Harlem, Brixton and Egypt: The exotic place names Australians are giving their babies.

Place names are a fantastic source of inspiration when it comes to baby naming. Georgia and Chelsea have been huge for decades – and remember when Paris was (very briefly) cool?

US website Nameberry has just crunched the data on 2018’s most popular American baby names, to see which place names are on the way up for babies. Some of the hot newcomers have an exotic appeal, while others are very much close to home. Here’s a selection of our favourites.

Brace yourself: Reddit users reveal the worst baby names they’ve ever heard. Post continues after video. 

Boys.

Harlem: You’ve heard of kids called Brooklyn and Bronx – now it’s time for another New York neighbourhood to take off as a baby name.

Cairo: The capital of Egypt was a new entry into the top 1000 last year.

Brixton: The London suburb, notorious for its riots in the 1980s, is getting some love from American parents, possibly because it sounds similar to popular names like Braxton and Nixon.

Houston: People obviously don’t have a problem with Houston. It’s the third Texas city – after Dallas and Austin – to make the top 1000.

Girls.

Holland: Actress Holland Taylor was arguably the best thing about Two And A Half Men, and is at least partly responsible for the former name of the Netherlands rising 113 places.

Aspen: The Colorado ski resort town is one of the most expensive places in the US to buy a house, and also very desirable as a girls’ name.

Egypt: Just as Cairo entered the top 1000 for boys, Egypt did the same for girls.

Vienna: The capital of Austria, Vienna, has possibly benefitted from sounding similar to the hugely popular Sienna.

So what place names are Australian parents really loving right now? Well, the big success story is the Italian city of Florence, shooting up 26 spots to reach the girls’ top 50 in 2018.

US place names including Indiana, Savannah and Dakota are still big for girls, with Alaska popping up occasionally. Australian boys are being called Boston and Memphis, and Brooklyn is being used for both genders.

Other place names being used for Aussie babies include Kingston, London, Havana and Capri.

But perhaps the most encouraging thing is the love for the name Adelaide. In South Australia, Adelaide is not too far outside the top 100, proving that South Australians really do love themselves in the best possible way. With Carrie Bickmore giving the name to her baby girl recently, it wouldn’t be any surprise if it became even more popular.

If Americans can call their kids Harlem, Aspen and Houston, why can’t Australians give their kids more Australian place names? There must be loads out there. Bendigo? Tamworth? Fremantle? Katoomba? Jindabyne? Anyone?

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