Abney (Settlement) EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Abba combined with
eg "island". This is the name of a town in Derbyshire.
Afghanistan (Country) Pashto, Arabic, Urdu, Indian, Hindi, English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, MalayFrom Pashto
افغانستان (Afghanistan), from the Persian ethnic name
افغان (Afkhan) meaning "Afghan, Pashtun" combined with the Persian suffix
ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the name of a country in central Asia.
Algiers (Settlement) English, DutchFrom Arabic
الجزائر (al-Jaza'ir) meaning
"the islands". This is the name of the capital city of
Algeria, so named because of the islands in its bay.
America (Region & Country) English, Italian, Romanian, Late RomanFrom the name of the explorer
Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512). This is the name of two continents (North and South America). As well, it is commonly used to refer to the United States of America.
Amsterdam (Settlement) Dutch, English, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, French, Italian, Spanish, PolishMeans
"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.
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, MalayPortuguese 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.
Annesley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
anne "alone, solitary" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire.
Ansley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Warwickshire.
Antwerp (Settlement) EnglishFrom Dutch
Antwerpen, meaning uncertain, perhaps from Dutch
werf meaning
"wharf". This is the name of a city in Belgium.
Appleby (Settlement) EnglishDerived from Old English
æppel "apple" and Old Norse
býr "farm, settlement". This is the name of towns in England.
Appleton (Settlement) EnglishDerived from Old English
æppeltun "orchard". This is the name of towns in England.
Arabia (Region) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Norwegian, Finnish, PolishFrom 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.
Argentina (Country) Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Hebrew, Georgian, Azerbaijani, Indonesian, MalayFrom Latin
argentinus meaning
"silvery", a derivative of
argentum meaning "silver". This is the name of a country in South America, arising from a Latinized form of Spanish
Río de la Plata meaning "river of silver".
Armenia (Country) English, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Polish, Greek, Norwegian, Finnish, Indonesian, Malay, Ancient Roman, Ancient GreekFrom 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.
Ashley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
æsc "ash tree" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of various towns in England.
Ashton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
æsc "ash tree" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several English towns.
Ashur (Settlement & Region) English, Arabic, Persian, AkkadianFrom 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) EnglishFrom Old English
æsc "ash tree" and
worþ "enclosure". This was the name of a town in Lancashire.
Asia (Region) English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek, Norwegian, Indonesian, Malay, Ancient Roman, Ancient GreekPerhaps derived from Akkadian
asu, meaning
"east". This is the name of the world's largest continent.
Assisi (Settlement) Italian, English, GermanFrom Latin
Asisium, which is of unknown, possibly pre-Latin, origin. This is the name of a city in central Italy.
Aston (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
east "east" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of many towns in England.
Astoria (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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) EnglishFrom 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.
Atlantic (Body of Water) EnglishFrom Greek
Ἀτλαντικός (Atlantikos), derived from the name of the mythical island of
Atlantis. Greek writers used this name to refer to the waters beyond the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar).
Audley (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Ealdgyð's clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a village in Staffordshire, England.
Avon (River) EnglishMeans
"river" in Brythonic (modern Welsh
afon). This is the name of several rivers in Britain.
Ayton (Settlement) EnglishDerived 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 GreekGreek 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) EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Bacga (of uncertain meaning) combined with
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of various towns in England.
Bahrain (Country & Island) Arabic, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Romanian, Catalan, Indonesian, Malay, Filipino, TagalogMeans
"two seas" in Arabic, derived from
بحر (bahr) meaning "sea" combined with the dual suffix
ين (ayn). This is the name of a small island country in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article:
البحرين (al-Bahrayn).
Banff (Settlement) Scottish, EnglishPossibly 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) EnglishFrom the Old English name
Beornræd and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a village near Manchester.
Bavaria (Political Subdivision) English, Late RomanFrom Late Latin
Baiovarii, the name of a Germanic tribe, named after an earlier Gaulish tribe the
Boii. This is the name of a state in Germany (called
Bayern in German).
Beesley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
beos "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This was the name of a hamlet or farm in Lancashire, England.
Belgium (Country) English, Hungarian, MalayFrom Latin
Belgica, a province in the Roman Empire. Since 1830 this is the name of a country in western Europe. Dutch and French are the main spoken languages.
