My husband and I have been blessed with three children, adopted from three different countries. Each of their names have been chosen specially from the countries they where born in so they will always have a connection to those places.
We are in the process of adopting a fourth child from the USA and I was curious to know if there are any ‘true’ American names? I find many that have been adopted from foreign countries, but very few that were made here.
I have [name]Alexander[/name] ([name]Sasha[/name]), [name]Elena[/name] and [name]Zaina[/name] already and I can’t wait to add another little boy.
Thanks.
Congratulations!! Here are some ideas:
[name]Cole[/name]
[name]Dylan[/name]
[name]Blake[/name]
[name]Ian[/name]
[name]Elijah[/name]
[name]Ethan[/name]
[name]Preston[/name]
[name]Jeremy[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name] (popular, but definitely all-american)
[name]Zachary[/name]
[name]Daniel[/name]
[name]Parker[/name]
[name]James[/name] (classic, timless, and popular, but a bit boring, [name]IMO[/name])
[name]Michael[/name]
I think the best All-American boys names that I listed (and my personal faves) are:
[name]Cole[/name]
[name]Dylan[/name]
[name]Michael[/name]
[name]Parker[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name]
[name]Ian[/name]
Although [name]Michael[/name] and [name]James[/name] seem boring to me, I believe they are the best choices, although [name]Cole[/name] is right up there as well. [name]Hope[/name] I helped and good luck!!! 
I think it is hard too find true American names that don’t sound ‘made up’ maybe go with a name that has some tie to American history?
Here are some I can think of
[name]Johnny[/name]
[name]Tommy[/name]
[name]Sawyer[/name]
[name]Huck[/name]
[name]Dinah[/name]
okay, so that’s a pretty limited list but I’ll think about it, see if I can come up with any more…
Ooh [name]Alexa[/name], you have given me an idea!!!
American Literature… what better way to get to American names?
[name]Huck[/name] and [name]Sawyer[/name] did it for me! Thanks!
There’s no American language, so there aren’t any etymologically American names. There are a few names that originated in the US, but they are generally words or variants of other names. But there are still a few ways you could do it. You could go with a name of a founding father/president/famous American such as [name]George[/name], [name]Jefferson[/name], [name]Lincoln[/name], [name]Benjamin[/name], etc. You could go with a name that has been very popular in the U.S.- [name]John[/name], [name]Michael[/name], or [name]Jacob[/name] for example. Or you could pick a name that has an American-y image, or maybe a cowboy-ish one like [name]Weston[/name] or [name]Zeke[/name]. American literature is also a good idea.
You could also pick a name that is Native American or Hawaiian. I don’t know if that’s exactly what you’re looking for, but they are the only names that are truly 100% American. However, be advised that many Native American naming traditions are very different from modern ones. There are a few Native American variants of names- Kateri for [name]Katherine[/name], for example- but there are very, very few and if you or your child is not Native American it may be a bit odd.
Anyway, best of luck and congratulations!
Ooh [name]Alexa[/name], you have given me an idea!!!
American Literature… what better way to get to American names?
[name]Huck[/name] and [name]Sawyer[/name] did it for me! Thanks![/quote]
Thank god you are happy with these, because I didn’t know what to say! As poster above noted, there are few genuine American names. [name]Dylan[/name]? [name]Bob[/name] stole that from a Welsh poet. [name]Dinah[/name]? Biblical. Anglo American language, including names, is firmly rooted in the European and [name]Christian[/name] tradition, and the names show it. [name]Sawyer[/name] is a profession that started elsewhere, but the name does sound American.
American sound is as close as you are going to get, and so I’m glad you are happy. Some names that sound American to me include [name]Zane[/name] (because of [name]Grey[/name]), [name]Nathaniel[/name] (because of [name]Hawthorne[/name]), and [name]Jefferson[/name] (because of [name]Thomas[/name]). Someone else might associate them with another country. Other choices might be American place names – [name]Houston[/name], [name]Durango[/name], or [name]Denver[/name]. Again – [name]Denver[/name] is also an aristocratic British family name.
There is a good naming site if you want a genuine American, meaning Native American, name. I like Chetan (rhymes with [name]Peyton[/name]) from the [name]Sioux[/name] word for hawk. It is not too strange. This organization can help you with the difficulties of using a name from Native American cultures.
Congratulations on your growing family!! It’s wonderful how you have have honored each child’s heritage in his or her name!! Here are some names associated with early American history:
[name]George[/name]
[name]Washington[/name]
[name]Lincoln[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Jefferson[/name]
Since you like the idea of ([name]Tom[/name]) [name]Sawyer[/name] and [name]Huck[/name] ([name]Huckleberry[/name] [name]Finn[/name])… maybe:
[name]Thomas[/name] [name]Finn[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name] [name]Sawyer[/name]
[name]Finn[/name] [name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Finn[/name] [name]Sawyer[/name]
I love the idea of using a name from American Literature! Some other ideas:
Other founding father/presidential type names:
[name]Hamilton[/name]
[name]Adams[/name]
[name]Quincy[/name] (also, [name]Quincy[/name] Market is a main attraction in [name]Boston[/name])
[name]Jefferson[/name]
[name]Monroe[/name]
[name]Martha[/name] ([name]Washington[/name])
[name]Lincoln[/name]
[name]Franklin[/name]
[name]Ulysses[/name] (or [name]Grant[/name])
[name]Betsy[/name] ([name]Ross[/name])
Some Patriotic Names:
Patriot
[name]Liberty[/name]
[name]Justice[/name]
[name]America[/name]
[name]Glory[/name]/[name]Gloria[/name]
[name]Navy[/name]
Mayflower
Place names:
[name]Aspen[/name]
[name]Boston[/name]
[name]Brooklyn[/name]
[name]Dallas[/name]
[name]Houston[/name]
[name]Austin[/name]
[name]Arlington[/name]
[name]Georgia[/name]
[name]Carolina[/name]
[name]Tennessee[/name] (also after [name]Tennessee[/name] [name]Williams[/name])
[name]Montana[/name]
[name]Dakota[/name]
[name]Hudson[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name]
[name]Indiana[/name]
[name]Louisiana[/name]
Also, some US symbols:
[name]Eagle[/name] (national bird)
[name]Rose[/name] (national flower)
[name]Sam[/name] (for Uncle [name]Sam[/name])
[name]Oak[/name] (national tree)
[name]Hope[/name] that helps!
While this is an old thread, anyone curious about American baby names might want to consult this list: American Place Names | Nameberry