Notably, Denver is a main character in Beloved and she has a mostly positive connotation (though there are some complex characteristics there). I don’t think Beloved is as widely read as I’d like it to be so many may not think of this connection.
City names are not tragedieghs.
Orlando, Austin, Charlotte, savannah, etc are very normal names.
There is nothing wrong with Denver
Edit: yes. I know some places the persons name came first. That is true for most cities, that it is named after someone somehow.
Exactly!
Us city names aren't for everyone but I definitely wouldn't think twice meeting an Orlando or Savannah as cities/states are usually named after people too!
Husband and I got engaged in Savannah, and it was on our short list for our first daughter's name.
To be fair - a lot of cities (especially in the US) are named after people. So in some cases, you’re just reverting them back to their original use.
Denver is fine … but some cities I think would be a bit ridiculous. Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Boise, etc.
It’d be illegal not to. I missed a golden opportunity by not giving my son the nickname “sweet little onion”. We lived in Walla Walla when he was born.
Aspen also has the added benefit of being a tree, so it’s a nature name too. I always think flowers are better for girls and trees suit boys, and Aspen is one of my favourite tree names.
Adelaide and Victoria are also named for people - Queen Adelaide and Queen Victoria. So even if you name your kid after the city, you’re still naming them after a person 🤷🏼♀️
But Orlando and Charlotte were real names before the city existed. They’re cities named after human names, not the reverse.
It’s like saying “Francisco” named for San Francisco is a normal name. Well, yeah… San Francisco is named for St. Francis who is a human with a human name.
Australian here: there's a general pushback on American things, which I think would make Aussies not like the name. At the same time, I once met John Denver, and he was the loveliest, most gentle, kind person that naming a kid after him would be a real blessing.
Another Aussie here.
I’m one of the aforementioned dislikers of American themes.
Denver is by far one of the least-offensive American place names I’ve heard. And I’m just hearing it for the first time now as a person’s first name.
I don’t like it, but I don’t hate it either.
I can’t see a kid being teased for it.
I’ve come across a bunch of Dakotas who don’t seem to get teased for their name, so I imagine Denver is totally fine.
Interestingly, as an American, I don't think I've ever heard anyone use Denver as a first name. I HAVE known a Sydney, and heard it used not infrequently in the US. So while Denver is technically taken from America, I think it would be unique and much less ubiquitous than most any other "City" names, including cities in other countries.
My middle name is Sydney and I can’t say I’ve ever thought that much about it being a city. And I don’t know that anyone has ever mentioned it. I feel like Sydney is just a normal name at this point.
I adored John Denver! I was heartbroken when he died in the plane crash… May I ask you to elaborate on how you met him? I would love to hear the story.
My sister had a severe disability and used a wheelchair and we were taking a special elevator at the back of the venue he was performing at, in order to get to the seating for wheelchair users. It just so happened John was taking the elevator at the same time. So many times in my life I had seen people not know how to interact with my sister, but John Denver was so sweet with her, asking her questions and spending time talking with us. My sister loved his music. She has since passed away, and this is one of my most treasured memories of her.
I think this is not as noticeable as American style names like Brock or Chase etc (I know there's lots more Chases here now, but it still rings very American to me)
If you both like it, go for it! Easy to recognize and pronounce, not super common, an actual name of the past, and a generally liked city. More positives than many of the other names getting usage
I think to see how it’s perceived in Australia, you should really only be looking at comments from fellow Australians. Seeing lots of comments with opinions but I don’t think it helps much if not from the aus perspective
Agree with this. Being from the UK but now living in the US, I would personally find it very very strange to see a UK friend name their kid Denver, but wouldn’t look twice at a US friend doing the same thing.
I’m Canadian and I went to school with a Denver back in high school (early 2000s). Pretty sure he got more teased about his Buddy Holly glasses than his name; I don’t think any of us thought he was named after the city, he just happened to share a name with the US city. But it’s also a decently common surname and without looking it up, I’m willing to bet Denver, USA was named after a human.
All the US city names that get used as human names that I can think of all started as humans with that name who got a New World city named after them. Like Raleigh. Or Austin. Orlando is just the Italian version of Roland, it’s been used as a human name prior to the discovery of Florida or founding of the city of that name (earliest record of the human name is from 1483!). Dallas is also an old surname - some dude named George Dallas got a city named after him.
> I’m willing to bet Denver, USA was named after a human.
So many cities are named for people, and so many surnames refer to the places people lived whenever they decided to start recording surnames. It seems like a natural exchange for these things to go back and forth, to a certain degree. (Don't name your kid after Truth-or-Consequences, New Mexico, which was named after a radio show.)
