Many names have been taken from geographical features. Such names as Abe Lincoln, Jack London, and Dick York have all been coined in relation to English cities. Other names come from landscapes, like Grant Hill or Carnell Lake. So what's wrong with using a map to find a name?
You may have noticed that all of these geographical names are last names. This is a built-in violation of the guideline that first names are first names, and last names are last names, and never the twain shall meet.
More seriously, using one place-name as a first name implies that other place-names are also acceptable. Having a daughter named "Brittany" implies that she has sisters named after other French regions, like "Burgundy", "Gascony", "Champaign", and "Ardennes". "Brittany" is additionally unacceptable because it implies Celtic heritage, which many Brittanys do not have, and because the French government is attempting to stamp out the Britannic culture, which makes the name unacceptable for travel in France. (Think of it as sending little Yassir to Tel Aviv.)
Likewise, little Paris may have brothers named "Lyon" and "Orleans", and Trenton implies that "Passaic", "Atlantic City", and "Hackensack" would also be fine names. Dakota may have brothers called "Montana" and "Nebraska"- or perhaps brothers named after states that are not godawful.
Place-names for children invite an automatic means for social studies teachers to humiliate these children, by forcing them to attempt to locate their namesakes on a map. Since American children can't even locate the U. S. A. on a map (and many still can't find it if you label the cities), the child will feel dejected, and angry that they had to be the ones saddled with geographical names. (A quick caveat, though; lowering a child's self-esteem isn't always a bad idea. Josef Stalin and Genghis Khan felt very good about themselves.)
Examples of the "Found It On This Here Map" Category:
- Trenton Reznor
- Lourdes Ciccone (Madonna's daughter)
- Britney Spears (see also "Let Me Spell That For You")