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, MalayFrom 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.
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, MalayFrom 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) EnglishMeans 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) EnglishFrom Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several English towns.
Benton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure". This is the name of towns in England.
Bergamo (Settlement) Italian, EnglishFrom Latin
Bergomum, possibly from a Celtic word meaning
"mountain". This is the name of a city in northern Italy.
Berkeley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
beorc "birch" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a city in Gloucestershire, England.
Bethlehem (Settlement) English, German, Dutch, BiblicalMeans
"house of bread" in Hebrew, from the roots
בַּיִת (bayit) meaning "house" and
לֶחֶם (lechem) 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) EnglishFrom Old English
beofor "beaver" and (possibly)
licc "stream". This is the name of a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
Blackburn (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
blæc "black" and
burna "stream". This is the name of a city in Lancashire, England.
Blakesley (Settlement) EnglishFrom the Old English byname
Blæcwulf "black wolf" combined with
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a city in Northamptonshire.
Blidworth (Settlement) EnglishFrom the Old English byname
Blīþa "happy, blithe" and
worþ "enclosure". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire, England.
Bloxham (Settlement) EnglishFrom the Old English byname
Blocca and
ham meaning "home, homestead". This is the name of a town in Oxfordshire.
Bohemia (Region) English, Spanish, Late RomanFrom Latin
Boiohaemum, from the name of the Gaulish tribe the
Boii combined with Old German
heim "home". This is the name of a historical region within the Czech Republic. The region is called
Čechy in Czech, while the country is called
Česko.
Bologna (Settlement) Italian, English, GermanFrom Latin
Bononia, possibly derived from a Celtic word meaning
"settlement". This is the name of a city in northern Italy.
Boston (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"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.
Botswana (Country) Southern African, Tswana, English, Shona, German, French, Italian, Catalan, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, RomanianMeans
"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 southern 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.
Bradford (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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) EnglishFrom Old English
brad "broad" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England.
Brazil (Country) English, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, MalayFrom the name of a type of tree, called
pau-brasil in Portuguese (
brazilwood in English). It may ultimately derive from Portuguese
brasa meaning "ember". This is the name of a country in South America.
Brierley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
brer "briar" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of various towns in England.
Bristol (Settlement) EnglishName of a city in southwest England, derived from Old English
Brycgstow meaning
"the site of the bridge".
Britain (Island) EnglishFrom
Britannia, the Latin name for the island of Great Britain, the land of the Britons. It derives from the name of the Britons, recorded in Greek in the 4th century BC as
Πρεττανική (Prettanike), and reconstructed as Proto-Brythonic *
Pritanī, possibly meaning "tattooed people".
Brittany (Region) EnglishFrom
Britannia (see
Britain). This is the name of a region in northwestern France, so called because many Britons settled there after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It had earlier been called
Armorica. In the Middle Ages it was sometimes called
Britannia Minor to distinguish it from the island of Great Britain. In French, both the island and the region are called
Bretagne.
Brodie (Settlement) EnglishProbably from Gaelic
broth meaning
"ditch, mire". This is the name of an estate and castle in Moray, Scotland.
Brooklyn (Settlement) EnglishName 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).
Brunei (Country) Malay, Indonesian, English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Albanian, Georgian, Turkish, Indian, Filipino, Hindi, TagalogPossibly 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] Buckley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
bucc "buck, male deer" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few minor towns in England.
Burnham (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
burna "stream, spring" and
ham "home". This is the name of several towns in England.
Burton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
burg "fortress, castle" and
tun "enclosure". This is the name of several English towns.
Cairo (Settlement) EnglishFrom Arabic
القاهرة (al-Qahirah) 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.
California (Political Subdivision & Island) English, Spanish, Italian, LiteratureFrom the name of a fictional utopian island populated only by women in the 16th-century novel
The Adventures of Esplandián by the Spanish author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The name comes from the island's queen, Calafia, itself probably derived from Arabic
خليفة (khalifah), an Islamic title meaning "successor". This is the name of an American state as well as two states of Mexico (Baja California and Baja California Sur).
