200+ State-Inspired Baby Names as American as They Come

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A name can come from a saint, a flower, or a family member — but plenty of the most American names started out as somewhere on a map. States, cities, counties, and towns have been supplying nurseries with names for as long as this country has had borders to draw. Below is the full rundown: state names that made the leap from geography textbook to birth certificate, plus the story behind how each one got its start.

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Popularity below is calculated from Social Security Administration data through 2024, the most recent year on record.

Here’s what’s in store –

Deep South Darlings — Georgia, Virginia, and the Names That Built the South

Wide Open West — Montana, Dakota, and the Names That Roam Free

Born in Texas — Lone Star Names

Heartland Strong — Names From the Midwest and Great Plains

New England and the Northeast — Names That Carry History

Pacific Gold — West Coast Names

Presidential and Founding-Era Names — Names That Built the Country

The United States has fifty states and thousands of cities, towns, and counties that have been generating baby name material since colonial times. Some of these names were states before they were names — Georgia was named for King George II, then became a given name so naturally that now it’s hard to imagine it wasn’t always personal. Others traveled the other direction: Madison was a president’s surname, became a state capital, then became a baby name phenomenon that crested in the early 2000s and still holds strong.

What ties all of them together is a feeling that’s hard to pin down but immediately recognizable. It’s the sound of open roads and front porches and something that’s been here a long time. Whether you’re raising a girl who’ll grow into her name like she grows into her grandmother’s kitchen, or a boy whose name sounds like somewhere worth getting to — these names have that quality.

This list covers all fifty states and beyond: state names used directly as given names, names of cities and counties with strong personal energy, and names so woven into American geography that using one feels like staking a claim on the whole wide country. Over 200 names, organized by region, because place names always make more sense when you know where they’re standing.

Deep South Darlings — Georgia, Virginia, and the Names That Built the South

The South has always named its children with a kind of romantic seriousness. These names come from the oldest English settlements in America, from Georgia’s red clay and Virginia’s rolling tobacco country, from South Carolina’s moss-draped coast and Alabama’s mountain hollows. They’re names that have been called across porches and written in family Bibles for three hundred years — and most of them are still standing.

Georgia

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: JOR-juh · ˈdʒɔːrdʒə
Meaning: farmer, earth-worker
Popularity: #110 and rising (#128 → #110, 2024)

Named for King George II, Georgia became a baby name so naturally that Georgia O’Keeffe, Georgia Rule, and a thousand Southern grandmothers made it feel inevitable.

Virginia

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: vur-JIN-yah · vərˈdʒɪnjə
Meaning: popularly glossed ‘maiden/virgin’ (via Latin virgo), though the name itself derives from the Roman family name Verginius/Virginius, whose own root is uncertain
Popularity: #510 and rising (#560 → #510, 2024)

America’s oldest English colony; Virginia Dare was the first English child born in the New World; still one of the most graceful names in the English canon.

Carolina

Origin: Italian/Latin
Pronunciation: kair-oh-LY-nah · ˌkærəˈlaɪnə
Meaning: free man (feminine form of Charles)
Popularity: #428 and falling (#423 → #428, 2024)

Softer than Caroline but with the same sturdy backbone; splits the difference between North and South and between formal and warm.

Savannah

Origin: Spanish (ultimately from Taino)
Pronunciation: suh-VAN-ah · səˈvænə
Meaning: a grassy, largely treeless plain; also linked to the city of Savannah, Georgia
Popularity: #107 and falling (#92 → #107, 2024)

Georgia’s moss-draped coastal jewel gave us one of the South’s best-loved girls’ names; sounds like Spanish moss in the best possible way.

Augusta

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: aw-GUS-tuh · ɔːˈɡʌstə
Meaning: venerable, majestic (feminine form of Augustus)
Popularity: #3,076 and rising (#3,917 → #3,076, 2024)

Both Georgia and Maine claim this one; nickname Gus or Gussie; quietly grand in the way old cities are.

Florence

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FLOR-ens · ˈflɔːrəns
Meaning: flourishing, blooming (from florens, related to flos ‘flower’)
Popularity: #435 and rising (#522 → #435, 2024)

– **Savannah** — already listed above; the original.

Monroe

Origin: Scottish/Irish (surname)
Pronunciation: mun-ROH · mənˈroʊ
Meaning: connected to the River Roe in Ulster – most likely ‘mouth of the Roe river,’ though one source parses it as ‘man of the River Roe’
Popularity: #571 and falling (#530 → #571, 2024)

Named for James Monroe and claiming half a dozen Southern towns; Marilyn made it shimmer, now it holds as a strong surname choice.

Madison

Origin: English (surname, from Mathieson)
Pronunciation: MAD-ih-sin · ˈmædəsən
Meaning: son of Matthew (via the surname Mathieson); rarely ‘son of Maud’
Popularity: #46 and falling (#37 → #46, 2024)

Both Wisconsin’s capital and Virginia’s fourth president left their mark; dominated the girls’ charts for a decade and still holds quiet ground.

Lee

Origin: English; also anglicized Chinese/Korean
Pronunciation: LEE · ˈliː
Meaning: primarily ‘dweller near a meadow or clearing’ (Old English); also an anglicized rendering of unrelated Chinese (李) and Korean (이/리) surnames
Popularity: #714 and falling (#706 → #714, 2024)

Virginia is Robert E. Lee’s home state; short, strong, beautiful for any gender.

Montgomery

Origin: Norman French (place name, from a personal name)
Pronunciation: munt-GUM-er-ee · mɒntˈɡʌməri
Meaning: Gomeric’s hill
Popularity: #1,090 and falling (#1,042 → #1,090, 2024)

Alabama’s capital; three sturdy syllables that land like a handshake.

Selma

Origin: uncertain — competing Germanic, Scottish Gaelic, and Turkish/Arabic derivations
Pronunciation: SEL-mah · ˈsɛlmə
Meaning: “divine protection”
Popularity: #2,788 and falling (#2,436 → #2,788, 2024)

Alabama’s civil rights landmark city; dignified, uncommon, carries history with grace.

Blythe

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: BLYTHE · ˈblaɪð
Meaning: cheerful, merry, carefree — from Old English blīþe, ultimately Proto-Germanic *blīþiz (‘gentle, kind’)
Popularity: #1,862 and falling (#1,855 → #1,862, 2024)

A Virginia county name and one of the most underused girls’ names in the entire English canon.

Sterling

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: STUR-ling · ˈstɜːrlɪŋ
Meaning: originally a surname referring to the starling bird, or a variant of the Scottish surname/place name Stirling
Popularity: #372 and rising (#403 → #372, 2024)

Virginia city on the Potomac corridor; sharp, modern-feeling surname name.

Roanoke

Origin: Powhatan
Pronunciation: ROH-uh-nohk · ˈroʊəˌnoʊk
Meaning: shell beads used as currency
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Historic Virginia colony and Blue Ridge city; adventurous, still genuinely rare as a given name.

Preston

Origin: Old English (place name)
Pronunciation: PRESS-tun · ˈprɛstən
Meaning: priests’ town or settlement
Popularity: #329 and falling (#275 → #329, 2024)

Virginia county name; preppy-solid with no unnecessary fuss.

