Are These Hudson Valley Town Names Actually Great Baby Names?

You can name your baby after nearly anything you want. And these days, people do! New York does have a couple of rules in terms of what you can name your baby, but for the most part, the possibilities are endless.

It started out more as a random thought, so I polled the Hudson Valley on what local town names they thought might actually make cute baby names. To my surprise, a lot of people had some pretty legitimate suggestions.

So, here's a rundown of the top 10 Hudson Valley towns that could actually make cute baby names:

10. Kingston

Located in Ulster County and widely known as the first capital of New York, this royally-sounding name was suggested by a number of people.

Tammaney H. even shared that her nephew's middle name is Kingston after the Hudson Valley city!

9. Garrison

Located on the east side of the Hudson, Garrison is known for its great views of West Point Academy right across the river. The area is named after Lieutenant Garrison who operated trips across the Hudson via boat.

Some say the best way to test out if you like a baby name is to yell out the full name. Can't you just picture shouting for "GARRISON MICHAEL" at the playground?

8. Kent

Also located in Putnam County, this town was actually originally called Fredericks after one of the first settling families in the area.

According to the town,  the name was changed to Kent in honor of Columbia University's first law professor Chancellor James Kent in 1817. So a baby named after a town, named after a person.

7. Olive

The town of Olive is located in Ulster County just west of Kingston. The town itself has a rough population of about 5,000 people.

While it's not the biggest population-wise, Olive is home to some gorgeous natural landscapes including the Ashokan Reservoir as pictured above.

6. Chester

Apparently, in 2021, 1 out of every 27,771 baby boys were named Chester according to Datayze, so it's already a...used name. Located in Orange County, the village of Chester is steeped with a history spanning back farther than the Civil War.

Did you know it's also the birthplace of cream cheese according to the Village of Chester?

5. Milton

Milton is another name that isn't completely out of left field. According to The Bump, Milton is ranked #1411 on their list of most popular boy's names. Milton, NY is technically a little bit outside the Hudson Valley (depending on who you ask) but its name origin is a little bit debated.

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Some believe the town was named after poet John Milton. Others believe it was named as such for the amount of Milling activity that happened there. Either way, cool name!

4. Phoenicia

Phoenicia is a charming hamlet located in Ulster County near Mount Temper. Some speculate that the name Phoenicia is derived from Phoenix Tannery, which was a major source of economic stability in the hamlet's earliest days.

Outside of the context of the Hudson Valley, Phoenicia was an ancient civilization in the Eastern Mediterranean.

3. Liberty

You could name a baby Liberty and no one would necessarily know it was named after the town in Sullivan County.

The spot has become a popular place for younger families with its proximity to New York City and the Catskills.

2. Hudson

Hudson is another baby name that seems to have grown in popularity over the last few years.

SEE ALSO: These 14 Famous Celebrities Are Also SUNY Alumni

This name could either be in honor of the Hudson River itself, the Hudson Valley, or just the city in Columbia County that's been growing in tourist activity since the COVID pandemic.

1. Zena

We gave the #1 slot to Zena. Not only is it a unique name, but it sounds pretty, which matches the hamlet of Zena's natural surrounding landscape.

Zena is technically located inside the town of Woodstock. It's known to be a fairly affluent area and has been rated as one of the Best Places to Live.

So, if you're in the market for a special baby name that most others wouldn't think of, perhaps look to the towns of the Hudson Valley for inspiration.