Canaan (Region) English, French, BiblicalFrom Hebrew
כְּנַעַן (Kena'an), 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, NorwegianDerived 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.
Capri (Island & Settlement) Italian, EnglishLikely from Greek
κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar", though it could also be of Etruscan origin or from Latin
capri meaning "goats". This is the name of an Italian island.
Carlisle (Settlement) EnglishOriginally 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.
Carpathians (Region) EnglishFrom Latin
Carpates, possibly related to the Dacian tribe of the
Capri, maybe derived from an Indo-European root meaning
"rock, cliff". This is the name of a mountain range in eastern Europe stretching from
Slovakia to
Romania.
Castile (Region) EnglishFrom Spanish
Castilla, ultimately from Late Latin
castellum meaning
"castle". This was the name of a medieval kingdom in Spain.
Catalonia (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom Catalan
Catalunya, of uncertain meaning, possibly from Latin
castellum "castle" or
Gauthia Launia "land of the Goths". This is the name of a region in eastern Spain.
Cathay (Country) EnglishFrom Old Turkic
Khitai, the name of a people who ruled northern China as the Liao dynasty from the 10th to 12th century, also called the Khitan people. This is an archaic English synonym for
China.
Cawston (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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.
Chad (Body of Water & Country) English, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Indonesian, MalayFrom Arabic
تشاد (Tshad), derived from a Kanuri word meaning
"lake, large expanse of water". This is the name of a lake in central Africa, as well as the country that is named after it. The lake also borders Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon.
Chadwick (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"village belonging to Chad" in Old English. This is the name of towns in Lancashire and Warwickshire.
Chelsea (Settlement) EnglishOriginally derived from Old English and meaning
"landing place for chalk or limestone". This is a district in London.
Cheshire (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishShortened form of
Chestershire, a combination of
Chester and
shire.
Chester (Settlement) EnglishFrom Latin
castrum meaning
"camp, fortress". This is the name of a city in Cheshire, England.
Chile (Country) Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, Portuguese, Romanian, GeorgianThe name of a country in South America, possibly from Quechua
chiri meaning
"cold" or Mapuche
chülle meaning
"seagull". This name was applied to the region by the conquistador Diego de Almagro.
Cockburn (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
cocc "rooster" and
burna "stream". This was the name of a town in Berwickshire, Scotland.
Cologne (Settlement) French, EnglishFrench 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) EnglishMeans "
Cola's town" in Old English. This is the name of several English towns.
Columbia (Region, Settlement, Political Subdivision & River) English, Italian, Spanish, Late RomanNamed 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.
Comoros (Country) EnglishFrom French
Comores, derived from Arabic
qamar meaning
"moon". This is the name of an island country off the eastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.
Congo (River & Country) English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, DanishFrom
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.
Corinth (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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.
Crawford (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
crawe "crow" and
ford "ford, river crossing". This is the name various small towns in England.
Croatia (Country) English, Late RomanFrom Croatian
Hrvatska, from medieval Slavic
Khorvatu, of unknown meaning. This is the name of a country in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe.
Cyprus (Island & Country) English, DutchFrom Greek
Κύπρος (Kypros), which may get its name from the cypress tree (Greek
κυπάρισσος). This is the name of an island country in the eastern Mediterranean. Although considered one nation by most other countries, the northern part of the island is occupied by Turkish forces and claims independence.
Czechia (Country) EnglishEnglish form of
Čechy (via Polish
Czechy), used as an alternative name for the Czech Republic (and not as a name for
Bohemia).
Czechoslovakia (Country) EnglishCombination of
Czechia and
Slovakia. This was the name of a country that existed between 1918 and 1993, at which time it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Dallas (Settlement) EnglishSeveral 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".
Danube (River) EnglishFrom Latin
Danubius, from Indo-European
Danu, probably meaning
"river, water". This is the name of a river that flows east through Europe to the Black Sea.
Deben (River) EnglishMeans
"deep" in Old English. This is the name of a river in Suffolk.
Debenham (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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.
Dee (River) EnglishPossibly from a Celtic root meaning
"divine". This is the name of rivers in Scotland (Gaelic
Dhè) and Wales (Welsh
Dyfrdwy).
