Belgian Place Names

Belgian names are used in the country of Belgium in western Europe.
type
usage
Aalst (Settlement) Dutch
Possibly from Germanic *alhs meaning "temple, shelter". This is the name of various towns in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Aarle (Settlement) Dutch
Meaning unknown. This is the name of various towns in the Netherlands.
Achthoven (Settlement) Dutch
Means "eight farmsteads" in Dutch. This is the name of various towns in the Netherlands.
Adrichem (Settlement) Dutch
Means "Adrik's home". This was the name of an estate and castle (demolished in 1812) that was formerly in North Holland, the Netherlands.
Afghanistan (Country) Pashto, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Malay
From Pashto افغانستان (Afghānistān), from the Persian ethnic name افغان (Afghān) meaning "Afghan, Pashtun" combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stān) meaning "land of". This is the name of a country in central Asia.
Afrique (Region) French
French form of Africa.
Albanie (Country) French
French form of Albania.
Alger (Settlement) French, Romanian
French and Romanian form of Algiers.
Algérie (Country) French
French form of Algeria.
Algerije (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Algeria.
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.
Allemagne (Country) French
French form of Alemannia, used as the French name of Germany.
Altena (Settlement) Dutch
Possibly means "close, near" in Dutch. This is the name of a town in the Netherlands.
Amazonas (River & Political Subdivision) Portuguese, Spanish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Slovak
Portuguese, Spanish and German form of Amazon (the river). This is also the name of states and departments within Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. Other languages such as English and French have different names for the river but use Amazonas to refer to the regions.
Amazone (River) French, Dutch
French and Dutch form of Amazon, referring to the river.
Amérique (Region & Country) French
French form of America.
Amersfoort (Settlement) Dutch
Means "ford of the Amer (Eem) River" in Dutch. This is the name of a city in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Amstel (River) Dutch
Means "water place" in Dutch. This is the name of a river in the Netherlands, which lent its name to Amsterdam.
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.
Andel (Settlement) Dutch
Possibly means "upper forest" in Old Dutch. This is the name of a town in North Brabant in the Netherlands.
Angleterre (Country) French
French form of Anglae Terra, used as the French name of England.
Angola (Country) Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Turkish, Georgian, Armenian, Indonesian, Malay
Portuguese form of Ngola, the royal title of the kings of Ndongo, an African kingdom that was conquered by the Portuguese in the 17th-century. It was a Portuguese colony until 1975, when it became an independent country.
Antarctica (Region) English, Dutch, Romanian, Late Roman
From the Greek prefix ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, opposed to" and the adjective ἀρκτικός (arktikos) meaning "north" (referring to the northerly position of the Great Bear constellation). This is the name of the earth's southernmost continent.
Antarctique (Region) French
French form of Antarctica.
Antwerpen (Settlement) Dutch, German, Luxembourgish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian, Bosnian
Dutch form of Antwerp, as well as the form in several other languages.
Anvers (Settlement) French
French form of Antwerp.
Apeldoorn (Settlement) Dutch
Means "apple tree" in Dutch. This is the name of a city in the Netherlands.
Arabie (Region) French
French form of Arabia.
Arabië (Region) Dutch
Dutch form of Arabia.
Arabie Saoudite (Country) French
French form of Saudi Arabia.
Arendonk (Settlement) Dutch
Derived from Dutch arend "eagle" and donk "hill". This is the name of a city in northern Belgium.
Argentine (Country) French
French form of Argentina.
Argentinië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Argentina.
Arménie (Country) French, Czech
French and Czech form of Armenia.
Armenië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Armenia.
Asch (Settlement) Dutch
From Old Dutch ask meaning "ash tree". This is the name of a town in the Netherlands.
Asie (Region) French, Czech
French and Czech form of Asia.
Assendorp (Settlement) Dutch
From Dutch es meaning "ash tree" (plural essen) and dorp meaning "village". This is the name of a city in the Netherlands.
Assise (Settlement) French
French form of Assisi.
Assyrie (Region) French
French form of Assyria.
