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, TagalogFrom 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.
Orleans (Settlement) EnglishEnglish form of
Orléans. This is the name of several towns in the Americas, notably the city of New Orleans in Louisiana.
Pacific (Body of Water) EnglishFrom Portuguese
Pacífico meaning
"peaceful", from Latin
pacificus, a derivative of
pax "peace". This name was coined by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 because he encountered relatively calm seas while sailing it.
Pakistan (Country) Urdu, Punjabi, English, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Slovak, Russian, Bulgarian, Croatian, SerbianFrom 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.
Palestine (Country & Region) English, FrenchFrom Latin
Palaestina, derived from Greek
Παλαιστίνη (Palaistine), from a Semitic source such as Hebrew
פְּלֶשֶׁת (Pelesheṯ) meaning
"land of the Philistines". This is the name of a historical region between the eastern coast of the
Mediterranean Sea and the
Jordan River. In modern times it is the name of a partially recognized country located in a portion of the region (the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with the remainder being the country of
Israel).
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, 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.
Pangaea (Region) EnglishCreated by the German geologist Alfred Wegener in 1915 to refer to a supercontinent that existed over 200 million years ago. He called it in German
Pangäa, from Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
γαῖα (gaia) meaning "earth".
Paraguay (Country, River & Settlement) Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, GuaraniThe 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.
Paris (Settlement) French, English, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Turkish, Persian, HausaFrom the ancient Celtic tribe known as the Parisii. This is the capital city of
France.
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, Finnish, Estonian, 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 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, HindiFrom Spanish
Perú, older
Birú, which was possibly derived from the name of a chieftain (who nevertheless resided in modern-day Panama).
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.
Philippines (Country) English, FrenchFrom 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.
Philistia (Region) English, BiblicalEnglish form of Hebrew
פְּלֶשֶׁת (Pelesheṯ) meaning
"land of the Philistines". This was the name of a confederation of cities in
Canaan inhabited by the Philistines. It was conquered by the Babylonians in the 7th century BC.
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.
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.
Rhine (River) EnglishUltimately from Gaulish
Renos, derived from a Celtic root meaning
"expanse of water, waterway". This is the name of a European river that runs from
Switzerland to the
Netherlands, emptying into the North Sea.
Rhodesia (Region) EnglishFrom the surname
Rhodes. This was a British-controlled region of the south of
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. It is possibly of Etruscan origin. This is the name of the capital city of
Italy, formerly the capital of the Roman Kingdom, Republic and Empire. According to legend the city was named for
Romulus.
Romiley (Settlement) 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
Rwanda 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) 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.
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.
Saxony (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom the name of the Germanic tribe of the Saxons, ultimately derived from Germanic *
sahsą meaning "knife". This is the name of a historical region in
Germany, and appears in the names of the German states of Saxony, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.
Schwyz (Settlement & Political Subdivision) German, English, SpanishMeaning uncertain, possibly related to Old High German
suedan "to burn" or possibly of Celtic origin. This is the name of a town (and a canton named for it) in central
Switzerland.
Scotland (Country) EnglishMeans
"land of the Scots", from Latin
Scoti meaning "Gaelic speaker". This is the name of a country (part of the
United Kingdom) in the north of the island of Great
Britain.
Seabrook (Settlement) EnglishFrom the old name of a river combined with Old English
broc "stream". This is the name of a town in Buckinghamshire,
England.
Senegal (River & Country) Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romanian, Turkish, Armenian, Persian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen, Mongolian, Hindi, Bengali, Korean, Indonesian, Malay, TagalogFrom Portuguese, possibly from the name of the Berber Zenaga people of northern Senegal. This is the name of a river in West
Africa, and a country named after it. It gained independence from
France in 1960.
Sherwood (Region) EnglishFrom Old English
scir "shire, district" and
wudu "wood". This is the name of a forest near Nottingham. It is known in English folklore as the home of the outlaw hero Robin Hood.
Sicily (Island & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom Latin
Sicilia, itself from Greek
Σικελία (Sikelia), named for the ancient tribe of the Sicels (
Σικελοί). They were probably of Italic origin, but the meaning of their tribal name is unknown. This is the name of a large island in the Mediterranean, part of
Italy.
Sidney (Island) EnglishMeans
"wide island", from Old English
sid "wide" and
eg "island". This is the name of a place in Surrey.
Somalia (Country) English, Italian, Spanish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Greek, Albanian, Indonesian, MalayFrom the ethnic name
Somali, of uncertain meaning. The Somali people connect it to their mythical ancestor
Samaale. Italian and British colonists applied the ethnic name to the Horn of
Africa region in the 19th century. It became an independent country in 1960.
