Atlantis (Island) Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
Ἄτλας (see
Atlas), a mythological king with the same name as the Titan. According to Greek mythology, Atlantis was an island that sank in the
Atlantic Ocean.
Avalon (Island) Arthurian CycleThe name of the island paradise to which King
Arthur was brought after his death. The name of this island is perhaps related to Welsh
afal meaning
"apple", a fruit that was often linked with paradise.
Bahrain (Country & Island) Arabic, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Romanian, Catalan, Indonesian, Malay, TagalogMeans
"two seas" in Arabic, derived from
بحر (baḥr) meaning "sea" combined with the dual suffix
ين (ayn). This is the name of a small island country in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article:
البحرين (al-Baḥrayn).
Britain (Island) EnglishFrom
Britannia, the Latin name for the island of Great Britain, the land of the Britons. It derives from the name of the Britons, recorded in Greek in the 4th century BC as
Πρεττανική (Prettanike), and reconstructed as Proto-Brythonic *
Pritanī, possibly meaning "tattooed people".
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).
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.
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".
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.
Éire (Country & Island) IrishPossibly means
"abundant land" in Old Irish. This is the Irish name of the country and island of
Ireland. According to legend the island was named for the goddess
Ériu, though in fact it was she who was named for the island.
Fál (Island) IrishFrom the name of the stone on the Hill of Tara where Irish high kings were crowned, called the "stone of destiny", the
Lia Fáil. This is from Irish
lia meaning "stone" and probably
fál (genitive
fáil) meaning
"enclosure, fence" and figuratively
"king, chief".
... [more] Guinea (Region, Country & Island) English, Italian, Spanish, GermanFrom Portuguese
Guiné, which is of unknown meaning, possibly of Berber origin. This name was used by the Portuguese to refer to a portion of West
Africa. It was also applied by westerners to the island of New Guinea starting in the 16th century. It is now the name or part of the full name of the countries of Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea and Papua New Guinea.
Hong Kong (Political Subdivision, Settlement & Island) English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Turkish, Persian, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, TagalogFrom Cantonese
香港 (Hoenggong), a compound of
香 (hoeng) meaning "fragrant" and
香 (gong) meaning "port, harbour". This is the name of a city, island and special administrative region of southeastern
China.
Hongkong (Political Subdivision, Settlement & Island) German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Macedonian, Korean, KhmerForm of
Hong Kong used in various languages.
Ireland (Country & Island) EnglishDerived 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.
Ithaca (Island) English, Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Ἰθάκη (Ithake), meaning unknown. This is the name of an island off the west coast of
Greece. In Greek mythology Ithaca was the home of the hero Odysseus. Homer's epic the
Odyssey describes his long and perilous voyage home after the Trojan War.
Lanka (Island) HinduismMeaning unknown. According to Hindu texts, this was the name of the island stronghold of the demon king
Ravana. It is uncertain whether this island can be identified with
Sri Lanka, though Sri Lanka does take its name from it.
Lilliput (Island) LiteratureCreated by the Irish author Jonathan Swift for one of the islands in his novel
Gulliver's Travels (1726). The novel's hero Gulliver is shipwrecked here, a place inhabited by a society of tiny people. Lilliput, a satirical version of Great
Britain, is in conflict with the neighbouring island of Blefuscu, a satirical version of
France. Though Swift did not explain the source of the name, he may have based it on English
little and the archaic word
put meaning "fool, silly man".
Man (Island) EnglishFrom Old Irish
Mana, possibly from the Celtic root *
moniyo- meaning
"mountain". The Isle of Man is an island between
Britain and
Ireland. It is a self-governing British dependency.
Manainn (Island) IrishIrish form of
Man (from the Old Irish dative case of
Mana).
Mannin (Island) ManxManx form of
Man (from
Manainn, the Old Irish dative case of
Mana).
Mozambique (Island & Country) English, French, Spanish, Dutch, DanishFrom the name of an island off the southeastern coast of
Africa, named
Moçambique by the Portuguese after the 15th-century local sultan
موسى بن بيك (Mūsā bin Bīk). This island became the region's Portuguese colonial capital in the 16th century, and the name was eventually applied to a large area of mainland
Africa. Mozambique gained independence from
Portugal in 1974.
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.
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.
Sidney (Island) EnglishMeans
"wide island", from Old English
sid "wide" and
eg "island". This is the name of a place in Surrey.
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.
Skye (Island) ScottishAnglicized form of Scottish Gaelic
Sgitheanach, meaning unknown. This is the name of an island off the west coast of
Scotland.
Sri Lanka (Country & Island) English, German, Dutch, Afrikaans, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Romanian, Albanian, Greek, Turkish, Malay, IndonesianFrom Sinhalese
ශ්රී ලංකා (Shrī Lankā), derived from the Sanskrit honorific
श्री (śrī) meaning "holy, sacred" combined with the name of the legendary island of
Lanka. This is an island nation in southern
Asia. Formerly known as
Ceylon when it was a colony of the Portuguese, Dutch and English, the country adopted the name
Sri Lanka when it became a republic in 1972.
Viti (Country & Island) Fijian, EnglishFijian form of
Fiji. This name is also used in English (and other languages) to refer to the main Fijian island of Viti Levu.