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American Place Names

American baby names come from a range of sources, just like Americans themselves. There are Native American baby names, American place names for babies, names important in American history and namesakes for American heroes and artists, and baby names invented by Americans and used primarily in the US.

Along with Savannah and Lincoln, American baby names ranking in the US Top 100 include Madison, Maverick, and Kennedy. Unique American names gaining visibility range from Denali, the name of Alaska's highest peak, to Jaxton, an American invention.

We are using the word American here in its generic sense, referring to the US only. We realize Canada and Mexico along with several other countries are part of America or more specifically North America. Also, many names popular in the US such as Emma and Liam, while widely used names for American babies, are not included on this list as they have different etymological origins and are not identified as uniquely American.

Here, a curated selection of the best American baby names.

Kauai Kauai is the name of a Hawaiian island in th...
Origin:Hawaiian place-name
19324
Baltimore

Meaning: town of the big house

Origin:Place name, English from Irish
7589
Vail

Meaning: valley

Origin:Place-name
4910
Vail The meaning of Vail is ‘valley’ and it is of...
Origin:English
12403
Vermont

Meaning: green mountain

Origin:French
3841
Norfolk

Meaning: place of the northern people

Origin:English
8973
Daytona

Meaning: Day's town

Origin:English place name
9074
Newport

Meaning: new port

Origin:English place-name
9775
Fargo The name Fargo, of Spanish origin, is a gend...
Origin:Place-name
11734
Fargo The name Fargo, of Spanish origin, is a gend...
Origin:Place-name
16522
Hawaii The name Hawaii is originated from the Polyn...
Origin:Place-name
17818
Hawaii

Meaning: place of the gods

Origin:Proto-Polynesian place name
12639
Maryland

Meaning: Mary's land

Origin:English
18392
Maryland

Meaning: Mary's land

Origin:English
14886
Williamsburg

Meaning: William's town

Origin:English place name
19333
Portland

Meaning: land near the port

Origin:English
7258
Joliet

Meaning: little pretty one

Origin:French
8370
Fairbanks

Meaning: bank along the pathway

Origin:English
6908
Rochester

Meaning: stone camp or fortress

Origin:English
4449
Columbia

Meaning: land of Columbus

Origin:Latin
4457