Ancient Place Names

Aegyptus (Country) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Egypt.

Aethiopia (Country) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Ethiopia.

Afraicc (Region) Old Irish
Old Irish form of Africa.

Africa (Region) English, Italian, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Of Latin origin, possibly from the Afri people who lived near Carthage in North Africa.

Aigaios (Body of Water) Ancient Greek
Greek form of Aegean.

Aigyptos (Country) Greek, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Egypt.

Aithiopia (Country) Greek, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Ethiopia.

Alemannia (Region) Ancient Roman
Latin name for the lands where the Alemanni lived. The Alemanni were a confederation of Germanic tribes who lived around the upper Rhine River in the time of the Roman Empire.

Alexandreia (Settlement) Ancient Greek
Greek form of Alexandria.

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.

Arabia (Region) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Norwegian, Finnish, Polish
From Greek Ἀραβία (Arabia), derived from Arabic عرب (ʿArab) meaning "Arabs, Arabian people". This is the name of a large peninsula in the Middle East, also called the Arabian Peninsula.

Armenia (Country) English, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Polish, Greek, Norwegian, Finnish, Indonesian, Malay, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
From Greek Ἀρμενία (Armenia), which was from Old Persian Armina, which is itself probably of Armenian origin. This is the name of a country in the Caucasus region, called Hayastan in Armenian.

Armina (Country) Old Persian
Old Persian form of Armenia.

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]

Ashurayu (Region) Akkadian
Akkadian form of Assyria.

Asia (Region) English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek, Norwegian, Indonesian, Malay, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
Perhaps derived from Akkadian asu, meaning "east". This is the name of the world's largest continent.

Asisium (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Assisi.

Assyria (Region) English, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
From Greek Ἀσσυρία (Assyria), derived from Akkadian Ashurayu, itself from the name of the empire's capital city Ashur. This was the name of an ancient Mesopotamian kingdom and empire.

Astnide (Settlement) Old High German (Latinized)
Old German (Latinized) form of Essen.

Athenae (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Athens.

Athenai (Settlement) Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Athens.

Atlanticus (Body of Water) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Atlantic.

Atlantikos (Body of Water) Ancient Greek
Greek form of Atlantic.

Attica (Region) English, Ancient Roman
From Greek Ἀττική (Attike), derived from the name of the city of Ἀθήναι (see Athens). This is the name of the peninsula where Athens is located.

Attike (Region) Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Attica.

Aureliana (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Means "of Aurelius" in Latin. This was the name of some Roman towns and estates.

Aurelianum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Means "of Aurelianus" in Latin. This was the name of a city in Gaul (modern Orléans, France), which was renamed in honour of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Aurelian.

Babili (Settlement) Akkadian
Akkadian form of Babylon.

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.

Badalocum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Baggio.

Belgica (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Roman
Derived from the Belgae, a Celtic-Germanic confederation of tribes that inhabited northern Gaul (modern Belgium). Their name is probably derived from a Celtic root meaning "to swell with anger".

Bergomum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Bergamo.

Bharata (Country) Sanskrit, Kannada
Sanskrit and Kannada form of Bharat.

Boiohaemum (Region) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Bohemia (mentioned in Tacitus' 1st-century book Germania).

Bononia (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Bologna.

Britannia (Island) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Britain.

Caiatia (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Caiazzo.

Cale (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Possibly from Celtic gall meaning "Gaul, Celt". This was the name of an ancient town in what is now Portugal, near the modern city of Porto.

Calvianum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Caivano.

Cantium (Region) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Kent.

Carpates (Region) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Carpathians.

Ceaster (Settlement) Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Chester.

Cent (Region) Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Kent.

Cestrescir (Region) Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Cheshire.

China (Country) English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Malay, Sanskrit
From Persian چین (Chīn), probably derived via Sanskrit चीन (Cīna) from Qin, the name of a dynasty that ruled in China in the 3rd century BC. In China the name Zhongguo is used to refer to the country.

Colonia (Settlement) Ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish
Latin form of Cologne, as well as the Italian and Spanish form.

Corinthus (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Corinth.

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.

Damaskos (Settlement) Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Greek form of Damascus.

Dammeseq (Settlement) Ancient Aramaic, Biblical Hebrew
Aramaic and Hebrew form of Damascus.