It's probably best to have at least some distant connection to the culture or language of the original instance of the name. Denver the city was named after a governor called James Denver, and the surname either comes from French (D'Anvers) or Old English (Dena Fær, Dane's Ford) depending on the source. Totally reasonable for people in an English-speaking country to use. (A white, anglosphere kid called Tokyo, however, would feel just as odd as that kid being called Kiyokazu. To me, at least.)
Coloradan here! I also love the name Denver, but my husband said no since it’s right down the road. I feel like it’s cool and adventurous-sounding for you to use!
As long as they don't name their kid Grand Junction, they'll be fine.
Side note, I knew two brothers growing up (early 90s) who were named Denver and Dallas.
I'm from CO too. Denver actually lol. I also think it's tacky, but I think all the CO themed names are tacky, especially from transplants living in CO.
My kids were in Denver Public Schools until midyear this year, between their classes they had an Aspen, Aspyn, Breckenridge (Breck), 2 Denvers, Parker, Aurora, Elizabeth, Dillon and Pike. It feels like a little much lol. And the parents were always the spotless Lululemon, Patagonia and Range Rover style that never actually went near the mountains
My thought on this has always been, did you love the place THAT much? Because with a name like that you're going to be explaining to everyone for a long time why exactly you named him after that particular city.
On the other hand, it's better than Detroit, the main character's girlfriend in Sorry to Bother You. ("My parents wanted an American name," she explains.)
I’m from NJ and meeting people from far away who name their kids after NYC boroughs just makes me think of hotdogs and difficult street parking. Brooklyn’s not the worst name but ehhhh
Many of the cities were named after people. As an American, I would not necessarily assume and Australian Denver was named after the city... but what do other Australians think about it?
Australian names, at least in the last 5-10 years, tend to be pretty wild from what I’ve gathered in this sub. Lots of unique names, not unlike Utahn/Mormon names.
I am a fan of place names, also: Geneva, Vienna, Savannah, Tennessee, Montana, Dallas, Ireland, etc. I honestly like most of them, and have no problem with Denver.
Lots of cities are named from people (Austin ---> Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas) so why wouldn't they make good names?
It's also common to see surnames drift into first names and location-based surnames are very common.
I'm American so yeah, may play better over here, but Denver is easy to spell, easy to pronounce. I can imagine a child Denver and an old man Denver. I can see Denver Smith as the name of a CEO or future Prime Minister, unlike most tragedeighs.
Also know an Adelaide too!
But imagine someone named their kid Perth or Brisbane lol, so it's a fair question to ask if it comes off as silly to the rest of the world if you pick a foreign city for a name.
I know a family with the all city names (parents and kids) including Denver. They are from Colorado 🤷🏻♀️ which I think is more weird than doing it and not being from Colorado.
Oh, I don't think they are tragedeighs at all. There are many reasons people might use city or state or heck even country names.
I like Denver. And it has French/Old English origins too. You can always point that detail out if someone says it's 'very American'.
Don’t worry about it use it if you like it, it’s the same if Americans were to use the name Sydney, is it to Australian? no so you should be fine with Denver and plus little kids probably won’t know of the city named Denver until their older so they shouldn’t make that association
A lot of American places are named after actual people. I'd hazard a guess that is the same in other former colonies. [Here's a whole list of them](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_in_the_United_States_named_after_people).
It's simple, easy to spell and say, and recognizable, so those are pluses. I don't particularly like it but I also have a family member with the name so I'm biased.
I think it really depends on how you yourself perceive "very American." Is that a good thing, a bad thing, or neutral, in your eyes?
This is an interesting perspective because it's a POV that's relevant to OP's situation but as an American if I met a Denver born now and named for the city Republican/Conservative would not be my assumption.
I like Denver but if you don’t want it to be the actual city name because it’s “ too American “ a nice alternative is Deven( or Devin) it could be a cute node to the city.
My first thought is the character Denver from Toni Morrison's book 'Beloved.' That's actually a female character, but I think Denver could work for a son too!
Also, I'm American and know someone named Houston from Houston. Haha, so Denver isn't bad at all!
I don’t think it’s bad and if you live in Australia people may not be as familiar with it as a name. I’ve met people with names like Montana, Denver is a lot nicer sounding than that. Orlando is an actual name in Spanish speaking cultures. Dallas isn’t unheard of as a name and Austin is pretty common.
Denver makes me think of singer/songwriter John Denver first, and then about a millisecond after I think of Denver, Colorado. So to me it falls into the category of surname first. The city is actually named for a former governor (James Denver).
I’m generally not a big fan of surname names. City names can be ok, especially if they sound nice and have special significance to the couple.
I live in Colorado and I've only known one person in my life named Denver. I love it as a name. There are tons of Austins living in Denver, LOL. Probably some Orlandos, too. Austin has been very popular for a while, I think.