Deighton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
dic "ditch" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of various towns in England.
Delhi (Settlement) EnglishFrom Sanskrit
दिल्ली (Dilli), possibly from
देहली (dehali) 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.
Denmark (Country) EnglishFrom Danish
Danmark, derived from the ethnic name
Dane, which is possibly from Germanic
den meaning "low ground", combined with
mark meaning "borderland". This is the name of a country in northern Europe.
Derby (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"deer farm" in Old Norse. This is the name of a city in England.
Devon (Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom the name of the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe. This is the name of a county in England.
Dudley (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Dudda's clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a city in the West Midlands, England.
Eaton (Settlement) EnglishDerived from Old English
ea "river" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several English towns.
Egypt (Country) EnglishFrom Latin
Aegyptus, itself from Greek
Αἴγυπτος (Aigyptos), which was probably derived from Egyptian
ḥwt-kꜣ-ptḥ, the name of the temple to the god
Ptah in
Memphis, meaning
"the house of the soul of Ptah". Descendants of the Latin name are used in most European languages to refer to the ancient kingdom and modern country of Egypt. However, the name the ancient Egyptians used to refer to the Nile Valley was
Kemet, and the Arabic speakers of modern Egypt call it
Masr.
England (Country) English, German, Swedish, Danish, NorwegianFrom Old English
Englaland meaning
"land of the Angles", the Angles being one of the Germanic tribes that settled in the area in the post-Roman period. This is the name of a country (part of the
United Kingdom) on the southern portion of the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is sometimes (inaccurately) referred to as
England.
Essen (Settlement) German, EnglishFrom 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.
Estonia (Country) English, Italian, Spanish, Indonesian, Malay, Late RomanFrom Estonian
eesti meaning
"Estonian", a word borrowed from Low German in the 17th century. It is of uncertain origin. It could be from a Germanic rendering of the Baltic tribe of the Aesti, mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus.
Ethiopia (Country) EnglishFrom Latin
Aethiopia, itself from Greek
Αἰθιοπία (Aithiopia), said to derive from
αἴθω (aitho) meaning "to burn" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face", referring to the skin colour of the inhabitants (probably a folk etymology). This is the name of a country in eastern Africa.
Everest (Mountain) EnglishFrom the surname
Everest. This is the English name of the world's highest mountain, located in the Himalayas, which was named after the British surveyor George Everest (1790-1866).
Ewart (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
ea "river" and
worþ "enclosure". This is the name of a town in Northumberland, England.
Farnham (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
fearn "fern" and
ham "home" or
ham "water meadow, enclosure". This is the name of several towns in England, notably in Surrey.
Fiji (Country) English, Portuguese, Indian, Hindi, Indonesian, MalayEnglish form of Fijian
Viti, of unknown meaning, the name of the largest island (called
Viti Levu meaning "great Viti") of the archipelago. The change from
Viti to
Fiji is reportedly explained by the fact that the British (on an 18th-century expedition of James Cook) first heard it pronounced this way by the neighbouring Tongans.
Flanders (Region) EnglishFrom Middle Dutch
Vlander, from a Germanic root meaning
"waterlogged", referring to the marshy landscape of Flanders. This is the name of the northern portion of Belgium.
Florida (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, German, ItalianA state of the United States, meaning
"flowery, ornate" in Spanish, so called because in 1513 the explorer Juan Ponce de León landed there during the
Pascua Florida (meaning "flowery Easter", a Spanish name for Palm Sunday).
Foulden (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
fugol meaning "bird" and
dun meaning "hill". This is the name of a town in Norfolk.
France (Country) French, EnglishFrom 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.
Friuli (Region) Italian, English, SpanishFrom the name of the Roman town of Forum Iulii (now called
Cividale del Friuli) meaning
"forum of Julius". This is the name of a region in northeast Italy.
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, MalayDerived 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.
Galatia (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, EnglishFrom 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] Galilee (Region) English, BiblicalFrom Hebrew
גָּלִיל (Galil) meaning "district, roll". This is a region in northern Israel, mentioned in the Old and New Testament.
Gary (Settlement) EnglishCity in Indiana that was named after businessman Elbert Henry
Gary (1846-1927), the founder of U.S. Steel.