Danmǫrk (Country) Old Norse
Old Norse form of Denmark.

Danowyos (River) Old Celtic (Hypothetical)
Old Celtic form of Danube.

Danubius (River) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Danube.

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.

Delphoi (Settlement) Ancient Greek
Greek form of Delphi.

Dilli (Settlement) Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Sanskrit
Form of Delhi used in several Indian languages.

Dōnawjaz (River) Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Germanic form of Danube.

Dunajĭ (River) Old Slavic (Hypothetical)
Slavic form of Danube.

Eboracum (Settlement) Old Celtic (Latinized)
Latinized form of York.

Emerita Augusta (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Mérida.

Englaland (Country) Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of England.

Ériu (Country & Island) Old Irish
Old Irish form of Éire.

Erythra (Body of Water) Ancient Greek
From Greek ἐρυθρός (erythros) meaning "red". This was the Greek name for the Red Sea (the English name is a translation from the Greek).

Esharra (Other) Ancient Assyrian
From Sumerian 𒂍 (e) meaning "temple, house" and 𒊹 (shar) meaning "totality, world". This was the name of the main temple dedicated to the god Ashur in the city of Ashur.

Euphrates (River) English, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
From Greek Εὐφράτης (Euphrates), the name of a river in Mesopotamia. It is derived from Old Persian 𐎢𐎳𐎼𐎠𐎬𐎢 (Ufratu), itself from Elamite or Sumerian, of uncertain meaning.

Euripos (Body of Water) Ancient Greek
Possibly from Greek εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ῥιπή (rhipe) meaning "throw, swing". This was the name of the strait between Euboea and Boeotia.

Euripus (Body of Water) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Euripos.

Europa (Region) Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Galician, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Croatian, Kazakh, Ancient Roman
Form of Europe in several languages.

Europe (Region) English, French, Ancient Greek
From Greek Εὐρώπη (see Europa). The name of the mythological princess is from that of the continent.

Finnland (Country) Old Norse, German
Old Norse and German form of Finland.

Forum Iulii (Settlement & Region) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Friuli, the name of both the region and the town.

Galatia (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English
From the Greek word for the Gaulish people Γαλάτης (Galates), probably a cognate of Latin Gallus (see Gallia). This was the Greek name for the region of Gaul. It was also used to refer to a region in Anatolia (modern Turkey) where Gauls settled in the 3rd century BC.... [more]

Galil (Region) Hebrew, Ancient Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Galilee.

Galilaea (Region) Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin
Latin form of Galilee.

Galilaia (Region) Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Greek form of Galilee.

Gallaecia (Region) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Galicia 1.

Gallia (Region, Political Subdivision & Country) Ancient Roman, Italian, Greek
Latin 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, Lithuanian
Form of Ganges in several languages.

Ganges (River) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English, German, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese
From Ancient Greek Γάγγης (Ganges), derived from Sanskrit गङ्गा (Gaṅgā), derived from गम् (gam) meaning "to go". This is the name of a river in South Asia that flows through India and Bangladesh.

Genua (Settlement) Ancient Roman, German, Dutch
Latin, German and Dutch form of Genoa.

Germania (Region & Country) Ancient Roman, Italian, Greek, Romanian, Georgian
Latin, Italian, Greek, Romanian and Georgian form of Germany.

Graecia (Country) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Greece.

Hellada (Country) Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Ellada.

Hispania (Country) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Spain, referring originally to the entire Iberian Peninsula.

Hut-Ka-Ptah (Other) Ancient Egyptian (Hypothetical)
Ancient Egyptian name (reconstructed) of the temple of Ptah in Memphis (see Egypt).

Ilion (Settlement) Ancient Greek
Greek form of Ilium.

Ilium (Settlement) Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From Greek Ἴλιον (Ilion), probably of Luwian or Hittite origin. This was another name for the ancient city of Troy.

India (Country) English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Estonian, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Greek, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Tagalog, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
Derived from the name of the Indus River. In many languages of India, the name Bharat is used to refer to the country. However, some southern Indian languages use spellings based on English India.

Indos (River) Ancient Greek
Greek form of Indus.

Indus (River) English, Ancient Roman
From Old Persian Hindus, which was from Sanskrit सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river". This is the name of a river in Pakistan and India.

Ioudaia (Region) Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Greek
Greek form of Judah.