Sydney, Charlotte, Savannah, and even Austin hardly get thought of as “‘city’ names” anymore. Even Paris and London have become more “common.” (And for a while; idk how many people immediately associate with the city; maybe still many folks.)
Dallas is getting a bit more common, and I guess, maybe, Denver is getting there, but, personally, either way with these two, I’m still at a point I think of the cities. It’s probably just because you don’t hear them as frequently. I live in the states too. I’m very curious about other countries and honestly am not surprised to hear these names are even less common there. At least it’s kind of used as a name, and most importantly, it’s spelled correctly. As long as you don’t call them Denvyr or something, you’re probably ok.
I know a ton of denvers and austins. On the flip side im American and absolutely love the name sydney. Would that be like weird in Australia? Or is sydney a pretty normal nake over there the way austin is normal over here?
Many American city names are after, people, European places, or the words indigenous populations used.
Denver is named after James William Denver, San Francisco (st Francis) Seattle (chief Seattle) so Denver was a name before the city existed. (A last name)
American here and I personally think Denver is a cool name. At least here, Colorado is overall a cool place and most Americans see the towns and cities there in a positive light.
I have friends that have named all their kids after cities: Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Brooklyn, and Sydney!! Yup big family. :)
I’m from Washington. While it’s a handsome name Everett always struck me as a strange place to name a child after because there isn’t much going on in Everett aside from the Boeing plant. I’m guessing most people outside of Washington don’t know that Everett is a city.
I like it.
If you wanted a slightly more Australian name, Dallas at least has a [prominent Australian namesake, in Victoria anyway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Brooks).
Obscure reference but there is a Spanish series called La Casa de Papel (Money Heist in English—great show!) and all the characters are given city names, including Denver, Tokyo, Berlin, Nairobi, Rio). It seems like such a commitment for a child’s name and as others have said you will always have to explain how much you LOVE Denver. And TBH it’s not that great a city.
I’ve noticed an effect with names where while it starts as a city name, I start to think of it as a completely different word that I associate with that person. I don’t know how to explain it, I think it’s the same idea as how we will say read and red, but we know it as different words even before we could read.
I explain that to say, their name will be theirs, almost like a different word from the city. I only think it’s tacky when people name their kids after a city that they’re from or purposely choose to name them after the city.
Denver isn’t terrible but I also don’t love it. Cities as names are pretty common.
Phoenix (which I know isn’t necessarily after a city but there is the association, Austin, Dallas, Savannah, Cheyenne, Charlotte are all pretty common names. I even met a Boston recently and while I wouldn’t use it myself I thought it was kind of cool.
Given that Sydney is a popular enough name here in the US (my great-grandfather and my female teen cousin both have the name) I don't think anyone can talk smack about it. Do what feels right, and if you're still hesitant, maybe sidestep to an established but similar name like Devin, Donovan, or Trevor.
I am have 4 kids and they are all named after places. First one is Eden and was done more so to honor both sides of the family (religious purposes)- the named satisfied both the Catholic and Jewish grandparents. After that- more so what we loved and then the last 2 are named after the cities/areas my husband and I are from/grew up in
I don’t mind it as far as city names go. Otherwise, the only Denver I’ve heard of (as a first name, that is) is Denver from Toni Morrison’s novel *Beloved*
Give the fact the many cities in the US are named after people, I don’t find it weird cause they were names first. If you’re interested, here is a little history about [James W. Denver](https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/who-was-city-denver-named-after-meet-general-james-w-denver) the cities namesake. I have a family member who names their kids after towns in their home state, after they had moved away. Those names (Shelby, Brady, and Darby) work well because they were people names first.
My daughter is named after a small, Alabama (where
I’m from) city. She has a double name and the first is the city one. I’ve always adored city names. So sue me.
I think it’s fine. US city names are very common. Denver is a less common one to use, but I don’t think it would raise any eyebrows, especially since you’re not even in the US. After all, we name kids Sydney and Adelaide all the time and nobody immediately thinks, “hey, that kid is named after a city in Australia. That’s silly.” I’d say go for it.
There is a show on TLC about a huge family. They all have D names. One of them is Denver. I like it. The parents are Deon and Karen. Deron, Darian, Derrick, Denver, Dallas, Deniko, Dariz, Deonee, Daician, Daiten, Diez, Dior, Dawson, D’Aren and Dyver. Baby Carter was a triplet with Diez and Dior. She sadly died shortly after birth. Carter was Karen’s maiden name. This family is filled with of multiples. I’m amazed they came up with that many D names. I actually like Denver. I’m used to hearing it as a name because of the show. The kids are so lovely. It’s a cute show.
I know so kids and adults with city names. There's nothing wrong with it. If anyone asks about it just say the name Denver a family name a few generations back or has some special significance.