Gaul (Region) EnglishFrom French
Gaule, the name of a historical region that was situated approximately in the area of modern
France. In the Roman era it was called
Gallia, which may be the origin of
Gaule, though the evolution of the word would be irregular. It is more likely derived from Frankish
walh meaning
"foreigner, Celt".
Genoa (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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.
Georgia 2 (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, DutchFrom the given name
George, named in honour of the British king George II. This was the name of an American colony, later a state.
Germany (Country) EnglishFrom Latin
Germania, first attested in the writings of Julius Caesar, used to refer to the areas east of the Rhine and north of the Danube. The origin of the term is uncertain. This is an English exonym corresponding to German
Deutschland.
Ghana (Country) English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Arabic, Indonesian, MalayFrom 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.
Glyme (River) EnglishMeans
"bright stream" in Brythonic. This is the name of a river in Oxfordshire, England.
Glympton (Settlement) EnglishDerived 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 CultureFrom 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) EnglishFrom Old English
grand meaning "gravel" and
ham meaning "home, estate, settlement". This is the name of a town in Lincolnshire.
Greece (Country) EnglishEnglish form of Latin
Graecia, the name used by the Romans for the land of the Greeks, derived from Greek
Γραικός (Graikos), which is of uncertain origin. It is possibly derived from the city of Graia in Boeotia.
Guatemala (Country) Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, TurkishFrom Nahuatl
Cuauhtemallan meaning
"place of the woodpile". This is the name of a country in Central America.
Guinea (Region, Country & Island) English, Italian, Spanish, GermanFrom Portuguese
Guiné, which is of unknown meaning, possibly of Berber origin. This name was used by the Portuguese to refer to a portion of western Africa. It was also applied by westerners to the island of New Guinea starting in the 16th century. It is now the name or part of the full name of the countries of Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea and Papua New Guinea.
Hailey (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
heg "hay" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Oxfordshire, England.
Hamilton (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"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) EnglishFrom Old English
hara "hare" and
denu "valley". This is the name of a town in West Yorkshire.
Harford (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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) EnglishFrom Old English
hara "hare" or
hær "rock, heap of stones" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of towns in England.
Holland 1 (Political Subdivision & Country) Dutch, English, German, Danish, IcelandicFrom 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.
Holland 2 (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
hoh "point of land, heel" and
land "land". This is the name of several towns in England.
Holstein (Political Subdivision & Region) German, English, DutchFrom 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.
Houston (Settlement) Scottish, EnglishMeans
"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.
Hungary (Country) EnglishFrom Latin
Hungaria, derived from Byzantine Greek
Οὔγγροι (Oungroi), from Turkic
Onogur meaning
"ten tribes". This is the name of a country in eastern Europe that was settled by the Hungarians in the 9th century. Because they were identified with the Huns, the
H was added to the beginning of their Latin name. The Hungarian name for the country is
Magyarország.
Hunnacott (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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) EnglishFrom Old English
hux "insult, scorn" (possibly) and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Cheshire, England.
India (Country) English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Estonian, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Greek, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Filipino, Tagalog, Ancient Roman, Ancient GreekDerived 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.
Indiana (Political Subdivision) EnglishMeans
"land of the Indians". This is the name of an American state.
Indonesia (Country) Indonesian, Malay, Buginese, Minangkabau, English, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Finnish, KoreanFrom Greek
Ἰνδός (Indos), referring to the
Indus, combined with
νῆσος (nesos) meaning "island". This name has been used since the 18th century by colonial powers to refer to the Indonesian archipelago and since 1945 to refer to the independent nation.
Indus (River) English, Ancient RomanFrom 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.
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, Indian, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Burmese, Filipino, Thai, Tagalog, Japanese, Korean, MongolianDerived 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.
Ireland (Country & Island) EnglishDerived from Irish Gaelic
Éire and English
land. This is the name of an island to the west of Great Britain. The country of Ireland occupies the majority of the island.
Israel (Country) English, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Indonesian, Malay, Biblical, Biblical GreekFrom the name of the Old Testament hero Jacob, who was also called
Israel. This was the name of an ancient kingdom that existed until the 8th century BC. The modern country of Israel is named for it.
