Brunei (Country) Malay, Indonesian, English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Albanian, Georgian, Turkish, Hindi, TagalogPossibly from Sanskrit
वरुण, the Hindu god
Varuna or figuratively meaning
"water, ocean". However, according to tradition,
Brunei was from the Malay phrase
baru nah meaning "there!" or "that's it!", which was supposedly declared by Brunei's first sultan Muhammad Shah when he discovered it in the 14th century.
... [more] Čad (Body of Water & Country) Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian, SloveneCzech, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian and Slovene form of Arabic
تشاد (see
Chad).
Caiazzo (Settlement) ItalianFrom Latin
Caiatia, a derivative of the given name
Caius. This is the name of a city near Naples.
Cairo (Settlement) EnglishFrom Arabic
القاهرة (al-Qāhira) meaning
"the victorious", in honour of the conquering Fatimid caliph al-Mu'izz li Din Allah (932-975). This is the name of the capital city of
Egypt.
Calcutta (Settlement) English, FrenchPrevious English name of
Kolkata, officially used until 2001. This is also the form still typically used in French.
California (Political Subdivision & Island) English, Spanish, Italian, LiteratureFrom 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 (khalīfa), 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).
Cameroon (Country) EnglishFrom the name the Portuguese gave to the Wouri River,
Camarões, meaning
"shrimp, prawns". It was later applied to the area, becoming
Kamerun when it was a German colony. This is the name of a country in central
Africa.
Canada (Country) English, French, Italian, Dutch, Danish, NorwegianDerived from the Iroquoian word
kanata meaning
"village". This word was used by Native Americans to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to Stadacona. Cartier used the word to refer to the region.
Capri (Island & Settlement) Italian, EnglishLikely from Greek
κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar", though it could also be of Etruscan origin or from Latin
capri meaning "goats". This is the name of an Italian island.
Carpathians (Region) EnglishFrom Latin
Carpates, possibly related to the Dacian tribe of the
Capri, maybe derived from an Indo-European root meaning
"rock, cliff". This is the name of a mountain range in Eastern
Europe stretching from
Slovakia to
Romania.
Castile (Region) EnglishFrom Spanish
Castilla, ultimately from Late Latin
castellum meaning
"castle". This was the name of a medieval kingdom in
Spain.
Catalonia (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom 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.
Ceylon (Island & Country) EnglishFormer name of the country of
Sri Lanka. It is derived from Portuguese
Ceilão, ultimately from a Pali form of Sanskrit
सिंहल (siṃhala) meaning
"lion-like".
Chad (Body of Water & Country) English, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Indonesian, MalayFrom Arabic
تشاد (Tshād), derived from a Kanuri word meaning
"lake, large expanse of water". This is the name of a lake in central
Africa, as well as the country that is named after it. The lake also borders
Niger,
Nigeria and Cameroon.
Chaves (Settlement) Portuguese, SpanishFrom the Roman name
Flavius. This is the name of a Portuguese city, which was originally named for the Roman emperor Vespasian, whose family name was Flavius.
Chicago (Settlement) English, FrenchFrom French
Chécagou, derived from Algonquian
šikaakwa meaning
"wild garlic" referring to a plant (species Allium tricoccum) that grew there in abundance.
... [more] Chile (Country) Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, Portuguese, Romanian, GeorgianThe 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, ThaiForm of
Chile in several languages.
Cologne (Settlement) French, EnglishFrench form of Latin
Colonia, shortened from
Colonia Agrippina meaning "colony of Agrippina", named after the wife of Emperor Claudius. This is the name of a city in western
Germany.
Columbia (Region, Settlement, Political Subdivision & River) English, Italian, Spanish, Late RomanNamed 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.
Comoros (Country) EnglishFrom French
Comores, derived from Arabic
qamar meaning
"moon". This is the name of an island country off the eastern coast of
Africa in the Indian Ocean.
Corinth (Settlement) EnglishFrom Greek
Κόρινθος (Korinthos), from Doric Greek
Ϙόρινθος (Qorinthos), of Pre-Greek origin. This was the name of an ancient Greek city-state on the Peloponnese, as well as a nearby modern city.
