Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Aarhus(Settlement)Danish From Old Danish Árós meaning "river mouth", ultimately derived from Old Norse á "river" and óss "mouth (of a river)". Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark.
Abergavenny(Settlement)Welsh Means "mouth of the River Gavenny" in Welsh.
Aberystwyth(Settlement)Welsh Means "the mouth of the Ystwyth" in Welsh.
Adygeycho(Political Subdivision)Chechen From адыгей (adygey), the Chechen name for the Circassian (Adyghe) people, combined with the suffix -чоь (-cho) meaning "place of". This is the Chechen name for Adygea.
Agra(Settlement)Hindi, Urdu, English Most likely derived from Sanskrit अग्रेवण (agrevana) meaning "forest border", from अग्र (agra) meaning "border, in front of, foremost point" and वन (vana) meaning "forest, wood, grove"... [more]
Aichi(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "knowledge of love" in Japanese.
Aikawa(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of several towns in Japan. The first one (愛川) is located in Kanagawa Prefecture in eastern Japan, the second one (合川), located in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, was merged with other towns to form the city of Kitaakita... [more]
Aintzila(Settlement)Basque Means "hill of mud" in Basque. It is the name of a town in the Basque region of France.
Ajijic(Settlement)Spanish Means "place of water" or "place where water bubbles up" in Nahuatl.
Akti Elefantostou(Country)Greek Greek form of Ivory Coast. It literally means "Coast of Ivory" in Greek, as it is derived from the Greek noun ακτή (akti) meaning "coast" combined with the Greek noun ελεφαντοστό (elefantosto) meaning "ivory".
Alameda(Region)Spanish The word Alameda is Spanish for "tree lined street or path" or "grove of poplar trees."
Åland(Island)Finland Swedish Either derived from Old Norse *Ahvaland meaning "land of water" (from ahva "water"), or from Finnish Ahvenanmaa "perch land" (from ahven "perch"). Åland is an autonomous archipelago province in the Baltic Sea... [more]
Alaska(Political Subdivision)English Derived from Russian Аляска (Alyaska), which in turn is derived from Aleut alaxsxaq meaning "object to which the action of the sea is directed". Alaska is the largest of the 50 American states, located northwest of the United States mainland and bordering Canada.
Almería(Settlement)Spanish From Arabic المريّة (Al-Mariyya), meaning "the watchtower" or possibly "the mirror (of the sea)". This is the name of a city in the south of Spain.
Altham(Settlement)English Meaning "river meadow of the swans" hamm elfitu.
Amapá(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) Of uncertain origin. It may come from Tupi amapá, meaning "the place of the rain"; from a Nheengatu term meaning "island" or "land that ends", or from an Arawak term denoting the Hancornia amapa, a local species of tree; or from a Northern Geral term indicating a local species of tree... [more]
Amritsar(Settlement)English, Hindi Means "pool of nectar" from Sanskrit अमृत (amrita) meaning "nectar, elixir" and सरस् (saras) meaning "pool, lake, pond". This is the name of a city in India.
Andhra Pradesh(Political Subdivision)Indian "Andhra Pradesh" is a state in southern India. The name "Andhra" is believed to have originated from the Andhra people, an ancient Dravidian-speaking ethnic group who once inhabited the region. "Pradesh" is a Hindi word meaning "province" or "region," so "Andhra Pradesh" translates to "Land of the Andhras" or "Province of the Andhras."
Antananarivo(Settlement)Malagasy, French, English Means "city of thousand" in Malagasy, from the prefix an- combined with tanana meaning "city, town" and arivo meaning "one thousand". The name was chosen by Merina King Andriamasinavalona (1675-1710), who renamed the city in honour of the thousand soldiers who captured the site under the rule of King Andrianjaka... [more]
Apsny(Country)Abkhaz From Abkhaz аԥсуаа (apsuaa), the native name of the Abkhaz people. The ethnic name itself is of uncertain meaning; one theory suggests that it means "land of the soul" or "land of mortals"... [more]
Ardenne(Region & Other)French, French (Belgian) From the forest known as Arduenna Silva in the Roman period; Arduenna probably derives from a Gaulish cognate of the Brythonic word ardu, as in Irish ard "high"... [more]
Arunachal Pradesh(Political Subdivision)Indian "Arunachal Pradesh" is a state in northeastern India. The name "Arunachal" is derived from the Sanskrit words "Aruna" meaning "dawn" and "Achal" meaning "land," so "Arunachal" translates to "Land of the Dawn-Lit Mountains" or "Land of the Rising Sun." This name references the fact that the state is located in the easternmost part of India where the sun rises first.
Arzhalamancho(Country)Chechen From Chechen ӏаьржаламанхой (arzhalamankhoy) meaning "Montenegrin" and the suffix -чоь (-cho) meaning "place of". The name is derived from Chechen ӏаьржа (arzha) meaning "black" and лам (lam) meaning "mountain" (from a calque of the country's Montenegrin and Serbo-Croatian name, Crna Gora)... [more]
Ashford(Other)English (British) The name of several places in England. All but one of these derive the second element of their name from Old English ford meaning "ford" - for the one in North Devon, it is derived from Old English worō or worth meaning "enclosure".... [more]
Ashgabat(Settlement)English From Turkmen Aşgabat, from Persian عشقآباد (eshq abad) meaning "city of love", derived from عشق (eshq) meaning "love, passion" and آباد (abad)# meaning "city"... [more]
Asunción(Settlement)Spanish Means "assumption" in Spanish, as in “assumption of Mary to heaven". This is the capital of Paraguay. Originally called Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción (meaning "Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption") by its founder, it was later shortened to Asunción.
Athenry(Settlement)Irish Athenry (Baile Áth an Rí) meaning "Town of the Ford of the King" is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies 25 kilometres east of Galway city.
Attawapiskat(River & Settlement)Cree River and town in Ontario, Canada. From the Attawapiskat people, meaning "people of the parting of the rocks", or Āhtawāpiskatowi ininiwak.
Auckland(Settlement)English The Baron Auckland and the Earl of Auckland are titles of the English nobility. The first Baron Auckland, William Eden, had the city of Auckland in New Zealand named after him. Bishop Auckland is a town in the county of Durham in Britain which has lent its name to the title... [more]
Aust-Agder(Political Subdivision)Norwegian From the Nynork word aust "east" and the place name agder. It means "the eastern part of Agder."... [more]
Austin(Settlement)English Named after several people bearing the first name Austin or its surname counterpart Austin... [more]
Australasia(Region)English Means "south of Asia" from Latin australis meaning "southern" combined with Asia. This is the name of a region in Oceania consisting of Australia, New Zealand, and other neighbouring islands.