Italy (Country) EnglishAnglicized form of
Italia, originally applied by the Greeks to the south of the Italian Peninsula. It may have been borrowed from Oscan
Víteliú possibly meaning
"land of bulls". According to Roman mythology, the region was named for
Italus, though in fact it was he who was named for the region.
Ithaca (Island) English, Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Ἰθάκη (Ithake), meaning unknown. This is the name of an island off the west coast of Greece. In Greek mythology Ithaca was the home of the hero Odysseus. Homer's epic the
Odyssey describes his long and perilous voyage home after the Trojan War.
Japan (Country) English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Indian, Hindi, BurmeseFrom Portuguese
Japão, which was derived from a Malay form of
Riben, the Chinese reading of
Nippon.
Jericho (Settlement) English, BiblicalMeaning uncertain, possibly related to the Hebrew word
יָרֵחַ (yareach) meaning
"moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word
רֵיחַ (reyach) meaning
"fragrant". 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, Southern African, Afrikaans, Catalan, Bosnian, BiblicalFrom 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.
Jordan (River & Country) English, Danish, Norwegian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, German, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Slovene, BiblicalRiver that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is
יַרְדֵן (Yarden), and it is derived from
יָרַד (yarad) meaning
"descend" or
"flow down". The river has lent its name to the country to the east (in German, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish and Slovene this is only the name of the river, with the name of the country taking a different form).
Kendal (Settlement) EnglishFrom the name of the river
Kent combined with Old English
dæl meaning "valley, dale". This is the name of a town in Cumbria.
Kent (Political Subdivision & River) EnglishPossibly from a Brythonic element meaning
"border, edge, coast". This is the name of a historic kingdom and modern county in southeastern England, called
Cent in Old English,
Cantium in Latin. It is also the name of a river in Cumbria, northwestern England.
Kenya (Country & Mountain) English, Eastern African, Kikuyu, Swahili, French, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Greek, TurkishThe country is named for Mount Kenya, which in the Kikuyu language is called
Kĩrĩnyaga meaning
"the one having stripes".
Kimberley 2 (Settlement) EnglishCity in South Africa that was named after John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (1826-1902). His title was taken from the name of the town of
Kimberley 1 in Norfolk.
Kingsley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
cyning "king" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England.
Kingston (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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).
Korea (Country) English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Greek, Georgian, Armenian, Indonesian, Malay, Filipino, TagalogFrom 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.
Kurdistan (Region) Kurdish, Arabic, English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, RussianFrom Kurdish
کوردستان (Kurdistan), from the Persian ethnic name
کرد (Kord) meaning "Kurd" combined with the Persian suffix
ستان (stan) 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.
Kynaston (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Cynefrith's town" in Old English. This is the name of hamlets in Herefordshire and Shropshire.
Kyrgyzstan (Country) Kyrgyz, EnglishFrom Kyrgyz
Кыргызстан (Kyrgyzstan), a combination of the name of the Kyrgyz people and the Persian suffix
ستان (stan) meaning "land of". The ethnic name may be derived from the Turkic word
kyrk meaning "forty". This is the name of a country in central Asia.
Langley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
lang "long" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of numerous towns in the United Kingdom and North America.
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, Indian, Hindi, Nepali, Malay, Filipino, Indonesian, TagalogThe 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.
Layton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
leac "leek, herb" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of towns in England.
Liberia (Country) English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Spanish, PolishDerived from Latin
liber meaning
"free". This was the name of a colony established in western 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).
Lincoln (Settlement) EnglishDerived from Brythonic
lindo "lake, pool" and Latin
colonia "colony". This is a city in eastern England, called
Lindum Colonia by the Romans.
Lindsey (Region) EnglishMeans
"Lincoln island" in Old English. This is the name of a region and historical kingdom in Lincolnshire.
Linton (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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) EnglishFrom Old English
lind "linden tree" and
wudu meaning "wood, forest". This is the name of a few English towns.
Lithuania (Country) EnglishFrom a Latinized form of Lithuanian
Lietuva, possibly derived from the name of the small river Letavka. This is the name of a country in the Baltic region of northern Europe.
