Norrland(Region)Swedish Literally means "Northland" in Swedish. Norrland is one of three lands of Sweden, the others being Götaland and Svealand.
North Carolina(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, Named after King Charles I of England.
North Dakota(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, also the name of indigenous people of the Great Plains, from the Dakota word dakhóta "friend".
Oʻahu(Island)Hawaiian Meaning unknown. Legend says that a Polynesian navigator who discovered the Hawaiian islands named it after his daughter. This is the third largest and most populated island in Hawaii... [more]
Odense(Settlement)Danish From Old Norse Óðinn's vé meaning "Odin's sanctuary". This is the 3rd largest city in Denmark and the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the author of fairy tales such as 'The Little Mermaid' (1837), and 'The Snow Queen' (1844).
Olisipo(Settlement)Ancient Roman Ancient name of Lisboa used while the city were a part of the Roman Empire. Probably derived from the name Odysseus.
Oslo(Settlement)Norwegian Meaning uncertain. Possibly a combination of Old Norse áss meaning either "ridge" or "Æsir god", and ló "meadow, clearing". Oslo is the capital city of Norway... [more]
Östergötland(Region)Swedish A county (län) and historical province in Sweden. Östergötland means "Eastern Götaland". ... [more]
Østersjøen(Body of Water)Norwegian Means "the eastern sea" in Norwegian. This is the Norwegian bokmål name for the Baltic Sea.
Östersjön(Body of Water)Swedish Means "the eastern sea" in Swedish. This is the Swedish name for the Baltic Sea.
Oulu(Settlement)Finnish From the name of the Oulu River (Finnish: Oulujoki). Oulu is probably taken directly from the Finnish dialectal word oulu meaning "flood water". Oulu is the capital city of Northern Ostrobothnia.
Paamiut(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the people who live at the mouth". Paamiut is town in Greenland, located at the mouth of the Kuannersooq Fjord.
Pacific Ocean(Body of Water)English From Portuguese pacífico meaning "peaceful, calm", ultimately derived from Latin pacificus "peacemaking".
Palo Alto(Settlement)English Name of a city in California, from Spanish palo "(tree) stick" + alto "tall".
Pearland(Settlement)English Combination of pear and land. This is the name of a city in Texas, USA.
Pennsylvania(Political Subdivision)English Name of a state in the United States, literally "Penn's woods". Penn comes from Pennaeth, the welsh word for "head" "top" and Latin silvania (from Latin silvia) "wood, forrest"... [more]
Pori(Settlement)Finnish Derived from Swedish borg "castle, fortress".
Praia(Settlement)Portuguese Means "beach" in Portuguese. This is the capital of Cabo Verde.
Prater(Settlement)English Taken directly from the surname Prater. This is the name of a community in Virginia.
Prussia(Country)History Became a Duchy in 1660 and a kingdom in the following century. At its greatest extent it included the northern two-thirds of Germany and western Poland. Prussia, by World War II a federal unit of Germany, was fully disbanded at the end of World War II.
Reykjavík(Settlement)Icelandic Means "bay of smokes", from Old Norse reykir, plural of reykr “smoke” and vík "bay". Steam from hot springs in the region is said to have inspired Reykjavík's name.
Rhode Island(Island & Political Subdivision)English Name of a state in the United States, said to have been named by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano when he passed through in 1524, based on an imagined similarity between modern Block Island and the Greek Isle of Rhodes, or possibly from Dutch Roodt Eylandt, literally "red island", a name given by Dutch explorer Adriaen Block.
Richland(Settlement)English Means "Rich's land". This is the name of a city in Washington as well as several other places in the United States.
Riga(Settlement)English, Russian From Latvian Rīga, origin disputed. It may be derived from Livonian ringa meaning "loop", referring to an ancient harbor formed by the tributary loop of the Daugava river, from Riege, the German name of the Rīdzene (a tributary of the Daugava), or from Latvian rija meaning "threshing barn"... [more]
Riksgränsen(Settlement)Swedish Means "the national border" in Swedish. Riksgränsen is a small village and popular ski-resort in Northern Sweden, close to the Norwegian border.
Rio de Janeiro(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Portuguese, English The name of a state and city in Brazil, meaning "river of January" in Portuguese. The city was named after the nearby Guanabara Bay, which was first discovered by Europeans on January 1, 1502.
Roslagen(Region)Swedish Derived from roslag, an old dialectal word meaning "rowing crew", ultimately derived from Old Swedish *roþs- "rowing". Compare Rus, and modern Swedish ro "to row".
San Antonio(Settlement & River)English Means "Saint Anthony" from Spanish san "Saint" + Antonio, a Spanish form of the given name Anthony. The river was named after San Antonio de Padua by the first governor of Spanish Texas, Domingo Terán de los Ríos in 1691... [more]
San Diego(Settlement)English Name of a city in California, meaning "Saint Diego" from Spanish san "Saint" + the given name Diego.
San Jose(Settlement)English Name of a city in California, meaning "Saint Joseph" from Spanish san "Saint" + Jose, a Spanish form of Joseph.