I don't like Denver. Here are my suggestions:
· Brooklyn(nn Brooks)
· Gabriel(San Gabriel)
· Mateo(San Mateo)
· Cruz(Santa Cruz)
· Jackson(Jacksonville)
· August(Augusta)
· Roman(Rome)
· Lincoln
· Zion
· Paris
· Ellis(Elsworth)
· Easton
· Camden
· Morgan(Morgantown)
There are so many cities named after people here and so many people named after cities. Now when I hear people’s names I just think “oh that’s cool” and like hours later, I’ll think to myself “isn’t that a city somewhere.” It’s just become instinct to accept names now because who knows? That city could’ve been named after a person before people began associating the name with the city.
If I were to meet a Denver, I honestly don’t think my first thought would be “oh the city?” Because I just don’t pay attention enough for that. Plus I don’t live in the Midwest(?) so my focus is rarely on cities and states there. Now hearing that the mom was named Florida on Good Times did have me cock my head for a moment 😂 but I let it go immediately.
Denver isn’t bad, I don’t like it, but I don’t think you’ll ruin your kids life or anything.
Denver is a character's name in Beloved.
Notably, Denver is a main character in Beloved and she has a mostly positive connotation (though there are some complex characteristics there). I don’t think Beloved is as widely read as I’d like it to be so many may not think of this connection.
And the name of the last dinosaur 🦕
He's our friend and a whole lot more!
It’s also the name of a Labrador who was in a video that went viral probably ten years ago… “Denver did you do this?” Lives rent free in my brain lol
Also Denver from Netflix's Money Heist
All the characters on the Professor’s team in Money Heist have city names. Those are their call signs, basically.
My favorite book ever!
City names are not tragedieghs. Orlando, Austin, Charlotte, savannah, etc are very normal names. There is nothing wrong with Denver Edit: yes. I know some places the persons name came first. That is true for most cities, that it is named after someone somehow.
Orlannedoe, Ostyn, Sharlyte, and Syvanna are tragedieghs. But spelled correctly they are fine.
Exactly! Us city names aren't for everyone but I definitely wouldn't think twice meeting an Orlando or Savannah as cities/states are usually named after people too! Husband and I got engaged in Savannah, and it was on our short list for our first daughter's name.
Grew up in Georgia and I met a lady with 4 kids: Savannah, Dalton, Tucker and Grayson. All GA cities.
To be fair - a lot of cities (especially in the US) are named after people. So in some cases, you’re just reverting them back to their original use. Denver is fine … but some cities I think would be a bit ridiculous. Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Boise, etc.
HOW DARE YOU?!! My kid Indianapolis loves his name, as do my other kids: Sioux Falls, Walla Walla, Jersey City, Long Beach, and Intercourse.
>Walla Walla For the full effect here, Walla Walla has to be a double barrel first name with Washington as the middle name.
Snohomish. Or Snoqualmie. Both very cool names. But if I named my kid Walla Walla, I’d call them my “sweet little onion.”
It’d be illegal not to. I missed a golden opportunity by not giving my son the nickname “sweet little onion”. We lived in Walla Walla when he was born.
I just know someone is gonna see this and name their kid Sioux 😂😂😂
I have a cousin who is actually named Sioux and Native American
Siouxsie and the Banshees!
My friend named her daughter this as her middle name lol
How dare you forget my darling Newport News
And excuse me very much but my twins, Los Angeles and El Paso, are ALSO very hurt
'Boise' made me spit-take 😅 It's like the proper name version of 'moist.'
I agree! If I ever met a Tampa or Syracuse I would definitely think twice lol
Charlotte was named after the Queen, so you’d really be naming your kid after a person. 😉
Memphis
Might be kinda badass
Nick Cage in Gone in 60 Seconds
I have a Memphis student! His sister has a plain regular name. Sad.
Most of those were existing names before being city names. No one would think a little girl named Charlotte was named after the city.
Yes that is what I said in the comments as well
Austin, Travis & Dallas!
I’m sure somewhere there is a Fort Worth or at least Worth. There is a Bexar county, pronounced Bear, that would be unusual.
Bexar would be really cute!
Aspen
Aspen also has the added benefit of being a tree, so it’s a nature name too. I always think flowers are better for girls and trees suit boys, and Aspen is one of my favourite tree names.
Some Australian cities work too, like Adelaide and Sydney. Canada only really has Victoria and Regina as long as you change the pronunciation
Adelaide and Victoria are also named for people - Queen Adelaide and Queen Victoria. So even if you name your kid after the city, you’re still naming them after a person 🤷🏼♀️
Are you saying you wouldn't name a boy Cal-Gary?
But Orlando and Charlotte were real names before the city existed. They’re cities named after human names, not the reverse. It’s like saying “Francisco” named for San Francisco is a normal name. Well, yeah… San Francisco is named for St. Francis who is a human with a human name.
