English Origin Place Names

Abney (Settlement) English
From the Old English given name Abba combined with eg "island". This is the name of a town in Derbyshire.

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".

Annesley (Settlement) English
From Old English anne "alone, solitary" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire.

Ansley (Settlement) English
From Old English ansetl "hermitage" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Warwickshire.

Appleby (Settlement) English
Derived from Old English æppel "apple" and Old Norse býr "farm, settlement". This is the name of towns in England.

Appleton (Settlement) English
Derived from Old English æppeltun "orchard". This is the name of towns in England.

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").

Ashley (Settlement) English
From Old English æsc "ash tree" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of various towns in England.

Ashton (Settlement) English
From Old English æsc "ash tree" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several English towns.

Ashworth (Settlement) English
From Old English æsc "ash tree" and worþ "enclosure". This was the name of a town in Lancashire.

Aston (Settlement) English
From Old English east "east" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of many towns in England.

Astoria (Settlement) English
From the surname Astor, in honour of the businessman John Jacob Astor. This is the name of several American towns, such as Astoria, Oregon.

Audley (Settlement) English
Means "Ealdgyð's clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a village in Staffordshire, England.

Austrália (Region & Country) Portuguese, Slovak
Portuguese and Slovak form of Australia.

Australia (Region & Country) English, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Finnish, Polish, Indonesian, Malay
Derived from Latin australis meaning "southern". It was formally adopted as the name of the continent (and later country) by the British administrators of the region in 1824.

Austrálie (Region & Country) Czech
Czech form of Australia.

Australie (Region & Country) French
French form of Australia.

Australië (Region & Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Australia.

Australien (Region & Country) German, Swedish, Danish
German, Swedish and Danish form of Australia.

Austrālija (Region & Country) Latvian
Latvian form of Australia.

Australija (Region & Country) Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Lithuanian
Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Lithuanian form of Australia.

Australiya (Region & Country) Kazakh
Kazakh form of Australia.

Avon (River) English
Means "river" in Brythonic (modern Welsh afon). This is the name of several rivers in Britain.

Avonlea (Settlement) Literature
Created by Lucy Maud Montgomery as the setting for her novel Anne of Green Gables (1908). She may have based the name on the Arthurian island of Avalon, though it also resembles the river name Avon and leah "woodland, clearing".

Avstralia (Region & Country) Georgian
Georgian form of Australia.

Avstralija (Region & Country) Slovene, Macedonian
Slovene and Macedonian form of Australia.

Avstraliya (Region & Country) Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Uzbek, Kyrgyz
Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Uzbek and Kyrgyz form of Australia.

Ayton (Settlement) English
Derived from Old English ea "river" or ieg "island" combined with tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of towns in Berwickshire and North Yorkshire.

Bagley (Settlement) English
From the Old English given name Bacga (of uncertain meaning) combined with leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of various towns in England.

Bardsley (Settlement) English
From the Old English name Beornræd and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a village near Manchester.

Beesley (Settlement) English
From Old English beos "bent grass" and leah "woodland, clearing". This was the name of a hamlet or farm in Lancashire, England.

Benington (Settlement) English
Means either "settlement belonging to Beonna's people" or "settlement by the River Beane" in Old English. This is the name of towns in England.

Bentley (Settlement) English
From Old English beonet "bent grass" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several English towns.

Benton (Settlement) English
From Old English beonet "bent grass" and tun "enclosure". This is the name of towns in England.

Berkeley (Settlement) English
From Old English beorc "birch" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a city in Gloucestershire, England.

Beverley (Settlement) English
From Old English beofor "beaver" and (possibly) licc "stream". This is the name of a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Blackburn (Settlement) English
From Old English blæc "black" and burna "stream". This is the name of a city in Lancashire, England.

Blakesley (Settlement) English
From the Old English byname Blæcwulf "black wolf" combined with leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a city in Northamptonshire.

Blidworth (Settlement) English
From the Old English byname Blīþa "happy, blithe" and worþ "enclosure". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire, England.

Bloxham (Settlement) English
From the Old English byname Blocca and ham meaning "home, homestead". This is the name of a town in Oxfordshire.

Boston (Settlement) English
Means "Botwulf's stone", from the Old English name Botwulf combined with stan "stone". This is a town in Lincolnshire, England, and a city in the United States that is named after it.

Bradford (Settlement) English
From Old English brad "broad" and ford "ford, river crossing". This is the name of a city in West Yorkshire, as well as several other towns.

