Spanish Origin Place Names

This is a list of place names in which the origin is Spanish. Spanish is the Romance language spoken in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries (such as those in South America).
type
usage
origin
Amazon (River & Region) English
The name of a river and rainforest situated in Brazil and some neighbouring countries. The river was named Río Amazonas, reportedly after the Amazons of Greek mythology, by the Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana when his expedition was attacked there in 1542 by indigenous warrior women. The Greek name may be of Iranian origin meaning "warriors".
Amazonas (River & Political Subdivision) Portuguese, Spanish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Slovak
Portuguese, Spanish and German form of Amazon (the river). This is also the name of states and departments within Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. Other languages such as English and French have different names for the river but use Amazonas to refer to the regions.
Amazone (River) French, Dutch
French and Dutch form of Amazon, referring to the river.
Amazónia (Region) Portuguese (European)
European Portuguese form of Amazon, referring to the rainforest.
Amazônia (Region) Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Amazon, referring to the rainforest.
Amazonia (Region) Spanish
Spanish form of Amazon, referring to the rainforest.
Amazonka (River) Polish, Czech, Slovak
Polish, Czech and Slovak form of Amazon, referring to the river.
Amazzoni (River) Italian
Italian form of Amazon, referring to the river.
Arabia Saudita (Country) Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Saudi Arabia.
Argentiina (Country) Finnish, Estonian
Finnish form of Argentina, as well as an Estonian variant.
Argentína (Country) Hungarian, Slovak, Icelandic
Hungarian, Slovak and Icelandic form of Argentina.
Argentīna (Country) Latvian
Latvian form of Argentina.
Argentina (Country) Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Hebrew, Georgian, Azerbaijani, Indonesian, Malay
From Latin argentinus meaning "silvery", a derivative of argentum meaning "silver". This is the name of a country in South America, arising from a Latinized form of Spanish Río de la Plata meaning "river of silver".
Argentine (Country) French
French form of Argentina.
Argentini (Country) Greek
Greek form of Argentina.
Argentinië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Argentina.
Argentinien (Country) German
German form of Argentina.
Argentyna (Country) Polish
Polish form of Argentina.
Arhentyna (Country) Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Argentina.
Arjantin (Country) Turkish
Turkish form of Argentina.
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.
Banama (Country & Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of Panama.
Baviera (Political Subdivision) Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of Bavaria.
Belice (Country & River) Spanish
Spanish form of Belize.
Beliz (Country & River) Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Greek, Bosnian
Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Greek and Bosnian form of Belize.
Belize (Country & River) English, Italian, Portuguese, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Turkish, Indonesian, Malay
From Spanish Belice, earlier Balis, from the name of the Belize River, which may itself be from Mayan beliz meaning "muddy water". This is the name of a country on the Atlantic coast of Central America.
Bolívia (Country) Portuguese, Catalan, Hungarian
Portuguese, Catalan and Hungarian form of Bolivia.
Bolivia (Country) Spanish, English, Italian, Dutch, Georgian, Indonesian, Malay
From the surname Bolívar, in honour of the revolutionary Simón Bolívar. This is the name of a country in South America.
Bolivie (Country) French
French form of Bolivia.
Bolivië (Country) Afrikaans
Afrikaans form of Bolivia.
Bolivien (Country) German
German form of Bolivia.
Bolīvija (Country) Latvian
Latvian form of Bolivia.
Bolivija (Country) Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Macedonian, Lithuanian
Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Macedonian and Lithuanian form of Bolivia.
Borja (Settlement) Spanish
From Arabic برْج (burj) meaning "tower". This is the name of a town in Aragon, Spain.
Bustillo (Settlement) Spanish
From a diminutive of Late Latin bustum meaning "ox pasture". This is the name of towns in Spain.
Busto (Settlement) Spanish, Italian
From Late Latin bustum meaning "ox pasture". This is the name of several towns in Spain and Italy.
Castela (Region) Portuguese
Portuguese form of Castile.
Castile (Region) English
From Spanish Castilla, ultimately from Late Latin castellum meaning "castle". This was the name of a medieval kingdom in Spain.
Castilla (Region) Spanish
Spanish form of Castile.
Castille (Region) French
French form of Castile.
Chile (Country) Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, Portuguese, Romanian, Georgian
The name of a country in South America, possibly from Quechua chiri meaning "cold" or Mapuche chülle meaning "seagull". This name was applied to the region by the conquistador Diego de Almagro.
Chili (Country) French, Dutch, Afrikaans, Greek, Russian, Bulgarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, Mongolian, Indonesian, Thai
Form of Chile in several languages.
Chiri (Country) Japanese
Japanese form of Chile.
Čīle (Country) Latvian
Latvian form of Chile.
Čile (Country) Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Slovene
Form of Chile in several languages.
Čilė (Country) Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Chile.
Cile (Country) Italian
Italian form of Chile.
Escocia (Country) Spanish
Spanish form of Scotland.
Eslovaquia (Country) Spanish
Spanish form of Slovakia.
Eslovenia (Country) Spanish
Spanish form of Slovenia.
Estados Unidos (Country) Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese calque of United States, written with the definite article (los and os respectively).
Feilubin (Country) Chinese
Chinese form of Philippines.
Filipina (Country) Indonesian, Malay
Indonesian and Malay form of Philippines.
Filipinas (Country) Spanish, Portuguese, Ilocano
Spanish, Portuguese and Ilocano form of Philippines.
