Community Chat

[Oznell]

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.....

[UpNorthGorgy]

 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.

[Oznell]

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

[on the bay]

I like the name Montana.

I think that sounds pretty neat

[Oznell]

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...

[PhilaLady1]

The name Montana makes me think of the movie Scarface 😄

[UpNorthGorgy]

@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.

[Mz iMac]

My oldest is named after a country.  

[Oznell]

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... 

[Oznell]

@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!