Aztlan(Other & Settlement)Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Aztec From the very name of the mythical homeland of the Aztec peoples. Etymology uncertain, often said to mean "place of the herons", from Nahuatl aztatl "heron, snowy egret" and the locative suffix -tlan, though this doesn’t fit Nahuatl morphology... [more]
Baku(Settlement)English, Russian, Persian From Azerbaijani Bakı from Persian باکو (baku), which is of uncertain meaning. One popular etymology suggests that it means "wind-pounded city" from Persian باد (bad) meaning "wind" and کوبیدن (kubidan) meaning "to pound, to beat", given in reference to the area's frequent storms and high winds... [more]
Balochistan(Political Subdivision & Region)Balochi, Urdu, Pashto, English From the ethnic name بلۏچ (Baloch) referring to the Baloch people (itself of uncertain meaning) combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of"... [more]
Baltistan(Region)Urdu, English From the ethnic name بلتی (Balti) combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the name of a region in Pakistan.
Banda Aceh(Settlement)Indonesian Means "port of Aceh" from Indonesian bandar meaning "port, harbour" (of Persian origin) and Aceh. This is the name of the capital city of the Indonesian province of Aceh.
Bandar Seri Begawan(Settlement)Malay, English Means "town of the radiance of the gods" from Malay bandar meaning "town" (of Persian origin), seri meaning "radiance, splendour, glory" and begawan meaning "holy". The name comes from Seri Begawan, a Malay title used by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III (1914-1986), which was ultimately derived from Sanskrit श्री भगवान् (shri bhagvan)... [more]
Bangalore(Settlement)English From Kannada ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು (Bengaluru) of uncertain meaning, possibly from Old Kannada beṅga-val-ūru meaning "city of guards" or benda-kāl-ūru meaning "town of boiled beans" (referring to a story from Kannada folklore)... [more]
Banteay Meanchey(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means "fortress of victory" in Khmer, from បន្ទាយ (banteay) meaning "fort, fortress", មាន (mean) meaning "have, possess, own" and ជ័យ (chay) meaning "victory"... [more]
Banten(Country & Political Subdivision)Indonesian, Sundanese, Javanese Meaning uncertain. It may be derived from the Sundanese and Bantenese phrase katiban inten meaning "struck down by diamonds", which was used to describe the spead of Islam in the region in the 15th century... [more]
Bashkortostan(Political Subdivision)Russian From Bashkir Башҡортостан (Bashqortostan), which is from башҡорт (bashqort), the name of the people, combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of"... [more]
Batangas(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Filipino, Tagalog, English Derived from Tagalog batangan meaning "timberland, place of wooden rafts", itself from batang meaning "log" combined with the place marker suffix -an. This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, the Philippines.
Battambang(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means “loss of stick”, referring to the local legend, Preah Bat Dambang Kranhoung.
Batu Gajah(Settlement)Malay, English Means "elephant rock" from Malay batu meaning "stone, rock" and gajah meaning "elephant", most likely named for two large boulders that resembled elephants located along a nearby river... [more]
Bdoté(Island & Body of Water)Sioux From Dakota bdoté meaning "place where two or more bodies of water converge".
Beersheba(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English Beersheba is a city in Israel, whose name is derived from the Hebrew Be'er Sheva, which means “Well of the Oath”.
Bermuda(Political Subdivision)English Derived from the surname of Juan de Bermúdez, a 16th-century Spanish navigator alleged to have discovered the archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. Bermúdez is a surname meaning "son of Bermudo".
Bikini Atoll(Island)English From Marshallese Pikinni "surface of coconut". Bikini is an island located in the Marshall Islands, famous for being a place the United States formerly did nuclear tests.
Biliran(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Waray, Cebuano, Tagalog, English From Waray biliran meaning "edge" or "something that forms corners or tips", likely referencing a local topographic feature. This is the name of a province of the Philippines.
Bogusza(Settlement)Polish Meaning "of Bogusz" (as a given name or surname). It is the name of a village in southern Poland.
Bolgharestan(Country)Persian From Persian بلغار (bolghar) meaning "Bulgarian" combined with the suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the Persian name for Bulgaria.
Boulder(Settlement)English Name of a city in Colorado, from Middle English bulderston, from a Scandinavian source akin to Swedish dialectal bullersten "noisy stone", (Swedish buller "rumbling noise" + sten "stone".
Brae(Settlement)Scottish Brae is a settlement on the island of Mainland in Shetland Scotland.... [more]
Breadalbane(Region)Scottish Breadalbane is a region of the south/central Scottish Highlands. ... [more]
Bridgemont(Settlement)English This very old and rare medieval English surname is almost certainly locational and derives from a now "lost" medieval village called "Bridgemont". Meaning, "mount of the bridge."
Broadalbin(Settlement)English (American) Broadalbin is a settlement in New york USA. Founded in 1741 by European settlers.... [more]
Buckinghamshire(Political Subdivision & Region)English From Old English, meaning "the county of Bucca's home", from Buckingham, named after its 12th-century landowner, Bucca, with sċīr, from Proto-West Germanic *skīru... [more]
Buenos Aires(Settlement)Spanish Ultimately derived from Aragonese buen ayre “good air”. It is the capital city of Argentina. The explorer who founded the city originally called it Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Nuestra Señora la Virgen María de los Buenos Aires meaning "City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Good Airs" which was later shortened to just Buenos Aires.
Bukhara(Settlement)English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Kazakh, Russian, Ukrainian From Uzbek Buxoro, itself derived from Persian بخارا (bokhara) of uncertain meaning, possibly from Sogdian βuxārak meaning "place of good fortune". Alternately it may have come from Sanskrit विहार (vihara) referring to a Buddhist monastery... [more]
Bukidnon(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Bukid, Higaonon, Ilocano, English From Cebuano bukidnon meaning "mountaineers, people of the mountains", referring to the indigenous tribes of the Central Mindanao highlands. This is the name of a province of the Philippines.
Buôn Ma Thuột(Settlement)Vietnamese Means "village of Y Thuôt's father" from Rade ƀuôn meaning "village", ama meaning "father" and the given name Y Thuôt. This is the name of a city in Vietnam.