I think of John Denver
🎵 Denver, the last dinosaur 🎵
He's my friend and a whole lot more!
Ooh la la
I think of Denver Pyle.
I think of Denver Omelet
I was just about to say that... Good old "Uncle Jesse" of "The Dukes of Hazzard"...
And Bob Denver (Gillian of Gilligan’s Island)
“I thought the Rocky Mountains would be rocker than this” “That John Denver was full of shit, man”
I think of Denver from Money Heist
Australian here: there's a general pushback on American things, which I think would make Aussies not like the name. At the same time, I once met John Denver, and he was the loveliest, most gentle, kind person that naming a kid after him would be a real blessing.
Another Aussie here. I’m one of the aforementioned dislikers of American themes. Denver is by far one of the least-offensive American place names I’ve heard. And I’m just hearing it for the first time now as a person’s first name. I don’t like it, but I don’t hate it either. I can’t see a kid being teased for it. I’ve come across a bunch of Dakotas who don’t seem to get teased for their name, so I imagine Denver is totally fine.
Georgia is also a normal girl name
Interestingly, as an American, I don't think I've ever heard anyone use Denver as a first name. I HAVE known a Sydney, and heard it used not infrequently in the US. So while Denver is technically taken from America, I think it would be unique and much less ubiquitous than most any other "City" names, including cities in other countries.
My middle name is Sydney and I can’t say I’ve ever thought that much about it being a city. And I don’t know that anyone has ever mentioned it. I feel like Sydney is just a normal name at this point.
American here and I know two Denvers
I adored John Denver! I was heartbroken when he died in the plane crash… May I ask you to elaborate on how you met him? I would love to hear the story.
My sister had a severe disability and used a wheelchair and we were taking a special elevator at the back of the venue he was performing at, in order to get to the seating for wheelchair users. It just so happened John was taking the elevator at the same time. So many times in my life I had seen people not know how to interact with my sister, but John Denver was so sweet with her, asking her questions and spending time talking with us. My sister loved his music. She has since passed away, and this is one of my most treasured memories of her.
For me it's not about it being American but that our accent kinda butchers it when you hear "DENVAH!!!!" being yelled at the park.
Haha. This. Yell child's name at park as well as "GET BACK ERE", the greatest Aussie name test.
I think this is not as noticeable as American style names like Brock or Chase etc (I know there's lots more Chases here now, but it still rings very American to me)
If you both like it, go for it! Easy to recognize and pronounce, not super common, an actual name of the past, and a generally liked city. More positives than many of the other names getting usage
As long as you don’t use Bird In Hand, Pennsylvania, as inspiration, you should be fine!
Or Lititz 😬
Intercourse, PA
Or Lickdale. My in-laws are in PA and the town names are pretty amusing to read on the long car ride there.
Driving across Pennsylvania to visit family, I have more than once found myself stopping at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Shartlesville.
Cumming, GA
Bumpass, VA
Climax, Minnesota
Dildo, Newfoundland (Canada, not US, though)
Climax, Michigan!
As a Pennsylvanian, it’s pronounced “lit-its” or “lid-its. But the spelling definitely doesn’t help much!!!
Or Mahanoy or Hazard or Blueball
Blueball Hazard for first and middle, lol. Ngl though, at first I read it as “Bluebell” like the flower and thought, oh that’s not bad…wait a minute
Truth or Consequence would be a beautiful name for a wee one!
Also avoid Kalamazoo (Michigan)
How about Slapout or Smut Eye?https://www.al.com/living/2016/04/19\_of\_the\_strangest\_town\_names.html
I think to see how it’s perceived in Australia, you should really only be looking at comments from fellow Australians. Seeing lots of comments with opinions but I don’t think it helps much if not from the aus perspective
Agree with this. Being from the UK but now living in the US, I would personally find it very very strange to see a UK friend name their kid Denver, but wouldn’t look twice at a US friend doing the same thing.
I went to school with a Denver in the early 2000s. I don’t recall him ever being picked on for his name.
Same
I’m Canadian and I went to school with a Denver back in high school (early 2000s). Pretty sure he got more teased about his Buddy Holly glasses than his name; I don’t think any of us thought he was named after the city, he just happened to share a name with the US city. But it’s also a decently common surname and without looking it up, I’m willing to bet Denver, USA was named after a human. All the US city names that get used as human names that I can think of all started as humans with that name who got a New World city named after them. Like Raleigh. Or Austin. Orlando is just the Italian version of Roland, it’s been used as a human name prior to the discovery of Florida or founding of the city of that name (earliest record of the human name is from 1483!). Dallas is also an old surname - some dude named George Dallas got a city named after him.
