Political Subdivision Place Names

type
usage
Alabama (Political Subdivision & River) English
The name of an American river and state, appearing in European sources from the 16th-century in spellings such as Alibamu. It is derived from the name of the Alabama people, a Native American tribe, called Albaamaha in the Alabama language. The tribal name might be from the related Choctaw language meaning "plant gatherers", from ạlba "plants, herbs" and ạmo "to reap, to gather, to cut".
Arizona (Political Subdivision) English
The name of an American state. It is derived from Spanish Arizonac, possibly from a local O'odham name meaning "small spring" (ʼali "small, child" and ṣon "water spring"). Alternatively it derive from Basque meaning "good oak" (haritz "oak" and ona "good").
Asturias (Political Subdivision) Spanish
Possibly derived from Basque asta "rock" and ur "water". This was the name of an 8th to 10th-century kingdom of northern Iberia. It is now the name of a Spanish province.
Bangal (Region & Political Subdivision) Persian
Persian form of Bengal.
Bavaria (Political Subdivision) English, Late Roman
From Late Latin Baiovarii, the name of a Germanic tribe, named after an earlier Gaulish tribe the Boii. This is the name of a state in Germany (called Bayern in German).
Baviera (Political Subdivision) Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of Bavaria.
Bayern (Political Subdivision) German
German form of Bavaria.
Belgica (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Roman
Derived from the Belgae, a Celtic-Germanic confederation of tribes that inhabited northern Gaul (modern Belgium). Their name is probably derived from a Celtic root meaning "to swell with anger".
Bengal (Region & Political Subdivision) English
From Persian بنگاله (Bangaleh), probably from the name of the ancient kingdom of Vanga. This is a region in south Asia, now divided between the country of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
Bengala (Region & Political Subdivision) Portuguese
Portuguese form of Bengal.
Buganda (Region & Political Subdivision) Eastern African, Ganda
The name of a region within Uganda and also the root of the country's name (see Uganda).
Califórnia (Political Subdivision) Portuguese
Portuguese form of California.
California (Political Subdivision & Island) English, Spanish, Italian, Literature
From the name of a fictional utopian island populated only by women in the 16th-century novel The Adventures of Esplandián by the Spanish author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The name comes from the island's queen, Calafia, itself probably derived from Arabic خليفة (khalifah), an Islamic title meaning "successor". This is the name of an American state as well as two states of Mexico (Baja California and Baja California Sur).
Californie (Political Subdivision) French
French form of California.
Catalogna (Region & Political Subdivision) Italian
Italian form of Catalonia.
Catalogne (Region & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Catalonia.
Catalonia (Region & Political Subdivision) English
From Catalan Catalunya, of uncertain meaning, possibly from Latin castellum "castle" or Gauthia Launia "land of the Goths". This is the name of a region in eastern Spain.
Catalunya (Region & Political Subdivision) Catalan
Catalan form of Catalonia.
Cavan (Political Subdivision) Irish
Derived from Irish cabhán meaning "hollow". This is the name of an Irish county.
Cheshire (Region & Political Subdivision) English
Shortened form of Chestershire, a combination of Chester and shire.
Ciarraí (Political Subdivision) Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Kerry.
Colombie (Country & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Colombia and sometimes of Columbia (for example Colombie-Britannique for British Columbia).
Columbia (Region, Settlement, Political Subdivision & River) English, Italian, Spanish, Late Roman
Named after the explorer Christopher Columbus, called Cristoforo Colombo in Italian (see the surname Colombo). This is the name of several cities in the Americas (including the District of Columbia, also called Washington D.C.), and a river in Canada and the United States. It is also a name used historically to refer to the New World.
Cremona (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Italian
Probably from the name of the Celtic tribe the Cenomani, or possibly from a pre-Latin word meaning "stone". This is the name of a city and province in northern Italy.
Devon (Political Subdivision) English
From the name of the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe. This is the name of a county in England.
Dzhordzhiya (Political Subdivision) Russian
Russian form of Georgia 2, the American state.
Florída (Political Subdivision) Portuguese
Portuguese form of Florida.
Florida (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, German, Italian
A state of the United States, meaning "flowery, ornate" in Spanish, so called because in 1513 the explorer Juan Ponce de León landed there during the Pascua Florida (meaning "flowery Easter", a Spanish name for Palm Sunday).
Floride (Political Subdivision) French
French form of Florida.
Galatia (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English
From the Greek word for the Gaulish people Γαλάτης (Galates), probably a cognate of Latin Gallus (see Gallia). This was the Greek name for the region of Gaul. It was also used to refer to a region in Anatolia (modern Turkey) where Gauls settled in the 3rd century BC.... [more]
Gallia (Region, Political Subdivision & Country) Ancient Roman, Italian, Greek
Latin name for the historical region of Gaul. It is derived from the Latin ethnic word Gallus, referring to the Gauls (Celts of continental Europe), probably ultimately derived from the Celtic root *galn- "be able".... [more]
Geórgia (Country & Political Subdivision) Portuguese
Portuguese form of Georgia 1 or Georgia 2.
