place names i love
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- Florence
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"flourishing, prosperous"Description:
Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion.
- Eden
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"place of pleasure, delight"Description:
Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the 17th century.
- Adelaide
Origin:
Variant of Adelheidis, GermanMeaning:
"noble, nobility"Description:
Adelaide is now heading straight uphill on the coattails of such newly popular sisters as Ava, Ada, and Audrey, and in the company of Adeline and Amelia. It was chosen by actress Katherine Heigl for the name of her second daughter.
- Eden
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"place of pleasure, delight"Description:
This Biblical name was rising dramatically for boys, but has plateaued in recent years. Although it's more popular for girls, it's a delightful unisex choice. Eden is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France.
- Rio
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, JapaneseMeaning:
"river; place of the cherry blossoms"Description:
Rio is a reductive ranchero place-name with an attractive Tex-Mex lilt. No Doubt's Tom Dumont has a son named Rio Atticus.
- Milan
Origin:
Italian place name, Slavic, SanskritMeaning:
"middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"Description:
Effortlessly stylish with an international feel, Milan re-entered the US charts back in 2013 after a 55 year hiatus. It has been powering up the charts ever since, following in the footsteps of sweet sound-alike Mila, and spotlighted by singer Shakira, who chose it for her son.
- Odessa
Origin:
Ukrainian place-nameDescription:
Odessa, a Ukrainian port city, was given its name by Catherine the Great, who was inspired by Homer's Odyssey. It would make an original and intriguing choice.
- Vienna
Origin:
Place-name: the capital of AustriaMeaning:
"forest stream; white foundation"Description:
Vienna is one of the more popular of the European place-names, with a particularly pleasant sound, evoking elegant images of the Blue Danube, of castles and cafes, sweets and sausages and Strauss waltzes—and Sigmund Freud. It could be a possible substitute for the popular Sienna or Vivienne, though it has been climbing the charts itself.
- Santiago
Origin:
Place-name or LatinMeaning:
"Saint James"Description:
Santiago is a spirited Spanish name with great crossover potential. It's a place-name (a city in Chile), a surname, and the name of the patron saint of Spain.
- Rio
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, JapaneseMeaning:
"river or place of the cherry blossoms"Description:
Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls' names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro. A truly international name for a cosmopolitan baby!
- Cairo
Origin:
Egyptian place-name, ArabicMeaning:
"the conqueror, the victorious"Description:
Cairo is an exciting place name possibility with upbeat o ending and an on-trend first syllable. Debuting in the US Top 1000 in 2015, it has been climbing ever since, and, as of 2023, it is given to more than 1000 babies each year.
- Geneva
Origin:
Swiss place-name or FrenchMeaning:
"juniper tree"Description:
Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place-name that also has a real history as a female name.
- Milan
Origin:
Italian place name or SlavicMeaning:
"the middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"Description:
In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009. Currently, it is given to three boys for everyone one girl.
- Capri
Origin:
Italian from Greek or LatinMeaning:
"wild boar; goats"Description:
Chosen by the late Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa for their youngest daughter, there is renewed interest in Italian isola name Capri.
- Cairo
Origin:
Place name, ArabicMeaning:
"the strong; the conqueror"Description:
On trend for boys but with plenty of unisex appeal too, the place name Cairo was put on the map for girls when model Beverly Peele chose it for her daughter. Given to around 50 girls each year, it hasn't caught on just yet but with its similar sounds to Kaia and Skyler, it might do in the future.
- India
Origin:
Place name, from the River IndusDescription:
Euphonious and long stylish in England, India was one of the fastest-rising names on the 2013 list, after jumping 240 spots back into the Top 1000.
- Jersey
Origin:
English place name, Old NorseMeaning:
"Geirr's island"Description:
An established place name, associated with a sunny island in the English Channel, the Garden State in the US, knitted pullovers, reality TV, and a Broadway musical. It peaked in the late 2000s and though it is now in decline, 130 girls and nearly 50 boys received the name in 2023.
-ey meaning "island". Alternative theories suggest it comes from jarl ,meaning "earl" or hjǫr meaning "sword".
- Andorra
Origin:
European place-nameDescription:
Andorra is the pretty name of a pocket-sized princedom in the Pyrenees, noted for its skiing.
- Chicago
Origin:
American place name, AlgonquinMeaning:
"wild garlic"Description:
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have done it again for their third child: Chosen a name that feels iconic yet strangely inevitable. They named North and Saint's younger sister Chicago, after Kanye's hometown. The name Chicago derives from a Native American word for "wild garlic," which once grew plentifully in the Illinois city, the third most populous in the US.
- Jersey
Origin:
English place nameMeaning:
"Geirr's island"Description:
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 TV. Nevertheless, Jersey peaked as a masculine name in 2022, when it was given to around 60 boys.