Spain (Country) EnglishDerived from
Hispania, the Latin name of the Iberian Peninsula, which is of uncertain origin. It could be derived from Punic
I-Shaphan meaning
"land of the rabbits".
Sri Lanka (Country & Island) English, German, Dutch, Afrikaans, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Romanian, Albanian, Greek, Turkish, Malay, IndonesianFrom Sinhalese
ශ්රී ලංකා (Shrī Lankā), derived from the Sanskrit honorific
श्री (śrī) meaning "holy, sacred" combined with the name of the legendary island of
Lanka. This is an island nation in southern
Asia. Formerly known as
Ceylon when it was a colony of the Portuguese, Dutch and English, the country adopted the name
Sri Lanka when it became a republic in 1972.
Sudan (Country) English, Arabic, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, ThaiFrom Arabic
سود (sūd) meaning
"black", referring to the darker skin of the inhabitants. This is the name of a country in
Africa. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article:
السودان (al-Sūdān).
Sweden (Country) English, Medieval DutchFrom Middle Dutch, ultimately from the Old Norse ethnic name
Svíar "Swede", itself possibly from Proto-Norse
Swihoniz meaning "one's own tribe". This is the name of a country in Northern
Europe.
Switzerland (Country) EnglishFrom
Switzer, a word meaning "Swiss", ultimately derived from the name of the Swiss town and canton of
Schwyz, plus
land. This is the name of a country in central
Europe.
Sydney (Settlement) EnglishCity in
Australia that was named after Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney (1733-1800). His title originally came from the name of its first holder, Robert
Sidney (1563-1626).
Syria (Country & Region) English, Polish, Norwegian, Greek, Ancient Roman, Ancient GreekFrom Greek
Συρία (Syria), which was probably a variant of
Assyria, used in an expanded sense to refer to the northern Levant. This was the name of a province of the Roman Empire. It is now the name of a country in western
Asia, having gained independence from the Ottoman Empire early in the 20th century.
Tajikistan (Country) English, Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Indonesian, Malay, TagalogFrom Tajik
Тоҷикистон (Tojikiston), which is derived from the name of the Tajik people combined with the Persian suffix
ستان (stān) meaning "land of". The ethnic name is of debated origin, but it is generally believed to be from Persian
تازیک (tāzīk) meaning "Arab". This is the name of a country in central
Asia.
Tanganyika (Region & Country) Swahili, EnglishFrom Swahili
tanga "sail" and
nyika "wilderness". This is the name of a region in East
Africa. It was a German then British colony until 1961 when it gained independence. In 1964 it united with the island of
Zanzibar to create the new country of
Tanzania.
Tanzania (Country) Swahili, English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Romanian, Greek, Armenian, Georgian, Indonesian, MalayFrom a combination of
Tanganyika and
Zanzibar, the names of the two countries that were united to create the East African country of Tanzania in 1964.
Tataouine (Settlement) French, EnglishFrom Tamazight
Tittawin, possibly from
tit meaning
"eye". This is a city in Tunisia. It is the source of the name of the desert planet
Tatooine from the fictional Star Wars universe.
Tatham (Settlement) EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Tata combined with
ham meaning "homestead". This is the name of a town in Lancashire.
Tatton (Settlement) EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Tata combined with
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of a town in Cheshire.
Tennessee (Political Subdivision & River) EnglishFrom Cherokee
ᏔᎾᏏ (Tanasi), the name of a now-abandoned village, of unknown meaning. It has given its name to an American state and a river.
Thornton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
þorn "thorn" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several English towns.
Timbuktu (Settlement) English, Arabic, BamilekeMeaning uncertain. It could be derived from Songhai meaning
"hollow, hole", or from Berber meaning
"place of small dunes". This is the name of a city in central
Mali. Descriptions of the city's wealth and remoteness first reached
Europe from the 16th-century Berber author Leo Africanus. Since then the city has been used in Western Culture as a symbol for a distant, mysterious place.
Tokyo (Settlement) Japanese, English, French, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Estonian, Turkish, Hindi, IndonesianFrom Japanese
東 (tō) meaning "east" and
京 (kyō) meaning "capital city". This is the name of the capital of
Japan.
Toronto (Settlement) English, FrenchPossibly derived from Mohawk
tkaronto meaning
"place where trees stand in the water". It has also been explained as meaning
"plenty" in the Huron language.
... [more] Trent 1 (River) EnglishRiver in
England, possibly from the Celtic elements
tri "across" and
sant "travel", a reference to its frequent floods.
Trenton (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Trent's town". This is the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent.