Buriram(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Means "city of happiness" from Thai บุรี (buri) meaning "city, town" and รัมย์ (ram) meaning "joyful, pleasurable". This is the name of a province and city in Thailand.
Caiseal(Settlement)Irish The original Gaelic name of a town in County Tipperary, Ireland, known in the English-speaking world as Cashel. It means "stone ringfort", ultimately from Latin castellum.
Calvary(Region)Biblical A location outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified according to the Gospels. It means "place of the skull" (derived from "calvariae locus") and is also known as Golgotha.
Campeche(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Spanish Derived from Kaan Peech, the name of the 16th-century Maya chiefdom meaning "place of snakes and ticks", derived from Yucatec Maya kaan meaning "snake" and peech meaning "tick"... [more]
Canarias(Island)Spanish From Latin Canariae Insulae meaning "islands of the dogs". This is the name of a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of northwestern Africa.
Canary Islands(Region)English English form of Spanish Islas Canarias which is derived from Latin Canariae Insulae "islands of the dogs". This is the name of a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of northwestern Africa.
Cần Thơ(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese Possibly from Vietnamese cầm thi giang meaning "river of poems", or from Vietnamese rau cần meaning "water dropwort" and rau cần meaning "mint".
Carveth(Settlement)English From Cornish Karvergh ("fort of horses"), from kar ("fort") and mergh ("horse"). This is the name of a village in Cornwall.
Casquet(Island)French An island chain in the Channel Islands. Could from derived from French 'cascade', referring the nearby strong tides, or from 'casque', referring to the helmet-like shape of the rocks, or from 'cas', meaning "broken" and 'quet', "rock".
Catanduanes(Island & Political Subdivision)Filipino, Central Bikol, Tagalog, English From a Spanish plural form of Bikol katanduan either meaning "place of tandu", referring to a type of beetle, or "place of tando", referring to a type of tree. This is the name of an island province of the Philippines.
Caucasus(Mountain)English From Greek Καύκασος (Kaúkasos), which is of uncertain origin; it may be derived from Scythian *xrohukäsi meaning "ice-shining" or "white snow". Alternatively, it may be from Greek κήξ (kḗx) meaning "sea swallow (a kind of bird)" and κάσος (kásos) possibly meaning "mountain" or "rock"... [more]
Chardonnay(Settlement)French The name of a famous village for the white wine produced here. Means "a place of thistles" from the latin cardonnacum.
Chechenistan(Political Subdivision)Persian From Persian چچن (čečen) meaning "Chechen" and the suffix ـستان (-stân) meaning "land of". This is a Persian name for Chechnya.
Chechnya(Political Subdivision)Russian, English Means "(place) of the Chechens", derived from the Russian name for the Chechen people. The exonym is of uncertain meaning, with Russian folk etymologies suggesting that it originates from the name of a village; on the other hand, it may be derived from the Kabardian name Шашан (Shashan)... [more]
Chihuahua(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Spanish Meaning unknown, possibly of Nahuatl origin meaning "the place where water of the rivers meet, confluence". This is the name of a state of, as well as a city in, Mexico.
Chinastan(Country)Armenian From Persian چین (Chin) referring to China combined with the suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the Armenian name of China.
Chonburi(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai From Thai ชล (chon) meaning "(body of) water" and บุรี (buri) meaning "city, town", so named for the nearby Gulf of Thailand. This is the name of a province of Thailand as well as said province's capital city.
Cill Dara(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish The Irish name for County Kildare. Means "church of the oak" in Irish.... [more]
Cill Mhantáin(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish Irish name for the county of Wicklow. Meaning "church of Mantan". It is named after a peer of Saint Patrick. Mantan had his teeth knocked out by Irish pagans, and then he was renamed Mantan, which means "toothless one".
Ciscaucasia(Region)English, Italian, Spanish Means "on this side of the Caucasus", derived from Latin cis meaning "on this side of" combined with the latinized Greek noun Caucasia meaning "the Caucasus" (both the mountains and their namesake region)... [more]
Coahuila(Political Subdivision)Spanish Meaning uncertain. It is most likely of Nahuatl origin, with possible meanings including "flying serpent", "place of many trees" or "place where serpents creep". This is the name of a state of Mexico, formally known as Coahuila de Zaragoza.
Colossae(Settlement)Greek either "Establishing a Temple or Shrine" or "to Punish" or "Dyed Wool," but no direct connection to "the Colossus of Rhodes"
Conception Bay(Body of Water)English Calque of Medieval Portuguese Baía da Conceição, "Bay of the Conception," named for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Condom(Political Subdivision)Occitan Condom, also referred to as Condom-en-Armagnac, is a commune in southwestern France in the department of Gers, of which it is a subprefecture.... [more]
Connacht(Political Subdivision & Region)Irish From the name of the medieval ruling dynasty, the Connacht, later Connachta, meaning “descendants of Conn”, referring to the legendary king Conn of the Hundred Battles.... [more]
Cotabato(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Tagalog, English From Maguindanao Kutawatu meaning "stone city", from kuta meaning "city, fort" and wato meaning "stone, rock". This is the name of both a province and a city in the southern Philippines.
Cotonou(Settlement)French The name Cotonou comes from Fon origins, meaning, "by the river of death".
Crevichon(Island)Norman Islet in the Channel Islands, England. Means "isle of crabs, crayfish, and cranes", due to the abundance of those animals in the area.
Cuzco(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Inca (Hispanicized), Quechua (Hispanicized), Spanish (Archaic) Traditional spelling of Cusco, a city in Peru which was the capital of the Inca Empire. Cusco is the Hispanicized form of Quechua Qusqu meaning "rock, boundary stone; heap of earth and stones; nucleus; navel; bed, dry bed of a lake".
Czech Republic(Country)English The traditional English name "Bohemia" derives from Latin: Boiohaemum, which means "home of the Boii" (Gallic tribe). The current English name comes from the Polish ethnonym associated with the area, which ultimately comes from the Czech word Čech... [more]
Daejeon(Settlement)Korean Combination of 大 (대, dae, "big, large") and 田 (전, jeon, "cultivated piece of land"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Dagestan(Political Subdivision)Russian Derived from Turkish dağ meaning "mountain" and the Persian suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the name of a federal subject of Russia.