Athene (Settlement) Dutch, Afrikaans
Dutch and Afrikaans form of Athens.
Athènes (Settlement) French
French form of Athens.
Aubigny (Settlement) French
From the Gallo-Roman given name Albinus. This is the name of several French communes.
Australie (Region & Country) French
French form of Australia.
Australië (Region & Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Australia.
Autriche (Country) French
French form of Austria.
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.
Babylone (Settlement) French
French form of Babylon.
Bahreïn (Country & Island) French
French form of Bahrain.
Bahrein (Country & Island) Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Estonian
Form of Bahrain in several languages.
Bangladesh (Country) Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Bulgarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Mongolian, Armenian, Hebrew, Persian, Indonesian, Malay
From Bengali বাংলাদেশ (Bānglādesh) meaning "country of the Bengali people", from the name of the Bengali people বাংলা (Bānglā) combined with দেশ (desh) "country, state". The ethnic name is derived from that of the ancient kingdom of Vanga. This is the name of a country in south Asia.
Beers (Settlement) Dutch
Possibly from Dutch baar meaning "bar". This is the name of a town in the Netherlands (plus a smaller one in Frisia).
Bélarus (Country) French
French form of Belarus.
België (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Belgium.
Belgique (Country) French
French form of Belgium.
Belize (Country & River) English, Italian, Portuguese, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Turkish, Indonesian, Malay
From Spanish Belice, earlier Balis, from the name of the Belize River, which may itself be from Mayan beliz meaning "muddy water". This is the name of a country on the Atlantic coast of Central America.
Bénin (Settlement, Body of Water & Country) French
French form of Benin.
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).
Berlijn (Settlement) Dutch
Dutch form of Berlin.
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".
Bethléem (Settlement) French
French form of Bethlehem.
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.
Birmanie (Country) French
French form of Burma.
Bohême (Region) French
French form of Bohemia.
Bohon (Settlement) French
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a town in Manche, France.
Bolivia (Country) Spanish, English, Italian, Dutch, Georgian, Indonesian, Malay
From the surname Bolívar, in honour of the revolutionary Simón Bolívar. This is the name of a country in South America.
Bolivie (Country) French
French form of Bolivia.
Bologne (Settlement) French
French form of Bologna.
Bombay (Settlement) French, Spanish, English (Rare)
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.
Bornéo (Island) French
French form of Borneo.
Borneo (Island) Malay, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese (Archaic)
From a European (probably Portuguese) rendering of the name of the Sultanate of Brunei. This is an island in southeastern Asia divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. It is called Kalimantan in Indonesian.
Botswana (Country) Tswana, English, Shona, German, French, Italian, Catalan, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian
Means "place of the Tswana people" in the Tswana language, from the locative prefix bo- combined with the name of Tswana people, itself of uncertain origin, possibly from tswa "to go out" or tshwana "to resemble". This is the name of a country in the south of Africa. During the British colonial period the region was called Bechuanaland, which was more accurately rendered as Botswana when the country achieved independence in 1966.
Brazilië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Brazil.
Brésil (Country) French
French form of Brazil.
Bretagne (Region & Island) French, German, Dutch
French form of Britannia (see Britain). In French this typically refers to the region known as Brittany, while Great Britain is called Grande-Bretagne.
Brittannië (Island) Dutch
Dutch form of Britain.
Brunéi (Country) Spanish, Javanese, Sundanese, French
Spanish, Javanese and Sundanese form of Brunei, as well as a French variant.
Brunei (Country) Malay, Indonesian, English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Albanian, Georgian, Turkish, Hindi, Tagalog
Possibly 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]
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.
Bulgarie (Country) French
French form of Bulgaria.
Bulgarije (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Bulgaria.
Buren (Settlement) Dutch
From Old Dutch bur "house, dwelling". This is a small town on the island of Ameland in the north of the Netherlands, as well as a small city in Gelderland.
Californie (Political Subdivision) French
French form of California.
Cameroun (Country) French, Danish
French and Danish form of Cameroon.
