Harlem

Harlem is a place name associated with the New York neighborhood, whose name comes from Haarlem in the Netherlands. The New York connection brings a rich cultural history, particularly the Harlem Renaissance and its contributions to Black American literature, music, and art. Those associations are more immediate than the older Dutch place name’s debated components.

As a given name, Harlem can commemorate a neighborhood, family history, or an artistic connection. It is used for boys and girls and has two syllables without needing a longer formal version. Harley shares its opening sound but has a separate history, while Brooklyn offers another New York place name to consider.