English Place Names

Spain (Country) English
Derived 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".

Stirling (Settlement) English
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a city in Scotland.

St John (Settlement) English
Name commemorating Saint John. This is the name of several towns in England.

Stockholm (Settlement) Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, German, Dutch, French
From Swedish stock "log" and holme "islet". The islet probably referred to Helgeandsholmen in central Stockholm. This is the name of the capital city of Sweden. The first written mention of the name occurs in 1252.

Sudan (Country) English, Arabic, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Thai
From Arabic سُود (sud) 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: السُودان (al-Sudan).

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

Tanganyika (Region & Country) Eastern African, Swahili, English
From Swahili tanga "sail" and nyika "wilderness". This is the name of a region in eastern 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) Eastern African, Swahili, English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Romanian, Greek, Armenian, Georgian, Indonesian, Malay
From a combination of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the names of the two countries that were united to create the eastern African country of Tanzania in 1964.

Tataouine (Settlement) French, English
From 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) English
From the Old English given name Tata combined with ham meaning "homestead". This is the name of a town in Lancashire.

Tatton (Settlement) English
From the Old English given name Tata combined with tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of a town in Cheshire.

Tehran (Settlement) Persian, English
From Persian تهران (Tehran), meaning unknown. This is the name of the capital city of Iran.

Texas (Political Subdivision) English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese
A state of the United States, from Spanish Texas or Tejas, originally an ethnic name used by the Spanish for the Caddo. It was derived from the Caddo word taysha meaning "friends, allies".

Thailand (Country) English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Combination of Thai and land. This is the name of a country in southeastern Asia, formerly called Siam.

Thornley (Settlement) English
From Old English þorn "thorn" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of several towns in England and Scotland.

Thornton (Settlement) English
From Old English þorn "thorn" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several English towns.

Timbuktu (Settlement) English, Arabic, Central African, Bamileke
Meaning 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
From Japanese 東 (tō) meaning "east" and 京 (kyō) meaning "capital city". This is the name of the capital of Japan.

Trent 1 (River) English
River in England, possibly from the Celtic elements tri "across" and sant "travel", a reference to its frequent floodings.

Trent 2 (Settlement) English
English form of Trento.

Trenton (Settlement) English
Means "Trent's town". This is the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent.

Troy (Settlement) Greek Mythology, English
From 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.

Troyes (Settlement) French, English, German, Dutch
The name of a city in France, called in Latin (Augustobona) Tricassium, which was named after the Gallic tribe of the Tricasses.

Turkey (Country) English
From 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.

Uganda (Country) English, Eastern African, 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, Malay
From 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 eastern Africa.

Ukraine (Country) English, French, German, Danish, Malay
From 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 States (Country) English
The 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) English
From Old English upp "up" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of various towns in England.

Ural (Region & River) Russian, English, German, Turkish, Bashkir
Meaning unknown, possibly from Turkic aral meaning "island, boundary". This is the name of a mountain range and a river in western Russia.

Uruk (Settlement) Akkadian, English
From Sumerian 𒌷 (uru) meaning "city". This was the name of a city-state of ancient Sumer (later Akkad and Babylonia). It was inhabited until the time of the Islamic conquest of the area.

Uzbekistan (Country) English, Russian, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Swedish
From Uzbek O'zbekiston, derived from the ethnic name O'zbek (which is probably in part from Turkic beg meaning "chieftain, master") combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the name of a country in central Asia.

Valencia (Settlement & Region) Spanish, Italian, English, German
The 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 Venezuala.

Veneto (Political Subdivision) Italian, English
The 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, Malay
Possibly 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) English
From 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.

Verona (Settlement) Italian, Spanish, English, Ancient Roman
Meaning unknown, possibly of Latin, Gallic or Etruscan origin. This is the name of a city in northern Italy.

Victoria (Political Subdivision, Settlement & Body of Water) English
From 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, Italian
Meaning 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, Malay
From 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, English
Fijian 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) English
From Old English wacu "wake, vigil" and feld "field". This is the name of a city in England.

Wales (Country) English, German, Dutch
From Old English Wealas, derived from wealh meaning "foreigner, Celt". This is the name of a country (part of the United Kingdom) in the west of the island of Great Britain. In Welsh it is called Cymru.

Walmersley (Settlement) English
Meaning 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) English
From Polish Warszawa, derived from the given name Warsz, a short form of Warcisław. This is the name of the capital city of Poland.

Warwick (Settlement) English
From Old English wer "weir, dam" and wīc "village, town". This is the name of a town in England.

Washington (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English
Means "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) English
Means "Wemba's clearing" in Old English. This was the name of a town that is now part of Greater London.

Westcott (Settlement) English
From Old English west "west" and cot "cottage". This is the name of several towns in England.

Westley (Settlement) English
From Old English west "west" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few small English towns.

Weston (Settlement) English
From Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town". This is the name of several towns in England.

Whitney (Settlement) English
Probably from Old English hwit "white" and eg "island". This is the name of a small town in Herefordshire.

Wickham (Settlement) English
From Old English wīc "village, town" (of Latin origin) and ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a few towns in England.

Willey (Settlement) English
From Old English wilig "willow" or weoh "idol, image" combined with leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a few towns in England.

Willoughby (Settlement) English
From Old English wilig meaning "willow" and Old Norse býr "farm, settlement". This is the name of several towns in England.

Wilton (Settlement) English
From Old English wilig 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) English
Derived from Venta, of Celtic origin, and Latin castrum meaning "camp, fortress". This is the name of a city in southern England.

Winona (Settlement) English
From the legendary figure of Winona. This is the name of several towns in the United States.

Winslow (Settlement) English
Means "Wine's hill" in Old English. This is the name of a town in Buckinghamshire.

Winthrope 1 (Settlement) English
Means "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) English
Means "Wigmund's village", from the given name Wigmund and Old English þrop "village". This is the name of a town in Nottinghamshire.

Winton (Settlement) English
Means "Wine's enclosure" in Old English. This is the name of various towns in England.

Wortham (Settlement) English
From Old English worþ "enclosure" and ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a town in Suffolk.

Wylye (River) English
Possibly from a Celtic word meaning "tricky". This is the name of a river in southern England.

Wymondham (Settlement) English
From the given name Wigmund combined with Old English ham "home, settlement". This is the name of a town in Norfolk.

Yemen (Country) English, Danish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Filipino, Tagalog
From Arabic يمن (Yaman), probably derived from يمين (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". This is the name of a country at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula.

York (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English
From 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 wīc "village".... [more]

Yoxall (Settlement) English
Derived from Old English geoc "oxen yoke" and halh "nook, recess". This is the name of a town in Staffordshire.

Zaire (River & Country) Portuguese, English
Older 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) Southern African, Chewa, Bemba, Tonga, Shona, English
The name of a river in southern 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) Southern African, Chewa, Bemba, Tonga, English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian
From 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.

Zanzibar (Island) Eastern African, Swahili, English
From Arabic زنجبار (Zanjibar), from Persian زنگبار (Zangibar), derived from زنگی (zangi) meaning "black, dark-skinned" and بار (bar) meaning "shore, coast". This is the name of an island, part of Tanzania.

Zealand (Country) English, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
From 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 southern Pacific, which was named by the Dutch in the 17th century.

Zeeland (Political Subdivision & Country) Dutch, English, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Dutch form of Zealand. Several other languages, including English, use this spelling to refer to the Dutch province (but not the country of New Zealand).

Zimbabwe (Country & Settlement) Southern African, Shona, Ndebele, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian
From 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.