Canaan (Region) English, French, Biblical
From Hebrew ךְּנַעַן (Kenaʿan), possibly from a root meaning "low, humble". This was the name of an ancient region, the home of the biblical Canaanites, in what is now Palestine and Israel.
Canada (Country) English, French, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
Derived 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.
Castille (Region) French
French form of Castile.
Catalogne (Region & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Catalonia.
Chécagou (Settlement) French (Archaic)
Older French form of Chicago.
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]
Chili (Country) French, Dutch, Afrikaans, Greek, Russian, Bulgarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, Mongolian, Indonesian, Thai
Form of Chile in several languages.
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.
Chine (Country) French
French form of Chin.
Chypre (Island & Country) French
French form of Cyprus.
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.
Colombie (Country & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Colombia and sometimes of Columbia (for example Colombie-Britannique for British Columbia).
Comoren (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Comoros.
Comores (Country) French, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan
French, Portuguese, Spanish and Catalan form of Comoros.
Congo (River & Country) English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Danish
From Kongo, of uncertain origin, the name of a kingdom in central Africa that existed from the 14th to 19th century. The Congo River (also called the Zaire River) was named after the kingdom. Belgian and French colonies were established in the 19th century, named after the river, which eventually led to two African countries, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) and the Republic of the Congo.
Corée (Country) French
French form of Korea.
Corinthe (Settlement) French
French form of Corinth.
Courtenay (Settlement) French
From the Gallo-Roman given name Curtenus, derived from Latin curtus "short". This is the name of a few French communes.
Cracovie (Settlement) French
French form of Kraków.
Croatie (Country) French
French form of Croatia.
Cuinchy (Settlement) French
From older Quintiacum, derived from the personal name Quintus plus the local suffix -acum. This is the name of a village in France.
Cyprus (Island & Country) English, Dutch
From 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.
Damas (Settlement) French
French form of Damascus.
Danemark (Country) French
French form of Denmark.
Danube (River) English, French
From 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.
Denemarken (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Denmark.
Donau (River) German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
German form of Danube, also used in several other languages.
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.
Dubaï (Settlement & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Dubai.
Duitsland (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Deutschland.
Écosse (Country) French
French form of Scotland.
Égée (Body of Water) French
French form of Aegean.
Égypte (Country) French
French form of Aegyptus (see Egypt).
Egypte (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Aegyptus (see Egypt).
Engeland (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of England.
Espagne (Country) French
French form of Hispania (see Spain).
Estland (Country) German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish form of Estonia.
États-Unis (Country) French
French calque of United States, written with the definite article les.
Éthiopie (Country) French
French form of Aethiopia (see Ethiopia).
Ethiopië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Aethiopia (see Ethiopia).
Eurasie (Region) French, Czech
French and Czech form of Eurasia.
Europe (Region) English, French, Ancient Greek
From Greek Εὐρώπη (see Europa). The name of the mythological princess is from that of the continent.
Fidji (Country) French
French form of Fiji.
Finland (Country) English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Malay
From Old Norse Finnr, which referred to the Finn and Sami peoples, combined with land. This is the name of a country in Northern Europe, called Suomi in Finnish.
Finlande (Country) French
French form of Finnland (see Finland).
Flandre (Region) French
French form of Flanders.
Fleury (Settlement) French
From the Gallo-Roman given name Florus. This is the name of several French communes.
Floride (Political Subdivision) French
French form of Florida.
France (Country) French, English
From 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.
Franken (Region) German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
German form of Franconia.
Frankrijk (Country) Dutch
Dutch cognate of Frankreich. This is the Dutch name for France.
Friesland (Region) Dutch
Dutch form of Frisia (using the suffix land).
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, Malay
Derived 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.
Galice (Region) French
French form of Galicia 1.
Galicie (Region) French
French form of Galicia 2.
Galles (Country) French, Italian
French and Italian form of Wales.
Gange (River) French, Italian, Romanian
French, Italian and Romanian form of Ganges.
Gaule (Region) French
French form of Gaul.
Gênes (Settlement) French
French form of Genoa.