Georgia 2 (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch
From the given name George, named in honour of the British king George II. This was the name of an American colony, later a state.
Géorgie (Country & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Georgia 1 or Georgia 2.
Holland 1 (Political Subdivision & Country) Dutch, English, German, Danish, Icelandic
From Old Dutch holt "forest" and lant "land". This is the name of two provinces (North and South Holland) in the Netherlands. It is sometimes informally used to refer to the entire country of the Netherlands.
Hollande (Political Subdivision & Country) French
French form of Holland 1, referring to the provinces and sometimes the entire country.
Holsteen (Political Subdivision & Region) Low German
Low German form of Holstein.
Holstein (Political Subdivision & Region) German, English, Dutch
From the name of a Saxon tribe, derived from Old Saxon holt meaning "wood" and the suffix -setio meaning "inhabitant". This is the name of a historical region in Germany, near the Danish border. It forms part of the name of the modern German state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Holsten (Political Subdivision & Region) Danish
Danish form of Holstein.
Huashengdun (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Chinese
Chinese form of Washington.
Indiana (Political Subdivision) English
Means "land of the Indians". This is the name of an American state.
Kalifornien (Political Subdivision) German, Swedish
German and Swedish form of California.
Kent (Political Subdivision & River) English
Possibly from a Brythonic element meaning "border, edge, coast". This is the name of a historic kingdom and modern county in southeastern England, called Cent in Old English, Cantium in Latin. It is also the name of a river in Cumbria, northwestern England.
Kerry (Political Subdivision) Irish
From Irish Gaelic Ciarraí meaning "Ciar's people". This is the name of an Irish county.
Kolumbien (Country & Political Subdivision) German
German form of Colombia and sometimes of Columbia (for example Britisch-Kolumbien for British Columbia).
Kolumbija (Country, Region, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian
Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian and Lithuanian form of Columbia and Colombia.
Kolumbiya (Country, Region, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Columbia and Colombia.
Lecce (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Italian
From Latin Licea or Litium, earlier Lupiae. This is the name of a city in southern Italy, as well as a province named for it.
León (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Spanish
Derived from Latin legio (genitive legionis) meaning "legion", so named because the Roman 7th Legion Gemina was stationed there. This is the name of a city and province in northern Spain.
Lëtzebuerg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Luxembourgish
Luxembourgish form of Luxembourg.
Leudonia (Political Subdivision) Late Roman
Latin form of Lothian.
Liuksemburgas (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Luxembourg.
Lodainn (Political Subdivision) Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Lothian.
Lombardia (Political Subdivision) Italian
Italian form of Lombardy.
Lombardy (Political Subdivision) English
From Italian Lombardia, from Late Latin Langobardia, the name of a region in northern Italy, which was named after the Germanic Langobards (or Lombards as they are more often called), a people who invaded and occupied Italy in the 6th century. The Lombards' name is derived from lang "long" and bart "beard". In modern Italy this is now an administrative region, with a capital at Milan.
Lorena (Political Subdivision) Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian form of Lorraine.
Lorraine (Political Subdivision) French, English
Ultimately from Latin Lothari regnum meaning "kingdom of Lothar". Lothar was a Frankish king, the great-grandson of Charlemagne, whose realm was in the part of France now called Lorraine, or in German Lothringen.
Lothari Regnum (Political Subdivision) Late Roman
Latin form of Lorraine.
Lothian (Political Subdivision) English
From Latin Leudonia, of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a region in Scotland, around Edinburgh.
Lothringen (Political Subdivision) German
German form of Lorraine.
Louisiana (Region & Political Subdivision) English
From French Louisiane, named after King Louis XIV of France by the explorer René-Robert Cavelier in 1682. It originally referred to a large territory in the middle of North America. It was sold by France to the United States in 1803, and the southern tip became the American state of Louisiana in 1812.
Louisiane (Region & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Louisiana.
Louxemvourgo (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Greek
Greek form of Luxembourg.
Lucemburk (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Czech
Czech form of Luxembourg (the city and Belgian province).
Lüksemburg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Turkish
Turkish form of Luxembourg.
Luksemburg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Polish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Estonian, Indonesian
Form of Luxembourg used in several languages. In Croatian and Estonian this is the name of the country only (the city is Luxembourg).
Luksemburga (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Latvian
Latvian form of Luxembourg.
Luksemburgi (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Georgian
Georgian form of Luxembourg.
Lussemburgo (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Italian
Italian form of Luxembourg.
Lúxemborg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Icelandic
Icelandic form of Luxembourg.