San Juan(Other)Spanish The name of the Capital of Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital and largest city, sits on the island's Atlantic coast. Its widest beach fronts the Isla Verde resort strip, known for its bars, nightclubs and casinos... [more]
Sápmi(Region)Sami, Swedish, English Perhaps ultimately derived from Proto-Balto-Slavic *źemē meaning "earth". Suomi, the Finnish name for Finland, is believed to be derived from the same root... [more]
Sarajevo(Settlement)Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian, English From Turkish saray meaning "palace, mansion, house" and ova meaning "plain, lowland" or the Slavic suffix -evo used to indicate place names. This is the name of the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Scandinavia(Region)English Likely derived from the Germanic root *Skaðin-awjō, a combination of the reconstructed elements *skaðan- "danger, damage" and *awjō "island". Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe and usually refers to Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
Serdica(Settlement)Ancient Greek Latin and Ancient Greek name for the Bulgarian city now known as Sofia. Named after the Celtic tribe Serdi.
Serkland(Region)Old Norse Old Norse name for a region around the Caspian Sea in the Middle East. The name is composed of Old Norse serkr "gown" and land "country". Serkland does not correspond with any modern country or region.
Sisimiut(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the residents at the foxholes" in Greenlandic. Sisimiut is the second largest town in Greenland.
Sjælland(Island)Danish, Norwegian Meaning uncertain. Perhaps a combination of Old Norse selr "seal" and the place name suffix -und. In Norse mythology, Sjælland was created by the god Gefion.
Skåne(Political Subdivision)Swedish Province and county in southern Sweden that was a part of Denmark until 1658. The name is likely derived from Old Norse Skáney (ultimately derived from the Germanic root *Skaðin-awjō) meaning "danger" or "damage"... [more]
Skellefteå(Settlement)Swedish Combination of an unexplained first element, though it's believed to be of Sami origin, and the place name suffix -eå "river".
Södermanland(Political Subdivision)Swedish Södermanland is a Swedish county and province meaning "land of the southern people". The southern people referred to people living south of Mälaren... [more]
Sodor(Other)Popular Culture This is the name of a fictional island where all the engines live in the TV-series 'Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends'.
Sofia(Settlement)Bulgarian, English Capital of Bulgaria named after the Saint Sofia Church located in the city. The name was first used by Bulgarian tsar Ivan Shishman in the 14th century.
Sollefteå(Settlement)Swedish Possibly a combination of Swedish sol "sun" and the place name suffix -eå "river". The river Ångermanälven runs through the town.
Solna(Settlement)Swedish From Old Swedish Solnö, a combination of soln "sun" and ö "island". Solna is a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden.
South Carolina(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, Named after King Charles I of England.
South Dakota(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, also the name of indigenous people of the Great Plains, from the Dakota word dakhóta "friend".
Sredets(Settlement)Bulgarian Original Bulgarian name of Sofia in use until the 18th century. It is also the name of a city in southeastern Bulgaria.
Stilla Havet(Body of Water)Swedish Means "the calm sea" in Swedish, from stilla "still, calm" and havet "the sea". This is the Swedish name for the Pacific Ocean.
Storsjön(Body of Water)Swedish Means "the great lake" in Swedish (from stor "big, great, large" and sjön "the lake"). Storsjön is the 5th largest lake in Sweden, but it's also known for being the supposed home of Storsjöodjuret ("The Great-Lake monster"), a lake monster similar to the one in Loch Ness.
Strängnäs(Settlement)Swedish Combination of an uncertain first element (possibly from a word describing a snare used for hunting, but other meanings are possible), and Swedish näs "isthmus". On June 6 in 1523, Gustaf Vasa was elected king of Sweden here... [more]
Surtsey(Island)Icelandic Means "Surtr's island" in Icelandic. Surtsey is an uninhabited island south of Iceland that formed in a volcanic eruption (which lasted several years) in the mid-1960s.
Svalbard(Political Subdivision)Norwegian, English, Swedish Originally from Old Norse Svalbarð, composed of svalr "cold" and barð "edge, ridge". Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean located right between continental Norway and the North Pole.
Tammerfors(Settlement)Finland Swedish Combination of an unknown first element and Swedish fors "rapid, waterfall". This is the Swedish name of Tampere.
Tampere(Settlement)Finnish From Tammerkoski, the name of the rapids that flow through the city. The first element tammer is of uncertain etymology. The second element is koski "rapids"... [more]
Tasiilaq(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the place with a lake" in Greenlandic. Tasiilaq is a town on the east coast of Greenland.
Teide(Mountain)Spanish Meaning uncertain, but possibly derived from a Guanche term referring to a powerful being living inside the volcano. Teide is a volcano on the Spanish island Tenerife... [more]
Tenerife(Island)Spanish, English Means "snow mountain" or "white mountain" in Guanche, probably referring to the volcano Teide. Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, Spain.
Trelleborg(Settlement)Swedish Derived from the word trelleborg meaning "ring fort" or "Viking ring fortress", referring to a type of circular forts built during the Viking Age. The word trelleborg itself might be a combination of Old Norse þræll "slave" or trel "wooden staves" and borg "fortress, castle".