Cyprus (Island & Country) English, DutchFrom Greek
Κύπρος (Kypros), which may get its name from the cypress tree (Greek
κυπάρισσος). This is the name of an island country in the eastern
Mediterranean. Although considered one nation by most other countries, the northern part of the island is occupied by Turkish forces and claims independence.
Czechia (Country) EnglishEnglish form of
Čechy (via Polish
Czechy), used as an alternative name for the Czech Republic.
Czechy (Region & Country) PolishPolish form of
Čechy, used to refer both to the region of
Bohemia and the larger Czech Republic.
Danube (River) English, FrenchFrom Latin
Danubius, from Old Celtic *
Danowyos, from an Indo-European root meaning
"river". This is the name of a river that flows east through
Europe to the Black Sea.
Delhi (Settlement) EnglishFrom Sanskrit
दिल्ली (Dillī), possibly from
देहली (dehalī) meaning
"threshold", or possibly from the name of a 1st-century BC king. This is the name of a large city in northern
India, which includes the district of New Delhi, the Indian capital.
Denmark (Country) EnglishFrom Danish
Danmark, derived from the ethnic name
Dane, which is possibly from Germanic
den meaning "low ground", combined with
mark meaning "borderland". This is the name of a country in Northern
Europe.
Dibai (Settlement & Political Subdivision) ChineseChinese variant of
Dubai, used primarily in mainland China.
Dubai (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, Romanian, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Turkish, Hindi, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, ChineseFrom Arabic
دبيّ (Dubayy), of uncertain meaning, possibly related to Arabic
دبّ (dabba) meaning
"to creep, to crawl", referring to the slow flow of a creek in the area. This is the name of an emirate and city in the United Arab Emirates.
Eden (Region) Hebrew, BiblicalPossibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן (ʿeḏen) meaning
"pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning
"plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Egypt (Country) EnglishFrom Latin
Aegyptus, itself from Greek
Αἴγυπτος (Aigyptos), which was probably derived from Egyptian
ḥwt-kꜣ-ptḥ, the name of the temple to the god
Ptah in
Memphis, meaning
"the house of the soul of Ptah". Descendants of the Latin name are used in most European languages to refer to the ancient kingdom and modern country of Egypt. However, the name the ancient Egyptians used to refer to the Nile Valley was
Kemet, and the Arabic speakers of modern Egypt call it
Masr.
El Salvador (Country) Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, English, German, Dutch, Afrikaans, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Estonian, Finnish, Bosnian, Macedonian, Greek, Hebrew, Turkish, Indonesian, Malay, TagalogForm of
Salvador with the Spanish definite article, which was officially added to the name in 1915. Some languages include the untranslated article, some do not, and some use both forms.
Elysium (Region) Roman MythologyLatin form of Greek
Ἠλύσιον (Elysion), which is of unknown origin, perhaps pre-Greek. According to Greek — and later Roman — mythology, Elysium (or the Elysian Fields) was an idyllic afterlife where only the souls of distinguished mortals were admitted.
England (Country) English, German, Swedish, Danish, NorwegianFrom Old English
Englaland meaning
"land of the Angles", the Angles being one of the Germanic tribes that settled in the area in the post-Roman period. This is the name of a country (part of the
United Kingdom) on the southern portion of the island of Great
Britain. The United Kingdom is sometimes (inaccurately) referred to as
England.
Eritrea (Country) Italian, English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, CzechFrom the Italian name for one of their colonies in Africa, derived from the Latin name for the Red Sea
Erythraeum Mare, itself of Greek origin (see
Erythra). This is the name of country in East Africa. It became independent from
Ethiopia in 1993.
Essen (Settlement) German, EnglishFrom older
Astnide, possibly a derivative of Old High German
asc meaning
"ash tree". This is the name of a city in
Germany, founded in the 9th century.