Luxembourg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) English, French, Norwegian, Danish, Hungarian, Croatian, Estonian
From Old High German Lucilinburhuc, derived from luzil "small" and burg "castle". This was the name of a castle built by Count Siegfried in the 10th century. The city of Luxembourg and the surrounding territory became a duchy in the 14th century, and it is now a small landlocked country between Germany, France and Belgium. This is also the name of a province of southern Belgium.... [more]
Luxemburg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) German, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Romanian, Catalan, Hungarian, Slovak
Form of Luxembourg used in several languages. In Hungarian this is the name of the country only (Luxembourg is the city), while in Slovak this is the name of the city only (Luxembursko is the country).
Luxemburgo (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Portuguese, Spanish, Galician
Portuguese, Spanish and Galician form of Luxembourg.
Lyuksemburg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Russian, Bulgarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz
Form of Luxembourg used in several languages.
Lyuksemburh (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Luxembourg.
Macédoine (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Macedonia.
Macedónia (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Slovak, Portuguese (European)
Slovak and Portuguese form of Macedonia.
Macedônia (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Macedonia.
Macedonia (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek (Latinized), English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Polish
Derived from Greek Μακεδονία (Makedonia), the name of an ancient kingdom and region that was named after the ancient Macedonian people. Their name was derived from Greek μακεδνός (makednos) meaning "tall, thin", which was descriptive of the people or perhaps of where they lived in the highlands.... [more]
Macedonië (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Dutch
Dutch form of Macedonia.
Madrid (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Spanish, Asturian, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, French, Italian, English, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen, Mongolian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Indian, Hindi, Indonesian, Filipino, Malay, Tagalog
From Old Spanish Magerit, itself from Arabic مجريط (Majrit), of uncertain meaning. It may be derived from Arabic مجرى (majra) meaning "watercourse, channel" or from Latin matrix meaning "source, origin (of a river)". This is the name of the capital city of Spain as well as an autonomous community surrounding it.
Madriti (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Greek
Greek form of Madrid.
Madryd (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Madrid.
Madryt (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Polish
Polish form of Madrid.
Makedonia (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek, Greek, Norwegian, Finnish
Greek, Norwegian and Finnish form of Macedonia.
Makedonie (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Czech
Czech form of Macedonia.
Makedonien (Region, Political Subdivision & Country) German, Danish, Swedish
German, Danish and Swedish form of Macedonia. In German this refers only to the region, while the modern country is called Mazedonien or Nordmazedonien.
Makedonija (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Lithuanian
Macedonian form of Macedonia, as well as the form in several other languages.
Makedoniya (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian
Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian form of Macedonia.
Maldwyn (Political Subdivision) Welsh
From Welsh Trefaldwyn, misinterpreting it as if meaning "town of Maldwyn". In fact it means "town of Baldwin" (in Welsh both m and b mutate to f). This is another name of the old county of Montgomeryshire.
Maqduniya (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Arabic
Arabic form of Macedonia.
Marche (Political Subdivision) Italian, English
From the plural of Late Latin marca meaning "borderland, march", of Germanic origin. This is the name of a region in central Italy, named for the March of Ancona, a frontier region in the Carolingian Empire.
Marches (Political Subdivision) French
French form of Marche.
Marke (Political Subdivision) Croatian
Croatian form of Marche.
Marken (Political Subdivision) German
German form of Marche.
Meirionnydd (Political Subdivision) Welsh
Probably from the Roman name Marianus. This is the name of a Welsh county (Anglicized as Merioneth).
Menggu (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Chinese
Chinese form of Mongolia.
Merioneth (Political Subdivision) Welsh
Anglicized form of Meirionnydd.
Miranda (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Spanish, Portuguese
Possibly a derivative of Latin mirandus "admirable, wonderful". This is the name of several towns in Spain, Portugal and the Americas. It is also the name of a Venezuelan state.
Mōko (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Japanese
Japanese form of Mongolia.
Monggo (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Korean
Korean form of Mongolia.
Mongholiya (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Kazakh
Kazakh form of Mongolia.
Mongol (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Mongolian
Mongolian form of Mongolia.
Mongolei (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) German
German form of Mongolia.
Mongólia (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Portuguese, Hungarian
Portuguese and Hungarian form of Mongolia.
Mongolia (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) English, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Romanian, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian, Indonesian, Malay
From Mongolian монгол (mongol), the name for the Mongolian people, possibly from монг (mong) meaning "brave". This the name of a region in eastern Asia, now divided between the country of Mongolia (historically called Outer Mongolia) and the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia.
Mongolie (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) French
French form of Mongolia.
Mongolië (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Dutch
Dutch form of Mongolia.
Mongolija (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Latvian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Slovene
Latvian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian and Slovene form of Mongolia.