Đà Nẵng(Settlement)Vietnamese Uncertain, possibly from Eastern Cham đanak meaning "mouth of a river" or đarak meaning "large river" or from Western Cham đaknan meaning "wide water, large water" (all referring to the Han River)... [more]
Dar Es Salaam(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Swahili, English Derived from Arabic دار السلام (dar as-salam) meaning "house of peace" or "abode of peace". This is the name of an administrative region and city in Tanzania.
Delaware(Political Subdivision)English Name of a state in the United States, named after the Delaware river, which was named after Lord De La Warr, from French de la guerre or de la werre literally "of the war".
Demelza(Settlement)Cornish Name of a hamlet in Cornwall, sometimes explained as a contraction of Cornish Dinas Maeldaf "fort of Maeldaf", but more likely derived from Cornish ty "house" and malsai "eel".
Denver(Settlement)English Named after James W. Denver; the surname itself comes from Old English Denefær ("crossing of the Danes") or den-ōfer ("valley-bank")... [more]
Derry(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish City and country in Northern Ireland. May mean "oak wood", from 'Daire Coluimb Chille', meaning "The Oak-wood of Saint Columba". Or the name may have been from Proto-Celtic 'calg-ac-os', meaning "possessing a blade" or "possessing a penis".
Des Moines(Settlement)English Name of the capital and the most populous city in Iowa, which derived from Fort Des Moines, which was named for the Des Moines River. The French des Moines translates to either "from the monks" or "of the monks".
Detroit(Political Subdivision)English (American) From the French word, meaning “strait.” The full name of the city’s phrase is “le détroit du Lac Érie,” meaning “the strait of Lake Erie.”
Dinagat(Political Subdivision & Island)Filipino, Cebuano, Surigaonon, Waray, Tagalog, English From Cebuano dinagat meaning "of the sea", ultimately from dagat meaning "sea". This is the name of an island in the Philippines, as well as a province (called Dinagat Islands).
Dingwall(Settlement)English A city in Scotland. From the Scandinavian 'Þingvöllr ', meaning "the meeting place of the assembly".
Donegal(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish County and town in Ireland. Meaning "place of foreigners" (i.e. the Vikings). Alternatively, it may mean "land of Conall", a king from the area. Conall means "strong wolf".
Dorset(Settlement)Medieval English named after Dorchester, 'Roman Town with Fist-Sized Pebbles'; that was after the Romans had named it Durnovaria, which probably means "Place with Fist-Sized Pebbles"
Ehime(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "love of the princess" in Japanese.
Eindhoven(Settlement)Dutch Combination of eind and hoven, hoven can refer to "Hof" (fenced piece of land, garden, earth) or "Hoeve" (homestead). The origin of Eind isn't known well. It probably meant "the boundary between the cultivated land of a settlement and the waste ground outside of it"... [more]
Ekibastuz(Settlement)Kazakh, Russian Means "two heads of salt" from Kazakh екі (eki) meaning "two", бас (bas) meaning "head" and тұз (tuz) meaning "salt". This is the name of a city in Kazakhstan.
Engelestan(Country)Persian From Persian انگلیس (engelis) meaning "England, English" and the suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the Persian name for England.
Ermaloycho(Country)Chechen From Chechen эрмалой (ermaloy) meaning "Armenian" and the suffix чоь (-cho) meaning "place of". This is the Chechen name for Armenia.
Eswatini(Country)Swazi, English Means "land of the Swazis" Swazi. Since 2018, this is the official name of the landlocked country in Southern Africa. formally known as the Kingdom of Swaziland, the nation renamed itself the Kingdom of Eswatini, reflecting the extant Swazi name for the state "eSwatini", to mark the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence, and was partially intended to prevent confusion with the similarly named country, Switzerland.
Eturkalamma(Other)Babylonian Means "house, cattle pen of the land", deriving from the Akkadian elements erṣutu ("ground, earth, soil, land"). Name of the temple of Ishtar in Babylon, where she was worshipped as Belet-babili.
Featherstonhaugh(Settlement)English A town in Northumberland, England. From Old English feðere "feather", stān "stone", and healh "corner."
Fermanagh(Political Subdivision)Irish County in Northern Ireland. Meaning "men of the country of the lakes".
Finfinnee(Settlement)Oromo Means "fountain of hot mineral water" in Oromo, used as the Oromo name for Addis Ababa.
Finistère(Political Subdivision & Region)French, English The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning “end of the earth”. As its name suggests, it is the westernmost department in mainland France.
Fortaleza(Settlement)Portuguese Means "fortress" in Portuguese, a shortened form of the original name Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora de Assunção meaning "Fort of Our Lady of the Assumption". This is the name of a city in Brazil.
Fraintche-Comtè(Political Subdivision & Region)Frainc-Comtou From Franche-Comté de Bourgogne, or "Free County of Burgundy", a region separated from Burgundy proper in the 15th century.... [more]
Franche-Comtât(Political Subdivision & Region)Franco-Provençal From Franche-Comté de Bourgogne, or "Free County of Burgundy", a region separated from Burgundy proper in the 15th century.... [more]
Franche-Comté(Political Subdivision & Region)French From Franche-Comté de Bourgogne, or "Free County of Burgundy", a region separated from Burgundy proper in the 15th century. Comté, "county", was formerly feminine, although today it is masculine.... [more]
Funabashi(Settlement)Japanese Means either "bridge on a ship" or "bridge made of ships" in Japanese, from 船 (funa), meaning "ship, vessel", and 橋 (hashi), meaning "bridge"... [more]
Galbally(Settlement)Irish From Irish gall "foreigner, stranger" and baile "settlement, home". Alternately, may be from gall "stone" and buaile, a form of seasonal pasture.
Gehenna(Other)Biblical, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend Latin form of the Greek Γέεννα (Géenna), from a contracted form of Hebrew גֵּיא בֶן הִנֹּם (gē ḇen hinnōm) meaning "valley of the son of Hinnom". This is the name of hell in Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition, taken from the name of a valley outside Jerusalem which was filled with the waste of the city, which was then burnt... [more]
Ghalghayche(Political Subdivision)Ingush From гӀалгӀай (ghalghay) the native name of the Ingush people, combined with the suffix -че (-che) meaning "place of". The ethnic name is of uncertain origin, though it is most popularly believed to mean "residents of the towers"... [more]
Ghalmaqoycho(Political Subdivision)Chechen From Chechen гӀалмакхой (ghalmaqoy) meaning "Kalmyk" and the suffix -чоь (-cho) meaning "place of". This is the Chechen name for Kalmykia.
