Rutherford (Settlement) ScottishFrom Old English
hriðer "cattle, ox" and
ford "ford, river crossing". This was the name of a town in southern Scotland.
Ryley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
ryge "rye" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Lancashire, England.
Saint Clair (Settlement) FrenchName commemorating Saint
Clair. This is the name of several communes in France.
Saint Denis (Settlement) FrenchName commemorating Saint
Denis. This is the name of several communes in France.
Saint Maur (Settlement) FrenchName commemorating Saint
Maurus. This is the name of several communes in France.
Saint Pierre (Settlement & Island) FrenchName commemorating Saint
Peter. This is the name of several communes in France as well as a French island near Newfoundland.
Salem (Settlement) English, BiblicalFrom Hebrew
שָׁלֵם (shalem) meaning
"complete, safe, peaceful". This is the name of a town in the Old Testament where Melchizedek was king. It is usually identified with
Jerusalem. Several places are named after the biblical town, mostly in America.
Sandford (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
sand "sand" and
ford "ford, river crossing". This is the name of several towns in England.
Santa Ana (Settlement) SpanishThe name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, in honour of Saint
Anna.
Santana (Settlement) PortugueseThe name of several places in the Portuguese-speaking world, in honour of Saint
Anna.
Santiago (Settlement) Spanish, PortugueseThis is the name of several cities in Spain and Portugal, so named for Saint
James (see the given name
Santiago for more information). It is also used for many other cities in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds, notably the capital city of Chile.
Saudi Arabia (Country) EnglishFrom the family name
Al Su'ud combined with
Arabia, referring to the Arabian Peninsula. This is a kingdom in the Middle East on the Arabian Peninsula. It was named by its founder Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud in 1932.
Saxony (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom 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.
Scotland (Country) EnglishMeans
"land of the Scots", from Latin
Scoti meaning "Gaelic speaker". This is the name of a country (part of the
United Kingdom) in the north of the island of Great Britain.
Sela (Settlement) BiblicalMeans
"rock" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a city, the capital of Edom. In the Greek and Latin Old Testament the name is translated as
Petra, though it may be distinct from the Nabataean city.
Selby (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old Norse
selja "willow, sallow" and
býr "farm, settlement". This is the name of a city near York in England.
Shannon (River) IrishFrom Irish
Sionainn, probably from Old Irish
sen meaning
"old, ancient". This is the name of a river in
Ireland. It is personified by the mythological figure
Sionann.
Sherborne (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
scir "bright" and
burna "spring, fountain, stream". This is the name of several towns in England.
Sherwood (Region) EnglishFrom Old English
scir "shire, district" and
wudu "wood". This is the name of a forest near Nottingham. It is known in English folklore as the home of the outlaw hero Robin Hood.
Shiraz (Settlement) PersianMeaning unknown. The name is recorded in Elamite as
Tiraziš. This is the name of a city in southern Iran.
Shirley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
scir "bright" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England.
Sicily (Island & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom Latin
Sicilia, itself from Greek
Σικελία (Sikelia), named for the the ancient tribe of the Sicels (
Σικελοί). They were probably of Italic origin, but the meaning of their tribal name is unknown. This is the name of a large island in the Mediterranean, part of
Italy.
Sin (Country) Arabic, HebrewArabic and Hebrew form of
China. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article:
الصين (al-Sin).
Singapur (Country, Settlement & Island) Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, German, Estonian, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek, Turkish, ArmenianForm of
Singapore in several languages.
Slane (Settlement) IrishFrom the given name
Sláine. This is the name of a town in Ireland, said to be named for the legendary high king Sláine.
Slovakia (Country) English, Norwegian, Finnish, GreekFrom
Slovák, the Slovak form of Old Slavic
slověne, referring to the tribe of the Slavs. This is the name of a country in central Europe. Note that the name of this country is closely related to that of
Slovenia.
Spain (Country) EnglishDerived from
Hispania, the Latin name of the Iberian Peninsula, which is of uncertain origin. It could be derived from Punic
I-Shaphan meaning
"land of the rabbits".
St John (Settlement) EnglishName commemorating Saint
John. This is the name of several towns in England.
Suriye (Political Subdivision & Country) TurkishTurkish form of
Syria. This was the name of a province of the Ottoman Empire.
Sweden (Country) English, Medieval DutchFrom Middle Dutch, ultimately from the Old Norse ethnic name
Svíar "Swede", itself possibly from Proto-Norse
Swihoniz meaning "one's own tribe". This is the name of a country in Northern Europe.
Sydney (Settlement) EnglishCity in Australia that was named after Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney (1733-1800). His title originally came from the name of its first holder, Robert
Sidney (1563-1626).
Syria (Country & Region) English, Polish, Norwegian, Greek, Ancient Roman, Ancient GreekFrom Greek
Συρία (Syria), which was probably a variant of
Assyria, used in an expanded sense to refer to the northern Levant. This was the name of a province of the Roman Empire. It is now the name of a country in western Asia, having gained independence from the Ottoman Empire early in the 20th century.
