Browse 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.

Alexandria (Settlement) English, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek given name Ἀλέξανδρος (see Alexander), bestowed by Alexander the Great upon the cities he founded or conquered. This is the name of many cities throughout the world, notably in Egypt.

Algiers (Settlement) English, Dutch
From Arabic الجزائر (al-Jazāʾir) meaning "the islands". This is the name of the capital city of Algeria, so named because of the islands in its bay.

Amsterdam (Settlement) Dutch, English, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish
Means "dam on the Amstel" in Dutch. This is the name of the capital city of the Netherlands, first mentioned with this name in the 13th century.

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.

Antwerp (Settlement) English
From Dutch Antwerpen, meaning uncertain, perhaps from Dutch werf meaning "wharf". This is the name of a city in Belgium.

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.

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.

Ashur (Settlement & Region) English, Arabic, Persian, Akkadian
From Akkadian 𒀸𒋩 (Assur), meaning unknown. This was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, supposedly named for the god Ashur, though the god was in fact probably named for the city. The empire, Assyria, was also named for it. The city was destroyed in the 14th century by the forces of Tamerlane.... [more]

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

Assisi (Settlement) Italian, English, German
From Latin Asisium, which is of unknown, possibly pre-Latin, origin. This is the name of a city in central Italy.

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.

Athens (Settlement) English
From Ancient Greek Ἀθήναι (Athenai), meaning unknown, probably from a pre-Greek language. The Greek goddess Athena was probably named for the city, not vice versa. Athens is a city in eastern Greece, emerging as a powerful city-state in the classical period. It has been the capital of the modern country of Greece since 1834.

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

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.

Babylon (Settlement) English, German, Dutch, Biblical, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Greek form of Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Babili), which appears to mean "gateway of God", from Akkadian 𒆍 (babu) meaning "gate" and 𒀭 (ilu) meaning "God", though it may in fact derive from a non-Semitic language. This was the name of a major city in ancient Mesopotamia, the capital of the Babylonian Empire. It was located in present-day Iraq.

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.

Banff (Settlement) Scottish, English
Possibly from Gaelic banbh meaning "young pig". This is the name of a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is also the name of a town and national park in Alberta, Canada.

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.

Beijing (Settlement) Chinese, English, Korean
From Chinese 北 (běi) meaning "north" and 京 (jīng) meaning "capital city". This is the name of the capital of China.

Benin (Settlement, Body of Water & Country) English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romanian, Indonesian, Malay
From Portuguese Benim, derived from Itsekiri Ubinu, the name of the capital city of the historical Benin Kingdom (present-day Benin City in Nigeria). Allegedly it was initially named Ile-Ibinu meaning "land of anger" because of disputes between different factions. The Bight of Benin (a large bay) was named after the Benin Kingdom, and the modern country of Benin, west of Nigeria, was named after the bay in 1975 (formerly named Dahomey).

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.

Bergamo (Settlement) Italian, English
From Latin Bergomum, possibly from a Celtic word meaning "mountain". This is the name of a city in northern Italy.

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

Berlin (Settlement) German, English, French, Polish, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Hungarian, Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish
City in Germany, the name of which is of uncertain meaning. It is possibly derived from an Old Slavic stem berl- meaning "swamp".

Bethlehem (Settlement) English, German, Dutch, Biblical
Means "house of bread" in Hebrew, from the roots בַּיִת (bayiṯ) meaning "house" and לֶחֶם (leḥem) meaning "bread". This is the name of a city in Palestine. It appears in the both the Old Testament and the New Testament, notably as the town where Jesus is born.

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.

Bologna (Settlement) Italian, English, German
From Latin Bononia, possibly derived from a Celtic word meaning "settlement". This is the name of a city in northern Italy.

Bombay (Settlement) French, Spanish, English
From Portuguese Bombaim, probably derived from Marathi Mumbai, possibly with influence from Portuguese bom bain meaning "good little bay". This is an older English name for Mumbai, officially used until 1995. It is also the form still commonly used in French and Spanish.

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.

Budapest (Settlement) Hungarian, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish
Combination of Buda and Pest, two cities that merged in 1873. This is the name of the capital city of Hungary.

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.

Cairo (Settlement) English
From 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, French
Previous English name of Kolkata, officially used until 2001. This is also the form still typically used in French.