Stuart

Origin: Scottish (surname, variant of Stewart)
Pronunciation: STOO-urt · ˈstuːərt
Meaning: steward; one who manages a household or estate
Popularity: #3,255 and falling (#2,645 → #3,255, 2024)

Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley city; strong, clean, quietly royal.

Clover

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KLOH-ver · ˈkloʊvər
Meaning: the clover plant (Old English clafre), popularly linked to luck
Popularity: #618 and rising (#672 → #618, 2024)

South Carolina’s small York County city; nature name with a clovers-in-a-field sweetness.

Beaufort

Origin: Old French (place name/surname)
Meaning: beautiful stronghold
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

South Carolina’s coastal gem, pronounced BOH-fort locally; elegant surname name with genuine Southern pedigree.

Conway

Origin: Welsh, Irish, or Scottish (disputed)
Pronunciation: KAHN-way · ˈkɒnweɪ
Meaning: no single agreed meaning; candidates include an Anglicization of Welsh Conwy (from Old Welsh ‘cyn’ chief + ‘gwy’ water, roughly ‘chief river’), or derivation from Irish surnames built on ‘cú/con’ (hound)
Popularity: #1,526 and rising (#1,683 → #1,526, 2024)

South Carolina city near Myrtle Beach; earthy Irish surname with surprising warmth.

Irene

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: eye-REEN · aɪˈriːn
Meaning: peace
Popularity: #638 and rising (#675 → #638, 2024)

Georgia city and a classic vintage name that rings completely clean after decades of quiet.

Hartwell

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: HART-wel · ˈhɑːrtwɛl
Meaning: stag spring
Popularity: #9,279 and rising (#11,093 → #9,279, 2024)

Hartwell derives from Old English heorot (‘stag’), not ‘heart’.

– **Cordele** — variant of Cordelia. South Georgia city; a rare elaboration of the Shakespeare heroine with a Southern cadence.

Marietta

Origin: Italian
Pronunciation: mair-ee-ET-uh · ˌmɛəriˈɛtə
Meaning: Little Maria
Popularity: #4,608 and falling (#4,520 → #4,608, 2024)

Marietta is an Italian diminutive of Maria, not a Latin name meaning ‘of the sea’.

Alma

Origin: Latin (disputed)
Pronunciation: AL-muh · ˈælmə
Meaning: nourishing, kind
Popularity: #472 and falling (#461 → #472, 2024)

Town names across the South and Midwest; quietly lovely and cross-cultural without trying.

Macon

Origin: Gaulish/French (place name)
Pronunciation: MAY-kuhn · ˈmeɪkən
Meaning: a place name traced to a Gaulish word possibly meaning “bear”
Popularity: #4,635 and falling (#4,548 → #4,635, 2024)

Georgia city known for peaches and soul music; punchy, masculine-leaning surname with swagger.

Decatur

Origin: surname origin
Pronunciation: dih-KAY-tur · dɪˈkeɪtər
Meaning: from naval hero Stephen Decatur
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Georgia suburb of Atlanta and Illinois city; handsome military surname with American heroism behind it.

Eulalia

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: yoo-LAY-lee-ah · juːˈleɪliə
Meaning: sweetly speaking
Popularity: #2,693 and rising (#3,109 → #2,693, 2024)

Historic South Georgia city; long and lyrical with the nicknames Lali or Lia.

Lexington

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: LEK-sing-tən · ˈlɛksɪŋtən
Meaning: Settlement of Leaxa’s people
Popularity: #3,559 and falling (#3,093 → #3,559, 2024)

Virginia and Kentucky city; the sophisticated long form of Lexi.

Tatum

Origin: English (Old English surname/place name)
Pronunciation: TAY-tum · ˈteɪtəm
Meaning: Tata’s homestead (an Old English personal name of unknown meaning, plus ‘hām’ = homestead)
Popularity: #195 and rising (#233 → #195, 2024)

South Carolina county name and a given name that’s crisp, quick, and currently climbing.

Waverly

Origin: English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: WAY-vur-lee · ˈweɪvərli
Meaning: meadow of quivering aspen trees
Popularity: #916 and falling (#882 → #916, 2024)

Towns in Georgia and Tennessee; romantic, literary, Wren as a nickname.

Wide Open West — Montana, Dakota, and the Names That Roam Free

If the South names with romance, the West names with scale. These are names that have the Rocky Mountains in them — names that need a lot of sky. Montana is a whole horizon. Sierra is a silhouette against snowcapped peaks. Dakota is a friendship pact with the land itself. These are the names of people who look outward.

Montana

Origin: Spanish (place name)
Pronunciation: mahn-TAN-uh · mɒnˈtænə
Meaning: mountain / mountainous land (from Spanish montaña)
Popularity: #1,058 and rising (#1,309 → #1,058, 2024)

Big Sky State name; gives any child a name that sounds like freedom and wide open space; nicknames Mont or Tana.

Dakota

Origin: Dakota (Siouan) language
Pronunciation: duh-KOH-tah · dəˈkoʊtə
Meaning: friend, ally
Popularity: #272 and falling (#262 → #272, 2024)

Both North and South carry this proudly; strong for boys, soft for girls, genuinely right for either.

Nevada

Origin: Spanish (place name)
Pronunciation: neh-VAD-ah · nəˈvædə
Meaning: snow-covered
Popularity: #4,005 and falling (#3,565 → #4,005, 2024)

The Silver State’s name; sleek and unexpected on a child; nickname Neva or Nev.

Sierra

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: see-AIR-ah · siˈɛrə
Meaning: Spanish word for a jagged mountain range (literally ‘saw’)
Popularity: #596 and falling (#568 → #596, 2024)

Named for the great ranges along Nevada and California’s border; outdoorsy, pretty, and still underused.

Denver

Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: DEN-ver · ˈdɛnvər
Meaning: uncertain: either ‘the Danes’ crossing’ or ‘ridge by the valley’ (two competing Old English derivations); not verifiably ‘green valley’
Popularity: #486 and rising (#510 → #486, 2024)

Colorado’s capital city; strong, current, feels like a handshake.

Phoenix

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: FEE-niks · ˈfiːnɪks
Meaning: the mythical firebird symbolizing rebirth and renewal
Popularity: #275 and falling (#269 → #275, 2024)

Cheyenne

Origin: Siouan (Dakota/Lakota) — ethnonym
Pronunciation: shy-AN · ʃaɪˈæn
Meaning: a Sioux exonym for the Cheyenne people, often explained as ‘people who speak a different/unintelligible language’
Popularity: #867 and falling (#788 → #867, 2024)

– **Sedona** — coined name, from first postmaster Sedona Schnebly. Arizona’s red-rock spiritual destination; unusual and immediately evocative.

Mesa

Origin: Spanish (from Latin mensa, “table”)
Pronunciation: MAY-suh · ˈmeɪsə
Meaning: a table; a flat-topped hill or plateau
Popularity: #5,533 and falling (#5,208 → #5,533, 2024)

Arizona city; short, earthy, quietly striking as a given name.