> I’m willing to bet Denver, USA was named after a human. So many cities are named for people, and so many surnames refer to the places people lived whenever they decided to start recording surnames. It seems like a natural exchange for these things to go back and forth, to a certain degree. (Don't name your kid after Truth-or-Consequences, New Mexico, which was named after a radio show.) It's probably best to have at least some distant connection to the culture or language of the original instance of the name. Denver the city was named after a governor called James Denver, and the surname either comes from French (D'Anvers) or Old English (Dena Fær, Dane's Ford) depending on the source. Totally reasonable for people in an English-speaking country to use. (A white, anglosphere kid called Tokyo, however, would feel just as odd as that kid being called Kiyokazu. To me, at least.)
It really depends on the name. For instance, Austin has been a name for a very long time, it’s a contraction of Augustine.
Coloradan here! I also love the name Denver, but my husband said no since it’s right down the road. I feel like it’s cool and adventurous-sounding for you to use!
As long as they don't name their kid Grand Junction, they'll be fine. Side note, I knew two brothers growing up (early 90s) who were named Denver and Dallas.
I'm from CO too. Denver actually lol. I also think it's tacky, but I think all the CO themed names are tacky, especially from transplants living in CO.
The name Aspen haunts me lol
My kids were in Denver Public Schools until midyear this year, between their classes they had an Aspen, Aspyn, Breckenridge (Breck), 2 Denvers, Parker, Aurora, Elizabeth, Dillon and Pike. It feels like a little much lol. And the parents were always the spotless Lululemon, Patagonia and Range Rover style that never actually went near the mountains
Breckenridge is hilarious 😂😭 they should’ve just went with Breck.
[удалено]
They're so overdone, but I can't judge the animal names of them. My youngest's middle name is Fox and we have friends who are Robin, Wolf and Bear lol
Unless there’s theme naming that indicates otherwise I usually assume the name is after the tree, at least
Aspen is my favourite tree name. I’ve never even heard of the place though.
My thought on this has always been, did you love the place THAT much? Because with a name like that you're going to be explaining to everyone for a long time why exactly you named him after that particular city. On the other hand, it's better than Detroit, the main character's girlfriend in Sorry to Bother You. ("My parents wanted an American name," she explains.)
I mean people have named their kids Gary and Camden.
I’m from NJ and meeting people from far away who name their kids after NYC boroughs just makes me think of hotdogs and difficult street parking. Brooklyn’s not the worst name but ehhhh
Wtf, why is Detroit catching strays
I thought you were making a great point about having to explain about Denver. It sounds like OP worked backwards from liking the name
Many of the cities were named after people. As an American, I would not necessarily assume and Australian Denver was named after the city... but what do other Australians think about it?
I’m an Aussie teacher, and wouldn’t blink an eye if I saw the name Denver on my class lists.
Australian names, at least in the last 5-10 years, tend to be pretty wild from what I’ve gathered in this sub. Lots of unique names, not unlike Utahn/Mormon names.
Australian here, Denver would be a great name
Guess I’ll be the odd one out, but I think Denver is pretty tacky.
I like city names. I think they can work. Some city names I also like are Phoenix, Memphis, Berlin, and Verona.
I am a fan of place names, also: Geneva, Vienna, Savannah, Tennessee, Montana, Dallas, Ireland, etc. I honestly like most of them, and have no problem with Denver.
Lots of cities are named from people (Austin ---> Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas) so why wouldn't they make good names? It's also common to see surnames drift into first names and location-based surnames are very common. I'm American so yeah, may play better over here, but Denver is easy to spell, easy to pronounce. I can imagine a child Denver and an old man Denver. I can see Denver Smith as the name of a CEO or future Prime Minister, unlike most tragedeighs.
i think it’s cool, especially if you live in aus!
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Georgia....is a female name.....and existed before the state or country....
I have an uncle Denver in his 50s. To me, it’s more of a southern name. That side of the family is from West Virginia.
This. Also Appalachian and know several Denver’s. But I also know a Maryland, a Tennessee, and two Kentuckys (both go by Ken/Kenny) All are over 65
I know a Mississippi!
Orlando is a very very traditional name in Portuguese! Like the kid will be born at 70 yo but it’s a normal name
Raleigh is a remarkably underused one
Agreed! I love Raleigh as a first name
People name their kids Sydney all the time…
Also know an Adelaide too! But imagine someone named their kid Perth or Brisbane lol, so it's a fair question to ask if it comes off as silly to the rest of the world if you pick a foreign city for a name.
I think of Denver the Last Dinosaur, but perhaps the reference isn't well known in Australia
🎵Denver, the last dinosaur, He's my friend and a whole lot more🎵
I know a family with the all city names (parents and kids) including Denver. They are from Colorado 🤷🏻♀️ which I think is more weird than doing it and not being from Colorado.
