In my teenage daughters’ generation, American girls named Madison outnumber Bridgets by nearly 20 to 1. Yet my kids have had plenty of classmates named Bridget, and they’ve never met a Madison. A statistical fluke? In part, yes, but the odds were stacked by geography. We live in Massachusetts.

This 21^st-century style phenomenon has 19^th-century roots. Back before today’s parents and even great-grandparents were born, a long wave of European immigration shaped America. Boston was a particular center of Irish immigration, and today more than 20% of Massachusetts residents claim Irish ethnic origins. You see those origins reflected in the popularity of Irish names of every stripe, from Bridget and Patrick to Saoirse and Eoin.

You can find similar echoes of immigrant heritage in baby names across the country. The Swedish immigrants who flocked to Minnesota are recalled in the modern popularity of names like Ingrid and Henrik, and the Italian immigrants who helped shape New Jersey in names like Francesca and Rocco. It’s not just a matter of parents naming from their own family trees. For many, the driving factor is a sense of heritage. Names are often chosen to honor general ethnic roots rather than specific family members. And of course, the choices are filtered through a contemporary fashion sense. American parents’ choices are influenced by the immigrant generations and by current global trends, but their preferences are born in the USA.

You might think of the process as “hyphenate” naming. Just as spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American rather than Italian dish, a name like Erin is an Irish-American baby name. (Erin is a form of the Irish word for Ireland, Éire, familiar from the patriotic phrase “Erin go bragh”—”Ireland forever.”) It may not be traditional as an Irish given name, but it’s 100% authentic as a reflection of Irish-American pride.

Even classic names from European cultures are adopted in American patterns. For instance, you’re much more likely to meet a young Valentina in New Jersey today than in Italy. The name Greta is hot in Minnesota, but the current Swedish smash hit Wilma is a non-starter. Shea is a masculine name in Ireland, but unisex and leaning female in Massachusetts. Beyond individual names, the collective style of immigrant heritage names helps shape local name cultures. For instance, New Jersey is also partial to non-Italian names like Arabella and Avianna that echo Italian style.

I’ve collected 20 names from each of the three states that showcase the effects of historical immigration patterns. You can see the local color for yourself, and contemplate how names like Giuliana and Vincenzo or Astrid and Anders might influence a state’s sense of style.