Ghirghazoycho(Country)Chechen From Chechen гӀиргӀазой (ghirghazoy) meaning "Kyrgyz" and the suffix -чоь (-cho) meaning "place of". This is the Chechen name for Kyrgyzstan.
Gia Lai(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From the name of the indigenous Jarai people of Vietnam, itself derived from ចារ៉ាយ (charay) meaning "people of the waterfalls" or "people of the flowing river". This is the name of a province of Vietnam.
Goiás(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) Of uncertain origin. It may be derived from the name of the (possibly mythical) Guaiá indigenous community; the name itself is composed of the Tupi words gua and iá, meaning, among other things, "the same person" or "people of the same origin." This is the name of a state of Brazil.
Golgotha(Region)Biblical A location outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John. It means "place of the skull" and is also known as Calvary.
Gornje Mrzlo Polje Mrežničko(Settlement)Croatian Gornje Mrzlo Polje Mrežničko is a village in Croatia. It translates to "Upper Cold Field of Mrežnica" in Croatian.
Gorontalo(Political Subdivision)Indonesian From Gorontalo Hulontalo of uncertain meaning, with various records suggesting "valley of the noble", "inundated land", "three mountains" or "place of waiting". This is the name of a province of and city in Indonesia.
Götaland(Region)Swedish Means "land of the Geats". The Geats (sometimes referred to as Goths) were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting southern Sweden. Götaland is one of three lands of Sweden, the others being Svealand and Norrland.
Göteborg(Settlement)Swedish From the name of Göta älv ("River of the Geats"), combined with Swedish borg "castle, fortress". The Geats were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting present-day Sweden. Göteborg is the second largest city in Sweden.
Gressenhall(Settlement)English Derived from the Old English grēosn "gravel" or gærsen "grass" and the Anglian halh meaning "a nook of land". The name of a village in the county of Norfolk.
Guadalajara(Political Subdivision, Region & Settlement)Spanish name comes from the Arabic (وادي الحجارة) wādī al-ḥajārah which means "Valley of the Stone", or "Fortress Valley". A city in Mexico bears this name from the birthplace of a conquistador of the same name as the city and the province of Spain the same name.
Guanajuato(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Spanish Derived from Purépecha kuanhasï juáta or kuanasï uata meaning "hill of frogs". This is the name of a state of, as well as a city in, Mexico.
Gunma(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "group of horses" in Japanese.
Gunma(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "group of horses" from Japanese 群 (gun) meaning "group" and 馬 (ma) meaning "horse". This is the name of a prefecture of Japan.
Hainan(Political Subdivision & Island)Chinese Means "south of the sea" from Chinese 海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" and 南 (nán) meaning "south", referring to the Qiongzhou Strait... [more]
Halifax(Settlement)English Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. The city was named after George Montagu-Dunk, the 2nd Earl of Halifax, a market town in West Yorkshire, England... [more]
Hälsingland(Region)Swedish Hälsingland is a province in central Sweden meaning "land of the Hälsings". Hälsing is believed to be a combination of Swedish hals "throat, neck" and inge "dweller". The hals-part is probably not referring to the anatomical part, but rather to a narrow strait of water.
Harbin(Settlement)Manchu, English From a dialectal name meaning "(place of) drying fishnets" in Manchu, so named because the area was once a small fishing village. This is the name of a city in China.
Haryana(Political Subdivision)Indian The name "Haryana" is derived from the Sanskrit words "Hari" meaning "Lord Vishnu" and "ayana" meaning "home" or "abode." Therefore, "Haryana" translates to "The Abode of Lord Vishnu" or "The Land of Lord Vishnu." This name references the region's historical and cultural significance in Hindu mythology and its association with Lord Vishnu.
Hauts-de-France(Political Subdivision & Region)French Meaning literally "heights of France", also "Upper France".... [more]
Hawaii(Island)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, of uncertain origin. Theories from Proto-Polynesian hawaiki which possibly means place of the gods" or from Proto-Polynesian sawaiki "homeland", or possibly named for Hawaiʻiloa, legendary discoverer of the Hawaiian islands.
Hazard(Other)French The French word was probably borrowed from Arabic az-zahr, meaning “the dice” or “one of the dice.” ... [more]
Hefei(Settlement)Chinese The name means "The junction of two rivers". The earliest record could be tracked back to the Han Dynasty (circa B.C. 202 - A.D. 8). 合 (hé) meaning "junction" and the two rivers 肥 (féi) being 南淝河 (South Fei River) and 东淝河 (East Fei River)... [more]
Henan(Political Subdivision)Chinese Means "south of the (Yellow) River" from Chinese 河 (hé) meaning "river, stream" and 南 (nán) meaning "south". This is the name of a province of China.
Herefordshire(Political Subdivision & Region)English May mean "county of the army river crossing", deriving from the Old English for "army", here, and "river crossing", ford, making Hereford, and sċīr, from Proto-West Germanic *skīru meaning "county”... [more]
Hestitona(Settlement)Anglo-Saxon (Latinized) Latinized form of Old English Hengestestun meaning "town of Hengest", derived from the genitive of the Old English personal name Hengest and tun "enclosure, yard, town"... [more]
Himachal Pradesh(Political Subdivision)Indian "Himachal Pradesh" translates to "Snow-Laden Province" or "Province of Snow" in English. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words "Hima" meaning "snow" and "achal" meaning "mountain" or "range." This name reflects the state's geographical location in the Himalayan mountain range and its abundance of snow-capped peaks.
Hinxton(Settlement)English The name of a village in Cambridgeshire, ultimately derived from a contraction of Old English Hengestestun which possibly meant "town of Hengest", itself from the genitive of the Old English byname Hengest (or from Old English hengest "stallion") and Old English tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Holywood(Settlement)Northern Irish (Anglicized) English translation of Latin Sanctus Boscus, meaning “holy wood”. Holywood is a seaside town in County Down, Northern Ireland. This was the name the Normans gave to the woodland surrounding the monastery of Saint Laiseran, son of Nasca, founded before 640 on the site of the present Holywood Priory... [more]
Horningtoft(Settlement)English From the Old English horn "horn-shaped" -ingas "people of" toft "curtilage". "people of the horn-shaped curtilage". The name of a village in the county of Norfolk.
Houtadi(Settlement)Chinese From Chinese 后 (hòu) meaning "rear," 塔 (tǎ) meaning "tower," and 底 (dǐ) meaning "base" (literally "base of the rear tower"). It is the name of a village in Hebei, China.