Rio

Origin: Spanish/Portuguese
Pronunciation: REE-oh · ˈriːoʊ
Meaning: river
Popularity: #516 and rising (#570 → #516, 2024)

Laramie

Origin: American place name (from a French-Canadian surname)
Pronunciation: LAIR-uh-mee · ˈlær.ə.mi
Meaning: from French fur trapper Jacques La Ramée
Popularity: #1,089 and rising (#1,143 → #1,089, 2024)

Wyoming frontier city; rugged and unusual, with a French root nobody guesses.

Aspen

Origin: English (modern coinage, nature name)
Pronunciation: AS-pun · ˈæspən
Meaning: named for the aspen (quaking) tree
Popularity: #265 and falling (#215 → #265, 2024)

Colorado mountain resort town; natural, fresh, genuinely unisex in a way that feels earned.

Helena

Origin: Greek (Latinized form of Helen)
Pronunciation: HEL-uh-nah · ˈhɛlənə
Meaning: “bright, shining one”
Popularity: #414 and rising (#457 → #414, 2024)

Montana’s capital city; gorgeous vintage name with nicknames Nell or Lena.

Cody

Origin: Irish (surname, with two competing derivations: Ó Cuidighthigh ‘helpful’, or Mac Óda ‘son of Odo’)
Pronunciation: KOH-dee · ˈkoʊdi
Meaning: helpful
Popularity: #289 and rising (#304 → #289, 2024)

Wyoming town named for Buffalo Bill Cody; classic Western name that still hits right.

Casper

Origin: Old Persian (Wiktionary) or Aramaic (Wikipedia)
Pronunciation: KAS-pur · ˈkæspər
Meaning: treasurer, treasure-bearer
Popularity: #879 and rising (#1,007 → #879, 2024)

Wyoming’s second-largest city; friendly, vintage, quietly literary.

Bozeman

Origin: English (surname, American place name)
Pronunciation: BOHZ-mun · ˈboʊzmən
Meaning: from trail-blazer John Bozeman
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Montana city near Yellowstone; solid, outdoorsy surname name.

Sheridan

Origin: Irish (surname, Ó Sirideáin)
Pronunciation: SHAIR-ih-dun · ˈʃɛr.ɪ.dən
Meaning: traces to the Irish surname Ó Sirideáin; possibly connected to Irish ‘sirim’ (‘I seek’), but the precise original meaning is uncertain
Popularity: #6,104 and falling (#5,232 → #6,104, 2024)

Wyoming and Montana city; literary (the Sheridan plays), strong, deeply underused.

Lander

Origin: English (surname, disputed/uncertain origin)
Pronunciation: LAN-der · ˈlæn.dər
Meaning: “from the long hill”
Popularity: #3,733 and falling (#3,091 → #3,733, 2024)

Wyoming frontier town; handsome, rare surname with genuine ruggedness.

Prescott

Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: PRES-kuht · ˈprɛskət
Meaning: priest’s cottage
Popularity: #3,792 and rising (#6,340 → #3,792, 2024)

Arizona’s cool-pines former territorial capital; Scott as a nickname, stately with an outdoor edge.

Flagstaff

Origin: English compound
Pronunciation: FLAG-staf · ˈflæɡstæf
Meaning: flag pole
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Tucson

Origin: O’odham
Pronunciation: TOO-sahn · ˈtuːsɒn
Meaning: at the base of the black mountain
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Southern Arizona city; short, earthy, grounded in Indigenous place-knowledge.

Yuma

Origin: two unrelated origins: Quechan (Indigenous American) and Japanese
Pronunciation: YOO-mah · ˈjuː.mə
Meaning: “son of the chief”
Popularity: #15,176 and rising (#15,237 → #15,176, 2024)

Arizona desert city near the Colorado River crossing; strong, short, Indigenous.

Breckenridge

Origin: Scottish/English (surname, variant of Brackenridge)
Pronunciation: BREK-en-rij · ˈbrɛkənˌrɪdʒ
Meaning: ridge overgrown with bracken (fern)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Colorado ski town; long and distinguished with Beck or Breck as nicknames.

Telluride

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: TEL-yoo-ryde · ˈtɛljʊraɪd
Meaning: of the earth
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Billings

Origin: English (surname, place name of unclear direct derivation)
Pronunciation: BIL-ingz · ˈbɪlɪŋz
Meaning: “coins, earnings”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Montana’s largest city; strong occupational surname with forward momentum.

Rawlins

Origin: Old French (surname)
Pronunciation: RAW-linz · ˈrɔːlɪnz
Meaning: son of little Ralph
Popularity: #6,380 and falling (#5,862 → #6,380, 2024)

Wyoming railroad city; sturdy surname with a frontier edge.

Cascade

Origin: Italian via French, ultimately Latin ‘cadere’ (to fall)
Pronunciation: kas-KAYD · kæsˈkeɪd
Meaning: a waterfall
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pacific Northwest mountain range and dozens of Western towns; musical, flowing, unusual as a given name.

Teton

Origin: Lakota (Siouan)
Pronunciation: TEE-tahn · ˈtiːtɒn
Meaning: prairie-dwelling people (the Teton/Lakota Sioux), from words for “plain/prairie” + “village”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Wyoming peaks; short, rugged, rare.

– **Bitterroot** — from Montana’s state flower. A rare, poetic nature compound; Bitter + Root = unexpectedly lovely for a child with mountain parents.

Missoula

Origin: Salish (place name)
Pronunciation: mih-ZOO-luh · mɪˈzuːlə
Meaning: place of cold or frozen water
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Montana college town; evocative and unusual; nickname Miso is either weird or adorable depending on your aesthetic.

Born in Texas — Lone Star Names

Texas is not a state so much as a sovereign attitude, and its place names carry that energy. The Lone Star State was its own republic before it was American, and the names it generated mix Spanish, Mexican, Indigenous, and Anglo-Southern roots into something entirely its own. These names carry both the swagger of the frontier and the warmth of the borderlands.

Austin

Origin: Old French (Anglo-Norman, from Latin Augustinus)
Pronunciation: AW-stin · ˈɔːstɪn
Meaning: a worn-down form of Augustine, ultimately tracing to Augustus (‘majestic, venerable’)
Popularity: #107 and falling (#101 → #107, 2024)

Texas’s live-music capital; one of the defining boy’s names of the last generation, and it has held up beautifully.

Houston

Origin: Scottish (Middle English place name)
Pronunciation: HYOO-stun · ˈhjuːstən
Meaning: Hugh’s town
Popularity: #702 and falling (#689 → #702, 2024)

Named for Sam Houston; strong, Texan through and through, currently rising again.

Dallas

Origin: Scottish (place name and surname)
Pronunciation: DAL-us · ˈdæləs
Meaning: roughly “dwelling in the valley” (dale + house/abode)
Popularity: #243 and rising (#252 → #243, 2024)

Texas’s gleaming city; sleek and modern, works equally well for boys and girls.

Abilene

Origin: Hebrew/Aramaic (biblical place name)
Pronunciation: AB-ih-leen · ˈæbəliːn
Meaning: grassy meadow
Popularity: #1,934 and rising (#2,192 → #1,934, 2024)

Texas plains city and New Testament place name; pretty, underused, biblical roots tucked quietly inside.