Capri (Island & Settlement) Italian, English
Likely 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.

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.

Carmarthen (Settlement) English
English form of Caerfyrddin.

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.

Chester (Settlement) English
From Latin castrum meaning "camp, fortress". This is the name of a city in Cheshire, England.

Chicago (Settlement) English, French
From French Chécagou, derived from Algonquian šikaakwa meaning "wild garlic" referring to a plant (species Allium tricoccum) that grew there in abundance.... [more]

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.

Cologne (Settlement) French, English
French 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.

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

Columbia (Region, Settlement, Political Subdivision & River) English, Italian, Spanish, Late Roman
Named 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.

Corinth (Settlement) English
From 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.

Cracow (Settlement) English
English form of Kraków.

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

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".

Damascus (Settlement) Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, English
Meaning unknown, probably of Semitic origin. It is first mentioned in Egyptian records from the 15th century BC under the name Tmsq. It is now the capital city of Syria.

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.

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

Delhi (Settlement) English
From 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.

Delphi (Settlement) Ancient Roman, English
Latinized form of Greek Δελφοί (Delphoi), from δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". This was the name of an ancient Greek city, the site of an oracle of Apollo.

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

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, Chinese
From 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.

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

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

Essen (Settlement) German, English
From 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.

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.

Genoa (Settlement) English
From 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.

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.

Hong Kong (Political Subdivision, Settlement & Island) English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Turkish, Persian, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog
From 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.

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.

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.

Jakarta (Settlement) Indonesian, Malay, Javanese, Acehnese, Balinese, Minangkabau, Sundanese, English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Arabic, Hindi
From Sanskrit जयकर्ता (Jayakartā) meaning "victory accomplished", from जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest" and कृत (kṛta) meaning "done, accomplished". This is the name of the capital city of Indonesia. It was known as Batavia during the colonial (Dutch) era.

Jericho (Settlement) English, Biblical
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to the Hebrew word יָרֵחַ (yareaḥ) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word רֵיחַ (reyaḥ) meaning "fragrance". This is the name of a city in Palestine, mentioned several times in the Old Testament.

Jerusalem (Settlement) English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Luxembourgish, Afrikaans, Catalan, Bosnian, Biblical
From Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim), from an earlier Canaanite form like Urushalim, probably meaning "established by (the god) Shalim". This is the name of a city in Israel and Palestine. Originally a Canaanite city, it was conquered by the Israelites under King David at the beginning of the 10th century BC. It is now regarded as a holy city by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

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.

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).

Kolkata (Settlement) Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, English
Of uncertain meaning, possibly from the name of the Hindu goddess Kali 1 combined with Bengali ক্ষেত্র (kshetra) meaning "field" or ঘাট (ghāt) meaning "pier". This is the name of a city in West Bengal in India. It was established as a trading city by the British in the 17th century, on the site of the fishing village of কলিকাতা (Kalikātā). It was formerly called Calcutta.

Krakow (Settlement) English
English form of Kraków.

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.

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.

London (Settlement) English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian, Russian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Indonesian
From Latin Londinium, of unknown meaning. This is the capital city of the United Kingdom.

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]

Luxembourg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) English, French, Norwegian, Danish, Hungarian, Croatian, Estonian
From Old High German Lucilinburhuc, derived from luzil "small" and burg "castle". This was the name of a castle built by Count Siegfried in the 10th century. The city of Luxembourg and the surrounding territory became a duchy in the 14th century, and it is now a small landlocked country between Germany, France and Belgium. This is also the name of a province of southern Belgium.... [more]

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.

Lyon (Settlement) French, English, German
From Latin Lugdunum, derived from the name of the Celtic god Lugus combined with Gaulish dunon meaning "hill fort, citadel". This is the name of a city in central France.

Lyons (Settlement) English
Variant of Lyon.

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.

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.

Marrakesh (Settlement) English, Dutch
From Arabic مرّاكش (Marrākush), possibly from Berber Murt n Akush meaning "land of God". This is the name of a city in Morocco.

Medina (Settlement) English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Dutch, Croatian, Serbian
Form of Arabic المدينة (al-Madīna) meaning "the city". This is the name of a city in Saudi Arabia, considered a holy site in Islam because the Prophet Muhammad was based there for a period.