Bradley (Settlement) English
From Old English brad "broad" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England.

Brierley (Settlement) English
From Old English brer "briar" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of various towns in England.

Bristol (Settlement) English
Name of a city in southwestern England, derived from Old English Brycgstow meaning "the site of the bridge".

Brodie (Settlement) English
Probably from Gaelic broth meaning "ditch, mire". This is the name of an estate and castle in Moray, Scotland.

Brooklyn (Settlement) English
Name of a borough of New York City, originally derived from the Dutch town of Breukelen meaning either "broken land" (from Dutch breuk) or "marsh land" (from Dutch broek).

Buckley (Settlement) English
From Old English bucc "buck, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few minor towns in England.

Burnham (Settlement) English
From Old English burna "stream, spring" and ham "home". This is the name of several towns in England.

Burton (Settlement) English
From Old English burg "fortress, castle" and tun "enclosure". This is the name of several English towns.

Carlisle (Settlement) English
Originally called by the Romans Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of Lugus". Later the Brythonic element ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city. This is the name of a city in Cumbria in northern England.

Cathay (Country) English
From Old Turkic Khitai, the name of a people who ruled northern China as the Liao dynasty from the 10th to 12th century, also called the Khitan people. This is an archaic English synonym for China.

Cawston (Settlement) English
From the Old Norse given name Kálfr combined with Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of towns in Norfolk and Warwickshire.

Chadwick (Settlement) English
Means "village belonging to Chad" in Old English. This is the name of towns in Lancashire and Warwickshire.

Chelsea (Settlement) English
Originally derived from Old English and meaning "landing place for chalk or limestone". This is a district in London.

Cockburn (Settlement) English
From Old English cocc "rooster" and burna "stream". This was the name of a town in Berwickshire, Scotland.

Colby (Settlement) English
Derived from the Old Norse byname Koli (an Old Danish form of Kolr) and býr meaning "farm, settlement". This is the name of a small town in Norfolk, England.

Colton (Settlement) English
Means "Cola's town" in Old English. This is the name of several English towns.

Crawford (Settlement) English
From Old English crawe "crow" and ford "ford, river crossing". This is the name various small towns in England.

Czechoslovakia (Country) English
Combination of Czechia and Slovakia. This was the name of a country that existed between 1918 and 1993, at which time it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Dallas (Settlement) English
Several of the places bearing this name, including probably the city in Texas, were named for the American vice president George M. Dallas (1792-1864). His surname is of Old English origin meaning "valley house".

Deben (River) English
Means "deep" in Old English. This is the name of a river in Suffolk.

Debenham (Settlement) English
From the Old English river name Deben combined with ham meaning "home, homestead". This is the name of a town in Suffolk, on the River Deben.

Dee (River) English
Possibly from a Celtic root meaning "divine". This is the name of rivers in Scotland (Gaelic Dhè) and Wales (Welsh Dyfrdwy).

Deighton (Settlement) English
From Old English dic "ditch" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of various towns in England.

Derby (Settlement) English
Means "animal town" in Old Norse. This is the name of a city in England.

Devon (Political Subdivision) English
From the name of the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe. This is the name of a county in England.

Dudley (Settlement) English
Means "Dudda's clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a city in the West Midlands, England.

Dzhordzhiya (Political Subdivision) Russian
Russian form of Georgia 2, the American state.

Eaton (Settlement) English
Derived from Old English ea "river" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several English towns.

Everest (Mountain) English
From the surname Everest. This is the English name of the world's highest mountain, located in the Himalayas, which was named after the British surveyor George Everest (1790-1866).

Ewart (Settlement) English
From Old English ea "river" and worþ "enclosure". This is the name of a town in Northumberland, England.

Farnham (Settlement) English
From Old English fearn "fern" and ham "home" or ham "water meadow, enclosure". This is the name of several towns in England, notably in Surrey.

Foulden (Settlement) English
From Old English fugol meaning "bird" and dun meaning "hill". This is the name of a town in Norfolk.

Gaddesby (Settlement) English
From Old Norse gaddr "spike, spur" and býr "farm, settlement". This is the name of a small town in Leicestershire, England.

Gary (Settlement) English
City in Indiana that was named after businessman Elbert Henry Gary (1846-1927), the founder of U.S. Steel.

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.

Glyme (River) English
Means "bright stream" in Brythonic. This is the name of a river in Oxfordshire, England.