Mongoliya (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Russian, Bulgarian, Kyrgyz, Uzbek
Russian, Bulgarian, Kyrgyz and Uzbek form of Mongolia.
Monholiya (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Mongolia.
Montana (Political Subdivision) English
Derived from Latin montanus "mountainous". This is the name of an American state.
Moray (Region & Political Subdivision) Scottish
From Scottish Gaelic Moireabh, possibly of Pictish origin, meaning "seashore, coast". This is the name of a historical region in Scotland, as well as a modern council area.
Mouko (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 蒙古 (see Mōko).
Mumhain (Region & Political Subdivision) Irish
From Old Irish Mumu, possibly from the name of a goddess Mór Muman. This is the name of one of the four Irish provinces, formerly a kingdom. It is Anglicized as Munster.
Munster (Region & Political Subdivision) English
English form of Mumhain.
Olanda (Political Subdivision & Country) Italian
Italian form of Holland 1, referring to the provinces and sometimes the entire country.
Québec (Settlement & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Quebec.
Quebec (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English
English form of French Québec, derived from the Algonquin word kepec meaning "narrows", referring to the Saint Lawrence River near Quebec city. This is the name of a Canadian province and also the capital city of that province.
Romagna (Region & Political Subdivision) Italian, English, German
From Latin Romania, in this case the name of a historic region on the Adriatic coast of Italy (part of the modern administrative region of Emilia-Romagna).
Romagne (Region & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Romagna.
Romaña (Region & Political Subdivision) Spanish
Spanish form of Romagna.
Sachsen (Region & Political Subdivision) German
German form of Saxony.
Saxony (Region & Political Subdivision) English
From the name of the Germanic tribe of the Saxons, ultimately derived from Germanic *sahsą meaning "knife". This is the name of a historical region in Germany, and appears in the names of the German states of Saxony, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.
Schwytz (Settlement & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Schwyz.
Schwyz (Settlement & Political Subdivision) German, English, Spanish
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to Old High German suedan "to burn" or possibly of Celtic origin. This is the name of a town (and a canton named for it) in central Switzerland.
Seeland (Political Subdivision & Country) German
German form of Zealand.
Suriye (Political Subdivision & Country) Turkish
Turkish form of Syria. This was the name of a province of the Ottoman Empire.
Svitto (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Italian
Italian form of Schwyz.
Tejas (Political Subdivision) Spanish
Spanish variant of Texas.
Tennessee (Political Subdivision & River) English
From Cherokee ᏔᎾᏏ (Tanasi), the name of a now-abandoned village, of unknown meaning. It has given its name to an American state and a river.
Texas (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese
A state of the United States, from Spanish Texas or Tejas, originally an ethnic name used by the Spanish for the Caddo. It was derived from the Caddo word taysha meaning "friends, allies".
Tyrone (Political Subdivision) Irish
From Irish Gaelic Tir Eoghain meaning "land of Eoghan". This is the name of a county in Northern Ireland.
Tzortzia (Political Subdivision) Greek
Greek form of Georgia 2.
Vashington (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Russian
Russian form of Washington.
Vashynhton (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Washington.
Vénétie (Political Subdivision) French
French form of Veneto.
Venetien (Political Subdivision) German
German form of Veneto.
Veneto (Political Subdivision) Italian, English
The name of a region in northeastern Italy, called Venetia in Latin, named after the Veneti people who lived there in ancient times.
Victoria (Political Subdivision, Settlement & Body of Water) English
From the given name Victoria. It has generally been bestowed in honour of Queen Victoria (1819-1901). This is the name of many places in the former British Empire, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.
Voshingtan (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Indian, Hindi
Hindi form of Washington.
Washington (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Means "settlement belonging to Wassa's people", from the given name Wassa and Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of a town in northern England. It is also the name of the capital city and a state in the United States, both named after the president George Washington (1732-1799), whose surname was derived from the name of the English town.
Washinton (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Japanese
Japanese form of Washington.
Washintun (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Arabic
Arabic form of Washington.
Waszyngton (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Polish
Polish form of Washington.
Weosingteon (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Korean
Korean form of Washington.
York (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English
From Jórvík, the Norse form of Old English Eoforwic, which was from the Brythonic name Eburacon meaning "yew". The Old English form Eoforwic was altered based on eofor "boar" and wic "village".... [more]
Zeeland (Political Subdivision & Country) Dutch, English, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Dutch form of Zealand. Several other languages, including English, use this spelling to refer to the Dutch province (but not the country of New Zealand).
Zelanda (Political Subdivision & Country) Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Zealand.
Zélande (Political Subdivision & Country) French
French form of Zealand.
Zelândia (Political Subdivision & Country) Portuguese
Portuguese form of Zealand.
Zelandia (Political Subdivision & Country) Polish
Polish form of Zealand.