Meissen (Settlement) German, English, French
Form of Meißen.

Memphis (Settlement) English, Ancient Egyptian (Hellenized)
Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty". This was the name of an important city in Lower Egypt, serving as the capital during the Old Kingdom period. It acquired its current name in the New Kingdom period from a nearby pyramid of Pepi I. This is also the name of a city in Tennessee.

Messina (Settlement) Italian, English
Later form of Messana, the Latin form of Messene. This is the name of a city on Sicily. Founded by Greek settlers as Ζάγκλη (Zankle), it was renamed in honour of the Greek city of Messene in the 5th century BC.

Mexico (Country & Settlement) English, French, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
From Spanish México, itself derived from Nahuatl Mehxico. There are many theories regarding the ultimate origin, including Nahuatl metztli meaning "moon" combined with xictli meaning "navel". This is the name of a country in North America, as well as its capital city (the country is named after the city). In French and Swedish Mexico is the name of the capital city, while the country is called Mexique in French and Mexiko in Swedish.

Milan (Settlement) English, French
From Latin Mediolanum, perhaps derived from Celtic elements meaning "middle of the plain". This is the name of a major city in Italy.

Moscow (Settlement) English
From the name of the Moskva River, in Russian Москва (Moskva), from Old East Slavic Москꙑ (Mosky). It is of uncertain origin, but it may be from a Slavic root meaning "damp, wet". This is the name of the capital city of Russia.

Mumbai (Settlement) Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Urdu, English, German, Russian
From Marathi मुंबा (Mumbā), the name of an incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess Devi, combined with आई (āī) meaning "mother". This is the name of a city in Maharashtra, India, formerly called Bombay.

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.

Naples (Settlement) English
From Latin Neapolis, from Greek Νεάπολις (Neapolis) meaning "new city". This is the name of a city in southern Italy, originally founded as a Greek colony.

Nazareth (Settlement) English, French, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Possibly from Hebrew נֵצֶר (netser) meaning "branch, shoot" or נָצַר (natsar) meaning "watch, guard". This is the name of a town in Galilee in Israel. It was the home town of Jesus.

Nineveh (Settlement) English, Biblical
From Akkadian 𒉌𒉡𒀀 (Ninua), possibly related to 𒄩 (nūnu) meaning "fish". When written, the name is usually prefixed with 𒌷 indicating a city. This may have referred to an aspect of Ishtar, as from an early time the city was a center of worship of the goddess. The cuneiform symbols used to represent the city's name depict a fish within a house.... [more]

Orleans (Settlement) English
English form of Orléans. This is the name of several towns in the Americas, notably the city of New Orleans in Louisiana.

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.

Padua (Settlement) English, German, Spanish, Dutch
From Italian Padova, Latin Patavium, of unknown meaning. This is the name of a city in northern Italy.

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.

Paris (Settlement) French, English, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Turkish, Persian, Hausa
From the ancient Celtic tribe known as the Parisii. This is the capital city of France.

Pavia (Settlement) Italian, English
From Late Latin Papia, of unknown meaning. This is the name of a city in northern Italy. In classical Latin it was called Ticinum.

Peking (Settlement) German, Dutch, Luxembourgish, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, English (Archaic)
Form of Beijing in various languages, as well as an older English form.

Pesaro (Settlement) Italian, English
From Latin Pisaurum, of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a city in central Italy.

Petra (Settlement) Ancient Greek, English
From Greek πέτρα (petra) meaning "rock". This was the Greek name of the capital city of the Nabataeans, which may have been known as Raqmu to its Semitic inhabitants. Its ruins lie in Jordan.

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

Philadelphia (Settlement) Biblical, English
Means "brotherly love" from Greek φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love" and ἀδελφός (adelphos) meaning "brother". This was the name of a city in Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation in the New Testament. It is now known as Alaşehir (in Turkey). It is also the name of a city in the United States.

Porto (Settlement) Portuguese, English
Modern form of Portus Cale. This is the name of a city in Portugal.

Prague (Settlement) English, French
From Czech Praha, possibly from the Slavic root práh meaning "ford". This is the name of the capital city of the Czech Republic.

Pretoria (Settlement) Afrikaans, Dutch, English
From the surname Pretorius. This is the name of a city in South Africa, named after the 19th-century Boer leader Andries Pretorius.