Glympton (Settlement) English
Derived from the name of the river Glyme and Old English tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of small town in Oxfordshire, England.

Gotham (Settlement) English, Popular Culture
From Old English gat "goat" and ham "home". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire, famous for folk tales about its inhabitants pretending to be imbeciles in order to avoid a visit from the king. Based on this tale, writer Washington Irving applied the name to New York City in his satirical periodical Salmagundi (1807). Subsequently, Gotham or Gotham City was used as the setting of the Batman comics, starting 1940.

Grantham (Settlement) English
From Old English grand meaning "gravel" and ham meaning "home, estate, settlement". This is the name of a town in Lincolnshire.

Hailey (Settlement) English
From Old English heg "hay" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Oxfordshire, England.

Hamilton (Settlement) English
Means "crooked hill" from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". This was the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). After the town name became a surname, it was used for several other cities, including ones in Scotland, Canada, Australia and the United States.

Harden (Settlement) English
From Old English hara "hare" and denu "valley". This is the name of a town in West Yorkshire.

Harford (Settlement) English
From Old English heorot "hart, male deer" or here "army" combined with ford "ford, river crossing". This is the name of towns in England.

Harley (Settlement) English
From Old English hara "hare" or hær "rock, heap of stones" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of towns in England.

Holland 2 (Settlement) English
From Old English hoh "point of land, heel" and land "land". This is the name of several towns in England.

Houston (Settlement) Scottish, English
Means "Hugh's town", from the given name Hugh and Old English tun meaning "enclosure, town". This is the name of a town in Scotland. The American city of Houston is named after the Texas president Sam Houston (1793-1863), whose surname is derived from the Scottish town.

Huashengdun (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Chinese
Chinese form of Washington.

Hunnacott (Settlement) English
From Old English hunig "honey" or the given name Huna combined with cot "cottage". This is the name of a small town in Devon, England.

Huxley (Settlement) English
From Old English hux "insult, scorn" (possibly) and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Cheshire, England.

Ierland (Country & Island) Dutch
Dutch form of Ireland.

Indiana (Political Subdivision) English
Means "land of the Indians". This is the name of an American state.

Ireland (Country & Island) English
Derived from Irish Gaelic Éire and English land. This is the name of an island to the west of Great Britain. The country of Ireland occupies the majority of the island.

Irland (Country & Island) German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
German, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish form of Ireland.

Irlanda (Country & Island) Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian form of Ireland.

Irlande (Country & Island) French
French form of Ireland.

Irlandia (Country & Island) Polish, Greek, Georgian, Indonesian
Polish, Greek, Georgian and Indonesian form of Ireland.

Irlandiya (Country & Island) Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Ireland.

Kendal (Settlement) English
From the name of the river Kent combined with Old English dæl meaning "valley, dale". This is the name of a town in Cumbria.

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.

Kimberley (Settlement) English
Means either "Cyneburga's field", "Cynebald's field" or "Cynemær's field". This is the name of towns in Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire and Norfolk. In the case of the city in South Africa, it was named after John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (1826-1902). His title was taken from the name of the town in Norfolk.

Kingsley (Settlement) English
From Old English cyning "king" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England.

Kingston (Settlement) English
From Old English cyning "king" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of many towns in England, as well as other parts of the English-speaking world (including the capital of Jamaica).

Kynaston (Settlement) English
Means "Cynefrith's town" in Old English. This is the name of hamlets in Herefordshire and Shropshire.

Langley (Settlement) English
From Old English lang "long" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of numerous towns in the United Kingdom and North America.

Layton (Settlement) English
From Old English leac "leek, herb" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of towns in England.

Leighton (Settlement) English
Variant of Layton. This is the name of several English towns.

Lincoln (Settlement) English
Derived from Brythonic lindo "lake, pool" and Latin colonia "colony". This is a city in eastern England, called Lindum Colonia by the Romans.

Lindsey (Region) English
Means "Lincoln island" in Old English. This is the name of a region and historical kingdom in Lincolnshire.

Linton (Settlement) English
From Old English lind "linden tree" or lin "flax" combined with tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several towns in the United Kingdom.

Linwood (Settlement) English
From Old English lind "linden tree" and wudu meaning "wood, forest". This is the name of a few English towns.

Lyndon (Settlement) English
From Old English lind "linden tree" and dun meaning "hill". This is the name of a few towns in the United Kingdom.