Genua (Settlement) Ancient Roman, German, Dutch
Latin, German and Dutch form of Genoa.
Georgia 2 (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch
From the given name George, named in honour of the British king George II. This was the name of an American colony, later a state.
Géorgie (Country & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Georgia 1 or Georgia 2.
Georgië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Georgia 1.
Ghana (Country) English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Arabic, Indonesian, Malay
From the name of the Ghana Empire, which was located in the southwestern Sahara and existed up to the 13th century. Ghana, meaning "warrior" in Mande, was actually the title of the rulers, while the empire itself was more properly known as Awkar. In 1957 this was adopted as the name of the newly independent country of Ghana, formerly the British colony Gold Coast, despite the fact that the country lies outside the empire's territory.
Grainville (Settlement) French
Means "Guarin's town" in Old French. This is the name of various towns in Normandy.
Grèce (Country) French
French form of Graecia (see Greece).
Griekenland (Country) Dutch
From Dutch Griek "Greek" and land. This is the Dutch name for Greece.
Guatemala (Country) Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Turkish
From Nahuatl Cuauhtemallan meaning "place of the woodpile". This is the name of a country in Central America.
Guinée (Region, Country & Island) French
French form of Guinea.
Guinee (Region, Country & Island) Dutch
Dutch form of Guinea.
Haanrade (Settlement) Dutch
From Dutch haan "rooster" and raad "advice". This is the name of a small village in the south of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.
Hofwegen (Settlement) Dutch
From Dutch hof meaning "yard, court" and weg meaning "way, path, road". This is the name of a town in the Netherlands.
Holland 1 (Political Subdivision & Country) Dutch, English, German, Danish, Icelandic
From Old Dutch holt "forest" and lant "land". This is the name of two provinces (North and South Holland) in the Netherlands. It is sometimes informally used to refer to the entire country of the Netherlands.
Hollande (Political Subdivision & Country) French
French form of Holland 1, referring to the provinces and sometimes the entire country.
Holstein (Political Subdivision & Region) German, English, Dutch
From the name of a Saxon tribe, derived from Old Saxon holt meaning "wood" and the suffix -setio meaning "inhabitant". This is the name of a historical region in Germany, near the Danish border. It forms part of the name of the modern German state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Hongarije (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Hungary.
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 (hoeng) meaning "fragrant" and (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, Khmer
Form of Hong Kong used in various languages.
Hongrie (Country) French
French form of Hungary.
Ierland (Country & Island) Dutch
Dutch form of Ireland.
Inde (Country) French
French form of India.
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.
Indonésie (Country) French, Czech
French and Czech form of Indonesia.
Indonesië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Indonesia.
Iran (Country) Persian, Arabic, English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek, Hebrew, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Urdu, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Burmese, Thai, Tagalog, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian
Derived from Middle Persian Eran, related to Old Iranian Arya meaning "Iranian, Aryan". This is the name of a country in western Asia, formerly called Persia in the West.
Irlande (Country & Island) French
French form of Ireland.
Israël (Country) Dutch, French
Dutch and French form of Israel.
Italie (Country) French
French form of Italia (see Italy).
Italië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Italia (see Italy).
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.
Japan (Country) English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Hindi, Burmese
From Portuguese Japão, which was derived from a Malay form of Riben, the Chinese reading of Nippon.
Japon (Country) French
French form of Japão (see Japan).
Jérusalem (Settlement) French
French form of Jerusalem.
Jeruzalem (Settlement) Dutch, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian
Dutch, Slovak, Slovene and Croatian form of Jerusalem.
Jordaan (River) Dutch
Dutch form of Jordan (the river).
Jordanie (Country) French
French form of Jordan (the country).
Jordanië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Jordan (the country).
Jourdain (River) French
French form of Jordan (the river).
Kameroen (Country) Dutch, Afrikaans
Dutch and Afrikaans form of Cameroon.
Kanne (Settlement) Dutch
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a town in the province of Limburg in Belgium.
