# Place names as first names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 3, 2026, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562 "2026-10-03T15:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/21 "2026-10-03T21:46:59Z")
> [@themapleleaf](#): > > Originally not a place name. A great many of these place names were named for the personal names of people, but it looks like it doesn’t matter in this context: even if you can argue one person’s name is based on another person’s name, if anyone can counter with a placename in-between it counts. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/22 "2026-10-03T21:54:29Z")
There’s a British SF writer called China Miéville and an American singer called India Arie. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/23 "2026-10-03T22:48:34Z")
Sierra and Denali are both fairly popular. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/24 "2026-10-03T23:14:15Z")
A fictional name suggested, but not used, for one of Howard Wolowitz’ children on TBBT: Walla Walla Wolowitz ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/25 "2026-10-03T23:27:03Z")
Tallulah Bankhead (from Tallulah Falls) Kenesaw Mountain Landis Dallas Comegys ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/26 "2026-10-04T00:26:30Z")
Cuba Gooding, Jr. (and Sr.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/27 "2026-10-04T00:52:01Z")
Tennessee Williams? ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/28 "2026-10-04T00:52:02Z")
Neither Williams nor Ford was actually named “Tennessee”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/29 "2026-10-04T01:19:54Z")
Jamaica Kincaid ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/30 "2026-10-04T01:25:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > > > Also, Isreal. > > That’s also a place named after a person. It’s said the Israeli government once hired a PR firm. Their first suggestion: “Have you considered changing your country’s name to Irving?” ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/31 "2026-10-04T02:25:16Z")
I once knew three siblings: Egipto (Egypt), Africa, and Brasil. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/32 "2026-10-04T02:32:26Z")
I’ve met both men and women named Dakota. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/33 "2026-10-04T02:36:51Z")
When I was at school there was a girl a couple of years behind me named **Alexandria**. ---
**Author:** ![guero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guero/32/136_2.png) [@guero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guero)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/34 "2026-10-04T03:07:07Z")
My nephew once dated a girl named Shy Ann. 😬 ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/35 "2026-10-04T06:08:53Z")
Paternal great grandfather was named Waterloo. Born almost 50 years after the battle. Connection unknown. His name was passed onto the 6th of his seven children. There is also a strand of “Waterloo” boys with the same surname who migrated stateside. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/36 "2026-10-04T06:22:51Z")
**Kent** was once a popular boys’ name. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/37 "2026-10-04T06:44:58Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > **Olympia** comes from Mount Olympus, though I imagine some modern-day Olympias may have been named after the capital of Washington State. The one in Washington is also named after Mt. Olympus! Just not the same one. > **[Mount Olympus (Washington)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olympus_(Washington))** > > Mount Olympus, at 7,980 feet (2,430 m), is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains of the U.S. state of Washington. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is also a central feature of Olympic National Park. Mount Olympus is the highest summit of the Olympic Mountains; however, peaks such as Mount Constance and The Brothers, on the eastern margin of the range, are better known, being visible from the Seattle metropolitan area. With notable local relief, Mount Olympus ascen... ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/38 "2026-10-04T09:02:39Z")
Just the other day on the TV I saw a British therapist going by the first name of Persia. ---
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/39 "2026-10-04T10:41:58Z")
Quite a few towns are named after individuals, so it should not be surprising to find city names that are also names of people. According to census records, there are people with the last names of various states: Delware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington And for countries, there are people with China, England, France, Ireland, Montana, Poland, or Scotland as last names. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562/40 "2026-10-04T11:24:07Z")
Orlando is the name of a city in Florida. It’s also the first name of an actor called Bloom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-as-first-names/1033562.md?page=3)