Lombardy (Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom Italian
Lombardia, from Late Latin
Langobardia, the name of a region in northern Italy, which was named after the Germanic Langobards (or
Lombards as they are more often called), a people who invaded and occupied Italy in the 6th century. The Lombards' name is derived from
lang "long" and
bart "beard". In modern Italy this is now an administrative region, with a capital at
Milan.
Lorne (Region) EnglishPossibly from the name of the legendary king of Dál Riata, Loarn mac Eirc. This is the name of a region in western Scotland.
Lorraine (Political Subdivision) French, EnglishUltimately 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.
Lothian (Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom Latin
Leudonia, of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a region in Scotland, around Edinburgh.
Luxembourg (Country, Settlement & Political Subdivision) English, French, Norwegian, Danish, Hungarian, Croatian, EstonianFrom 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) EnglishFrom 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, GermanFrom 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.
Man (Island) EnglishFrom Old Irish
Mana, possibly from the Celtic root *
moniyo- meaning
"mountain". The Isle of Man is an island between Britain and Ireland. It is a self-governing British dependency.
Marche (Political Subdivision) Italian, EnglishFrom the plural of Late Latin
marca meaning
"borderland, march", of Germanic origin. This is the name of a region in central Italy, named for the March of Ancona, a frontier region in the Carolingian Empire.
Marlow (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"remnants of a lake" in Old English, from
mere "lake" and
lafe "remnants, remains". This is the name of a town in Buckinghamshire, England.
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, EnglishLater form of
Messana, the Latin form of
Messene. This is the name of a city on Sicily. Founded by Greek settlers as
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, DutchFrom 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, FrenchFrom Latin
Mediolanum, perhaps derived from Celtic elements meaning
"middle of the plain". This is the name of a major city in Italy.
Mongolia (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) English, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Romanian, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian, Indonesian, MalayFrom Mongolian
монгол (mongol), the name for the Mongolian people, possibly from
монг (mong) meaning "brave". This the name of a region in eastern Asia, now divided between the country of Mongolia (historically called Outer Mongolia) and the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia.
Montana (Political Subdivision) EnglishDerived from Latin
montanus "mountainous". This is the name of an American state.
Morocco (Country) EnglishThe name of a country in North Africa, named after the city
Marrakesh. In Arabic the country is named
al-Maghrib (see
Maghrib).
Mozambique (Island & Country) English, French, Spanish, Dutch, DanishFrom the name of an island off the southeastern coast of Africa, named
Moçambique by the Portuguese after the 15th-century local sultan
موسى بن بيك (Musa bin Bik). 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, Indian, HindiFrom 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.
Naples (Settlement) EnglishFrom 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.
Nepal (Country) Nepali, Indian, 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, SanskritFrom Sanskrit
नेपाल (Nepal), of unknown meaning. This is the name of a landlocked country in south Asia.
Netherlands (Country) EnglishFrom English
nether meaning "lower" and
land, referring to the low-lying position of the country. This is the name of a country in northwestern Europe. It is sometimes called
Holland in English, though this is properly one of its subregions. In English it is usually referred to using the definite article,
the.
Niger (River & Country) English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Croatian, Serbian, Late RomanMeaning unknown, possibly of Berber origin, though influenced by Latin
niger "black". This is the name of a river in western Africa (and a country that is named after it).
Nigeria (Country) English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Albanian, GeorgianFrom the name of the
Niger River, applied in the 19th century to the British colonial territory in western Africa. It continued to be used after the territory became an independent country in 1960.
Nile (River) EnglishFrom Latin
Nilus, which was from Greek
Νεῖλος (Neilos), possibly of Semitic origin meaning
"river". This is the name of a long river in Africa.
Nineveh (Settlement) English, BiblicalFrom 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] Norway (Country) EnglishFrom Old English
Norþweg meaning
"north way". This is the name of a country in Scandinavia in northern Europe.
Nubia (Region) English, Late RomanPossibly derives from the Egyptian word
nbw meaning
"gold". This was the name of an ancient region and kingdom in Africa, south of Egypt.
Orleans (Settlement) EnglishEnglish form of
Orléans. This is the name of several towns in the Americas, notably the city of New Orleans in Louisiana.