Isin (Settlement) Sumerian
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a city-state in Mesopotamia, originally Sumerian.

Italia (Country) Italian, Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Norwegian, Finnish, Georgian, Indonesian, Ancient Roman
Italian and Latin form of Italy, as well as the form in several other languages.

Ithake (Island) Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek form of Ithaca.

Iudaea (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin
Latin form of Judea.

Kailasha (Mountain) Sanskrit
Sanskrit form of Kailash.

Kashi (Settlement) Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit
From Sanskrit काशि (kāśi) meaning "shining". This is the name of a holy city in India, also called Varanasi.

Kemet (Region) Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian km meaning "black", referring to the colour of the soil around the Nile River. This was the Ancient Egyptian name for the Nile Valley in Egypt.

Korinthos (Settlement) Ancient Greek, Greek
Greek form of Corinth.

Kypros (Island & Country) Greek, Norwegian, Ancient Greek
Greek and Norwegian form of Cyprus.

Lauretum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Loreto.

Libya (Country & Region) Berber, English, Norwegian, Finnish, Turkish, Hausa, Swahili, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Ancient Roman
From Λιβύη (Libye), the Ancient Greek name for North Africa. It was derived from the Berber tribe of the Libu, attested as rbw in Ancient Egyptian. This name was revived in 1934 when the Italian colonies of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were merged, carrying forward when the country gained independence in 1951. It is called ليبيا (Lībiyā) in Arabic.

Libye (Country & Region) French, Czech, Ancient Greek
French and Czech form of Libya, as well as the Ancient Greek transcription.

Londinium (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of London.

Lucilinburhuc (Settlement) Old High German
Old High German form of Luxembourg.

Lugdunum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Lyon.

Lugodunon (Settlement) Gaulish
Gaulish form of Lyon.

Luguvalium (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Older Roman name of Carlisle.

Lydia (Region) Ancient Greek, English
An ancient region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king Lydos.

Macedonia (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek (Latinized), English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Polish
Derived from Greek Μακεδονία (Makedonia), the name of an ancient kingdom and region that was named after the ancient Macedonian people. Their name was derived from Greek μακεδνός (makednos) meaning "tall, thin", which was descriptive of the people or perhaps of where they lived in the highlands.... [more]

Makedonia (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek, Greek, Norwegian, Finnish
Greek, Norwegian and Finnish form of Macedonia.

Mana (Island) Old Irish
Old Irish form of Man.

Mediolanum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Milan.

Mehxico (Country & Settlement) Aztec
Nahuatl form of Mexico.

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.

Messana (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Earlier Latin form of Messina.

Messene (Settlement) Ancient Greek
Meaning unknown. This was the name of an ancient Greek city on the Peloponnese.

Misri (Country) Akkadian
Akkadian cognate of Misr, referring to ancient Egypt.

Moridunum (Settlement) Brythonic (Latinized)
From Brythonic *mori "sea" and *dūnom "rampart, hill fort". This was the name of a Roman-era fort in southern Wales. It is now known as Caerfyrddin.

Natzrat (Settlement) Ancient Hebrew, Hebrew
Hebrew form of Nazareth.

Nazaret (Settlement) Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Czech, Greek, Armenian, Croatian, Serbian, Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Form of Nazareth in various languages.

Neapolis (Settlement) Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
Greek and Latin form of Naples.

Neilos (River) Ancient Greek
Greek form of Nile.

Nepal (Country) Nepali, Hindi, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Greek, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Indonesian, Malay, Sanskrit
From Sanskrit नेपाल (Nepāl), of unknown meaning. This is the name of a landlocked country in south Asia.

Nilus (River) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Nile.

Nineue (Settlement) Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Biblical Greek form of Nineveh.

Ninua (Settlement) Akkadian
Akkadian form of Nineveh.

Norðvegr (Country) Old Norse
Old Norse cognate of Norway.

Norþweg (Country) Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Norway.

Odessos (Settlement) Ancient Greek
Meaning uncertain. This was the name of an ancient Greek city located on the west coast of the Black Sea, at the site of present-day Varna, Bulgaria.

Olympos (Mountain) Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology, Greek
Meaning unknown. This is the name of the highest mountain in Greece. According to legend is the home of the Greek gods.