Odessa

Origin: Greek place name (of uncertain/pre-Greek origin)
Pronunciation: oh-DESS-ah · oʊˈdɛsə
Meaning: “long journey”
Popularity: #1,583 and rising (#1,846 → #1,583, 2024)

West Texas oil city and Homer’s Odyssey; literary, worldly, wears its mythology lightly.

Amarillo

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: am-uh-RIL-oh · æməˈrɪloʊ
Meaning: yellow
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Texas Panhandle city; melodic and colorful, the name equivalent of a wide golden sunset.

– **Laredo** — from Spanish place name of uncertain origin. Border city; rhythmic, romantic, sounds like something you’d hear in a corrido.

Travis

Origin: Old French/Anglo-Norman (English surname)
Pronunciation: TRAV-iss · ˈtrævɪs
Meaning: a toll collector at a river crossing
Popularity: #361 and rising (#379 → #361, 2024)

Hero William Travis of the Alamo; one of the original Texas surnames turned first names and still going strong.

Bowie

Origin: Irish/Scottish Gaelic (surname)
Pronunciation: BOH-ee (David Bowie: BOH-ee; Jim Bowie: BOO-ee) · ˈboʊi
Meaning: fair-haired, yellow-haired (Scottish Gaelic branch); alternatively, descendant of the victorious one (Irish branch)
Popularity: #1,206 and falling (#1,100 → #1,206, 2024)

Jim Bowie of Alamo fame; edgy, cool, David Bowie gave it full rock-and-roll credentials on top.

Crockett

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: KRAH-kit · ˈkrɑːkɪt
Meaning: “crook, curved”
Popularity: #10,071 and falling (#6,607 → #10,071, 2024)

Named for Davy Crockett; adventurous and frontier-vintage.

Beaumont

Origin: Old French (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: BOH-mont · ˈboʊmɑːnt
Meaning: beautiful hill
Popularity: #3,604 and rising (#4,010 → #3,604, 2024)

Southeast Texas refinery city; elegant, French-feeling, carries itself well as a surname name.

Jasper

Origin: Old Persian
Pronunciation: JAS-per · ˈdʒæspər
Meaning: treasurer
Popularity: #133 and falling (#122 → #133, 2024)

East Texas timber town and gemstone name; warm, earthy, currently having a well-deserved revival.

Coleman

Origin: English (surname, occupational or patronymic)
Pronunciation: KOHL-mun · ˈkoʊlmən
Meaning: charcoal-burner, or patronymic form of Colman (‘dove’)
Popularity: #1,279 and falling (#1,169 → #1,279, 2024)

Central Texas city; handsome Irish-American surname.

Marshall

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: MAR-shul · ˈmɑːrʃəl
Meaning: keeper of horses/steward (occupational surname)
Popularity: #391 and falling (#388 → #391, 2024)

East Texas city named for a Kentucky statesman; strong occupational name with centuries of dignity.

Conroe

Origin: logging entrepreneur, surname
Pronunciation: KAHN-roh · ˈkɒnroʊ
Meaning: from Isaac Conroe
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Houston suburb; fresh, Irish-feeling, genuinely unusual.

Seguin

Origin: Old French
Pronunciation: seh-GAN
Meaning: victorious friend
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

South-central Texas city; French/Spanish surname with a Texas hero behind it.

Burnett

Origin: Old French (via Middle English)
Pronunciation: ber-NET · bɜːɹˈnɛt
Meaning: a little brown one — a nickname referencing brown hair or complexion
Popularity: #8,973 as of 1994 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

East Texas county seat; warm, compact surname name.

Lufkin

Origin: Middle English (surname)
Pronunciation: LUF-kin · ˈlʌfkɪn
Meaning: Little Love
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

East Texas timber city; quirky, unusual, genuinely rare as a given name.

Refugio

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: reh-FOO-hyoh · reˈfu.xjo
Meaning: shelter or refuge
Popularity: #7,142 and rising (#11,933 → #7,142, 2024)

South Texas city; rarely used but deeply meaningful, carries Spanish heritage with honesty.

Clifton

Origin: Old English (place name/surname)
Pronunciation: KLIF-tun · ˈklɪftən
Meaning: settlement by a cliff
Popularity: #1,746 and falling (#1,640 → #1,746, 2024)

Texas Hill Country city; preppy and solid, the Texas version of a prep-school classic.

Angelo

Origin: Italian (masculine form of Angela)
Pronunciation: AN-juh-loh · ˈændʒəloʊ
Meaning: angel, messenger
Popularity: #286 and rising (#299 → #286, 2024)

Waco

Origin: Wichita (Native American tribal name)
Pronunciation: WAY-koh · ˈweɪkoʊ
Meaning: “heron”
Popularity: #14,097 and falling (#12,234 → #14,097, 2024)

Central Texas city; short, bold, unexpected, and currently reclaiming its image.

Ranger

Origin: English (occupational word)
Pronunciation: RAYN-jur · ˈreɪndʒər
Meaning: one who patrols and protects an area (forest guardian)
Popularity: #1,533 and falling (#1,505 → #1,533, 2024)

Texas Rangers gave us this occupational cool name; adventurous and ruggedly handsome.

Sherman

Origin: Middle English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: SHER-mun · ˈʃɜːr.mən
Meaning: a shearman; one who trimmed the nap off woven cloth
Popularity: #4,840 and rising (#5,212 → #4,840, 2024)

North Texas city named for General William Sherman; strong and direct.

Lubbock

Origin: German (surname)
Pronunciation: LUB-uhk · ˈlʌbək
Meaning: from Thomas Lubbock
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

West Texas city; rugged, unusual, straight-shot surname name.

Plano

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: PLAH-noh
Meaning: flat or level
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

North Texas tech suburb; clean, nature-word feel, very rare as a given name.

Sam

Origin: English (short form of Samuel/Samantha)
Pronunciation: SAM · ˈsæm
Meaning: pet form of Samuel, carrying that name’s traditional sense of ‘God has heard’
Popularity: #651 and rising (#675 → #651, 2024)

Sam Houston’s first name; solid, short, perennially wonderful, and the most Texan name that’s also universal.

Gainesville

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: GAYNZ-vil · ˈɡeɪnzvɪl
Meaning: Gaines’s settlement
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

North Texas city; Gaines as a usable shorter form.

Harlingen

Origin: Dutch (placename)
Pronunciation: HAR-lin-jin · ˈhɑːrlɪndʒɪn
Meaning: from Harlingen, Netherlands
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

South Texas Rio Grande Valley city; unusual, European surname feel in a deeply Texan place.

Heartland Strong — Names From the Midwest and Great Plains

The Midwest is the place America always underestimates, and the same is true of its place names. These come from the flat-voweled, bedrock-solid center of the country — from Illinois river towns and Great Lakes ports, from Nebraska farms and Kansas wheat fields. They tend to be unpretentious and quietly beautiful, which is exactly right for a name a child will carry everywhere.

Indiana

Origin: English (U.S. place name)
Pronunciation: in-dee-AN-ah · ˌɪndiˈænə
Meaning: named for the historic Indiana Territory, itself named for its Native American population
Popularity: #2,154 and falling (#2,034 → #2,154, 2024)

The Hoosier State; Indiana Jones made it undeniably cool; nickname Indie is irresistible.