Kazachstan (Country) Dutch, Polish, Slovak
Dutch, Polish and Slovak form of Kazakh Қазақстан (see Kazakhstan).
Kazakhstan (Country) English, Russian, Ukrainian, French
From Kazakh Қазақстан (Qazaqstan), from the ethnic name қазақ (qazaq), which is probably of Turkic origin, combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stān) meaning "land of". This is the name of a country in central Asia.
Kenia (Country & Mountain) German, Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Polish, Italian
Form of Kenya in several languages, as well as an Italian variant.
Kenya (Country & Mountain) English, Kikuyu, Swahili, French, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Greek, Turkish
The country is named for Mount Kenya, which in the Kikuyu language is called Kĩrĩnyaga meaning "the one having stripes".
Kirghizistan (Country) French, Italian
French and Italian form of Kyrgyzstan.
Kirghizstan (Country) French
Variant form of Kirghizistan.
Korea (Country) English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Greek, Georgian, Armenian, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog
From medieval Latin Corea, itself derived from Goryeo, the name of a kingdom that ruled most of the Korean Peninsula from the 10th to 14th centuries. This is the name of two countries, North and South Korea. Hanguk and Joseon are the Korean names for the countries.
Krakau (Settlement) German, Dutch
German and Dutch form of Kraków.
Kroatië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Croatia.
Kurdistan (Region) Kurdish, Arabic, English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Russian
From Kurdish کوردستان (Kurdistan), from the Persian ethnic name کرد (Kord) meaning "Kurd" combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stān) meaning "land of". This is the name of the region in the midst of Iran, Iraq and Turkey that is primarily inhabited by the Kurdish people.
Laos (Country) French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen, Greek, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Hebrew, Hindi, Nepali, Malay, Indonesian, Tagalog
The name of a country in southeastern Asia, derived from the Lao people, the majority ethnic group. Their name may be derived from an Austroasiatic root meaning "human". The name Laos was originally applied to the region by France, who established it as a colony in 1893. It achieved independence in 1953.
Lassy (Settlement) French
Derived from Lascius, a Gallo-Roman name of unknown meaning. This is the name of a commune in Calvados, France.
Libéria (Country) French, Portuguese, Hungarian, Slovak
French, Portuguese, Hungarian and Slovak form of Liberia.
Liberia (Country) English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Spanish, Polish
Derived from Latin liber meaning "free". This was the name of a colony established in West Africa by free African Americans in the 1820s. It declared its independence in 1847, and was one of only two independent countries in Africa in the early 20th century (along with Ethiopia).
Libië (Country) Dutch, Afrikaans
Dutch and Afrikaans form of Libya.
Libye (Country & Region) French, Czech, Ancient Greek
French and Czech form of Libya, as well as the Ancient Greek transcription.
Litouwen (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Lithuania.
Lituanie (Country) French
French form of Lithuania.
Livet (Settlement) French
Possibly of Gaulish origin. This is the name of several communes in France (especially Normandy).
Londen (Settlement) Dutch
Dutch form of London.
Londres (Settlement) French, Spanish, Portuguese
French, Spanish and Portuguese form of London.
Lorette (Settlement) French
French form of Loreto.
Lorraine (Political Subdivision) French, English
Ultimately from Latin Lothari regnum meaning "kingdom of Lothar". Lothar was a Frankish king, the great-grandson of Charlemagne, whose realm was in the part of France now called Lorraine, or in German Lothringen.
Louisiane (Region & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Louisiana.
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]
Luxemburg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) German, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Romanian, Catalan, Hungarian, Slovak
Form of Luxembourg used in several languages. In Hungarian this is the name of the country only (Luxembourg is the city), while in Slovak this is the name of the city only (Luxembursko is the country).
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.
Macédoine (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Macedonia.
Macedonië (Region, Country & Political Subdivision) Dutch
Dutch form of Macedonia.
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.
Malaisie (Country) French
French form of Malaysia.
