, but the name actually existed in Scotland in medieval times, where there was a Celtic queen named Affrica. Africa has also been a Spanish name for…
Newport
English place-name
"new port"
For sailors or jazz lovers. Or smokers of menthol cigarettes.
Atlanta
American place name from Greek
"Atlantic Ocean"
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…
Anatola
Greek
"from the east"
Attractive place-name, of a beautiful resort region of Turkey.
Dresden
German place name
"people of the forest"
Sad tinge to the name of the beautiful German city firebombed during World War II. Its name derives from Sorbian drezga , meaning "forest".
Amsterdam
Place-name
City name less mellifluous than Paris, London, or even Trenton. It was the name of the character portrayed by Leonardo di Caprio in "Gangs of New York."
Lucerne
Swiss place-name or Latin
"lamp"
Projects the calm and pristine image of the picturesque Swiss lake and mountain town.
Tulsa
Creek
"old town"
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.
Ireland
Place name
Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin put Ireland on the map when they chose it as a first for their daughter, saying that geographic names were a family tradition. And it seems they were a bit ahead of the…
Havana
Taíno place-name
Politics aside, the Cuban capital is one of the most rhythmic of place-names. The question is: can politics be put aside?
Tribeca
American place-name
Tribeca was the term created for New York City's TRIangle BElow CAnal Street. Stangely enough--that aside--it almost does sound like a plausible girls' name , nicknamed Becca.
Wyoming
Place-name
A possibility for your li'l cowgirl.
Juneau
Place-name
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…
Vail
Place-name
"valley"
Aspen's sibling.
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.
Jakarta
Place name
Jakarta, the name of the capital and largest city of Indonesia, is located on the island of Java. Both Jakarta and Java could make interesting and unusual choices for a girl.
Java
Anglicization of Indonesian Jawa; place name
A name with something for everyone: for romantics, it's a beautiful Indonesian island; for teckies, it's a computer programming language.