Lincoln

Origin: English (place name)
Pronunciation: LING-kun · ˈlɪŋkən
Meaning: a place name meaning roughly ‘colony by the pool’ (Lindum Colonia), later a surname and, in honor of Abraham Lincoln, a given name
Popularity: #73 and falling (#64 → #73, 2024)

Nebraska’s capital and the great president; presidential, handsome, quietly timeless.

Aurora

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: uh-ROR-uh · əˈrɔːrə
Meaning: dawn (name of the Roman goddess of the dawn)
Popularity: #16 and rising (#22 → #16, 2024)

Quincy

Origin: Norman French (place name Quincy/Quincey, ultimately from Latin Quintus)
Pronunciation: KWIN-see · ˈkwɪnzi
Meaning: fifth (via a French place name, roughly ‘estate of Quintus/the fifth-born’)
Popularity: #689 and falling (#672 → #689, 2024)

Illinois and Massachusetts city; two presidents from Massachusetts claimed it; preppy, vintage, carries old-world energy.

Elgin

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: EL-gin · ˈɛlɡɪn
Meaning: little Ireland
Popularity: #7,885 and falling (#7,403 → #7,885, 2024)

Illinois city on the Fox River; strong, Celtic, deeply underused in America.

Galena

Origin: Greek/Latin
Pronunciation: gah-LEE-nə · ɡəˈliːnə
Meaning: the lead-ore mineral of the same name
Popularity: #16,041 and falling (#15,973 → #16,041, 2024)

Historic Illinois city where Ulysses Grant lived; mineral name with literary undertones.

Joliet

Origin: French (surname)
Pronunciation: joh-lee-ET · dʒoʊliˈɛt
Meaning: pretty
Popularity: #11,643 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bloomington

Origin: English (place name)
Pronunciation: BLOOM-ing-tuhn · ˈbluːmɪŋtən
Meaning: a flowering, blossoming settlement
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Twin cities in Illinois and Indiana; nature-forward compound with genuine bloom in it.

Kankakee

Origin: Miami-Illinois
Pronunciation: kang-kuh-KEE · ˌkæŋkəˈkiː
Meaning: open land or exposed country
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Illinois river and city; bold, Indigenous, unusual, and completely unworn.

Peoria

Origin: Miami-Illinois (place name)
Pronunciation: pee-OR-ee-uh · piˈɔːriə
Meaning: he comes carrying a pack on his back
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Central Illinois city; rare with deep American roots; “will it play in Peoria?” makes it quintessentially American.

Lansing

Origin: Dutch (surname)
Pronunciation: LAN-sing · ˈlæn.sɪŋ
Meaning: “spear-like, sharp”
Popularity: #13,232 as of 2014 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Michigan’s capital; sharp and strong as a surname name.

Flint

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FLINT · flɪnt
Meaning: A hard stone historically used for tool-making and striking sparks to start fires; used as a transferred word/surname name.
Popularity: #1,970 and rising (#2,133 → #1,970, 2024)

Michigan city; elemental, one-syllable punch, mineral-cool.

Holland

Origin: Dutch (place name)
Pronunciation: HAH-lund · ˈhɑːlənd
Meaning: wooded land
Popularity: #602 and falling (#571 → #602, 2024)

Michigan’s Tulip City; Dutch surname name with cheerful global reach.

Clare

Origin: Latin (via Old French Clarus/Clara)
Pronunciation: KLAIR · ˈklɛr
Meaning: bright, clear
Popularity: #949 and rising (#984 → #949, 2024)

Michigan city and an elegant girls’ name that’s somehow both timeless and perpetually underused.

Kent

Origin: Brythonic Celtic (English place name/surname)
Pronunciation: KENT · kɛnt
Meaning: border, rim, or edge
Popularity: #1,631 and rising (#1,674 → #1,631, 2024)

Ohio and Michigan county; clean, strong, vintage without being tired.

Geneva

Origin: Place name (Geneva, Switzerland)
Pronunciation: jeh-NEE-vah · dʒəˈniːvə
Meaning: “juniper berry” or “estuary”
Popularity: #1,603 and falling (#1,537 → #1,603, 2024)

Ohio lake town and Swiss city; elegant, European.

Findlay

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: FIND-lay · ˈfɪndleɪ
Meaning: Likely means ‘fair warrior’ — as a spelling variant of Finlay, traced to Gaelic fionn (‘fair/white’) plus laoch (‘warrior’).
Popularity: #8,509 and falling (#7,423 → #8,509, 2024)

Ohio city; handsome Scottish name that nobody is using yet.

Ashland

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: ASH-lund · ˈæʃlənd
Meaning: land grown with ash trees
Popularity: #12,273 and falling (#11,291 → #12,273, 2024)

Ohio and Kentucky city; nature compound with a distinguished, unhurried feel.

Tiffin

Origin: Old French (surname)
Pronunciation: TIH-fin · ˈtɪfɪn
Meaning: manifestation of God
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ohio city on the Sandusky River; rare, refined, sounds like something precious.

– **Toledo** — possibly from Celtic “elevated land.” Ohio and Spanish city; bold, global, a touch mysterious.

Wooster

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: WUWS-ter · ˈwʊstər
Meaning: fort of the Weogorna people
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ohio city; quirky, distinguished, Woo as a nickname nobody expects to love.

Defiance

Origin: Old French
Pronunciation: dih-FY-əns · dɪˈfaɪəns
Meaning: bold resistance or challenge
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Northwest Ohio city; bold, unconventional virtue-word name that means exactly what it says.

Sandusky

Origin: Wyandot
Pronunciation: san-DUS-kee · sænˈdʌski
Meaning: water or cold water
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ohio city on Lake Erie; unusual, wild, nobody is using it yet.

– **Lima** — “lime tree” (Old English) or from Peru. Ohio city; short, fresh, surprising.

Traverse

Origin: Old French
Pronunciation: TRAV-ers · ˈtrævərs
Meaning: crossing
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Michigan’s Traverse City; adventure name with motion built into it.

Normal

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: NOR-məl · ˈnɔːrməl
Meaning: conforming to a rule
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Illinois college town; ironic-cool name that clever parents are quietly reclaiming.

Omaha

Origin: Omaha-Ponca
Pronunciation: OH-muh-hah · ˈoʊməˌhɑː
Meaning: upstream people
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Nebraska’s largest city; strong, short, Indigenous, sounds like it’s always moving forward.

Ames

Origin: uncertain (possibly a transferred surname or place name)
Pronunciation: AYMZ · eɪmz
Meaning: “friend”
Popularity: #2,007 and falling (#1,753 → #2,007, 2024)

Iowa’s college town; clean, one-syllable, the name equivalent of a firm handshake.

Galesburg

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: GAYLZ-berg · ˈɡeɪlzbɜːrɡ
Meaning: Gale’s town
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Literary pilgrimage city; unusual, carries the weight of the American poet.

New England and the Northeast — Names That Carry History

These are the oldest European-American names on this list — the names of Puritan settlements and colonial ports, Revolutionary battlefields and fishing villages that predate the republic. They’re spare, purposeful, and deeply rooted. New England names tend to be like New England itself: no unnecessary decoration, very good bones.

