Which geographical names do you love and hate and why?
I really dislike [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] and [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u].
[name_u]Paris[/name_u] and [name_u]Dallas[/name_u] are both guilty pleasures of mine, especially [name_u]Paris[/name_u] which I adore.
[name_u]Devon[/name_u] is wonderful on either gender. [name_f]India[/name_f] I dislike as I think it gets used without thought.
[name_f]Harlow[/name_f] I find hilarious. If you have ever visited [name_f]Harlow[/name_f] in [name_m]Essex[/name_m] you’ll agree 
[name_u]London[/name_u] just doesnt sound nice to me, neither does [name_u]Camden[/name_u].
[name_f]Geneva[/name_f] is pretty and so is [name_f]Vienna[/name_f] - although it does make me think of ice cream?
[name_f]Ireland[/name_f] doesnt sound right to me as a name.
What are your thoughts on these and other place names?
I’m a huge fan of geographical names. [name_m]Essex[/name_m] was actually on my boys list for a while. It might have to go back on there now lol I also have:
[name_u]Everest[/name_u] (for Mt [name_u]Everest[/name_u], of course)
[name_u]Seneca[/name_u] ([name_m]New[/name_m] [name_m]York[/name_m])
[name_m]Cyprus[/name_m] (the island)
[name_u]Salem[/name_u] (Massachusetts)
Syracuse ([name_f]Italy[/name_f])
[name_u]London[/name_u] ([name_f]England[/name_f])
[name_u]Denver[/name_u] ([name_u]Colorado[/name_u])
Callery (Pennsylvania)
[name_u]Aspen[/name_u] ([name_u]Colorado[/name_u])
[name_f]Kenley[/name_f] ([name_f]England[/name_f])
[name_f]Amity[/name_f] (Oregon)
I adore them! Here is what is on my list, all have some meaning to me one way or another:
[name_u]Egypt[/name_u] (boy)
[name_u]London[/name_u] ([name_f]England[/name_f]) (boy)
Nottingham ([name_f]England[/name_f]) (girl)
Gotham ([name_f]England[/name_f]/also for Batman series, lol) (girl)
[name_u]Cairo[/name_u] ([name_u]Egypt[/name_u]) (girl)
Pompeii ([name_f]Italy[/name_f]) (girl) - middle name only
Jerusalem ([name_m]Israel[/name_m]) (girl)
[name_m]Nazareth[/name_m] ([name_m]Israel[/name_m]) (boy)
[name_f]Alaska[/name_f] (US) (boy)
[name_f]Arizona[/name_f] (US) (boy)
[name_u]Dallas[/name_u] ([name_u]Texas[/name_u]) (girl)
[name_f]France[/name_f] (girl)
[name_u]Paris[/name_u] ([name_f]France[/name_f]) (boy)
[name_f]Ireland[/name_f] (both genders)
[name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] (NY) (boy)
Bethlehem ([name_m]Israel[/name_m]) (boy)
[name_u]Tennessee[/name_u] (boy)
I have more I just can’t think lol
There are some I like but they’re the ones that are already well-established names like [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], [name_f]Virginia[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Geneva[/name_f] etc…There are some that make me cringe every time I hear them (I’m thinking of you, [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_u]Dallas[/name_u], [name_u]Paris[/name_u], [name_u]Salem[/name_u]). Personally, if a place doesn’t have special significance for the parents, I don’t see the appeal at all. It just means that the couple are following a major trend because it’s the cool thing to do or they chose the place name just because the name sounds “nice”. For me, the place has to have some meaning for me in order to find it interesting enough to use it.
I agree with you [name_u]Mischa[/name_u], I would like to hear that a place name carried specific meaning such as [name_u]Reese[/name_u] Witherspoon’s [name_u]Tennessee[/name_u]. Although hearing that the inspiration was place of conception is just TMI ([name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] [name_m]Beckham[/name_m])!!
I’m not a fan of any of the city or geographical names but do have one completely unusable guilty pleasure for an Irish Catholic living in Australia with a very Irish surname…[name_m]Israel[/name_m], nn [name_u]Izzy[/name_u].
I think some are fine. I like [name_u]Paris[/name_u] on a boy as well as [name_u]Salem[/name_u]. [name_u]Tennessee[/name_u], [name_f]Louisiana[/name_f], [name_f]Virginia[/name_f], [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], and [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] are lovely. [name_f]Afton[/name_f] is a favorite of mine. However, I cringe at [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] and anytime some greats “kree8tyv” like Irelyn and Scotlyn. It’s tacky.
[name_f]Sedona[/name_f]
[name_f]Arizona[/name_f]
[name_u]Aspen[/name_u]
[name_u]Denver[/name_u]
[name_f]Avalon[/name_f]
[name_u]Salem[/name_u]
[name_m]Laredo[/name_m]
[name_u]Cheyenne[/name_u]
[name_u]Nevada[/name_u]
[name_f]Cimarron[/name_f]
[name_m]Austin[/name_m]
[name_f]Savannah[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]
[name_f]India[/name_f]- nice sound, not nice country
[name_u]Bristol[/name_u]- pretty much everyone hates this
[name_u]Phoenix[/name_u]- only for a girl
[name_f]Ireland[/name_f]
[name_u]Madison[/name_u]
I don’t like [name_f]Asia[/name_f], [name_u]London[/name_u], [name_u]Paris[/name_u], or [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u]. They all sound trashy to me.
I’m not a fan of it, either. Partly because it’s the name of [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] [name_u]Palin[/name_u]'s daughter. But mostly because “Bristols” is British slang for boobies. Not that I don’t like boobies, I just don’t like [name_u]Bristol[/name_u] (boob) as a name for a little girl.
I’m not the biggest fan. Most of the ones I like are ones that I kind of forget are place names. It’s troubling because some of the most popular ones are not the pleasantest of places: [name_u]Camden[/name_u] isn’t the best choice if you live near NJ, for example! [name_m]Bronx[/name_m]? Place names that sound “exotic” or “tough” or “glamorous” to one might have different associations to people who have actually lived in or near those areas.
I have considered using my hometown as a middle if I ever have a boy. It would be meaningful for me, and it’s an unusual choice. I think a lot of people use place-names they don’t have much actual connection to, cause you wouldn’t want to use the name of the actual place the child will be growing up. But I think the personal connection makes it special, and the parents will know for sure it’s a worthy choice!