Tromsø(Settlement)Norwegian From the name of an island, Tromsøya (Old Norse: Trums), whose name is derived from Old Norse straumr possibly meaning "stream, strong current". Tromsø is a city in northern Norway. See also: Troms
Trondheim(Settlement)Norwegian Trondheim is the third largest city in Norway. It was originally named Nidaros but known colloquially as kaupangr "marketplace" or kaupangr í Þróndheimi "the marketplace in Trondheim/Trøndelag" which was later shortened to just Þróndheimr... [more]
Tucson(Settlement)English Of Spanish origin, meaning "black hill."
Tuna(Other)Swedish Derived from Old Norse tún meaning "enclosure, fence, homestead, courtyard, plot". This is the name of many localities and parishes in Sweden. It is also a common place-name element (see Eskilstuna).
Uleåborg(Settlement)Finland Swedish Combination of Ule, the name of a river whose name derives from the Finnish dialectal word oulu "floodwater", Swedish å "river, stream", and borg "castle, fortification"... [more]
Umeå(Settlement)Swedish From the name of the Ume River. Possibly derived from Old Norse úma "roaring" and the place name element -eå denoting the city's location near the river. Another theory is that the name is derived from Finnish uoma "riverbed".
Uppland(Region)Swedish Uppland is a Swedish historical province. The name is a combination of Swedish upp "up" and land "land". The name is believed to refer to its location north of Lake Mälaren.
Uppsala(Settlement)Swedish Means "upstream from Sala", from Old Norse upp "up" and salir "halls, rooms". Sala was a village located downstream from Uppsala (it is nowadays a neighbourhood known as Sala backe)... [more]
Uummannaq(Other)Greenlandic Means "heart-shaped" in Greenlandic, ultimately derived from uummat "heart". Uummannaq is the name of several places in Greenland, including a mountain, a town, an island, and a fjord.
Vadstena(Settlement)Swedish Probably a combination of Old Swedish *vazt "place to fish" and sten "stone". Vadstena is a city in Sweden that had an important role in Sweden's early Christian history. Saint Bridget (Heliga Birgitta) founded the Bridgettine Order here at the Vadstena Abbey in the 14th centry.
Vahemeri(Body of Water)Estonian Combination of Estonian vahe "gap" and meri "sea". This is the Estonian name for the Mediterranean sea.
Välimeri(Body of Water)Finnish Combination of Finnish väli "gap, space" and meri "sea". This is the Finnish name for the Mediterranean Sea.
Valletta(Settlement)Maltese, English From the name of 16th century French nobleman Jean de Valette. This is the name of the capital city of Malta.
Van(Settlement)English Derived from the surname Vance. Van is a town Texas, USA.
Vänern(Body of Water)Swedish Meaning uncertain. One theory is that the name is derived from Old Swedish vænir and therefore related to Archaic Swedish words vån "hope, prospect" and vän "beautiful, fair"... [more]
Vantaa(Settlement)Finnish From the name of the Vantaa River. Vantaa is the 4th largest urban area in Finland.
Värmland(Political Subdivision)Swedish Swedish county and province. The name could be derived from Swedish värma meaning "warmth, to heat up".
Västerås(Settlement)Swedish Derived from Westra Aros meaning "west river mouth". Västerås is the 5th largest city in Sweden.
Västerbotten(Political Subdivision)Swedish Swedish county (län) and historical province (landskap) in Northern Sweden. The name refers to its geographical location west of the Bothnian Bay and Bothnian Sea... [more]
Vättern(Body of Water)Swedish Meaning uncertain, but possibly derived from Swedish vatten "water". Vättern is the second largest lake in Sweden and the sixth largest lake in Europe.
Vilnius(Settlement)Lithuanian, English From the name of the Vilnia River, which is derived from Lithuanian vilnis meaning "wave, ripple". This is the name of the capital city of Lithuania.
Vinland(Region)Old Norse Old Norse name for a place in modern Canada, named by viking Leif Eriksson c. 1000 AD. The first element of the name is uncertain, but it could be from Old Norse vín "wine" or vin "meadow".
Visby(Settlement)Swedish Visby is a city on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The area's been settled for a long time and was pre-13th century called just Vi "holy place, place of sacrifice, sanctuary"... [more]
Wellington(Settlement)English From Old English Weolingtun meaning "wealthy estate". Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. It is also the name of several settlements throughout the English-speaking world.
West Virginia(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, The western, transmontane, counties of Virginia; separated from Virginia during Civil War.
Zamora(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Spanish The name of a Spanish city and municipality, possibly derived from Berber ⴰⵣⵎⵎⵓⵔ (azemmur) meaning "wild olive tree".
Zarahemla(Settlement)Mormon The name of a prominent city in the Book of Mormon, named after a descendant of Mulek.
Zealand(Island)English English form of Danish Sjælland. Zealand is the largest island in Denmark (excluding Greenland).
Zinkgruvan(Settlement)Swedish Means "the zink mine" in Swedish. Zinkgruvan is both a village and a mine. It is the only locality in Sweden starting with Z.