When I was at University, I was lucky enough to study Ancient History as an undergraduate degree. l found the whole subject absolutely fascinating, but I must admit that I could often get sidetracked from my studies whenever a research paper or book contained a map or list of ancient cities. You see, the name-nerd in me couldn't help revelling in the names of ancient places — I'd frequently roll the lyrical syllables around my tongue and scribbled them down on the corner of my research notes.
A whole heap of ancient place names are not only mellifluous but also aesthetically pleasing, and as, sadly, many are lost to us today or have long-since been renamed, wouldn't it be nice to reclaim a few of them back into nomenclature? If Brooklyn, London and India are in fashion, why not Elaia, Lycia and Illyria? After all, the likes of Lydia, Sebastian, Petra and Alexandria prove positive that ancient place names do make perfectly acceptable and lovely first names.
Listed below is a selection of ancient place names from across the Classical and Hellenic world. Some, you will notice, are already (and were at the time) used as given names; others were Greek or Latin names translations for sites across Asia, Mesopotamia and the Adriatic.
| Abila Adana Adra Adron Aedava Aegina Alalia (Aléria) Alata Alesia Alexandria Alexandretta Alinda Allaria Altava Alyzia Amantia Amara Amaseia Ambracia Amida |
Amphissa Andros Antissa Apollonia Argos Artemita Asti Athyra Attica Augusta Aurana (Hauran) Baia Cameria Caria Carteia Catania Coria Corinthia Cyrene Daphne |
Dacia Dela Delphi Dendera Deva Didyma Dion Doris Edessa Elaia Elateia Elatreia (Elatria) Elea (Velia) Elesis Elis Entella Eretria Heraclea Hermione Himera |
Illyria Ionia Issa Istriana Ithaca Kannia Kressa Lamia Larissa Lilaia Lycia Lydia Lysa Mallia Malva Marion Medana Medista Megara Mellaria |
Messenia Messina Mevania Myra Myrina Mysia Noreia Novae Olbia Olympia Pandosia Paros Pella Perseis Persepolis Petra Pollentia Sabina Salona Simon |
Soli Sumeria Sybrita Tegea Theodosia Thera Therma Thesara Thessaly Thoricus Thrace Tomis Troy Tyros Varna Veleia Veneto Vinovia Zacynthus Zakros |
Names in brackets denote an alternate name.
