Road geek names for people and pets (inspired by North West)

[Laura]

Usually when I hear that a celebrity named their kid something unusual, I usually groan or think "that's a dumb name". But when I found out that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West named their daughter North West, I was instantly pleasantly surprised. I love it.

They gave her a road geek name!!

So it got me thinking about road geek related names for people and pets. What road geek names have you heard? Which ones do you like? What would be some cool ones that you haven't heard? Which ones would you personally use for a pet or child?

I have always loved the name Lorraine and have wanted to name my future daughter that for years. Conveniently, it is the name of a region in France.

Other girl names: Dakota, Montana, Virginia, Carolina, Indiana, India, Cali(fornia), Paris, Alexandria

I like the name Miles for a boy.
Other boy names: Roads/Rhodes/Rhoads, Dallas, London, Remington, Frederick, Phoenix

One day, I'd like to name a pet Travis (which means crossroads).

Help me think of more "road geek" names!

[Scott5114]

I know a woman who named her kids Seattle, Houston, Dallas, and Miami. (The common thread is cities with NBA teams.) Unfortunately she has a rather ridiculous last name, so while those might work with a more typical surname, they just sound completely made-up.

[Takumi]

My black Lab's name is Coal. He was already named when I got him. Sometimes I jokingly call him King Coal.

[agentsteel53]

I know a woman who named her kids Seattle, Houston, Dallas, and Miami. (The common thread is cities with NBA teams.) Unfortunately she has a rather ridiculous last name, so while those might work with a more typical surname, they just sound completely made-up.

well, even Tom Penisdoodlebop would sound made up.

[english si]

<list of place based names>

Thanks for reminding me how weird US first names are - Lorraine would be the only place-based one on there that wouldn't be considered weird in the UK. Travis would be unusual, but would be passable (I used to have a friend with Travis as his last name, which he went by in classic 'common first name, middle class friends, English, male' style). Frederick and Alexandria are also passable, but I'm 100% certain that they are place names named after people names, rather than people names named after person names.

Clare and Kerry are two legit place names (Irish counties) that became people names (girls). Chelsea is a borderline case as to whether it would be considered rather eccentric in the UK.

Pet names are a whole different kettle of fish, but calling them after people names is just odd. If you dumped a litter of kittens on me (and I didn't give them away ASAP, so this is really a hypothetical), I'd give them idiosyncratic British service area names: Scratchwood, Titsey Woods, Tibshelf, Misterton - that kind of thing.

Or there's major junctions: Catthorpe, Mertsham, Wisley, Gildersome, Mollinsburn, Thornham, Simister...

[agentsteel53]

Travis would be unusual, but would be passable

it's a very common non-raise-an-eyebrow name here in the US.

Frederick and Alexandria are also passable, but I'm 100% certain that they are place names named after people names, rather than people names named after person names.

Frederick is probably named after the Prussian emperor.

Alexandria is originally taken from Alexander the Great, so it is actually a place name first in that exact spelling - the person's name is slightly different.

Clare and Kerry are two legit place names (Irish counties) that became people names (girls).

"Clare" looks slightly oddly spelled to me.  here it's "Claire", generally.

Kerry is sometimes a male name.  I don't know the proportion of people named Kerry who are men, but I would offhand guess 1/5th or so.

Chelsea is a borderline case as to whether it would be considered rather eccentric in the UK.

I don't think it would be eccentric here - but maybe I'm just used to the fact that Bill Clinton's daughter is named that, and she's a household name.

Or there's major junctions: Catthorpe

now there's a name for a cat.  or a dog.

[english si]

Frederick is probably named after the Prussian emperor.

Actually, while that is a possibility for MD's town and county, VA's is certainly named after the Prince of Wales and the others seem to be named after local figures. MD's best bet is the 6th Baron Baltimore, though it could also be the Prince of Wales (whose died* before his father and his son became king after his grandad died - you will know that one for his taxes and madness).

Alexandria is originally taken from Alexander the Great, so it is actually a place name first in that exact spelling - the person's name is slightly different.

