Baby Names Inspired by Places
Your baby's name is the first gift you will give them when they enter the world. Parents often spend months deciding on the perfect name for their little one, whether it be a classic name that's been around for centuries or a more modern name that is less popular. In recent years, gender-neutral names, even those inspired by places, have become a more common trend. Baby names inspired by places can come from anywhere as small as a street, town, or city to a country or mountain. The United States uses places as baby names more than other countries, but Florence and Georgia made Britain's top 100 baby names and have been used for centuries. Here are some of our favorite baby names inspired by places!
Girls Names
- Catalina
Catalina means "pure" and is of Irish origin. The name is inspired by Santa Catalina, the southernmost island of California's Channel Islands. - Dominica
Dominica is located in the eastern Caribbean; it means "belonging to the Lord" and has been used since the middle ages. - Eden
Eden is of Hebrew origin and means "place of pleasure." Eden is God's garden of paradise in the bible. - Helena
Helena is the capital of Montana; it is often a Greek girl's name and means "shining light". - London
London, the capital city of England and the UK, means "from the great river". - Savannah
Savannah is the name of a coastal city in Georgia and means "treeless plain." The name is often used to represent the importance of creating balance and harmony in life. - Sydney
The name Sydney means different things depending on what origin you look at. Still, when referring to the Australian city, it means "from this place". - Verona
The Italian name Verona means "truth" and is used for someone who comes from a city in Italy!
Boys Names
- Afton
Afton is located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the United States. - Cairo
Cairo is the name of Egypt's capital city and a port on the Nile. The name means victorious! - Eugene
Eugene is a city in west-central Oregon and means "well born." - Francisco
The name Francisco means "Frenchman," and yes, you guessed it, it comes from San Francisco, California. - Jackson
Jackson is both an industrial city in Michigan, the capital of Mississippi, and a commercial city in western Tennessee; it means "son of John" (or Jack since it is a variation of the name) and shares the meaning of the name John which is "God has been gracious." - Lincoln
Lincoln is a cathedral city in the United Kingdom! It can be associated with US President Abraham Lincoln or interpreted as a "lake/pool colony". - Orlando
The name Orlando will likely remind you of a warm sunny day in Florida and means "famous!" - Troy
Troy is a historic city of Anatolia, surrounded by myth and legend, meaning "soldier".
Gender-Neutral Names
- Adelaide
Adelaide means "noble kind," and although it was initially a girl's name of German origin, it is now seen in girls and boys! Adelaide is a capital city in South Australia known for festivals, food, and wine! - Aspen
Aspen is of Old English origin. The name means "shaking tree" and is a city in Colorado! - Austin
The name Austin of Latin origin means "great," "magnificent," or “majestic." It has several variations, such as Augustus, August, or Osten, and is also a city in Texas! - Dakota
The name Dakota means "friend" or "ally". The name came from a Native American Sioux tribe and was originally one US territory now divided into North and South. - Jordan
The name Jordan comes from the river between Jordan and Israel; it translates to "flow down" or "descend" and is a great biblical name option for someone religious. - Logan
Logan is a city in Australia and a typical Scottish name stemming from the Gaelic word "lagan" or "lag". Although the name translates to "little hollow", the words it comes from mean "hollow". - Oslo
This name comes from the capital city of Norway and is of Scandinavian origin. Although the meaning is unconfirmed, it could mean either "meadow at the foot of a hill" or "meadow consecrated to the gods". - York
York comes from the name of a city in northern England. The name means "from the yew state".
After learning about these names, their origins, and what they mean, we hope to have inspired you when it comes time to name your baby! Place names are a great way to honor a unique location that means something to you.
Place names are often diverse and meaningful. They allow your creativity to shine! Remember, you can always change the spelling of a place name or use it to inspire your baby's name when they are born!
