American Place Names
- Vegas
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"meadows"Description:
Viva Las Vegas? What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? We think not. Maybe Vega, the name of an actual heavenly star?
- Roswell
- Athens
Origin:
Greek place nameDescription:
Athens is one of the newer place names, used for both baby boys and girls. The Greek city got its name from Athena, goddess of wisdom and courage.
- Durham
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hill peninsula"Description:
Gentle and southern-inflected, redolent of the North Carolina landscape.
- Albany
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Not yet on the place-name map, this name has Shakespearean ties via the Duke Of Albany character in King Lear.
- Malibu
Origin:
Ventureño Chumash, Native AmericanMeaning:
"the surf sounds loudly"Description:
Malibu, the name of a California beach city, evokes sunshine, surfing, and glamour. With its fashionable "oo" sound — as seen in names like Luna and Ruby — Malibu is an unexplored place name worth considering.
- Sequoia
- Tulsa
Origin:
CreekMeaning:
"old town"Description:
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.
- Memphis
Origin:
Greek and Coptic place-nameMeaning:
"Enduring and beautiful"Description:
Cool and bluesy southern city name chosen by musician-activist Bono for his daughter.
- Prescott
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"priest's cottage"Description:
Preppy P surname, and a potential way to honor a Scott.
- Joliet
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"little pretty one"Description:
Juliet sound-alike Joliet actually derives from the name Jolie, and was historically a term of endearment, later a surname. It's an attractive alternative to Juliet names and could work to honor a Joe or Joseph in your life.
- Atlanta
Origin:
Place nameMeaning:
"Atlantic Ocean"Description:
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 the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, it has never been popular as a baby name despite sounding like one. Its peak popularity was in 1995, the year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.
- Yosemite
Origin:
Native American tribal nameMeaning:
"those who kill"Description:
The evocative name of one of our most beautiful national parks -- yes, but also the bombastic cartoon character, Yosemite Sam.
- Louisiana
Origin:
French place-nameDescription:
Louisiana is a geographic spin on the Louise theme. Pretty, if a bit of a syllable overload. Short form Lou or Lulu lightens it.
- Chicago
Origin:
American place name, AlgonquinMeaning:
"wild garlic"Description:
When Kim Kardashian and Kanye West named their daughter Chicago — after West's hometown — we expected it to rise for baby girls. But American parents have taken to Chicago as a boy name. It's been given to more boys than girls every year since 2018.
- Utah
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
This would make a startling but likable choice; poet Dylan Thomas used it for a character in his play "Under Milk Wood."
- Nolita
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"unwilling"Description:
A saucy Latin name that also defines a trendy New York area north of Little Italy.
- Detroit
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
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 -- familial or musical -- you may want to consider it, especially as a middle name.
- Washington
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"home of the Wassa people"Description:
Lincoln, Tyler, Taylor, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Kennedy, Carter -- yes. Washington -- probably not.
- Charleston
Description:
Charleston is one of those baby names that may become more popular thanks to its nickname Charlie, now used about equally for boys and girls. If you want to call your daughter Charlie but believe she needs a more formal name, you might try Charleston instead of Charlotte. And Charleston is a lovely city in South Carolina.