Have you ever considered naming a child after a place you loved or a city that holds special memories?
When we named our son, I scanned every street sign and neighborhood for inspiration. For the next installment in our baby name series, we’re focusing on names inspired by European cities, regions, landmarks and streets. Europe is full of beautiful, evocative place names that translate well to modern baby names, whether you want something classic, unusual, or softly vintage.
Below you’ll read about the names Jessica P. chose for her children and what she’s searching for as she prepares for baby number six. Then we share a curated list of our favorite European city–inspired names to help spark your own ideas.
Jessica P. already has five children and is expecting a sixth. Her children’s names are Lincoln, London, Capri, Vienna and Sicily, and she’s hoping to find a name that fits comfortably alongside those. Here’s what she shared with us:
“Our kids are all named after places in Europe since we lived there early in our marriage. We are running out of ideas with this being our sixth baby though! And a gender surprise.
We don’t like the name Paris. Some people have suggested that other names we’ve suggested might have negative connotations from prior wars.
We usually choose a family name as the middle name once we decide on the first name, but we’re open to suggestions. We would really love a name that meshes well with our other kids’ names—different but not hard to pronounce.”
Keep reading for thoughtful suggestions that balance distinctiveness and ease of use.
Baby (Girl) Names Inspired by European Cities
Beyond exact city names, you can draw inspiration from regions, islands, neighborhoods and famous streets. Shortened or adapted versions can feel fresh while still nodding to a place—Edin from Edinburgh or Kensie from Kensington are great examples. Many of the names below work as gender-neutral choices, but we’ve grouped them here as feminine-leaning options that pair nicely with names like Capri and Vienna.
- Abbey – inspired by Abbey Road in London; gentle and familiar
- Almada – a coastal city in Portugal with a lyrical sound
- Bristol – a strong, modern place name that feels current
- Edin – a short, elegant take inspired by Edinburgh
- Florence – timeless and romantic, from the Tuscan city
- Geneva – polished and international, from the Swiss city
- Kensie – playful and familiar, from Kensington in London
- Malta – island name with warm Mediterranean associations
- Palma – bright and breezy, from Mallorca’s capital
- Ravenna – softly melodic and literary, from northern Italy
- Roma – the Italian pronunciation of Rome, short and distinctive
- Rue – French for “street,” crisp and stylish as a name
- Seville – warm and historic, from Andalusia in Spain
- Siena – Tuscan charm with a refined sound
- Sutton – a subtle, place-inspired option with classic feel
- Wels – concise and uncommon, from Austria
Baby (Boy) Names Inspired by European Cities
These boy-leaning names draw on well-known cities, streets and landmarks across Europe. Many also work well as unisex choices if you prefer flexibility. They range from classic and familiar to uncommon and evocative.
- Ben – short and friendly, inspired by Big Ben in London
- Brunn – a solid, Germanic place-name option
- Camden – urban and modern, from the London borough
- Dublin – bold and melodic, from Ireland’s capital
- Hugo – inspired by Avenue Victor-Hugo in Paris; literary and strong
- Lucca – soft and pleasant, from the Tuscan city
- Lyon – sleek and cool, from the French city
- Orly – distinctive and short, from the Paris suburb
- Oslo – crisp and Scandinavian, from Norway’s capital
- Porto – warm and charming, from the Portuguese city
- Rhodes – historic and island-inspired, from Greece
- Roman – a direct nod to Rome with a solid, modern feel
- Wells – classic and understated, from England
- York – traditional and strong, a historic English city name
What are your favorite names inspired by European cities?
We’d love to hear which place-inspired names you favor—whether drawn from cities, countries, islands, streets or landmarks. Do you have a favorite that didn’t make our list? Share your picks and why they appeal to you.
Best wishes to Jessica and her growing family—we hope she finds a name that feels just right.
If you’re expecting or adopting and would like to be considered for this series, please fill out the form about your situation and name preferences.