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.

Quebec (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English
English form of French Québec, derived from the Algonquin word kepec meaning "narrows", referring to the Saint Lawrence River near Quebec City. This is the name of a Canadian province and also the capital city of that province.

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.

Rennes (Settlement) French, English
From Latin (Condate) Riedonum, derived from the name of the Gaulish tribe of the Redones. This is the name of a town in Brittany, France.

Rome (Settlement) English, French, Dutch
Meaning uncertain, from Latin Roma. It is possibly of Etruscan origin. This is the name of the capital city of Italy, formerly the capital of the Roman Kingdom, Republic and Empire. According to legend the city was named for Romulus.

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.

Salem (Settlement) English, Biblical
From 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.

Samara (Settlement & River) Russian, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German
Meaning unknown, possibly from an Iranian root meaning "summer". This is the name of a city in Russia, founded in the 16th century, as well as the river on which it is situated.

Samarra (Settlement) Arabic, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German
This is the name of a city in Iraq, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century. It was possibly built at the site of the ancient Assyrian city of Surmarrati, which is of uncertain meaning.

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

Schwyz (Settlement & Political Subdivision) German, English, Spanish
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to Old High German suedan "to burn" or possibly of Celtic origin. This is the name of a town (and a canton named for it) in central Switzerland.

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.

Shanghai (Settlement) Chinese, English, German, French
Means "upon the sea" in Chinese, from 上 (shàng) meaning "above" and 海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean". This is the name of the largest city in China.

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.

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

Singapore (Country, Settlement & Island) English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Romanian
From Malay Singapura meaning "lion city", derived from Sanskrit siṃha "lion" and pura "city". This is the name of a city-state situated on an island (of the same name) at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula.

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.

Stockholm (Settlement) Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, German, Dutch, French
From Swedish stock "log" and holme "islet". The islet probably referred to Helgeandsholmen in central Stockholm. This is the name of the capital city of Sweden. The first written mention of the name occurs in 1252.

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).

Tataouine (Settlement) French, English
From Tamazight Tittawin, possibly from tit meaning "eye". This is a city in Tunisia. It is the source of the name of the desert planet Tatooine from the fictional Star Wars universe.

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.

Tehran (Settlement) Persian, English
From Persian تهران (Tehrān), meaning unknown. This is the name of the capital city of Iran.

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.

Timbuktu (Settlement) English, Arabic, Bamileke
Meaning uncertain. It could be derived from Songhai meaning "hollow, hole", or from Berber meaning "place of small dunes". This is the name of a city in central Mali. Descriptions of the city's wealth and remoteness first reached Europe from the 16th-century Berber author Leo Africanus. Since then the city has been used in Western Culture as a symbol for a distant, mysterious place.

Tokyo (Settlement) Japanese, English, French, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Estonian, Turkish, Hindi, Indonesian
From Japanese 東 (tō) meaning "east" and 京 (kyō) meaning "capital city". This is the name of the capital of Japan.

Toronto (Settlement) English, French
Possibly derived from Mohawk tkaronto meaning "place where trees stand in the water". It has also been explained as meaning "plenty" in the Huron language.... [more]

Trent 2 (Settlement) English
English form of Trento.

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

Troy (Settlement) Greek Mythology, English
From 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.

Troyes (Settlement) French, English, German, Dutch
The name of a city in France, called in Latin (Augustobona) Tricassium, which was named after the Gallic tribe of the Tricasses.

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

Uruk (Settlement) Akkadian, English
From 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.

Valencia (Settlement & Region) Spanish, Italian, English, German
The 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 Venezuela.

Venice (Settlement) English
From 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.

Verona (Settlement) Italian, Spanish, English, Ancient Roman
Meaning unknown, possibly of Latin, Gallic or Etruscan origin. This is the name of a city in northern Italy.

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.

Vienna (Settlement) English, Italian
Meaning 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.

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.

Warsaw (Settlement) English
From 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) 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.

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

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.

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

Xanadu (Settlement) English
Anglicized form of Chinese 上都 (Shangdu), derived from 上 (shàng) meaning "above, upper" and 都 (dū) meaning "city". This was the summer capital of the 13th-century Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, located in Inner Mongolia, China. It became known to English speakers after it appeared in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan (1816), and it has been used figuratively to refer to a paradise since then.

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