Marlow (Settlement) English
Means "remnants of a lake" in Old English, from mere "lake" and lafe "remnants, remains". This is the name of a town in Buckinghamshire, England.

Mississippi (River & Political Subdivision) English
Derived from Ojibwe misi-ziibi meaning "great river". This is the name of a large river in the United States, as well as an American state named after it.

Montana (Political Subdivision) English
Derived from Latin montanus "mountainous". This is the name of an American state.

Nairóbi (Settlement) Portuguese
Portuguese form of Nairobi.

Nairobi (Settlement) English, Swahili, Kikuyu, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hungarian, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Turkish, Japanese, Korean
From Maasai enkare nyrobi meaning "cold water", referencing a nearby river. This is the name of the capital city of Kenya. It was founded in 1899 by the British colonial authorities.

Najrobi (Settlement) Serbian, Croatian
Serbian and Croatian form of Nairobi.

Nayrubi (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of Nairobi.

Netherlands (Country) English
From English nether meaning "lower" and land, referring to the low-lying position of the country. This is the name of a country in northwestern Europe. It is sometimes called Holland in English, though this is properly one of its subregions. In English it is usually referred to using the definite article, the.

Ottawa (River & Settlement) English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch
From the name of the Odawa or Ottawa people, derived from Ojibwe odaawaa meaning "trader". This is the name of a river and the capital city of Canada.

Oz 2 (Country) English
Informal short form of Australia.

Pakestan (Country) Persian
Persian form of Pakistan.

Pákistán (Country) Czech
Czech form of Pakistan.

Pakistán (Country) Spanish
Spanish form of Pakistan.

Pakistan (Country) Urdu, Punjabi, English, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Slovak, Russian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian
From Persian پاک (pāk) meaning "pure" and the suffix ستان (stān) meaning "land of". The name was coined in 1933 by the Pakistani nationalist Choudhry Rahmat Ali who justified it as an acronym of Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir and Sindh, plus the final three letters of Baluchistan.

Paquistão (Country) Portuguese
Portuguese form of Pakistan.

Peyton (Settlement) English
Means "Pæga's town". This is the name of a town in Sussex.

Poland (Country) English
From the name of the Slavic tribe of the Poles, derived from the medieval Slavic word polje meaning "field", combined with land. This is the name of a country in Eastern Europe.

Priestley (Settlement) English
From Old English preost "priest" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few small towns in England.

Princeton (Settlement) English
The name of a town in New Jersey, originally called Princetown when it was established in the early 18th century. It is said to have been named for William III, the Prince of Orange.

Ramsey (Settlement) English
Means "garlic island", derived from Old English hramsa "garlic" and eg "island". This is the name of villages in England.

Rayne (Settlement) English
Possibly from an Old English word meaning "shelter". This is the name of a town in Essex.

Rhodesia (Region) English
From the surname Rhodes. This was a British-controlled region of the south of Africa, named after the politician and imperialist Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902). It is now the independent countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Romiley (Settlement) English
From Old English rum "roomy, spacious" and leah "woodland, clearing". This was the name of a town that is now part of Greater Manchester.

Royston (Settlement) English
Means "Royse's town" in Old English. The given name Royse was a medieval variant of Rose. This is the name of a town in Hertfordshire.

Ryley (Settlement) English
From Old English ryge "rye" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Lancashire, England.

Sandford (Settlement) English
From Old English sand "sand" and ford "ford, river crossing". This is the name of several towns in England.

Saudi Arabia (Country) English
From 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) 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.

Scherwode (Region) Medieval English
Middle English form of Sherwood.

Scotland (Country) English
Means "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.

Seabrook (Settlement) English
From the old name of a river combined with Old English broc "stream". This is the name of a town in Buckinghamshire, England.

Selby (Settlement) English
From Old Norse selja "willow, sallow" and býr "farm, settlement". This is the name of a city near York in England.

Sherborne (Settlement) English
From Old English scir "bright" and burna "spring, fountain, stream". This is the name of several towns in England.

Sherburn (Settlement) English
Variant of Sherborne, also the name of several English towns.

Sherwood (Region) English
From 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.

Shirley (Settlement) English
From Old English scir "bright" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England.

Sidney (Island) English
Means "wide island", from Old English sid "wide" and eg "island". This is the name of a place in Surrey.

Slovakia (Country) English, Norwegian, Finnish, Greek
From 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.