Estonia (Country) English, Italian, Spanish, Indonesian, Malay, Late RomanFrom Estonian
eesti meaning
"Estonian", a word borrowed from Low German in the 17th century. It is of uncertain origin. It could be from a Germanic rendering of the Baltic tribe of the Aesti, mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus.
Estoniya (Country) Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, UzbekRussian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek form of
Estonia.
Ethiopia (Country) EnglishFrom Latin
Aethiopia, itself from Greek
Αἰθιοπία (Aithiopia), said to derive from
αἴθω (aitho) meaning "to burn" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face", referring to the skin colour of the inhabitants (probably a folk etymology). This is the name of a country in East
Africa.
Etiopia (Country) Italian, Polish, Norwegian, Finnish, Georgian, Korean, IndonesianItalian, Polish, Norwegian, Finnish, Georgian, Korean and Indonesian form of
Aethiopia (see
Ethiopia).
Europa (Region) Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Galician, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Croatian, Kazakh, Ancient RomanForm of
Europe in several languages.
Evropa (Region) Czech, Slovene, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Georgian, Kyrgyz, Armenian, RussianForm of
Europe used in various languages. This is also an alternate transcription of Armenian
Եվրոպա or Russian
Европа (see
Yevropa).
Fiji (Country) English, Portuguese, Hindi, Indonesian, MalayEnglish form of Fijian
Viti, of unknown meaning, the name of the largest island (called
Viti Levu meaning "great Viti") of the archipelago. The change from
Viti to
Fiji is reportedly explained by the fact that the British (on an 18th-century expedition of James Cook) first heard it pronounced this way by the neighbouring Tongans.
Flanders (Region) EnglishFrom Middle Dutch
Vlander, from a Germanic root meaning
"waterlogged", referring to the marshy landscape of Flanders. This is the name of the northern portion of Belgium.
Florida (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, German, ItalianA 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).
France (Country) French, EnglishFrom Latin
Francia meaning
"land of the Franks". The Franks were the Germanic tribe who settled in the region in the 3rd century. They derived their tribal name from the name of a type of spear that they used.
Frisia (Region) English, Late RomanFrom the name of the West Germanic Frisian people, called the Frisii in Latin, possibly from Germanic *
frisaz meaning "curly". This is the name of an area along the coast of the North Sea stretching from the
Netherlands to
Germany.
Friuli (Region) Italian, English, SpanishFrom the name of the Roman town of Forum Iulii (now called
Cividale del Friuli) meaning
"forum of Julius". This is the name of a region in northeastern
Italy.
Gabon (Country) English, French, Italian, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Turkish, Indonesian, MalayDerived from Portuguese
gabão meaning
"cloak, overcoat", referring to the shape of the Gabon Estuary. This is the name of a country on the western coast of central
Africa.
Galicia 1 (Region) Galician, Spanish, EnglishFrom Latin
Gallaecia, named for the Celtic tribe of the Gallaeci, of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a former kingdom in Iberia, now an autonomous region in northwestern
Spain. In Galician it is called both
Galicia and
Galiza.
Galicia 2 (Region) English, Late RomanFrom the name of the Ukrainian city of
Halych. This is the name of a region in southern Poland and western Ukraine. It was historically a principality within Kievan Rus and later an independent kingdom, before being annexed by Poland in the 14th century.
Gallia (Region, Political Subdivision & Country) Ancient Roman, Italian, GreekLatin 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] Ganga (River) Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Nepali, Urdu, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Sinhalese, Mongolian, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, LithuanianForm of
Ganges in several languages.
Gaul (Region) EnglishFrom French
Gaule, the name of a historical region that was situated approximately in the area of modern
France. In the Roman era it was called
Gallia, which may be the origin of
Gaule, though the evolution of the word would be irregular. It is more likely derived from Frankish
walh meaning
"foreigner, Celt".
Genoa (Settlement) EnglishFrom Latin
Genua, probably derived from
genu meaning
"knee". This is the name of a port city in northwestern
Italy. It is called
Genova in Italian.
Georgia 2 (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, DutchFrom the given name
George, named in honour of the British king George II. This was the name of an American colony, later a state.