It was a mere feminisation (and the American ones, named for different Alexanders). Same name root, different gender. It was still a name, just the female one of the guy they named it after. To give a Latin example, if Julius Caesar named a city after him (and used 'Julius', rather than 'Caesar' as the name) and called it Julia - still a name, just the feminine form...

"Clare" looks slightly oddly spelled to me.  here it's "Claire", generally.

Just a different English transcription of the sounds. I see the latter more, but the county has no 'i' in English.

Kerry is sometimes a male name.  I don't know the proportion of people named Kerry who are men, but I would offhand guess 1/5th or so.

Pure American weirdness. I gather Dakota is meant to be unisex as well.

I don't think it would be eccentric here - but maybe I'm just used to the fact that Bill Clinton's daughter is named that, and she's a household name.

That's who makes it only borderline weird here. Paris, however, would be weird, mostly because why on earth would you name a kid after Ms Hilton or that city in frogland?

*ISTR that it was a cricket ball to the head that stopped him becoming King Freddy the First.

[1995hoo]

Kerry is sometimes a male name.  I don't know the proportion of people named Kerry who are men, but I would offhand guess 1/5th or so.

Pure American weirdness. I gather Dakota is meant to be unisex as well.

The name "Robin" can fall into the "unisex" category. In the United States it's almost always a female name, but in Europe it's sometimes a male name (as exemplified by the classic character "Robin Hood," although I always assumed that was meant as a pun where "Robin" was a play on "robbin'"). Consider tennis player Robin Soderling, for example, or Bee Gee Robin Gibb.

I know a woman who named her kids Seattle, Houston, Dallas, and Miami. (The common thread is cities with NBA teams.) Unfortunately she has a rather ridiculous last name, so while those might work with a more typical surname, they just sound completely made-up.

Former Washington Redskins player Dexter Manley reportedly named his daughter "Dalis" because when she was born he was in Dallas for a game against the Cowboys, but he didn't want to spell it "Dallas" because he hated the Cowboys.

[agentsteel53]

It was a mere feminisation (and the American ones, named for different Alexanders).

here I thought the other Alexandrias were named after the one in Egypt.  as for a feminization, wouldn't "Alexandra" be a more standard gender-bend?  it is when we name people, at least on this side of the pond.  lots of Alexanders and Alexandras, few Alexandrias.

Pure American weirdness. I gather Dakota is meant to be unisex as well.

ugh.  now that is pure American weirdness.  though to be extra unique, the weird American would probably spell it Dackoda and somehow throw a y in there, because the neighbors just bred a Madysynn and we need to keep up!

Paris, however, would be weird, mostly because why on earth would you name a kid after Ms Hilton or that city in frogland?

I always had - before Miss Hilton came into public consciousness - thought of Paris as a male name, because of the Greek mythological figure.  as for the city in France, it's named after a tribe called the Parisii but the research stops there, so I don't know if the city was named after the Greek character.

[Alps]

Golden Tate's son Inters
Kerry Rhodes' daughter Enjoys
Steve Jobs' grandson Construction

[agentsteel53]

Kerry Rhodes' daughter Enjoys
Steve Jobs' grandson Construction

I'm sure she does.

[triplemultiplex]

"Parclo" seems like an acceptable dog name to me.
If you've got a pet that tends to throw up a lot, I hereby dub it "Spui".
A good name for a small dog or maybe a rodent is "Riro".
This is really simple, but I could totally see a pet being named "Freeway"; especially if it's a rescue.

[NE2]

If you've got a pet that tends to yawn a lot, I hereby dub it "Spui".

[cpzilliacus]

Actually, while that is a possibility for MD's town and county, VA's is certainly named after the Prince of Wales and the others seem to be named after local figures. MD's best bet is the 6th Baron Baltimore, though it could also be the Prince of Wales (whose died* before his father and his son became king after his grandad died - you will know that one for his taxes and madness).

Frederick County, Maryland "probably was named after Frederick Calvert (1731-1771), sixth and last Lord Baltimore, who was the Proprietor of Maryland from 1751 until his death in 1771 at Naples, Italy,"  according to the Maryland Manual Online entry for Frederick County.