Padua (Settlement) English, German, Spanish, DutchFrom 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, SerbianFrom Persian
پاک (pak) meaning "pure" and the suffix
ستان (stan) 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, Indian, Hindi, Bengali, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Khmer, Indonesian, Filipino, Malay, Tagalog, Japanese, KoreanFrom 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.
Pavia (Settlement) Italian, EnglishFrom 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, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, English (Archaic)Form of
Beijing in various languages, as well as an older English form.
Persia (Country) Ancient Roman, English, Spanish, ItalianLatin 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.
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, Indian, HindiFrom Spanish
Perú, older
Birú, which was possibly derived from the name of a chieftain (who nevertheless resided in modern-day Panama).
Pesaro (Settlement) Italian, EnglishFrom Latin
Pisaurum, of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a city in central Italy.
Petra (Settlement) Ancient Greek, EnglishFrom 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) EnglishMeans
"Pæga's town". This is the name of a town in Sussex.
Philadelphia (Settlement) Biblical, EnglishMeans
"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.
Philippines (Country) English, FrenchFrom Spanish
Filipinas, which was derived from the given name
Felipe, bestowed in honour of King Phillip II of Spain by the Spanish 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.
Poland (Country) EnglishFrom the name of the Slavic tribe of the Poles, derived from the medieval Slavic word
polje meaning "field", combined with
land. This is the name of a country in eastern Europe.
Portugal (Country) Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, Galician, Catalan, German, Dutch, Luxembourgish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Indonesian, MalayFrom
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.
Prague (Settlement) English, FrenchFrom Czech
Praha, possibly from the Slavic root
práh meaning
"ford". This is the name of the capital city of the Czech Republic.
Priestley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
preost "priest" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few small towns in England.
Princeton (Settlement) EnglishThe 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.
Provence (Region) French, English, GermanFrom 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.
Quebec (Settlement & Political Subdivision) EnglishEnglish 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) EnglishMeans
"garlic island", derived from Old English
hramsa "garlic" and
eg "island". This is the name of villages in England.
Rayne (Settlement) EnglishPossibly from an Old English word meaning
"shelter". This is the name of a town in Essex.
Rennes (Settlement) French, EnglishFrom Latin
(Condate) Riedonum, derived from the name of the Gaulish tribe of the Redones. This is the name of a town in Brittany, France.
Rhodesia (Region) EnglishFrom the surname
Rhodes. This was a British-controlled region of southern Africa, named after the politician and imperialist Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902). It is now the independent countries of
Zimbabwe and
Zambia.
Romagna (Region & Political Subdivision) Italian, English, GermanFrom Latin
Romania, in this case the name of a historic region on the Adriatic coast of Italy (part of the modern administrative region of Emilia-Romagna).
Romania (Country & Region) English, Italian, Ancient RomanFrom 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] Rome (Settlement) English, French, DutchMeaning uncertain, from Latin
Roma. 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) EnglishFrom 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) EnglishMeans
"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.
Ruanda (Country) German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, English, FrenchForm of
Brunei in several languages, as well as a variant spelling in other languages.
Rus (Region) Russian, Ukrainian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishProbably of Old Norse origin, possibly from
róðr meaning
"rowing", referring to the Norse Varangians and their main mode of transportation. This was the name of a medieval Slavic state of eastern Europe (around Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia), originally founded by the Varangians in the 9th century.
Russia (Country) English, Italian, Late RomanDerived from the name of the medieval state of
Rus. The modern country of Russia includes the eastern portions of Rus, and has also expanded far to the east across Asia.
Rwanda (Country) Eastern African, Rwandan, English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, SwahiliOf Kinyarwanda origin, of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a small landlocked country in central Africa.
Ryley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
ryge "rye" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a town in Lancashire, England.
Salem (Settlement) English, BiblicalFrom 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.
Samarra (Settlement) Arabic, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, GermanThis 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) EnglishFrom Old English
sand "sand" and
ford "ford, river crossing". This is the name of several towns in England.
Saudi Arabia (Country) EnglishFrom the family name
Al Su'ud combined with
Arabia, referring to the Arabian Peninsula. This is a kingdom in the Middle East on the Arabian Peninsula. It was named by its founder Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud in 1932.