Tanzania (Country) Swahili, English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Romanian, Greek, Armenian, Georgian, Indonesian, MalayFrom a combination of
Tanganyika and
Zanzibar, the names of the two countries that were united to create the East African country of Tanzania in 1964.
Tarah (Settlement) BiblicalA place name (an encampment) used in some versions of the Old Testament. It is identical to the personal name
Terah.
Tatham (Settlement) EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Tata combined with
ham meaning "homestead". This is the name of a town in Lancashire.
Tatton (Settlement) EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Tata combined with
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of a town in Cheshire.
Teheran (Settlement) German, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Croatian, SerbianForm of
Tehran in several languages.
Tehran (Settlement) Persian, EnglishFrom Persian
تهران (Tehran), meaning unknown. This is the name of the capital city of Iran.
Teman (Settlement & Country) Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, HebrewMeans
"right hand" or
"south" in Hebrew. This is an Edomite town in the Old Testament, supposedly named for a grandson of Esau. In modern Hebrew this name refers to the country of
Yemen.
Thornley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
þorn "thorn" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England and Scotland.
Thornton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
þorn "thorn" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several English towns.
Tracy (Settlement) FrenchDerived from the given name
Thracius. This is the name of communes in Calvados, France.
Trefaldwyn (Settlement) WelshMeans
"town of Baldwin" in Welsh. This is another name for the town of Montgomery in Wales.
Trefor (Settlement) WelshMeans
"big village" from Middle Welsh
tref "village" and
maur "large". This is the name of a few towns in Wales.
Trenton (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Trent's town". This is the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent.
Troy (Settlement) Greek Mythology, EnglishFrom Greek
Τροία (Troia), said to derive from its mythical founder
Τρώς (Tros), but more likely of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology (most notably in
Homer's
Iliad) this was the name of a city, also called
Ilium, that was besieged by the Greeks after
Helen was abducted by
Paris 1.
Turan (Region) Persian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, ArabicHistorical region in central Asia, originally inhabited by nomadic Iranian peoples and traditionally said to mean
"land of Tur". It is mentioned frequently in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Turkey (Country) EnglishFrom Latin
Turcia, derived from the ethnonym
Turk, which is from Old Turkic possibly meaning "ancestry". This is the name of a country situated on the Anatolian peninsula.
Tyrone (Political Subdivision) IrishFrom Irish Gaelic
Tir Eoghain meaning
"land of Eoghan". This is the name of a county in Northern Ireland.
United Kingdom (Country) EnglishThe name of a Western European island country, composed of the smaller countries of
England,
Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is almost always written with the definite article
the. This name came into use in the year 1801, when the realm was officially renamed from the
Kingdom of Great Britain to the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After
Ireland became independent in 1922 it was formally renamed the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
United States (Country) EnglishThe name of a country in North America, almost always written with the definite article
the. The country is officially named the
United States of America, and is also commonly called
America or the
USA. It was selected in 1776 when 13 British colonies on the eastern coast united to declare their independence from Britain. Etymologically, the English words in the name are both of Latin origin (
unitus and
status).
Upton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
upp "up" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of various towns in England.
Urartu (Region) Akkadian, Armenian, EnglishFrom Akkadian
𒆳𒌨𒌒𒂅 (Urartu), meaning unknown, possibly of Old Armenian origin. This was the name of an ancient kingdom that existed between the 9th and 6th centuries BC in eastern Anatolia (modern Armenia and Turkey).
Uruk (Settlement) Akkadian, EnglishFrom Sumerian
𒌷 (uru) meaning
"city". This was the name of a city-state of ancient Sumer (later Akkad and Babylonia). It was inhabited until the time of the Islamic conquest of the area.
Uzbekistan (Country) English, Russian, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, SwedishFrom Uzbek
O'zbekiston, derived from the ethnic name
O'zbek (which is probably in part from Turkic
beg meaning "chieftain, master") combined with the Persian suffix
ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the name of a country in central Asia.
Valencia (Settlement & Region) Spanish, Italian, English, GermanThe name of a city and surrounding region in eastern Spain, originally named in Latin
Valentia (Edetanorum) meaning
"strength (of the Edetani people)", and derived from Latin
valentius "strength, vigour", from
valens "strong, vigorous". Besides the city in Spain, this is also the name of a city in Venezuala.
Valhalla (Other) Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Valhǫll meaning
"hall of the battle-dead", from
valr meaning "those slain in battle" and
hǫll meaning "hall, manor". In Norse mythology this is the name of Odin's enormous hall where half of all warriors go after they die.