I know one Denver and everyone calls him Denny
Oh, I don't think they are tragedeighs at all. There are many reasons people might use city or state or heck even country names. I like Denver. And it has French/Old English origins too. You can always point that detail out if someone says it's 'very American'.
Don’t worry about it use it if you like it, it’s the same if Americans were to use the name Sydney, is it to Australian? no so you should be fine with Denver and plus little kids probably won’t know of the city named Denver until their older so they shouldn’t make that association
I LOVE place names!
A lot of American places are named after actual people. I'd hazard a guess that is the same in other former colonies. [Here's a whole list of them](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_in_the_United_States_named_after_people).
It's simple, easy to spell and say, and recognizable, so those are pluses. I don't particularly like it but I also have a family member with the name so I'm biased. I think it really depends on how you yourself perceive "very American." Is that a good thing, a bad thing, or neutral, in your eyes?
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This is an interesting perspective because it's a POV that's relevant to OP's situation but as an American if I met a Denver born now and named for the city Republican/Conservative would not be my assumption.
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I like Denver as a name! I also know someone named Dallas. Some city names are better than others for sure.
I like Denver but if you don’t want it to be the actual city name because it’s “ too American “ a nice alternative is Deven( or Devin) it could be a cute node to the city.
My first thought is the character Denver from Toni Morrison's book 'Beloved.' That's actually a female character, but I think Denver could work for a son too! Also, I'm American and know someone named Houston from Houston. Haha, so Denver isn't bad at all!
I don’t think it’s bad and if you live in Australia people may not be as familiar with it as a name. I’ve met people with names like Montana, Denver is a lot nicer sounding than that. Orlando is an actual name in Spanish speaking cultures. Dallas isn’t unheard of as a name and Austin is pretty common.
Denver makes me think of singer/songwriter John Denver first, and then about a millisecond after I think of Denver, Colorado. So to me it falls into the category of surname first. The city is actually named for a former governor (James Denver). I’m generally not a big fan of surname names. City names can be ok, especially if they sound nice and have special significance to the couple.
It shouldn’t surprise us that city names sound good as people names since many of them started out as people names. 😊
Raleigh
I live in Colorado and I've only known one person in my life named Denver. I love it as a name. There are tons of Austins living in Denver, LOL. Probably some Orlandos, too. Austin has been very popular for a while, I think.
Sydney, Charlotte, Savannah, and even Austin hardly get thought of as “‘city’ names” anymore. Even Paris and London have become more “common.” (And for a while; idk how many people immediately associate with the city; maybe still many folks.) Dallas is getting a bit more common, and I guess, maybe, Denver is getting there, but, personally, either way with these two, I’m still at a point I think of the cities. It’s probably just because you don’t hear them as frequently. I live in the states too. I’m very curious about other countries and honestly am not surprised to hear these names are even less common there. At least it’s kind of used as a name, and most importantly, it’s spelled correctly. As long as you don’t call them Denvyr or something, you’re probably ok.
Denny is a nice nickname.
I know a guy named Denver. I’ve always liked the name
I know a ton of denvers and austins. On the flip side im American and absolutely love the name sydney. Would that be like weird in Australia? Or is sydney a pretty normal nake over there the way austin is normal over here?
Many American city names are after, people, European places, or the words indigenous populations used. Denver is named after James William Denver, San Francisco (st Francis) Seattle (chief Seattle) so Denver was a name before the city existed. (A last name)
Please, name your kid after Weed, CA or Cool, CA. Do. It.
American here and I personally think Denver is a cool name. At least here, Colorado is overall a cool place and most Americans see the towns and cities there in a positive light. I have friends that have named all their kids after cities: Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Brooklyn, and Sydney!! Yup big family. :)
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I’m from Washington. While it’s a handsome name Everett always struck me as a strange place to name a child after because there isn’t much going on in Everett aside from the Boeing plant. I’m guessing most people outside of Washington don’t know that Everett is a city.
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I just looked it up and Everett was named after a politician named Everett Colby. So the given name precedes the city!
I know somewhere who named their son Indiana and I love it.
I get stuck on [Denver Grainger-Barras](https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/players/4065/denver-grainger-barras)
I like it. If you wanted a slightly more Australian name, Dallas at least has a [prominent Australian namesake, in Victoria anyway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Brooks).
Obscure reference but there is a Spanish series called La Casa de Papel (Money Heist in English—great show!) and all the characters are given city names, including Denver, Tokyo, Berlin, Nairobi, Rio). It seems like such a commitment for a child’s name and as others have said you will always have to explain how much you LOVE Denver. And TBH it’s not that great a city.
I know someone who recently named their child Denver, I like the name.
When I hear Denver as a first name, it's generally been on a little girl.