Troy (Settlement) Greek Mythology, EnglishFrom Greek
Τροία (Troia), said to derive from its mythical founder
Τρώς (Tros), but more likely of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology (most notably in
Homer's
Iliad) this was the name of a city, also called
Ilium, that was besieged by the Greeks after
Helen was abducted by
Paris 1.
Turkey (Country) EnglishFrom Latin
Turcia, derived from the ethnonym
Turk, which is from Old Turkic possibly meaning "ancestry". This is the name of a country situated on the Anatolian peninsula. It is called
Türkiye in Turkish.
Uganda (Country) English, Ganda, Swahili, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Romanian, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Turkish, Georgian, Armenian, Hebrew, Persian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, MalayFrom
Buganda, the name of a kingdom within Uganda, which means
"land of the Ganda" in the Luganda language. The
Ganda are an ethnic group, their name possibly deriving from a Bantu word meaning "family". Uganda is a landlocked country in East
Africa.
Ukraine (Country) English, French, German, Danish, MalayFrom Ukrainian
Україна (Ukrayina), which is probably from Old East Slavic
ꙋкраина (ukraina) meaning
"boundary, borderland", derived from
ꙋ (u) meaning "at, from" and
краи (krai) meaning "edge, end, rim". This is the name of a country in Eastern
Europe.
United Kingdom (Country) EnglishThe name of a Western European island country, composed of the smaller countries of
England,
Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is almost always written with the definite article
the. This name came into use in the year 1801, when the realm was officially renamed from the
Kingdom of Great Britain to the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After
Ireland became independent in 1922 it was formally renamed the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
United States (Country) EnglishThe name of a country in North America, almost always written with the definite article
the. The country is officially named the
United States of America, and is also commonly called
America or the
USA. It was selected in 1776 when 13 British colonies on the eastern coast united to declare their independence from
Britain. Etymologically, the English words in the name are both of Latin origin (
unitus and
status).
Upton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
upp "up" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of various towns in
England.
Urartu (Region) Akkadian, Armenian, EnglishFrom Akkadian
𒆳𒌨𒌒𒂅 (Urartu), meaning unknown, possibly of Old Armenian origin. This was the name of an ancient kingdom that existed between the 9th and 6th centuries BC in eastern Anatolia (modern
Armenia and
Turkey).
Uruguay (Country & River) Spanish, English, French, Italian, Romanian, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, TurkishThe name of a country in South
America, derived from a river of the same name. It is possibly from Guaraní
uruguá, referring to a type of water snail. Alternatively it could come from
uru "quail",
gua "from" and
y "water".
Uruk (Settlement) Akkadian, EnglishFrom Sumerian
𒌷 (uru) meaning
"city". This was the name of a city-state of ancient Sumer (later Akkad and Babylonia). It was inhabited until the time of the Islamic conquest of the area.
Valencia (Settlement & Region) Spanish, Italian, English, GermanThe name of a city and surrounding region in eastern
Spain, originally named in Latin
Valentia (Edetanorum) meaning
"strength (of the Edetani people)", and derived from Latin
valentius "strength, vigour", from
valens "strong, vigorous". Besides the city in
Spain, this is also the name of a city in
Venezuela.
Veneto (Political Subdivision) Italian, EnglishThe name of a region in northeastern
Italy, called
Venetia in Latin, named after the Veneti people who lived there in ancient times.
Venezuela (Country) Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovene, Croatian, Albanian, Turkish, Indonesian, MalayPossibly from Italian
Veneziola meaning
"little Venice". This is the name of a country on the northern coast of South
America. The region was supposedly named this in 1499 by a Spanish expedition (which included Amerigo Vespucci) because an indigenous town on Lake Maracaibo was built on stilts over the water, reminiscent of the Italian city. Another theory suggests that the country's name comes from
Veneciuela, the name of a local people.
Venice (Settlement) EnglishFrom Italian
Venezia, derived from Latin
Venetia. This is the name of a city of northeastern
Italy, the capital of the Veneto region, famous for its canals.
Victoria (Political Subdivision, Settlement & Body of Water) EnglishFrom the given name
Victoria. It has generally been bestowed in honour of Queen Victoria (1819-1901). This is the name of many places in the former British Empire, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.
Vienna (Settlement) English, ItalianMeaning uncertain. It could be from Celtic
vedunia meaning
"forest stream", or possibly from the name of an earlier Roman settlement
Vindobona. This is the name of the capital of
Austria.
Vietnam (Country) English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Italian, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek, Indonesian, MalayFrom
Việt Nam, meaning
"southern Yue", derived from Sino-Vietnamese
越 (việt), referring to the Yue people, and
南 (nam) meaning "south". This is the name of a country in southeastern
Asia.