Venetia (Region & Settlement) Ancient Roman, Late Roman, GreekFrom the name of the Veneti people who inhabited northeastern Italy in ancient times. Their tribal name possibly meant something like "kinfolk" or "friendly". This was the Latin name for the region now called
Veneto, and later the Latin name for the city of
Venice (which did not exist in the classical period).
Veneto (Political Subdivision) Italian, EnglishThe name of a region in northeastern Italy, called
Venetia in Latin, named after the Veneti people who lived there in ancient times.
Venezuela (Country) Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovene, Croatian, Albanian, Turkish, Indonesian, MalayPossibly from Italian
Veneziola meaning
"little Venice". This is the name of a country on the northern coast of South America. The region was supposedly named this in 1499 by a Spanish expedition (which included Amerigo Vespucci) because an indigenous town on Lake Maracaibo was built on stilts over the water, reminiscent of the Italian city. Another theory suggests that the country's name comes from
Veneciuela, the name of a local people.
Venice (Settlement) EnglishFrom Italian
Venezia, derived from Latin
Venetia. This is the name of a city of northeastern Italy, the capital of the Veneto region, famous for its canals.
Venkata (Mountain) Hindi, SanskritPossibly means
"self-born" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a sacred hill in southern India.
Victoria (Political Subdivision, Settlement & Body of Water) EnglishFrom 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.
Vienna (Settlement) English, ItalianMeaning uncertain. It could be from Celtic
vedunia meaning
"forest stream", or possibly from the name of an earlier Roman settlement
Vindobona. This is the name of the capital of Austria.
Vindobona (Settlement) Ancient RomanFrom Celtic
windos "white" and
bona "foundation, fort". This was a Roman military town on the site of the Austrian city of
Vienna.
Wakefield (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
wacu "wake, vigil" and
feld "field". This is the name of a city in England.
Wales (Country) English, German, DutchFrom Old English
Wealas, derived from
wealh meaning
"foreigner, Celt". This is the name of a country (part of the
United Kingdom) in the west of the island of Great Britain. In Welsh it is called
Cymru.
Walmersley (Settlement) EnglishMeaning uncertain. The final element is Old English
leah "woodland, clearing". The first element may be a given name such as
Wealdmær or
Wealhmær. This is the name of a town near Manchester.
Warsaw (Settlement) EnglishFrom Polish
Warszawa, derived from the given name
Warsz, a short form of
Warcisław. This is the name of the capital city of Poland.
Warwick (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
wer "weir, dam" and
wic "village, town". This is the name of a town in England.
Washington (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"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.
Wembley (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wemba's clearing" in Old English. This was the name of a town that is now part of Greater London.
Westcott (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
west "west" and
cot "cottage". This is the name of several towns in England.
Westley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
west "west" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few small English towns.
Weston (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
west "west" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several towns in England.
Whitney (Settlement) EnglishProbably from Old English
hwit "white" and
ieg "island". This is the name of a small town in Herefordshire.
Wickham (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
wic "village, town" (of Latin origin) and
ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a few towns in England.
Willey (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
welig "willow" or
weoh "idol, image" combined with
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few towns in England.
Willoughby (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
welig meaning "willow" and Old Norse
býr "farm, settlement". This is the name of several towns in England.
Wilton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
welig meaning "willow",
wille meaning "well, spring, water hole", or the name of the River
Wylye, combined with
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of various towns in England.
Winslow (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wine's hill" in Old English. This is the name of a town in Buckinghamshire.
Winthrope 1 (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wine's village", from the given name
Wine and Old English
þrop "village". This is the name of a town in Lincolnshire.
Winthrope 2 (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wigmund's village", from the given name
Wigmund and Old English
þrop "village". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire.
Winton (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wine's enclosure" in Old English. This is the name of various towns in England.
Wiśniewo (Settlement) PolishDerived from Polish
wiśnia meaning
"sour cherry". This is the name of several towns in Poland.
Wortham (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
worþ "enclosure" and
ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a town in Suffolk.
Wymondham (Settlement) EnglishFrom the given name
Wigmund combined with Old English
ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a town in Norfolk.
Yazhou (Region) ChineseFrom a short form of
Yaxiya combined with
洲 (zhōu) meaning "continent, island". This is the modern Chinese name for
Asia.
Yemen (Country) English, Danish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Chinese, Korean, Thai, TagalogFrom Arabic
يمن (Yaman), probably derived from
يمين (yamin) meaning
"right hand, south". This is the name of a country at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula.
York (Settlement & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom
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] Yoxall (Settlement) EnglishDerived from Old English
geoc "oxen yoke" and
halh "nook, recess". This is the name of a town in Staffordshire.
Zealand (Country) English, Danish, Norwegian, SwedishFrom Dutch
Zeeland, from Middle Dutch
Seelant, derived from
see "sea" and
lant "land". This is the name of a province in the western Netherlands (now typically called
Zeeland in many languages). It is also borne by the country of New Zealand in the South Pacific, which was named by the Dutch in the 17th century.