Hunastan(Country)Armenian From Armenian հույն (huyn) meaning "Greek" (ultimately from the name of the ancient region of Ionia) combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of"... [more]
Hưng Yên(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 興 (hưng) meaning thrive, prosper, flourish" and 安 (yên) meaning "peaceful". This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Vietnam.
Hy-brasil(Island)Irish Mythology (?), Folklore Possibly from derived from Irish Uí Breasail meaning "clan of Breasal". This was the name of a mythical island off the western coast of Ireland that appeared on maps from 1325.
Idaho(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, of uncertain origin, possibly from Shoshone term ee-da-how, meaning "gem of the mountains" or "the sun comes from the mountains".
Île-de-France(Political Subdivision & Region)French Meaning literally "island of France". Its ultimate etymology is unclear; the "island" may refer to the land between the rivers Oise, Marne and Seine, or it may have been a reference to the Île de la Cité, where the French royal palace and cathedral were located... [more]
Ilkley(Settlement)English Of uncertain origin. The English-born clergyman Robert Collyer (1823-1912) claimed this is derived from an old British word llecan meaning "rock". The second syllable may be derived from Old English leah "(woodland) clearing".
Imari(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a city, known for Imari porcelain (even though it's actually made in nearby Arita) and for Imari pears, which is located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in south-western Japan.... [more]
Indianapolis(Settlement)English Union of "Indiana", itself meaning "Land of the Indians" in Latin, and the Greek suffix polis. This is the name of the capital city of the US state of Indiana.
Ingushetia(Political Subdivision)English Means "(place) of the Ingush", from the Russian name for the Ingush people. The Russian name is believed to be derived from Ангушт (Angusht), the Ingush name of the village of Tarskoe located in present-day North Ossetia–Alania... [more]
Inomenes Politeies Amerikis(Country)Greek Greek form of United States of America. It is literally a direct translation of the country's name, since it consists of the Greek adjective ηνωμένος (inomenos) meaning "united" combined with the Greek plural noun πολιτείες (politeies) meaning "states" and the Greek adjective Αμερικής (Amerikis) meaning "of America".
Iqaluit(Settlement)Inuit Iqaluit is the capital of the Canadian territory, Nunavut. ... [more]
Iryston(Region)Ossetian From Ossetian ир (ir), the ethnic name of the Ossetian people, combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stân) meaning "land of". This is the Ossetian name for Ossetia.
Isfahan(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From Persian اصفهان (Esfahan) ultimately derived from Old Persian spādānah meaning "connected with the army" or spādānām meaning "of the armies", from 𐎿𐎱𐎠𐎭 (spādaʰ) meaning "army"... [more]
Ishikawa(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "stone river" in Japanese.
Ishikawa(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "stone river" from Japanese 石 (ishi) meaning "stone" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream". This is the name of a prefecture of Japan.
Islamabad(Settlement)English, Hindi From Urdu اسلام آباد (Islam Abad) meaning "city of Islam" from the name of the religion and Urdu آباد (abad) meaning "inhabited place, city". This is the name of the capital city of Pakistan.
Itasca(Body of Water)English Lake Itasca in north central Minnesota.... [more]
Ivory Coast(Country)English Calque of French Côte d'Ivoire meaning "coast of ivory", a reference to the historical ivory trade prominent in that region. This is the name of a country in western Africa, sometimes also referred to by its French name.
Iwate(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "rock hand" in Japanese.
Iwate(Political Subdivision)Japanese From Japanese 岩 (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and 手 (te) meaning "hand". This is the name of a prefecture of Japan.
Jalalabad(Settlement)Afghan "Jalalabad" is a city in eastern Afghanistan. The name "Jalalabad" means "City of Glory" in Persian, derived from "jalal" meaning glory or grandeur, and "abad" meaning city or settlement.
Java(Political Subdivision & Island)English, Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish From Indonesian Jawa, which is of uncertain origin. It is most likely derived from Sanskrit यव-द्वीप (yava-dvipa) meaning "island of barley", though it may have come from Javanese ꦗꦸꦮꦮꦸꦠ꧀ (juwawut) meaning "foxtail millet (a type of plant)" or Malay jauh meaning "far, distant"... [more]
Jena(Settlement)German Settlement in Thuringia Germany. ... [more]
Jharkhand(Political Subdivision)Indian The name "Jharkhand" is derived from the Sanskrit words "Jhar" meaning "bush" or "dense forest," and "Khand" meaning "land" or "region." Therefore, "Jharkhand" translates to "The Land of Bushes" or "The Region of Dense Forests," reflecting the state's abundant natural vegetation and forest cover.
Johor(Political Subdivision)Malay, English Derived from Arabic جوهر (jawhar) meaning "jewel, precious stone", ultimately of Persian origin. This is the name of a state in southern Malaysia.
Jo-mo-glang-ma(Mountain)Tibetan Possibly means "holy mother", "mother of the universe" or "goddess mother of the world" in Tibetan. This is the Tibetan name for Mount Everest.
Jórvík(Settlement)Old Norse, Icelandic Icelandic and Old Norse form of York. It is believed to be derived from Old English Eoforwic, itself believed to be derived from Latin Eboracum possibly meaning "place of the yew trees".
Joseonminjusminmingonghwaguk(Country)Korean Korean form of North Korea, meaning "Democratic People's Republic of Korea", the official name of North Korea. 북한 (bukhan) is the informal eqivalent, meaning "North Korea" in Korean, from 북쪽 (bukjjok) meaning "north" and 한국 (hanguk) meaning "korea".
Jukkasjärvi(Settlement)Swedish, Finnish Originally from Northern Sami Čohkkirasjávri meaning "lake of assembly". It was later changed to the much more Finnish-sounding name Jukkasjärvi. This probably changed the meaning of the name as the first element jukkas is of uncertain origin (but it coincides with the Finnish given name Jukka)... [more]
Kabale(Political Subdivision, Settlement & Other)Kiga, Nkore Kiga word for “Small Stone”.
Kalaallit Nunaat(Country)Greenlandic Means "land of the Kalaallit". This is the Greenlandic endonym for Greenland. Kalaallit is the name of the dominant ethnic group on the island.
Kalmakstan(Political Subdivision)Kyrgyz From калмак (kalmak), the Kyrgyz name for the Kalmyk people, combined with the Persian suffix -ستان (-stan) meaning "land of". This is the Kyrgyz name for Kalmykia.