Filippine (Country) Italian
Italian form of Philippines.
Firipin (Country) Japanese
Japanese form of Philippines.
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.
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.
Los Ángeles (Settlement) Spanish
Spanish form of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles (Settlement) English
Shortened form of Spanish Pueblo de los Ángeles meaning "town of the angels", itself a shortened form of the original name, reportedly El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula meaning "the town of Our Lady the queen of the angels of Porziuncola".... [more]
Macarena (Settlement) Spanish
Barrio (district) in Seville, which got its name from a temple that may have been named for a person Macarius (see Macario).
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, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog
From Old Spanish Magerit, itself from Arabic مجريط (Majrīṭ), of uncertain meaning. It may be derived from Arabic مجرى (majrā) 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.
Magerit (Settlement) Medieval Spanish
Old Spanish form of Madrid.
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.
Países Bajos (Country) Spanish
Spanish cognate of Pays-Bas. This is the Spanish name for the Netherlands.
Panama (Country & Settlement) English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Khmer, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Japanese, Korean
From Spanish Panamá, of uncertain meaning. It may be derived from the name of a tree commonly found in the area (species Sterculia apetala). Alternatively it could be related to Guaraní panambi meaning "butterfly" or Kuna bannaba meaning "distant, far away". This is the name of a country in Central America. It is also the name of its capital, usually called Panama City in English.
Panamá (Country & Settlement) Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Panama.
Panamà (Country & Settlement) Catalan
Catalan form of Panama.
Panamas (Country & Settlement) Greek
Greek form of Panama.
Paraguái (Country & River) Guarani
Guaraní form of Paraguay.
Paraguai (Country & River) Portuguese, Catalan, Japanese
Portuguese, Catalan and Japanese form of Paraguay.
Paraguaj (Country) Slovak
Slovak form of Paraguay.
Paraguay (Country, River & Settlement) Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, Guarani
The name of a landlocked country in South America. It is derived from a river of the same name, of uncertain meaning. It possibly means "water from the sea" in Guaraní, from para "sea", gua "from" and y "water". In Guaraní Paraguái is the name of the country and the river, with Paraguay the name of the capital city Asunción.
Paragvaj (Country & River) Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian
Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian and Macedonian of Paraguay.
Paragvaja (Country) Latvian
Latvian form of Paraguay.
Paragvajus (Country) Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Paraguay.
Paragvay (Country) Russian, Bulgarian, Kazakh
Russian, Bulgarian and Kazakh form of Paraguay.
Paragwaj (Country) Polish
Polish form of Paraguay.
Parahvay (Country) Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Paraguay.
Pérou (Country) French
French form of Peru.
Peru (Country) English, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Hindi
From Spanish Perú, older Birú, which was possibly derived from the name of a chieftain (who nevertheless resided in modern-day Panama).
Perú (Country) Spanish
Spanish form of Peru.
Perù (Country) Italian
Italian form of Peru.
Philippinen (Country) German
German form of Philippines.
Philippines (Country) English, French
From Spanish Filipinas, which was derived from the given name Felipe, bestowed in 1543 in honour of the crown prince Philip (later king Philip II) of Spain by the explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, who originally used it only to refer to the islands of Leyte and Samar. It now refers to the entire archipelago and nation of the Philippines in southeastern Asia. In English it is usually referred to using the definite article, the.
Pilipinas (Country) Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon
Tagalog, Cebuano and Hiligaynon form of Philippines.
Piruw (Country) Quechua, Aymara
Quechua and Aymara form of Peru.
Provenza (Region) Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Provence.
Reino Unido (Country) Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese calque of United Kingdom, written with the definite article (el and o respectively).
San Nicolás (Settlement) Spanish
The name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, in honour of Saint Nicholas.
Santa Ana (Settlement) Spanish
The name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, in honour of Saint Anna.
Santiago (Settlement) Spanish, Portuguese
This 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.
Shili (Country) Persian
Persian form of Chile.
Şili (Country) Turkish
Turkish form of Chile.
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.
Tejas (Political Subdivision) Spanish
Spanish variant of Texas.
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".
Tshili (Country) Arabic
Arabic form of Chile.
Uruguái (Country & River) Guarani
Guaraní form of Uruguay.
Uruguai (Country & River) Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, Basque, Japanese
Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, Basque and Japanese of Uruguay.
Uruguaj (Country & River) Slovak
Slovak form of Uruguay.
Uruguay (Country & River) Spanish, English, French, Italian, Romanian, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, Turkish
The name of a country in South America, derived from a river of the same name. It is possibly from Guaraní uruguá, referring to a type of water snail. Alternatively it could come from uru "quail", gua "from" and y "water".
Urugvai (Country & River) Georgian
Georgian form of Uruguay.
Urugvaj (Country & River) Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian
Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian and Macedonian of Uruguay.
Urugvaja (Country & River) Latvian
Latvian form of Uruguay.
Urugvajus (Country & River) Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Uruguay.
Urugvay (Country & River) Russian, Bulgarian, Kazakh
Russian, Bulgarian and Kazakh of Uruguay.
Urugwai (Country & River) Korean
Korean form of Uruguay.
Urugwaj (Country & River) Polish, Maltese
Polish and Maltese form of Uruguay.
Uruhvay (Country & River) Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Uruguay.
Xile (Country) Catalan
Catalan form of Chile.