On Place Names

I like the idea of naming a child after a place of significance. This is an area for particular care, however...

Blake and I spent part of our first date sitting on a bench in West Seattle, enjoying the city skyline at night across Elliott Bay. I've always been fond of the name "Elliott" for a boy, and I like the fact that the name has significance for Blake and me. Plus- two sets of double letters!! But...it's not too likely that little "Elliott" would appreciate the romance behind his name. Maybe it would be different were it a daughter, but it seems cruel to burden a boy with a name with sappy connotations. Plus, "Elliott" has no good male nicknames. And I'm concerned it may go the way of "Ashley," "Lindsey," and "Taylor" and become more of a girl name.

If there's a place that is deeply special to you (and always will be), choosing a name reminiscent of the place can be extremely meaningful. For example, if your beloved grandparents were from Italy, perhaps naming a child "Romey" or "Venice" would be a fond reminder of them. I'd stay away from "Pompeii" though, since more cataclysmic images tend to come to mind than warm thoughts of the motherland. Along with that, it's best to discard places that people tend to make fun of, like "Detroit."

As long as the location in consideration doesn't have romantic associations for the parents that would potentially horrify/humiliate their offspring, and as long as there is SOME significance to the name (I think it's silly to name a kid "Brooklyn" or "Dakota" or "London" just because they're popular options), go for a place name! Some ideas:

- Biblical place names: one of my favorite girl names (I'm hesitant to write it since it will likely be the name of our next daughter) is a Biblical place name. Also, "Belen" (Bethleham in Spanish), Magdalena, Eden, Berea (my friend Aimee chose this lovely, unique name!), and Israel.

- Bodies of water, mountains, and landmarks: I grew up near Lake Meridian, and I always thought "Meridia" would make a nice name. Or I could use "Lillian," since the first lake I ever backpacked to was Lake Lillian. "Rainier" is a name I'll always love, since Mt. Rainier is the quintessential mountain, and is so emblematic of my western Washington roots. Other mountains? McKinley, Shasta, or Baker, perhaps? As far as landmark names go, why not Zion (could be a biblical name or a nod to the national park)?

- City/Country names: Well, my hometown is "Kent." It's sort of in the hood though, not really a place to pay homage to. Common choices include: "Paris," "Kenya," the previously mentioned "London," "Dakota," and "Brooklyn," and "India." Again, I beseech you to only pick a city/country name for your baby if you have some sort of connection to the place, not just because you like the way it sounds. At the same time, you don't want a name that you have too much connection to (naming our next child "Flagstaff" would be pretty ridiculous).

In summary, a place name can be a terrific, unique, and meaningful moniker for your child. Just consider any weird connotations the name may evoke, and analyze your motive in using the name. After all, you want your child to love his name, and hopefully the place it honors as well.