Kamchatka(Region)Ainu named for a native people, the Kamchadal, from Koryak (Chukotko-Kamchatkan) konchachal, which is said to mean "men of the far end"
Kampong Cham(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means “port of the chams” in Khmer.
Kampong Cham(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means "port of the Chams" in Khmer, from កំពង់ (kampong) meaning "port, landing" and ចាម (cham) referring to the Cham people. This is the name of a province of Cambodia.
Kampong Chhnang(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Khmer Means "port of pottery" in Khmer, from កំពង់ (kampong) meaning "port, landing" and ឆ្នាំង (chhnang) meaning "pot". This is the name of a province of and city in Cambodia.
Kampong Speu(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means “port of starfruit” in Khmer.
Kampong Speu(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means "port of starfruit" in Khmer, from កំពង់ (kampong) meaning "port, landing" and ស្ពឺ (speu) meaning "starfruit". This is the name of a province of Cambodia.
Kanazawa(Settlement)Japanese Means "marsh of gold" in Japanese; derived from a local legend, according to which a peasant who found flakes of gold while digging for potatoes. The kanji that make up the name are 金 (kana), meaning "metal, gold", and 沢 (sawa), meaning "marsh"... [more]
Kandahar(Settlement)Afghan "Kandahar" is a city in southern Afghanistan. The name "Kandahar" likely originates from the Sanskrit word "Gandhara," which referred to a region in ancient India that included parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan... [more]
Karakalpakstan(Political Subdivision)English, Russian From Karakalpak Қарақалпақстан (Qaraqalpaqstan), itself from the name of the Karakalpak people combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of"... [more]
Karamea(Settlement)Maori, English Means "speargrass" in Maori, peobably from a corruption of kakara taramea meaning "sweet-scented gum (of speargrass leaves)". This is the name of a town in New Zealand.
Karasjok(Settlement)Norwegian Norwegianized form of the Northern Sami language name Kárášjohka. The meaning of the first element could be káráš from Northern Sami which could mean "food plate of wood", or from Finnish, kara, "something that sticks"... [more]
Kawaguchi(Settlement)Japanese Means "estuary, mouth of a river" in Japanese, from 川 (kawa), meaning "river", and 口 (kuchi), meaning "mouth-like opening"... [more]
Kerala(Political Subdivision)English From Malayalam കേരളം (Keralam) of uncertain meaning. One theory suggests that it means "land of coconuts", derived from Malayalam കേരം (keram) meaning "coconut" and അളം (alam) meaning "place"... [more]
Kildare(Region)Irish, English From Irish Cill Dara meaning "church of the oak".
Kilkenny(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish Town and county in Ireland. Means "church of Cainnech". Saint Cainnech was the man who converted the county to Christianity in 597.
Killough(Settlement)Irish Killough, derived from Irish Cill Locha "church of the loch", is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Kōfu(Settlement)Japanese Means "capital of Kai Province" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 甲 (kō), originally an abbreviation of 甲斐 (kai), of uncertain meaning, and 府 (fu), meaning "government office"... [more]
Krung Thep(Settlement)Thai, English Means "city of gods" from Thai กรุง (krung) meaning "city" and เทพ (thep) meaning "god, deity". This is a Thai name for Bangkok, used as a shortened form of Krung Thep Maha Nakhon... [more]
Krung Thep(Settlement)Thai Means "the city of gods" in Thai.
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon(Settlement)Thai Means "city of gods, great city" from Thai กรุง (krung) meaning "city", เทพ (thep) meaning "god, deity", มหา (maha) meaning "grand, great" and นคร (nakhon) meaning "city"... [more]
Kutaisi(Settlement)Georgian Means "(city between) a stone and mountain", derived from Georgian ქვა (kva) meaning "stone", მთა (mta) meaning "mountain, hill" and ის (is) meaning "it". This is the name of a city in Georgia.
Ladakh(Region & Political Subdivision)English, Persian From Persian لداخ (ladakh), itself derived from Tibetan ལ་དྭགས (la dwags) meaning "land of high passes", from the words ལ (la) meaning "hillside, mountain pass" and དྭགས (dwags) meaning "open place"... [more]
Lahestan(Country)Persian From Persian له (Lah) referring to the Lechites, a group of West Slavic tribes who are the ancestors of modern-day Poles, combined with the suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of"... [more]
Lakeside(Settlement)English Lakeside means "at the side of the lake". Multiple cities have this name in the United States.
Lanao(Political Subdivision & Body of Water)Filipino, Tagalog, English From Maranao ranaw meaning "lake, body of water". This is the name of a lake and two provinces in the southern Philippines.
Lannstevan(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Cornish Lannstevan (Launceston in English) is a town, ancient borough, and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the middle stage of the River Tamar, which constitutes almost the entire border between Cornwall and Devon... [more]
Laois(Political Subdivision)Irish County in Ireland. Named after the Gaelic territory of Uí Laoighis, meaning "people of Lugaid Laígne".
Lausanne(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English, English (British), French From Latin Lausanna or Lausonium, ultimately from Proto-Celtic lausa meaning “slab.” This is the name of the fourth most populated city of Switzerland... [more]
Lhasa(Settlement)Tibetan, English Probably from Tibetan ལྷ་ས (lha sa) meaning "land of gods", derived from ལྷ (lha) meaning "deity, god" and ས (sa) meaning "land, earth". Alternatively, it may have been an alteration of Old Tibetan ར་ས (ra sa) meaning "land of goats" or "fortified land" from ར (ra) meaning "goat" or "enclosure" and ས (sa) meaning "land, earth"... [more]
Liaoning(Political Subdivision)Chinese (Cantonese) From Cantonese 辽 (liao) “the Liao River” and 宁 (ning) “pacification”. Put together, the name means “pacification of the Liao River”.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch(Settlement)Welsh Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a large village and local government community on the island of Anglesey, Wales, on the Menai Strait next to the Britannia Bridge and across the strait from Bangor... [more]
Lucknow(Settlement)English Anglicised form of Hindi लखनऊ (Lakhnau) of uncertain meaning, perhaps from Sanskrit लक्ष्मणपुरी (lakshmanapuri) meaning "city of Lakshmana" or लक्ष्मणवती (lakshmanavati) meaning "fortunate"... [more]
Mae Hong Son(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai, Northern Thai Possibly from a Lanna or Shan name meaning "valley of the Son stream", referring to a local body of water. This is the name of a province and city in Thailand.
