State Capital Baby Names

One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US, Pierre was most common in the 1980s but it has never cracked the Top 300.

Indiana is one of those place-names (think Camden and Trenton) that sounds cooler than the place that inspired it. Its fashionable -ana ending certainly sounds eminently name-like, and Indie/Indy/Indi is one of the hottest nickname names for girls right now.

This state name emerged in the eighties along with westerners Dakota and Montana, and it's still used occasionally by high-profile parents such as Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck. Action man Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) makes Indiana "Indy" forever cool for a boy.

Attractive North Carolina place-name and surname of explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. Distinctive, classy-but-approachable choice for either sex.

More often used as a boys' name, parents have also been choosing Austin for their little girls - as the 176 female Austins born in the US in 2022 demonstrate. May we suggest the literary version "Austen" for girls, as a well-deserved homage to the famed English author Jane Austen?

Unseen in the USA since 1901, Boston rocketed back into the Top 1000 in 2004 and, like other place-names such as Brooklyn, London and Paris, is now a reliable presence on the list.

The name of the third U.S. President sounds, like Harrison and Jackson, more modern and stylish now than its root name. Used as a first name long before our surname-crazed era, Jefferson was most famously used as a first name by the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, which may justifiably make you not want to use it. Jefferson is the middle name of another Prez, William Clinton.

Madison was at one time a strictly boys' presidential name, reaching as high as Number 311 at the end of the nineteenth century. That all changed in 1985 when it entered the girls' list, zooming up quickly until it reached the Number 2 spot, with more than 22,000 female babies given the name in 2001. As is so often the case, its use for boys has dropped precipitously.

Very popular surname choice — it's in the Boys' Top 100 — beginning to catch on for girls. First female association: novelist Carson McCullers.

An attractive North Carolina unisex place name, Raleigh's soft sound is particularly appropriate for a girl.

Nickname sometimes heard on its own, sort of an updated Sally and playmate of Hallie.

Lincoln might be considered one of the quintessential American names, calling to mind the great president who freed enslaved people and is memorialized in Washington. Although better known as a boys' name, 163 American girls were named Lincoln in 2016, some of them undoubtedly inspired by the choice of Lincoln for their daughter by actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard. Whether in honor of the President, the car, or one of the many cities across the US (and the world) named Lincoln, this is a recognizable yet off-beat choice that is sure to attract comment and attention and is one of the steadily growing boy names for girls.

There's only one Trenton, New Jersey, but it's a widely used name, more for its fashionable -on ending than the reference to the city. Since 2007, however, Trenton has been on a steady decline. Trenten is another popular spelling.

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 it for his daughter.

Yet another creative character name from Toni Morrison, Denver was a daughter of Sethe's in the novel Beloved. Today Denver is most familiar as the name of the largest city in Colorado, used almost equally for girls and boys.

Juneau, the name of the city in Alaska, has rightfully taken a back seat as a name to the classic Juno. Most famous reference: When the pregnant teenager is introduced in the movie "Juno," the prospective adoptive father says, "Oh, like the city in Alaska." Juno takes a deep breath and then says simply, "No."

Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard.

With its ties to tranquil Walden Pond, and harmonious meaning, this could be a modern virtue name.

No, Jackson is not the latest crazy name the girls are stealing from the boys. Oddly enough, Jackson was given to MORE girls a decade ago than it was last year, probably as a family name or as a tribute to the musicians. But Jackson's extreme popularity as a boys' name has probably made it feel less possible for girls.

Relatively popular in Spain until the middle of the 20th century, this sweet and lively Spanish virtue name is also a Marian name, short for María de Fe. In Galician, it is sometimes also short for Fernanda, meaning "brave voyager".