It may not be trendy to name your child after where you live, but our city is so wonderful we lovers of Los Angeles could make a case for it. This idea came to me when I heard the Los Angeles Zoo is asking the public to help name a baby kangaroo. Here are just a few L.A.-inspired monikers that only Angeleno babies could pull off:
BOYS
Frank: From Frank Lloyd Wright to Musso and Frank Grill to Frank Black, this name has L.A. ties galore.
Eric: Love the mayor? Name your son after him.
Pedro: Pronounced pee-droh after one of L.A.’s biggest oceanside communities.
Andreas: A little exotic, a little daring. Your boy could bear the moniker of our city’s fault.
Oscar: Why not take home your own little Academy Award?
Chandler: Writer Raymond Chandler, publisher Harry Chandler, a bike path in the Valley, and that guy from Friends (which was shot in Burbank) are the inspiration for this choice.
Griffith: Not only is this the name of a popular, beautiful park (and the colonel who founded it) but also D.W. Griffith, a very controversial but pioneering filmmaker.
GIRLS
Beverly: Perhaps one of the most iconic city names, this one’s perfect if your family is originally from Massachusetts.
Olvera: Fitting for a future taco lover.
Holly: A particularly fantastic name for anyone with the last name Wood.
Poppy: Our beautiful state flower and also a way to remember the baked blooms of 2015.
Monica: This is for a Westside baby (and another Friends-loving parent).
Angelyne: For a social, spunky, and fun-loving daughter with a real thing for pink.
Rose: After the three roses of L.A.: the avenue, this garden, and the bowl.
UNISEX
Juniper: For the man who founded the first missions in California.
North: From Northridge to North Hollywood to North West, this name has a special locality to it.
Baldwin: This neighborhood seems fit for a baby name comeback.
Getty: Perfect for a baby with artsy parents.
Echo: I for one have always wanted something besides a park to be named Echo.
Lax: A name that serves as both a statement about our city’s headspace and a reminder of our airport code.
Angel: The most obvious—and special—choice of all.