Maguindanao(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Cebuano, Tagalog, English From Spanish Maguindanao, a corruption of Magindanaw, the endonym of the Maguindanao people. The ethnic name means "people of the flood plains" or "people of the lake" from the word danao meaning "lake"... [more]
Makassar(Settlement)Indonesian, Buginese From the Makassarese phrase akkasaraki nabbiya meaning "appearance of the prophet", taken from a legend in which a 16th-century king was supposedly approached by Muhammad himself... [more]
Malabon(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Filipino The City of Malabon was founded on May 21, 1599. It is one of the 16 cities making up the NCR of the Philippines. It has a land area of 15.71 km2 and has 365,525 people living in it as of the 2015 census.... [more]
Maldives(Country)Catalan, English, French, Greek, Malay Uncertain, possibly means "Malé islands" from Dhivehi މާލެ (māle) referring to Malé, the capital city of the Maldives, combined with Sanskrit द्वीप (dvīpá) meaning "island"... [more]
Manama(Settlement)Arabic, English Means "place of sleep, place of rest" in Arabic. This is the name of the capital city of Bahrain, usually written with the definite article: المنامة (al-Manama) in Arabic.
Maniitsoq(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "place of rugged terrain" in Greenlandic. Maniitsoq is a city and ice cap in Greenland.
Manitoba(Political Subdivision)English Name of a province in Canada, from Cree manitou-wapow or Ojibwa manidoobaa, both meaning "straits of Manitou, the Great Spirit",
Marseille(Settlement)French, English From the name of the ancient Greek colony and city of Μασσαλία (Massalia), of uncertain meaning. It may have been derived from Ligurian mas meaning "spring" or from Greek meaning "(city) on the far end of the sea", derived from μάσσων (masson) meaning "further" and ἅλς (hals) meaning "sea"... [more]
Mashhad(Settlement)Persian, Tajik, Arabic Derived from Arabic مشهد (mashhad) meaning "place of martyrdom", named for the shrine of imam Ali al-Rida in Twelver Shia tradition. This is the name of a city in Iran.
Mashhad(Settlement)Persian Derived from Arabic مشهد (mashhad) meaning "place of martyrdom", so named for the shrine of imam Ali al-Rida in Twelver Shia tradition. This is the name of a city in Iran.
Mashriq(Region)Arabic, English From Arabic المشرق (al-Mashriq) meaning "the place of the sunrise, the east". This is the name used for the eastern part of the Arab world west of Egypt and Sudan. In Arabic the name is usually written with the definite article: المشرق (al-Mashriq).
Maykop(Settlement)Russian From Adyghe Мыекъуапэ (Myeqwapa) meaning "cape of apples", from мые (mye) meaning "apple" and къуапэ (qwapa) meaning "cape, gorge, height". This is the name of the capital city of the Russian republic of Adygea.
Mayo(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish Town and county in Ireland. Means "plain of the yew".
Mazharcho(Country)Chechen From Chechen мажарий (mazhariy) meaning "Hungarian" and the suffix -чоь (-cho) meaning "land of". This is the Chechen name for Hungary.
Mediterranean(Region & Body of Water)English, Ganda, Scots From the Latin term Mediterrāneum meaning "in the middle of land", composed of Latin medius "middle", terra "land, earth" and āneus "having the nature of". The Mediterranean Sea is located between Europe, Africa and a small part of Asia... [more]
Meghalaya(Political Subdivision)Indian Means "abode of clouds" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a state in northeastern India.
Meguro(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 目 (me) meaning "eye, look, appearance" and 黒 (kuro) meaning "black", so named for a black-eyed statue that was placed on the outskirts of Edo for protection... [more]
Meije(Mountain)French From Occitan meija meaning "middle, centre, half," taken from its original name l'Agulha de la Meija meaning "the needle of the Meije."... [more]
Mekong(River)English From Thai แม่โขง (Mae Khong), a contraction of แม่น้ำโขง (Mae Nam Khong) from แม่น้ำ (mae nam) meaning "river" (literally "mother of waters") and โขง (khong) derived from Proto-Austroasiatic ruŋ meaning "river"... [more]
Miami(Settlement)English Name of a city in Florida. The name was first mentioned by Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, a captive of Indians in southern Florida for 17 years, when he referred to what is now Lake Okeechobee as the "Lake of Mayaimi, which is called Mayaimi because it is very large"... [more]
Michoacán(Political Subdivision)Mexican Spanish form of Nahuatl Michhuahcan meaning "place of the fishermen" with michhuah being "possessor of fish" and -cān being "place of".
Mindanao(Island)Filipino, Cebuano, Tagalog, English From a Spanish corruption of Magindanaw, the endonym of the Maguindanao people. The ethnic name means "people of the flood plains" or "people of the lake" from Maguindanao danao meaning "lake"... [more]
Mississauga(Region)Ojibwe (Anglicized) From the Anishinaabe word misi-zaagiing, meaning "Those at the Great River Mouth". Name of the Mississauga tribe, and now a name of a Toronto suburb. Closely related to the Ojibwe word misswezahging, mean "river of many outlets".
Mizoram(Region)Mizo The name of the state is derived from "Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "land." Thus "Mizo-ram" means "land of the Mizos".
Mogholestan(Country, Political Subdivision & Region)Persian From Persian مغول (moğul) meaning "Mongol, Mongolian" combined with the suffix ستان (stân) meaning "land of". This is the Persian name for Mongolia.
Monaghan(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish Town and county in Ireland. Means "land of little hills", "bushy field", or "hilly field".
Mondulkiri(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means “center of mountains” in Khmer.
Mondulkiri(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means "center of mountains" from Khmer មណ្ឌល (mondol) meaning "center, circle" and គិរី (kiri) meaning "mountain, hill". This is the name of a province of Cambodia.
Mukdahan(Political Subdivision)Thai Derived from Sanskrit मुक्ताहार (muktahara) meaning "garland of pearls", from मुक्ता (mukta) meaning "pearl" and हार (hara) meaning "garland, necklace"... [more]
Mỹ Tho(Settlement & River)Vietnamese Most likely means "land of white girls", derived from Khmer ស្រុក (srok) meaning "land, inhabited area" (this element was dropped at some point), មេ (me) meaning "girl" and ស (sa) meaning "white"... [more]