Maine

Origin: Old Irish
Pronunciation: MAYN · meɪn
Meaning: “mainland”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Pine Tree State; clean, strong, one-syllable girl’s name with quiet authority.

Vermont

Origin: French
Pronunciation: ver-MONT · vərˈmɒnt
Meaning: green mountain
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Providence

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PROV-ih-dunss · ˈprɒv.ɪ.dəns
Meaning: divine care and guidance
Popularity: #10,863 and rising (#13,134 → #10,863, 2024)

Rhode Island’s capital; meaningful, Victorian-grandeur name that’s genuinely back in rotation.

Concord

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KON-kord · ˈkɒŋkɔːrd
Meaning: harmony, agreement
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

New Hampshire and Massachusetts city; the shot heard round the world started here; elegant and peaceful.

Plymouth

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: PLIM-uth · ˈplɪməθ
Meaning: mouth of the River Plym
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Massachusetts Pilgrim landing; strong historic surname with serious weight.

Newport

Origin: Old English (place name, ‘new’ + ‘port’)
Pronunciation: NEW-port · ˈnjuːpɔːrt
Meaning: new port/harbor town
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rhode Island sailing capital; preppy, nautical, carries itself like a summer afternoon on the water.

Bristol

Origin: Old English (place name)
Pronunciation: BRIS-tul · ˈbrɪstəl
Meaning: bridge place / settlement at the bridge
Popularity: #635 and falling (#529 → #635, 2024)

Rhode Island and Connecticut port town; strong British-American surname.

Westerly

Origin: English (word name)
Pronunciation: WES-ter-lee · ˈwɛstərli
Meaning: towards or from the west
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rhode Island coastal town; directional, breezy, Wes as a nickname.

Lowell

Origin: English (surname, from Old French via Middle English)
Pronunciation: LOH-əl · ˈloʊəl
Meaning: little wolf
Popularity: #3,735 and falling (#3,677 → #3,735, 2024)

Massachusetts mill city; James Russell Lowell gave it serious literary credentials.

Gloucester

Origin: Old English (Brittonic ‘Glevum’ + Old English ‘ceaster’)
Pronunciation: GLOS-ter · ˈɡlɒstər
Meaning: bright place and Roman fort/town
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Massachusetts fishing port; literary, rugged, Hemingway-adjacent.

Ipswich

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: IPS-witch · ˈɪpswɪtʃ
Meaning: Gip’s trading settlement
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Massachusetts historic town; rare, deeply English, sounds like old money without trying.

Montpelier

Origin: Old French
Pronunciation: mont-PEEL-yer · mɒntˈpiːljər
Meaning: “mount of the olive grower”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Vermont’s tiny, beautiful capital; French elegance in four syllables.

Burlington

Origin: Old English (place name)
Pronunciation: BER-ling-tən · ˈbɜːɹlɪŋtən
Meaning: “Baldhere’s town”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Vermont’s largest city on Lake Champlain; strong surname feel.

Bennington

Origin: Old English place-name pattern (English surname/place name)
Pronunciation: BEN-ing-tən · ˈbɛnɪŋtən
Meaning: likely ‘settlement of the people of a man named Beonna,’ following the common Old English personal-name + ‘-ing-‘ + ‘-tun’ pattern
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Vermont Revolutionary War battlefield town; Ben as a clean nickname.

Keene

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: KEEN · kiːn
Meaning: bold or brave
Popularity: #11,612 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Dover

Origin: Brythonic Celtic
Pronunciation: DOH-ver · ˈdoʊvər
Meaning: the waters
Popularity: #12,845 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

New Hampshire’s capital and Delaware’s capital both claim it; clean, classic, pleasingly brief.

Exeter

Origin: Old English (place name)
Pronunciation: EKS-ih-ter · ˈɛksɪtər
Meaning: Old English for ‘fortified town on the River Exe’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

New Hampshire prep-school town; polished, quietly distinguished.

Hartford

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: HART-ferd · ˈhɑːrtfərd
Meaning: stag ford
Popularity: #7,023 and rising (#7,780 → #7,023, 2024)

Bridgeport

Origin: English (place name, self-evident compound, not independently sourced)
Pronunciation: BRIJ-port · ˈbrɪdʒpɔːrt
Meaning: a harbor town situated by a bridge
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Connecticut’s largest city; compound surname name with forward motion.

Clinton

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: KLIN-tən · klɪntən
Meaning: settlement on a hill or by the Glyme river
Popularity: #1,933 and falling (#1,662 → #1,933, 2024)

Connecticut and several other states; presidential, vintage, solid.

Meriden

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: MEHR-ih-den · ˈmɛrɪdən
Meaning: pleasant valley
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Connecticut city; musical, rare, has a genuine Celtic lilt.

Grafton

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: GRAF-tun · ˈɡræftən
Meaning: settlement by the grove
Popularity: #8,530 and falling (#7,434 → #8,530, 2024)

New Hampshire county and Massachusetts town; nature compound with old-world feel.

Laconia

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: luh-KOH-nee-uh · ləˈkoʊ.ni.ə
Meaning: “hollow, valley”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

New Hampshire lake region city; classical Greek geography, unusual and lovely.

Rutland

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: RUHT-luhnd · ˈrʌtlənd
Meaning: “land of roots”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Vermont city; earthy, solid, deeply unfussy.

Wellesley

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: WELZ-lee · ˈwɛlzli
Meaning: woodland clearing by the springs
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Massachusetts college town; long, distinguished, feminine without being soft.

Falmouth

Origin: Cornish/English (place name)
Pronunciation: FAL-muth · ˈfælməθ
Meaning: mouth of the River Fal
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Massachusetts Cape Cod town; British maritime elegance.

Norwood

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: NOR-wood · ˈnɔːrwʊd
Meaning: north wood
Popularity: #8,953 as of 1997 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Massachusetts suburb; directional nature compound, Nor as a nickname.

Salem

Origin: Hebrew (feminine use) and Arabic (masculine use, as Salim)
Pronunciation: SAY-lum · ˈseɪləm
Meaning: peace, wholeness (from the Hebrew place name for ancient Jerusalem); the Arabic-derived masculine use means ‘safe, unharmed’
Popularity: #430 and falling (#417 → #430, 2024)

Massachusetts Puritan city; mystical and strong; claimed in the South too but born here.

Two Massachusetts presidents made this name presidential; see also the Midwest section.

– **Plymouth** — already listed above; stands alone.

Pacific Gold — West Coast Names

The West Coast has a naming register all its own — part Spanish mission, part Indigenous language, part 19th-century gold rush, part counterculture. California, Oregon, and Washington generate names that feel simultaneously ancient and startlingly contemporary. The Pacific names tend to be shorter, sunnier, and more likely to contain a vowel sound you’d find near the ocean.

Oregon

Origin: “hurricane”
Pronunciation: OR-ih-gun · ˈɔːrɪɡən
Meaning: uncertain origin, possibly from an Algonquian word or French *ouragan*
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Beaver State; strong, one-syllable, a name that sounds like the West itself.

