The Great White North boasts so many iconic places that lend themselves to the cutest baby names! Here are 20 monikers inspired by Canada.
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Victoria This adorable moniker means "victory," and gets its inspiration from two iconic places: the capital city of B.C. and Victoria Island, which straddles the border of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
Louise Lake Louise is a popular destination in Alberta's Banff National Park, so naming your daughter Louise will hopefully give her a grand sense of adventure—the name does mean "renowned warrior," after all.
Winnie If you have ties to Manitoba's capital city of Winnipeg, you might want to use this cute name that means "holy peacemaking" and "gentle friend."
Hallie Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia, provides the inspo for this sweet name. (It also might remind you of one of Lindsay Lohan's characters in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap.) It means "dweller at the meadow by the manor."
Peggy Anyone who's been to Nova Scotia has probably been to Peggy’s Cove and snapped a photo of the famous lighthouse. "Peggy" means "pearl," and it's actually a nickname for Margaret (which makes sense, since Peggy's Cove is on St. Margaret's Bay).
Charlotte This classic name, which actually means "free man," comes from P.E.I.'s capital city of Charlottetown, where the colonies first came together to discuss the confederation of Canada in 1864.
Regina We know the proper pronunciation of Saskatchewan's capital city of Regina makes it rhyme with, well, vagina, but it actually means "queen" and you can pronounce it at least two other ways: ruh-JEE-na or ruh-GEE-na.
Madeleine Quebec's Magdalen Islands, or rather, les Îles de la Madeleine, inspire this French name that means "woman from Magdala" or "high tower."
Albert This name, which means "noble" and "bright," is linked to two Canadian places: first, the province of Alberta (obviously) and second, the scenic Prince Albert National Park in Saskatchewan.
Edmund This name, inspired by Alberta's capital city of Edmonton, is perfect for your newborn son. Its meaning? "Fortunate protector."
Bruce Ontario's beautiful Bruce Peninsula National Park is the inspiration for this baby name, which means "from the brushwood thicket."
John John is a classic name meaning "God is gracious." You can find it in the names of two iconic Canadian places that are often confused for one another: St. John's, which is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saint John, which is a seaside city in New Brunswick.
Frederic Speaking of New Brunswick, a variation on its capital city of Fredericton could become a great name for your baby boy: Frederic (or Freddie, for short) means "peaceful ruler."
Stanley Vancouver's gorgeous and green Stanley Park is a major attraction for visitors to B.C.'s biggest metropolis, and it provides inspo for this stately boys' name that means "near the stony clearing/meadow."
Edward This classic name is linked to the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and it means "wealthy guardian."
Fraser The Fraser River in B.C. is the longest of all the Canadian Heritage Rivers, and the name it inspires has a fun and fruity meaning: strawberry!
Jasper Have you ever been to the alpine town of Jasper, in Alberta's Jasper National Park? This adorable unisex name means "bringer of treasure," which makes it perfect for your precious babe.
Bowen Bowen Island is just a 20-minute ferry ride from Vancouver, and its idyllic scenery makes it a great namesake for your little one. While it may mean "son of Owen," we think the name works for babies of any gender.
Logan This unisex name makes the list because of Mount Logan in the Yukon, which is the tallest mountain in Canada. It's a bit ironic, however, because the name's original Gaelic meaning is "little hollow," or "little hollow dweller."
Mackenzie The mighty Mackenzie River stretches the length of the Northwest Territories. Similar to Bowen, this name means "son of Kenneth," but it's become an acceptable moniker for babies all along the gender spectrum.
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Kevin is an associate editor for Canadian Business in Toronto, Ontario. More of their work can be found in MSN Canada, Chatelaine and This Magazine.