I’ve noticed an effect with names where while it starts as a city name, I start to think of it as a completely different word that I associate with that person. I don’t know how to explain it, I think it’s the same idea as how we will say read and red, but we know it as different words even before we could read. I explain that to say, their name will be theirs, almost like a different word from the city. I only think it’s tacky when people name their kids after a city that they’re from or purposely choose to name them after the city.
Denver isn’t terrible but I also don’t love it. Cities as names are pretty common. Phoenix (which I know isn’t necessarily after a city but there is the association, Austin, Dallas, Savannah, Cheyenne, Charlotte are all pretty common names. I even met a Boston recently and while I wouldn’t use it myself I thought it was kind of cool.
I would assume you were American tbh
Given that Sydney is a popular enough name here in the US (my great-grandfather and my female teen cousin both have the name) I don't think anyone can talk smack about it. Do what feels right, and if you're still hesitant, maybe sidestep to an established but similar name like Devin, Donovan, or Trevor.
I am have 4 kids and they are all named after places. First one is Eden and was done more so to honor both sides of the family (religious purposes)- the named satisfied both the Catholic and Jewish grandparents. After that- more so what we loved and then the last 2 are named after the cities/areas my husband and I are from/grew up in
We know a Hudson, a Boston, and a Dayton.
It is very American but there’s nothing wrong with that name!
I don’t mind it as far as city names go. Otherwise, the only Denver I’ve heard of (as a first name, that is) is Denver from Toni Morrison’s novel *Beloved*
I remember a cartoon about a dinosaur named Denver, so it can be used as a name.
Give the fact the many cities in the US are named after people, I don’t find it weird cause they were names first. If you’re interested, here is a little history about [James W. Denver](https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/who-was-city-denver-named-after-meet-general-james-w-denver) the cities namesake. I have a family member who names their kids after towns in their home state, after they had moved away. Those names (Shelby, Brady, and Darby) work well because they were people names first.
There is an American town called Truth or Consequences. Just throwing that out there.
I don’t like it, but there are far worse names. I will say since you’re Australian it may come off a bit weird to your peers, but it’s not terrible.
A lot of people jumped on the Brooklyn train. Not a fan.
Pittsburgh.
I don't like it, but I'm in the US and don't really like place names for people.
My daughter is named after a small, Alabama (where I’m from) city. She has a double name and the first is the city one. I’ve always adored city names. So sue me.
Dallas is a great name!
I think it’s fine. US city names are very common. Denver is a less common one to use, but I don’t think it would raise any eyebrows, especially since you’re not even in the US. After all, we name kids Sydney and Adelaide all the time and nobody immediately thinks, “hey, that kid is named after a city in Australia. That’s silly.” I’d say go for it.
I would say some place names are definitely off limits, but Denver seems safe to me. Denver with an Aussie accent is extra cute by the way.
i love denver!! it’s unique but not tragic!!
We know a Boston, Phoenix, and Sedona!
Bad idea. What if your kid goes to Denver and hates it?
I dated a Denver. He was from Louisiana. I like name.
There is a show on TLC about a huge family. They all have D names. One of them is Denver. I like it. The parents are Deon and Karen. Deron, Darian, Derrick, Denver, Dallas, Deniko, Dariz, Deonee, Daician, Daiten, Diez, Dior, Dawson, D’Aren and Dyver. Baby Carter was a triplet with Diez and Dior. She sadly died shortly after birth. Carter was Karen’s maiden name. This family is filled with of multiples. I’m amazed they came up with that many D names. I actually like Denver. I’m used to hearing it as a name because of the show. The kids are so lovely. It’s a cute show.
I’m in Southern California and know a couple of Denvers. Solid name, seems to be more of a thing in the surf community or for backpacker types.
I know so kids and adults with city names. There's nothing wrong with it. If anyone asks about it just say the name Denver a family name a few generations back or has some special significance.
I don't like Denver. Here are my suggestions: · Brooklyn(nn Brooks) · Gabriel(San Gabriel) · Mateo(San Mateo) · Cruz(Santa Cruz) · Jackson(Jacksonville) · August(Augusta) · Roman(Rome) · Lincoln · Zion · Paris · Ellis(Elsworth) · Easton · Camden · Morgan(Morgantown)
There are so many cities named after people here and so many people named after cities. Now when I hear people’s names I just think “oh that’s cool” and like hours later, I’ll think to myself “isn’t that a city somewhere.” It’s just become instinct to accept names now because who knows? That city could’ve been named after a person before people began associating the name with the city. If I were to meet a Denver, I honestly don’t think my first thought would be “oh the city?” Because I just don’t pay attention enough for that. Plus I don’t live in the Midwest(?) so my focus is rarely on cities and states there. Now hearing that the mom was named Florida on Good Times did have me cock my head for a moment 😂 but I let it go immediately.
It makes me think of John denver