Ostarrihhi (Country) Old High German
Old High German form of Austria.

Palaestina (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Palestine. There was a Roman province named Syria Palaestina after the 2nd century.

Palaistine (Region) Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Palestine.

Parsa (Country) Old Persian
Old Persian form of Persia.

Patavium (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Padua.

Persia (Country) Ancient Roman, English, Spanish, Italian
Latin form of Greek Περσίς (Persis), from Old Persian Parsa. This is the name used in the West for a region in western Asia, as well as several empires that were based there, including the Achaemenid Empire, Parthian Empire, and Sasanian Empire. This was the Western name for the country of Iran until 1935, when the king requested that the native name Iran be used instead.

Persis (Country) Ancient Greek
Greek form of Persia.

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.

Philadelpheia (Settlement) Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Greek form of Philadelphia.

Pisaurum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Pesaro.

Portus Cale (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Means "port of Cale" in Latin. This was the name of the city now known as Porto. The name of the city was later applied to the entire region of Portugal.

Purattu (River) Akkadian
Akkadian form of Euphrates.

Renos (River) Gaulish
Gaulish form of Rhine.

Rhenus (River) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Gaulish Renos (see Rhine).

Rin (River) Spanish, Catalan, Romanian, Anglo-Saxon, Old High German, Old Dutch
Spanish, Catalan and Romanian form of Rhine. This is also the Old English, Old High German and Old Dutch form.

Rīnaz (River) Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Germanic form of Gaulish Renos (see Rhine).

Roma (Settlement) Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Latinate form of Rome.

Romania (Country & Region) English, Italian, Ancient Roman
From Latin meaning "land of the Romans" (see Rome). This is the name of a country in Eastern Europe, so named in the 16th century because of its historic and linguistic connections to the Roman Empire.... [more]

Sicilia (Island & Political Subdivision) Italian, Spanish, Ancient Roman
Latinate form of Sicily.

Sikelia (Island & Political Subdivision) Greek, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Sicily.

Silesia (Region) English, Spanish, Ancient Roman
From Mount Ślęża or the River Ślęza. This is the name of a historical region in southern Poland, with portions in the Czech Republic and Germany.

Sinainn (River) Old Irish
Old Irish form of Shannon.

Sindhu (River) Sanskrit
Sanskrit form of Indus.

Sinhala (Island) Sanskrit
Sanskrit form of Ceylon.

Sinhapura (Settlement & Island) Sanskrit
Sanskrit form of Singapore.

Syria (Country & Region) English, Polish, Norwegian, Greek, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
From Greek Συρία (Syria), which was probably a variant of Assyria, used in an expanded sense to refer to the northern Levant. This was the name of a province of the Roman Empire. It is now the name of a country in western Asia, having gained independence from the Ottoman Empire early in the 20th century.

Troia (Settlement) Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Greek form of Troy.

Tuonouwa (River) Old High German
Old High German form of Danube.

Ufratu (River) Old Persian
Old Persian form of Euphrates.

Urartu (Region) Akkadian, Armenian, English
From Akkadian 𒆳𒌨𒌒𒂅 (Urartu), meaning unknown, possibly of Old Armenian origin. This was the name of an ancient kingdom that existed between the 9th and 6th centuries BC in eastern Anatolia (modern Armenia and Turkey).

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.

Valentia (Settlement & Region) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Valencia.

Vanga (Region) Sanskrit
An ancient kingdom located in what is now eastern India and Bangladesh. Its meaning is uncertain.

Venetia (Region & Settlement) Ancient Roman, Late Roman, Greek
From the name of the Veneti people who inhabited northeastern Italy in ancient times. Their tribal name possibly meant something like "kinfolk" or "friendly". This was the Latin name for the region now called Veneto, and later the Latin name for the city of Venice (which did not exist in the classical period).

Venkata (Mountain) Hindi, Sanskrit
Possibly means "self-born" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a sacred hill in southern India.

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.

Vindobona (Settlement) Ancient Roman
From Celtic windos "white" and bona "foundation, fort". This was a Roman military town on the site of the Austrian city of Vienna.

Wealas (Region) Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Wales.

Yamuna (River) Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit
Name of an Indian river, a major tributary of the Ganges, derived from Sanskrit यम (yama) meaning "twin".

Yerushalayim (Settlement) Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew, Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jerusalem.