Baby Names Inspired by Southern Cities

By Nellah Bailey McGough

I was born in Opelika, AL when my dad was in Vet School at Auburn University. As a joke, my father had his classmates convinced that they were going to name me Mississippi Magnolia and call me Miss Mag for short (we’re from Mississippi). However, they still managed to name me another unusual name. I was named for the wife of a Mississippi Governor, related on my father’s side. To this day, if you run across someone named “Nellah Bailey,” they’re more than likely kin to me.

We ponder and stew over the perfect baby name to add to that all-important family tree which will be eternally documented in the annals of history. There’s no crystal ball to determine the personality of a newborn, therefore, making it a daunting task to bestow a name on a child that will follow (or haunt) them for life. Did Augustine and Mary Washington know that their son, George, would one day have a name that is forever tied to American History? How about Scott and Andrea who named their baby daughter after singer/songwriter James Taylor? Did they have any inkling that their daughter, Taylor Swift, would become an international sensation? If you're on the hunt for the perfect Southern name, take a look at a map of the South for some inspiration. Seriously, if you’re in the “what do we name this baby” dilemma, we’ve found some awesome baby names inspired by Southern cities from each state that would be great choices.

Related: Happy Halloween-Inspired Baby Names

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Stella

Daniela Solomon/Getty Images

Stella, TN

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Camden

Julie Fairman/Getty Images

Camden, FL

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Franklin

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Franklin, TN

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Hope

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Hope, AR

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Harrison

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Harrison, AR

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Savannah

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Savannah, GA

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Raleigh

Praveenkumar Palanichamy/Getty Images

Raleigh, NC

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Manning

Elysee Shen/Getty Images

Manning, SC

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Alexandria

Thanasis Zovoilis/Getty Images

Alexandria, LA

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Adair

LucidSurf/Getty Images

Adair, OK

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McLean

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McLean, VA

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Butler

Lucy von Held/Blend Images/Getty Images

Butler, AL

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Ava

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Ava, MO

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Nash

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Nash, OK

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Macon

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Macon, GA

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Charlotte

Charlotte, NC

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Dallas

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Dallas, TX

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Barclay

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Barclay, MD

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Marianna

Daniela Solomon/Getty Images

Marianna, FL

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Kenner

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Kenner, LA

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Sellers

Jessie Cowan/Getty Images

Sellers, SC

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Hastings

Annie Morris/Getty Images

Hastings, FL

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Daphne

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Daphne, AL

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Abbott

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Abbott, WV

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Addison

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Addison, WV

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Jackson

Mike Kemp/Getty Images

Jackson, MS

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Ellington

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Ellington, MO

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Burke

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Burke, VA

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Campton

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Campton, KY

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Laurel

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Laurel, DE

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Abilene

Saenco Oleg/Getty Images

Abilene, TX

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Carlisle

Ruslan Dashinsky/Getty Images

Carlisle, KY

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Etta

lrina Lapeto

Etta, MS

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Easton

Yuri Arcurs/People Images/Getty Images

Easton, MD

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