Marina

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: muh-REE-nah · məˈriːnə
Meaning: of the sea
Popularity: #640 and falling (#572 → #640, 2024)

California’s Bay Area neighborhood and central coast city; lovely, clear, wears the ocean without being literal.

Marin

Origin: Latin (via Serbo-Croatian Marin, from Latin marinus, “of the sea”)
Pronunciation: MAH-rin · ˈmɑːrɪn
Meaning: of the sea
Popularity: #1,900 and falling (#1,882 → #1,900, 2024)

Marin County, California; sleek, French-feeling, works for boys or girls.

Eureka

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: yoo-REE-kuh · jʊəˈriːkə
Meaning: I have found it
Popularity: #12,647 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Northern California city and the state motto; triumphant, exuberant, rare as a given name.

Sonoma

Origin: Coast Miwok / Suisun (Indigenous Californian)
Pronunciation: soh-NOH-mah · səˈnoʊmə
Meaning: “valley of the moon”
Popularity: #8,862 and falling (#8,422 → #8,862, 2024)

Wine country California; warm, evocative, surprisingly rare as a given name.

Merced

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: mair-SED · mɛərˈsɛd
Meaning: mercy
Popularity: #10,411 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Central California city on the Merced River; meaningful, Spanish, rarely used as a baby name.

Modesto

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: moh-DESS-toh · moˈðesto
Meaning: modest, moderate
Popularity: #7,552 and falling (#6,770 → #7,552, 2024)

California city; virtue name in disguise; a brave choice.

Arcata

Origin: Native Californian (Yurok or Wiyot, disputed)
Pronunciation: ar-KAY-tuh · ɑːrˈkeɪtə
Meaning: possibly “valley place”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Northern California Humboldt Bay city; evocative, rare, feels like northern California fog.

Astoria

Origin: English (place name, from the surname Astor)
Pronunciation: uh-STOR-ee-uh · əˈstɔːriə
Meaning: place named after the Astor family
Popularity: #1,994 and rising (#2,557 → #1,994, 2024)

Oregon coast city; elegant, Victorian, Astor or Tori as nicknames.

Medford

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: MED-ferd · ˈmɛdfərd
Meaning: Ford at the river confluence
Popularity: #6,913 as of 1980 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Oregon and Massachusetts city; solid, unfussy, a quiet surname name.

Bend

Origin: English (common word, place name)
Pronunciation: BEND · bɛnd
Meaning: a curve or turn, typically referring to a bend in a river (though at least one place called Bend is instead named for a curve in a railway line)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Oregon’s outdoor mecca; simple, directional, surprisingly wearable.

Spokane

Origin: Salishan
Pronunciation: spoh-KAN · spoʊˈkæn
Meaning: round head
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Washington city; sunlit, Indigenous, strong.

Yakima

Origin: Sahaptin
Pronunciation: YAK-ih-mah · ˈjækɪmə
Meaning: runaway or pregnant ones
Popularity: #20,355 as of 2008 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Washington city and valley; strong, unusual, deeply rooted in the Pacific Northwest.

Olympia

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: oh-LIM-pee-uh · oʊˈlɪmpiə
Meaning: of/from (Mount) Olympus
Popularity: #2,473 and rising (#2,606 → #2,473, 2024)

Washington’s capital; mythological, strong, deeply classical.

Tacoma

Origin: Lushootseed
Pronunciation: tuh-KOH-muh · təˈkoʊmə
Meaning: mother of waters
Popularity: #14,070 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bellingham

Origin: Old English (place name, surname transferred to given-name use)
Pronunciation: BEL-ing-ham · ˈbɛlɪŋhæm
Meaning: possibly ‘homestead of the people of a man nicknamed Bera (“bear”)’ or, for a different English village of the same name, ‘homestead by a bell-shaped hill’ — two distinct place-name origins exist
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Washington coastal city near the Canadian border; distinguished, Bell as a nickname.

Everett

Origin: Old English/Germanic (Eoforheard/Eberhard)
Pronunciation: EV-er-et · ˈɛvərɪt
Meaning: wild boar + hardy, brave (a Germanic compound name)
Popularity: #85 and rising (#88 → #85, 2024)

Washington city; handsome, classic, currently in the sweet spot of vintage revival.

Pullman

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: PUUL-mun · ˈpʊl.mən
Meaning: from railroad entrepreneur George Pullman
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Washington State University town; strong, industrial-era surname with unexpected charm.

Walla Walla

Origin: Sahaptin
Pronunciation: WAH-luh WAH-luh · ˌwɑːlə ˈwɑːlə
Meaning: many waters
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Washington wine country city; playful, Indigenous, the kind of name a very confident parent gives.

Sequim

Origin: Klallam
Pronunciation: SKWIM · skwɪm
Meaning: place for hunting
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Olympic Peninsula town; rare, Indigenous, serene.

Redding

Origin: English (surname/place name, variant of Reading)
Pronunciation: RED-ing · ˈrɛdɪŋ
Meaning: linked to Reading, from Old English for ‘people of Reada’ (the red one)
Popularity: #4,828 and falling (#4,085 → #4,828, 2024)

Northern California city at the top of the Central Valley; warm, direct, underused.

Mendocino

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: men-doh-SEE-noh · ˌmɛndoʊˈsiːnoʊ
Meaning: Person from Mendoza
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Northern California coastal county; lyrical, long, Mendi as a nickname.

– **Visalia** — possibly from the Visalia family who settled the area. Central California city; feminine, unusual, has an invented-but-pretty quality.

Pasco

Origin: Cornish
Pronunciation: PASS-koh · ˈpæskoʊ
Meaning: Easter
Popularity: #5,669 as of 1973 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Washington Tri-Cities; Spanish religious holiday name, clean and short.

Kennewick

Origin: Sahaptin
Pronunciation: KEN-uh-wik · ˈkɛnəwɪk
Meaning: grassy place
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Washington Tri-Cities; earthy, rare, the kind of name linguistic adventurers choose.

Fresno

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: FREZ-noh · ˈfrɛznoʊ
Meaning: ash tree
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ellensburg

Origin: American (placename)
Pronunciation: EL-ənz-burg · ˈɛlənzbɜːrɡ
Meaning: Ellen’s town
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Washington rodeo and college town; Ellen is the usable core; the full name has a curious charm.

Oroville

Origin: Spanish and French
Pronunciation: OR-uh-vil · ˈɔːrəvɪl
Meaning: gold city
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Roseburg

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: ROHZ-berg · ˈroʊzbɜːrɡ
Meaning: “rose fortress”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Southern Oregon city; Rose is the practical form, but Roseburg has unexpectedly good flair.

– **Marina** — already listed but worth noting twice; it appears in six California place names because California loves the sea.

Presidential and Founding-Era Names — Names That Built the Country

These are the names that ran the country before they ran nurseries. Presidential surnames became American place names, and American place names became baby names, in a beautiful loop that has been going on since 1789. Using one of these is a quiet act of patriotism — and very good naming instincts.

Washington

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: WASH-ing-tən · ˈwɒʃɪŋtən
Meaning: settlement of Hwæssa’s people
Popularity: #9,789 and falling (#8,866 → #9,789, 2024)

The first president and the state; huge as a surname name; Wash as a nickname.