Slovenia (Country) English, Italian, Romanian, Norwegian, Finnish, Greek, Georgian
From Slovene, the language of the Slovenes, derived from the Old Slavic tribal name slověne meaning "Slavs". This is the name of a country in central Europe. Note that the name of this country is closely related to that of Slovakia.

Somalia (Country) English, Italian, Spanish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Greek, Albanian, Indonesian, Malay
From the ethnic name Somali, of uncertain meaning. The Somali people connect it to their mythical ancestor Samaale. Italian and British colonists applied the ethnic name to the Horn of Africa region in the 19th century. It became an independent country in 1960.

Stirling (Settlement) English
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a city in Scotland.

St John (Settlement) English
Name commemorating Saint John. This is the name of several towns in England.

Switzerland (Country) English
From Switzer, a word meaning "Swiss", ultimately derived from the name of the Swiss town and canton of Schwyz, plus land. This is the name of a country in central Europe.

Sydney (Settlement) English
City 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).

Tailand (Country) Russian
Russian form of Thailand (probably via English).

Tailandia (Country) Spanish, Italian
Spanish form and Italian variant of Thailand (probably via English).

Tajland (Country) Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian
Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Macedonian form of Thailand.

Tajlandia (Country) Polish
Polish form of Thailand (probably via English).

Tatham (Settlement) English
From the Old English given name Tata combined with ham meaning "homestead". This is the name of a town in Lancashire.

Tatton (Settlement) English
From the Old English given name Tata combined with tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of a town in Cheshire.

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.

Thailand (Country) English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Combination of Thai and land. This is the name of a country in southeastern Asia, formerly called Siam.

Thaïlande (Country) French
French form of Thailand (probably via English).

Thailandia (Country) Italian
Italian form of Thailand (probably via English).

Thornley (Settlement) English
From Old English þorn "thorn" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England and Scotland.

Thornton (Settlement) English
From Old English þorn "thorn" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several English towns.

Trent 1 (River) English
River in England, possibly from the Celtic elements tri "across" and sant "travel", a reference to its frequent floods.

Trenton (Settlement) English
Means "Trent's town". This is the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent.

Tzortzia (Political Subdivision) Greek
Greek form of Georgia 2.

United Kingdom (Country) English
The 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) English
The 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) English
From Old English upp "up" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of various towns in England.

Vashington (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Russian
Russian form of Washington.

Vashynhton (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Washington.

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) Hindi
Hindi form of Washington.

Wakefield (Settlement) English
From Old English wacu "wake, vigil" and feld "field". This is the name of a city in England.

Walmersley (Settlement) English
Meaning 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.

Warwick (Settlement) English
From 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, 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.

Wembley (Settlement) English
Means "Wemba's clearing" in Old English. This was the name of a town that is now part of Greater London.

Weosingteon (Settlement & Political Subdivision) Korean
Korean form of Washington.

Westcott (Settlement) English
From Old English west "west" and cot "cottage". This is the name of several towns in England.

Westley (Settlement) English
From Old English west "west" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few small English towns.

Weston (Settlement) English
From Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several towns in England.

Whitney (Settlement) English
Probably from Old English hwit "white" and ieg "island". This is the name of a small town in Herefordshire.

Wickham (Settlement) English
From Old English wic "village, town" (of Latin origin) and ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a few towns in England.

Willey (Settlement) English
From 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) English
From Old English welig meaning "willow" and Old Norse býr "farm, settlement". This is the name of several towns in England.

Wilton (Settlement) English
From 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.

Winchester (Settlement) English
Derived from Venta, of Celtic origin, and Latin castrum meaning "camp, fortress". This is the name of a city in southern England.

Winona (Settlement) English
From the legendary figure of Winona. This is the name of several towns in the United States.

Winslow (Settlement) English
Means "Wine's hill" in Old English. This is the name of a town in Buckinghamshire.

Winthrope 1 (Settlement) English
Means "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) English
Means "Wigmund's village", from the given name Wigmund and Old English þrop "village". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire.

Winton (Settlement) English
Means "Wine's enclosure" in Old English. This is the name of various towns in England.

Wortham (Settlement) English
From Old English worþ "enclosure" and ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a town in Suffolk.

Wylye (River) English
Possibly from a Celtic word meaning "tricky". This is the name of a river in southern England.

Wymondham (Settlement) English
From the given name Wigmund combined with Old English ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a town in Norfolk.

Yoxall (Settlement) English
Derived from Old English geoc "oxen yoke" and halh "nook, recess". This is the name of a town in Staffordshire.