Malawi (Country) Chewa, English, Swahili, French, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Turkmen, Arabic
Possibly from Chewa malawi meaning "flame, fire". This is the name of a landlocked country in the south of Africa. It was renamed from Nyasaland when the country gained independence from Britain in 1964. Hastings Banda, the country's first president and the man who chose the name, claimed to have seen it on an old map in the form Maravi, referring to a lake.
Maleisië (Country) Dutch, Afrikaans
Dutch and Afrikaans form of Malaysia.
Mali (Country) Manding, Fula, Arabic, French, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, English, German, Dutch, Afrikaans, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Hungarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Greek, Hebrew, Armenian, Georgian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Persian, Urdu, Sinhalese, Hindi, Chinese, Mongolian, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog
A landlocked country in West Africa, named after an empire that lasted until the 17th century. The empire's name is possibly from a dialectal variant of the name of the Mande peoples. Alternatively, it could be from the name of the empire's capital (which has not been located) or from a Mande word meaning "hippopotamus".
Malleville (Settlement) French
Means "bad town" in Norman French. This is the name of communes in Normandy, France.
Marches (Political Subdivision) French
French form of Marche.
Maroc (Country) French, Vietnamese
French and Vietnamese form of Morocco.
Marokko (Country) German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Mongolian
Form of Morocco in several languages.
Marrakech (Settlement) French, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Croatian
French, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Croatian form of Arabic مرّاكش (see Marrakesh).
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.
Massy (Settlement) French
Derived from Maccius, a Gallo-Roman name of unknown meaning. This is the name of several communes in France.
Maylis (Settlement) French
Meaning uncertain, though said to derive from Occitan mair "mother" and French lys "lily". This is the name of a commune in southern France.
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.
Médine (Settlement) French
French form of Medina.
Meissen (Settlement) German, English, French
Form of Meißen.
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.
Mexique (Country) French
French form of Mexico (referring only to the country, not the capital city).
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.
Mongolie (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) French
French form of Mongolia.
Mongolië (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Dutch
Dutch form of Mongolia.
Montgomery (Settlement) French
Means "Gumarich's mountain" in Norman French. This is the name of communes in Calvados, France.
Moscou (Settlement & River) French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Catalan
French, Brazilian Portuguese and Catalan form of Moscow. In Portuguese it refers to both the city and the river, while in French and Catalan it only refers to the city.
Moskova (River & Settlement) French, Finnish, Turkish
French form of Moskva (the river), Finnish form of Moscow (the city), and Turkish form of both the city and the river.
Mozambique (Island & Country) English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Danish
From 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.
Myanmar (Country) English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, French, Czech, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Turkish, Hindi
From Burmese မြန်မာ (Myanma), the name of the main Burmese ethnic group (also called the Bamar), which is of unknown origin. This is the name of a country in southeastern Asia. It was formerly called Burma, derived from a variant of this term.
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.
Namibie (Country) Czech, French
Czech and French form of Namibia.
Namibië (Country) Dutch, Afrikaans
Dutch and Afrikaans form of Namibia.
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.
Nederland (Country) Dutch, Norwegian
Dutch and Norwegian cognate of Netherlands.
Népal (Country) French
French form of Nepal.
Neuville (Settlement) French
Means "new town" in French. This is the name of various towns in France.
Niftrik (Settlement) Dutch
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a town in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.
Niger (River & Country) English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Croatian, Serbian, Late Roman
Meaning unknown, possibly of Berber origin, though influenced by Latin niger "black". This is the name of a river in West Africa (and a country that is named after it).
Nigeria (Country) English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Albanian, Georgian
From the name of the Niger River, applied in the 19th century to the British colonial territory in West Africa. It continued to be used after the territory became an independent country in 1960.
Nijl (River) Dutch
Dutch form of Nile.
Nil (River) Arabic, French, German, Luxembourgish, Catalan, Czech, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish, Azerbaijani
Form of Nile in various languages. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article: النيل (al-Nīl).
Ninive (Settlement) French, Italian, German
French, Italian and German form of Nineveh.
Noorwegen (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Norway.
Norvège (Country) French
French form of Norway.
Oeganda (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Uganda.