Jefferson

Origin: English (patronymic surname)
Pronunciation: JEF-ur-sun · ˈdʒɛfərsən
Meaning: son of Jeffrey
Popularity: #711 and rising (#762 → #711, 2024)

Virginia’s philosopher-president; strong three-syllable surname; Jeff as a nickname.

Hamilton

Origin: Old English (place-name)
Pronunciation: HAM-ul-tuhn · ˈhæmɪltən
Meaning: flat-topped hill
Popularity: #2,640 and rising (#2,707 → #2,640, 2024)

Named for Alexander Hamilton; dozens of American cities carry it; the musical made it contemporary again.

Franklin

Origin: English (from Anglo-Norman fraunclein)
Pronunciation: FRANK-lin · ˈfræŋklɪn
Meaning: a free landowner of non-noble rank (a “freeholder”)
Popularity: #385 and rising (#410 → #385, 2024)

Benjamin Franklin; Pennsylvania through and through; Frank or Frankie as nicknames.

Jackson

Origin: English (surname)
Pronunciation: JAK-suhn · ˈdʒæksən
Meaning: son of Jack
Popularity: #35 and falling (#28 → #35, 2024)

Harrison

Origin: English (patronymic surname)
Pronunciation: HAIR-ih-sin · ˈhærɪsən
Meaning: patronymic surname meaning ‘son of Harry’
Popularity: #121 and falling (#119 → #121, 2024)

Two presidents — William Henry and Benjamin — tied to Indiana and Ohio; Harry as a nickname.

Tyler

Origin: English
Pronunciation: TY-ler · ˈtaɪlər
Meaning: one who lays tiles (occupational surname)
Popularity: #191 and falling (#177 → #191, 2024)

Virginia’s tenth president; solidly popular for two decades now.

Polk

Origin: Scottish (surname)
Pronunciation: POHK · poʊk
Meaning: little pool
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Tennessee’s eleventh president; strong, short, one-syllable surname name.

Pierce

Origin: English (medieval variant of Piers/Peter)
Pronunciation: PEERSS · ˈpɪrs
Meaning: rock or stone, as a variant of Peter
Popularity: #540 and rising (#546 → #540, 2024)

New Hampshire’s fourteenth president; sharp, strong.

Buchanan

Origin: Scottish Gaelic (surname/place name)
Pronunciation: buh-KAN-un
Meaning: Scottish place name traditionally read as the residence of a cathedral canon
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pennsylvania’s fifteenth president; Buck as a nickname.

Grant

Origin: English/Scottish (surname)
Pronunciation: GRANT · ˈɡrænt
Meaning: nickname/surname meaning ‘great, large’ (of large stature)
Popularity: #241 and falling (#228 → #241, 2024)

Ohio/Illinois general and eighteenth president; clean, strong, one syllable.

Hayes

Origin: English or Irish (surname)
Pronunciation: HAYZ · ˈheɪz
Meaning: enclosure or brushwood (English); alternatively ‘descendant of Aodh’ via the Irish surname Ó hAodha
Popularity: #160 and rising (#209 → #160, 2024)

Ohio’s nineteenth president; smart, simple surname name.

Garfield

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: GAR-feeld · ˈɡɑːrfiːld
Meaning: triangular field or spear field
Popularity: #12,752 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ohio’s twentieth president; the cat association is recent, the name is old and presidential.

Arthur

Origin: Celtic (Welsh), disputed — possibly a Latinized Romano-British name
Pronunciation: AR-thur · ˈɑːrθər
Meaning: possibly ‘bear’ (etymology disputed)
Popularity: #105 and rising (#130 → #105, 2024)

Vermont’s twenty-first president; classic, strong, Arthur Weasley made it approachable again.

Cleveland

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: KLEEV-lənd · kliːvlənd
Meaning: cliff land
Popularity: #6,506 and rising (#7,369 → #6,506, 2024)

Ohio’s twenty-second and twenty-fourth president and North Carolina city; Cleve as a nickname.

McKinley

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: muh-KIN-lee · məˈkɪnli
Meaning: son of Fionnlaoch, meaning ‘fair warrior’
Popularity: #742 and falling (#636 → #742, 2024)

Ohio president and Alaska’s highest peak (now Denali); Kinley as a usable form.

Harding

Origin: English (patronymic surname)
Pronunciation: HAR-ding · ˈhɑːrdɪŋ
Meaning: son of Hardy, or of a man whose name contained the Germanic element ‘hard’ (strong, brave)
Popularity: #7,922 and rising (#10,095 → #7,922, 2024)

Ohio president; strong, direct surname name.

Truman

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: TROO-muhn · ˈtruːmən
Meaning: Faithful or trustworthy man, from a compound of ‘true’ and ‘man.’
Popularity: #1,811 and falling (#1,546 → #1,811, 2024)

Missouri president; honest-name energy that hasn’t been used enough.

Eisenhower

Origin: German (surname)
Pronunciation: EYE-zən-how-er · ˈaɪzənhaʊ.ər
Meaning: iron cutter or miner
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Kansas president; Ike is practically famous enough to stand alone.

Kennedy

Origin: Irish (Ó Cinnéidigh)
Pronunciation: KEN-uh-dee · ˈkɛnədi
Meaning: descendant of Cinnéide, a personal name traditionally glossed ‘ugly-headed’
Popularity: #89 and falling (#72 → #89, 2024)

Massachusetts president; eternally stylish surname name, works for girls too.

Carter

Origin: English (occupational surname)
Pronunciation: KAR-ter · ˈkɑːrtər
Meaning: one who drove/operated a cart (occupational surname)
Popularity: #45 and rising (#48 → #45, 2024)

Georgia president; has become one of the most popular boys’ names in America, and earned it.

Reagan

Origin: Irish (Anglicized surname, Ó Riagáin)
Pronunciation: RAY-gun · ˈreɪɡən
Meaning: “little king”
Popularity: #244 and falling (#168 → #244, 2024)

California/Illinois president; beloved surname name, works beautifully for girls.

Adams

Origin: English (patronymic surname, ultimately from Hebrew via Adam)
Pronunciation: AD-umz · ˈædəmz
Meaning: ‘son of Adam’ — an English patronymic surname built on the given name Adam, traditionally glossed as Hebrew for ‘man’ or linked to ‘adamah’ (‘earth/ground’)
Popularity: #3,207 and falling (#3,177 → #3,207, 2024)

Two Massachusetts presidents; clean, strong, slightly formal surname.

Ford

Origin: English
Pronunciation: FORD · ˈfɔːrd
Meaning: Originally a surname for someone who lived near a river ford, a shallow place where a river could be crossed.
Popularity: #570 and falling (#523 → #570, 2024)

Michigan president; clean, strong, one syllable that feels current.

Virginia’s fifth president; Marilyn gave it a second life, now it’s a confident surname choice for either gender.

– **Lincoln** — see Midwest section; worth noting as presidential geography too.
– **Clinton** — see New England section; Arkansas also claims it.
– **Madison** — see Deep South section; born as a Virginia president’s surname.

Coolidge

Origin: Old English (surname)
Meaning: charcoal ridge
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings