Ancient Roman Place Names

These names were used in ancient Rome and many parts of the Roman Empire. See also about Roman names.
type
usage
Aegyptus (Country) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Egypt.
Aethiopia (Country) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Ethiopia.
Africa (Region) English, Italian, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Of Latin origin, possibly from the Afri people who lived near Carthage in North Africa.
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.
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 ('arab) 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.
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.
Athenae (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Athens.
Atlanticus (Body of Water) Ancient Roman
Latin 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Emerita Augusta (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Mérida.
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.
Euripus (Body of Water) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Euripos.
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]
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]
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.
Hispania (Country) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Spain, referring originally to the entire Iberian Peninsula.
India (Country) English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Estonian, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Greek, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Filipino, 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.
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.
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.
Lauretum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Loreto.
Londinium (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of London.
Lugdunum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Lyon.
Luguvalium (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Older Roman name of Carlisle.
Mediolanum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Milan.
Messana (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Earlier Latin form of Messina.
Neapolis (Settlement) Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek
Greek and Latin form of Naples.
Nilus (River) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Nile.
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 also the Western name for the country of Iran until 1935, when the king requested that the native name Iran be used instead.
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.
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]
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.
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.
Valentia (Settlement & Region) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Valencia.
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).
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.