Oekraïne (Country) Dutch, Afrikaans
Dutch and Afrikaans form of Ukraine.
Oezbekistan (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Uzbek Ўзбекистон (see Uzbekistan).
Oirschot (Settlement) Dutch
Possibly from Dutch oeros meaning "aurochs" and schoot meaning "projection (of land)". This is the name of a town in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands.
Olympus (Mountain) English, Dutch, Greek Mythology
Latinized form of Olympos.
Oman (Country) English, French, Italian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Mongolian, Hindi, Bengali, Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Korean, Tagalog
From Arabic عمان (ʿUmān), probably from the name of an ancient town called Omana by the Roman author Pliny the Elder in the 1st century. It can probably be identified with the modern city of Suhar, and is from an Arabic root meaning "to settle, to remain, to dwell". This is the name of a country on the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula.
Oostenrijk (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Austria.
Orléans (Settlement) French
French form of Aurelianum, the name of a city in central France. The city in Louisiana, La Nouvelle-Orléans or New Orleans, was named after Philippe II, the Duke of Orléans.
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.
Ouganda (Country) French
French form of Uganda.
Ouzbékistan (Country) French
French form of Uzbekistan.
Padoue (Settlement) French
French form of Padua.
Padua (Settlement) English, German, Spanish, Dutch
From Italian Padova, Latin Patavium, of unknown meaning. This is the name of a city in northern Italy.
Pakistan (Country) Urdu, Punjabi, English, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Slovak, Russian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian
From Persian پاک (pāk) meaning "pure" and the suffix ستان (stān) meaning "land of". The name was coined in 1933 by the Pakistani nationalist Choudhry Rahmat Ali who justified it as an acronym of Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir and Sindh, plus the final three letters of Baluchistan.
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.
Pangea (Region) Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Polish, English
Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Polish form of Pangaea, as well as an English variant.
Pangée (Region) French
French form of Pangaea.
Paraguay (Country, River & Settlement) Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, Guarani
The name of a landlocked country in South America. It is derived from a river of the same name, of uncertain meaning. It possibly means "water from the sea" in Guaraní, from para "sea", gua "from" and y "water". In Guaraní Paraguái is the name of the country and the river, with Paraguay the name of the capital city Asunción.
Parijs (Settlement) Dutch
Dutch form of Paris.
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.
Pays-Bas (Country) French
From French pays "country, land" and bas "low". This is the French name for the Netherlands (for which it is also a translation).
Pékin (Settlement) French
French form of Beijing.
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.
Pérou (Country) French
French form of Peru.
Perse (Country) French
French form of Persia.
Peru (Country) English, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Hindi
From Spanish Perú, older Birú, which was possibly derived from the name of a chieftain (who nevertheless resided in modern-day Panama).
Perzië (Country) Dutch
Dutch form of Persia.
Pey (Settlement) Dutch
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a town in Limburg in the Netherlands.
Philippines (Country) English, French
From Spanish Filipinas, which was derived from the given name Felipe, bestowed in 1543 in honour of the crown prince Philip (later king Philip II) of Spain by the explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, who originally used it only to refer to the islands of Leyte and Samar. It now refers to the entire archipelago and nation of the Philippines in southeastern Asia. In English it is usually referred to using the definite article, the.
Poix (Settlement) French
Possibly from Old French peis meaning "fish". This is the name of a town in Picardy, France.
Polen (Country) German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian form of Poland.
Pologne (Country) French
French form of Poland.
Portugal (Country) Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, Galician, Catalan, German, Dutch, Luxembourgish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Indonesian, Malay
From Portugale, which was derived from Portus Cale, the old name of the city of Porto. The name of the city was later applied to the entire country.
Praag (Settlement) Dutch
Dutch form of Praha (see Prague).
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.
Provence (Region) French, English, German
From Latin provincia meaning "province", a Roman territorial division. This is the name a region in southern France, originally acquiring its name because it was the first Roman province beyond the Alps.
Québec (Settlement & Political Subdivision) French
French form of Quebec.
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.