Put Your Baby on the Map! Top 12 City-Inspired Baby Names

Can I get a yeehaw?! Austin is the fast-growing capital city of Texas, known for its cool music scene and southern-hipster vibe. The name Austin became popular in the 1990s and is still one of the hottest boys' names in the U.S. The city of Austin is in the county of Tyler — another nice name for your little cowboy.

Brooklyn is more than the most populous borough of New York City. It's also a rising star in the baby names world, ranking 21st among the top U.S. names for girls in 2011. Model-actress Brooklyn Decker has helped propel this pretty baby name, which means "beautiful brook." But don't discount it as a boys' name; celebs David and Victoria Beckham chose it for their firstborn son's name in 1999.

Could Camden be the next Cameron? Cameron nearly broke into the top 50 boys' names in 2011, and Camden — which means "winding valley" — has a similar ring to it. Stars including Kristen Cavallari and Vanessa and Nick Lachey recently chose this name for their sons. Camden is a picturesque seaside town on Maine's mid-coast, and it's also the name of cities or locations in New Jersey, South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, and England.

Besides being the largest city in North Carolina, Charlotte is also one of the hottest names for baby girls these days, ranking 27th in 2011. Charlotte was a hugely popular name in the 1940s, and it is reaching another peak, thanks in part due to the Sex and the City character named Charlotte. Stars Sarah Michelle (Gellar) Prinze, Dylan McDermott, and Pierce Brosnan have daughters named Charlotte.

The old Wild West town of Cody, Wyoming — population: 9,520 — got its name from one of its original founders: William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, of course. With its adventurous cowboy connotation, the name Cody climbed baby name charts in the 1990s and is still a cool choice today. Robin Williams, Kenny Loggins, and Kathie Lee Gifford have sons named Cody.

Isn't it romantic? Florence, the capital city of Tuscany in Italy, is a bustling center of medieval and Renaissance history. Florence was a common name for girls in the early 1900s but then plummeted in popularity throughout that century. It could rise again, courtesy of British Prime Minister David Cameron naming his daughter Florence Rose in 2010. And besides being on the list of city-inspired baby names, Florence also appears on the First Ladies list, Heroes and Heroines list, and Olympic Medalists list. Quite the legacy!

Helena — the pretty capital city of Montana — brings to mind pastoral images of ranches, mountains, and Big Sky Country. Ahhh. We don't see how a girl named Helena couldn't be a natural beauty! Gossip Girl actress Kelly Rutherford named her daughter Helena Grace in 2009, and Helena Bonham Carter is a popular British actress.

Jackson is another capital city that makes a great baby name. Jackson, Mississippi, was named after President Andrew Jackson, and carries the slogan "City with Soul." Michael Jackson's fame and untimely death in 2009 probably contributed to the name's lasting popularity. Actors Bill Murray, Jackie Chan, and Charlize Theron have sons named Jackson; baseball player Johnny Damon bucked the trend, naming his daughter Jackson.

We can't talk about geography-inspired baby names without mentioning Madge! Trendsetter that she is, Madonna famously chose the name Lourdes — after the small town in the south of France — for her firstborn daughter in 1996. Lourdes, France, is the site of several supposed sightings of the Virgin Mary in the mid-1800s. The name has a humble, mystical, and, shall we say... virginal, quality to it!

Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, is off-the-charts popular as a baby name — particularly for girls, who can be nicknamed "Maddy" or "Maddie." The city of Madison was named after the fourth U.S. President, James Madison, who was also namesake of landmarks as diverse as Madison Avenue in Manhattan and the Bridges of Madison County in Iowa. Wonder if Mr. President knew his last name would be in the top 10 most popular girls' names in 2011?

Savannah just begs to be pronounced with a graceful southern drawl! The gorgeous, historic seaport city of Savannah, Georgia, no doubt inspired the name's break into the top 50 girls' names in the U.S. Actors Stephen Seagal and Marcia Cross couldn't resist the appeal of the name for their babies.

Sydney is a unisex first name that has been around for more than a century, but has been steadily rising as a girls' name over the past few decades. The name calls to mind the most populous city of Australia, host of the Summer Olympics in 2000. The city was named after the British Lord Sydney in the late 1700s, but it is believed that indigenous Australians settled the land as far back as 30,000 years ago. Wow — that's some deep-rooted baby name inspiration!

Check out our list of more baby names inspired by cities and places.

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