topic Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES in Community Chat

NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Oznell — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 23:49:40 GMT

Found this fun map. Do you agree with the map's "rules" about using state names as first names?

Virginia, Georgia. Wonder if these are the most common state names as first names?

Carolina is pretty.

Am surprised that "Jersey" has had a following. According to what I read, it has been most popular among parents in Ohio!!

There was a fairly brief flurry of "Dakotas" in the 90's/ early 2000's. As parents of a Gen Z child, we encountered a few of those in his classmates, all born in 2000. Most were boys.

The key to a state name not sounding dated though, is if it has been used consistently throughout the decades.

If however, it has a sudden popularity-- then drops off equally suddenly, it will sound dated to later generations.

"Tennessee" has been used very sparingly, but consistently over time.

Didn't know that "Alaska" and "California" could be classified as a "weird celebrity baby name".

Have heard "Arizona" and "Nevada" -- the mystique of the old West? But have never heard of anyone named "Oregon"... A lot of people can't pronounce it properly...

If I were choosing a place-name from anywhere in the world for a first name, I might choose "Afton" , "Eden" or "Sydney"; or "Romola" or "Derry" or.....

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

UpNorthGorgy — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 23:55:21 GMT

Funny...Little kids used to mention how my Mother and I both had names of states. It was coincidence. The two blue states shown. I hated my name and when I was young as too different and teased.

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Oznell — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 23:59:21 GMT

Your name is very stylish, ( if it's the state I think), @UpNorthGorgy , and has a great nickname too.

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

on the bay — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:02:58 GMT

I like the name Montana.

I think that sounds pretty neat

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Oznell — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:05:10 GMT

I just realized I've encountered "Kansas" in books as a first name. For a boy, I think. It's another one that seems like it should be for a freewheeling Western hero, someone Steve McQueen would have played...

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

PhilaLady1 — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:07:04 GMT

The name Montana makes me think of the movie Scarface 😄

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

UpNorthGorgy — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:16:07 GMT

@Oznell Thank you. Not as bad as an adult. My Mother insisted it was a pretty name. G is an ugly capital letter I did not like so I just use a large lower case g. My Mother disliked George as a nickname.

George and Georgie and " You have a boys name!" " Georgie Porgy..." Gorg and Gorgy, my ex started. Georgia is the female version of George which means farmer. (English)

My German relatives last name on both sides of my Father means farmer in German, a name connected to a certain area of land. They were all farmers when they came here to Wisconsin and North Dakota.

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Mz iMac — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:27:37 GMT

My oldest is named after a country.

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Oznell — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:27:39 GMT

Your mother was right, @UpNorthGorgy -- it's very pretty and versatile. That is so neat that you coincidentally have all those allusions to "farmer" and "farming" in your various family names. I'm fascinated by stuff like that.

Oh, boy, this is a rabbit hole for me-- keep thinking of more.

Not a state name, but here's evidence that celebrities may indeed always have had an attraction for place-names.

Intense, charismatic James Mason of the golden age of filmmaking--

and his wife, writer Pamela Ostrer Mason--

famously named their little girl "Portland", which was very unusual in 1948 when she was born. Portland was lovely and died far too young--

The Masons were sort of ahead of their time in baby-naming-- their son is "Morgan" Mason, and, trivia alert, he is married to Belinda Carlisle....

I should never have got started on this...

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Oznell — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:29:58 GMT

@PhilaLady1 -- oh, I never saw "Scarface"-- I knew I'd be cowering in my seat! How is the name "Montana" woven into that movie?

@Mz iMac , wow, a country. That opens up so many cool possibilities!

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Mz iMac — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:36:42 GMT

@Oznell wrote:
@PhilaLady1 -- oh, I never saw "Scarface"-- I knew I'd be cowering in my seat! How is the name "Montana" woven into that movie?

@Oznell You never saw Scarface?

Tony Montana

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Oznell — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:43:07 GMT

Ah, thanks @Mz iMac -- so it's the *last* name of a character in the movie. Yeah, that makes a character seem colorful too. I can not watch that movie. From what I vaguely remember reading, there's a ton of gore. Unless I'm mixing it up with several others in the genre....

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Luvitorleaveit1 — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:49:38 GMT

I had an employee first name Connecticut. That was a first for me.

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Oznell — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:53:44 GMT

Wow, @Luvitorleaveit1 , interesting-- I actually wondered about "Connecticut". Because of all the "c" ( or "k") sounds, which are very stylish in baby names, I wondered if there were any Connecticuts around.

Male or female?

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Mz iMac — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:59:46 GMT

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

lgfan — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:38:05 GMT

I am reminded of the show "Good Times" where the mother is called Florida.

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Luvitorleaveit1 — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 01:23:35 GMT

Female and thank goodness for spellcheck because I always problems spelling it correctly.

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Goldengate8361 — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:11:34 GMT

I think Reese Witherspoon has a son named Tennessee. She is from Nashville, so I guess she likes my state.

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

beach-mom — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:25:13 GMT

Thanks @Oznell - this is fun!

I have a friend named Georgia. I tried to convince DH Savannah was a cute name since I grew up near there. DH wasn't convinced.

I had a student Virginia. I was born there and lived there before my parents went farther south, so I thought that would be cute too. She went by "Vigi" (vee-gee). Again, DH wasn't keen on that.

Wasn't Nevada the name of an actor once?

Re: NAMES OF STATES USED AS FIRST NAMES

Biftu — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:30:40 GMT

I worked with a guy named Denver. Another employee's name was Sunshine Snow. Her mother was from Florida and her father was from Vermont. She hated her name.