Viti (Country & Island) Fijian, EnglishFijian form of
Fiji. This name is also used in English (and other languages) to refer to the main Fijian island of Viti Levu.
Wakefield (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
wacu "wake, vigil" and
feld "field". This is the name of a city in
England.
Walmersley (Settlement) EnglishMeaning uncertain. The final element is Old English
leah "woodland, clearing". The first element may be a given name such as
Wealdmær or
Wealhmær. This is the name of a town near Manchester.
Warsaw (Settlement) EnglishFrom Polish
Warszawa, derived from the given name
Warsz, a short form of
Warcisław. This is the name of the capital city of
Poland.
Washington (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"settlement belonging to Wassa's people", from the given name
Wassa and Old English
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of a town in northern
England. It is also the name of the capital city and a state in the
United States, both named after the president George Washington (1732-1799), whose surname was derived from the name of the English town.
Wembley (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wemba's clearing" in Old English. This was the name of a town that is now part of Greater London.
Westley (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
west "west" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few small English towns.
Whitney (Settlement) EnglishProbably from Old English
hwit "white" and
ieg "island". This is the name of a small town in Herefordshire.
Wickham (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
wic "village, town" (of Latin origin) and
ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a few towns in
England.
Willey (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
welig "willow" or
weoh "idol, image" combined with
leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few towns in
England.
Wilton (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
welig meaning "willow",
wille meaning "well, spring, water hole", or the name of the River
Wylye, combined with
tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of various towns in
England.
Winchester (Settlement) EnglishDerived from
Venta, of Celtic origin, and Latin
castrum meaning "camp, fortress". This is the name of a city in southern
England.
Winslow (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wine's hill" in Old English. This is the name of a town in Buckinghamshire.
Winthrope 1 (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wine's village", from the given name
Wine and Old English
þrop "village". This is the name of a town in Lincolnshire.
Winthrope 2 (Settlement) EnglishMeans
"Wigmund's village", from the given name
Wigmund and Old English
þrop "village". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire.
Wortham (Settlement) EnglishFrom Old English
worþ "enclosure" and
ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a town in Suffolk.
Wylye (River) EnglishPossibly from a Celtic word meaning
"tricky". This is the name of a river in southern
England.
Wymondham (Settlement) EnglishFrom the given name
Wigmund combined with Old English
ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a town in Norfolk.
Xanadu (Settlement) EnglishAnglicized form of Chinese
上都 (Shangdu), derived from
上 (shàng) meaning "above, upper" and
都 (dū) meaning "city". This was the summer capital of the 13th-century Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, located in Inner
Mongolia,
China. It became known to English speakers after it appeared in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem
Kubla Khan (1816), and it has been used figuratively to refer to a paradise since then.
Yemen (Country) English, Danish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Chinese, Korean, Thai, TagalogFrom Arabic
يمن (Yaman), probably derived from
يمين (yamīn) meaning
"right hand, south". This is the name of a country at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula.
York (Settlement & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom
Jórvík, the Norse form of Old English
Eoforwic, which was from the Brythonic name
Eburacon meaning
"yew". The Old English form
Eoforwic was altered based on
eofor "boar" and
wic "village".
... [more] Yoxall (Settlement) EnglishDerived from Old English
geoc "oxen yoke" and
halh "nook, recess". This is the name of a town in Staffordshire.
Zaire (River & Country) Portuguese, EnglishOlder name of the
Congo River, said to be derived via Portuguese from Kikongo
nzadi o nzere meaning
"river swallowing rivers". This was also the former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Zambezi (River) Chewa, Bemba, Tonga, Shona, EnglishThe name of a river in the south of
Africa, of uncertain meaning. It could possibly be from the name of the Bisa people of Zambia. According to the explorer David Livingstone it meant "great river".
Zambia (Country) Chewa, Bemba, Tonga, English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, RomanianFrom the name of the
Zambezi River. It was adopted as the name of the African country of Zambia, formerly called Northern
Rhodesia, when it became independent of the United Kingdom in 1964.
Zealand (Country) English, Danish, Norwegian, SwedishFrom Dutch
Zeeland, from Middle Dutch
Seelant, derived from
see "sea" and
lant "land". This is the name of a province in the western
Netherlands (now typically called
Zeeland in many languages). It is also borne by the country of New Zealand in the South Pacific, which was named by the Dutch in the 17th century.
Zimbabwe (Country & Settlement) Shona, Ndebele, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, RomanianFrom the Shona language, possibly from
dzimba "houses" and
ibwe "stone". Great Zimbabwe was an ancient city, falling into ruin in the 15th century. It was located in the country of Zimbabwe, which was named after the ancient city in 1980 when it gained independence from the United Kingdom. It was formerly called Southern
Rhodesia by the British.