43 baby names inspired by places for adventurous families
Baby names that remind you of far-flung, foreign or familiar places — like cities, states or countries — have a lot of benefits.
"Names inspired by places are a perfect balancing act for parents who want a creative, contemporary baby name with roots," Laura Wattenberg, the creator of Namerology, tells TODAY.com. "People already know how to spell and pronounce them, and they come with built-in cultural resonance. Each place name sends its own rich message, from Vienna to Cairo to Denali."
Famous parents seem to love the idea.
Paris Hilton named her son Phoenix and her daughter London, sharing that the latter city is one of her favorites; Ireland Baldwin chose the name Holland for her daughter to keep the "country" tradition alive.
Other children with location-based names include: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's daughter Chicago, David and Victoria Beckham's son Brooklyn, Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth's son Tennessee and Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz's son Egypt.
Wattenberg says parents can honor a smaller-scale location, too.
"A local place can carry special personal significance," she tells TODAY.com. "The name Bridger is most popular near the Bridger Mountains of Wyoming and Montana, while Acadia is most common near Acadia National Park in Maine."
Baby names inspired by cities
Whether you’re energized by a particular area, near or far, baby names inspired by cities will give your child a unique and meaningful moniker.
“Global city names, like London, Brooklyn, Cairo and Paris, are especially popular in the Southeastern U.S.,” says Wattenberg. Here are some popular examples:
Phoenix
London
Bronx
Brooklyn
Chicago
Sydney
Florence
Paris
Charlotte
Austin
Denver
Jackson
Savannah
Valencia
Hudson
Aspen
Alexandria
Orlando
Cheyenne
Geneva
Helena
Milan
Baby names inspired by states
Whether you prefer the East, West, South, Midwest or somewhere in between, there's a state-inspired name for every baby!
Tennessee
Montana
Alabama
Dakota
Arizona
Georgia
Indiana
Virginia
Washington
York
Cali
Baby names inspired by countries
Go grand with a name that represents your favorite country to visit or one that's been on your bucket list.
Egypt
Holland
India
Ireland
Kenya
Jordan
Cyrus
China
America
Chad
Morocco
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
