Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Å(Settlement)Swedish, Norwegian Taken directly from Swedish and Norwegian å meaning "stream, creek, small river". This is the name of several villages in Sweden and Norway.
Aadorf(Settlement)German (Swiss) Aadorf is a municipality in Münchwilen District Switzerland , founded in the 13th century but first mentioned in 886.... [more]
Aalborg(Settlement)Danish Ultimately derived from Old Norse áll "river, stream" and borg "fortress, castle". This is the name of the fourth largest city in Denmark.
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.
Abergele(Settlement)English, Welsh A market town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. From Welsh aber ("river mouth, estuary") and Gele, the name of the river which flows through the town, which is from gelau "spear".
Aberystwyth(Settlement)Welsh Means "the mouth of the Ystwyth" in Welsh.
Abisko(Other)Swedish From Northern Sami Ábeskovvu meaning "forest by the big water", from Sami áphi "lake, sea, big water" and skovvu, identical to Swedish skog "forest". The "big water" is probably Torneträsk... [more]
Åbo(Settlement)Finland Swedish Possibly from Swedish å "river" and bo "home, dwelling" or "dweller, inhabitant". Other meanings are possible, like it being derived from the given name Aabo... [more]
Aboyne(Settlement)Scottish A village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The name derives from Gaelic abh bò fionn, meaning "(place by) white cow river".
Acre(Political Subdivision & River)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese Most likely from Aquiri, a transliteration by European explorers of the Ipurinã term Umákürü or Uakiry. Other theories include the name originating from Tupi a'kir ü ("green river") or a'kir ("to sleep"), or from Yasi'ri, or Ysi'ri, meaning "flowing or swift water"... [more]
Adygea(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Адыгея (Adygeya), which is from Adyghe адыгэ (adyge), the endonym of the Circassian (Adyghe) people. The ethnic name is of uncertain meaning, though it may mean "mountain between seas" or "mountain by the sea"... [more]
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.
Ae(Settlement & River)Scottish, Scots The name of a village and a stream in southwest Scotland. The name seems to be derived from Old Norse á, meaning "river".
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]
Agusan(Political Subdivision & River)Filipino, Cebuano, Tagalog Derived from Manobo agusan meaning "where the water flows". This is the name of two provinces of the Philippines (Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur), as well as a the name of a former province and a river.
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.
Albay(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Central Bikol, Tagalog From Spanish al baye meaning "the bay", shortened from the former names La Baye la baye and Bay la Bay. This is the name of a province of the Philippines.
Alderney(Island)English, Medieval Scandinavian One of the Channel Islands in England. It may be a corruption of 'adreni' or 'alrene', derived from Old Norse, meaning "island near the coast". Alternatively, it may come from other old Norse words; 'alda', meaning "swelling wave', 'renna', meaning "strong current', and -ey, meaning "island'.
Ålesund(Political Subdivision)Norwegian Means "eel strait" in Norwegian. Ålesund is the name of a town, a municipality and a region in Norway. It is also the name of a settlement (Ny-Ålesund) on Svalbard.
Algoma(Region)Algonquin Region in Ontario, Canada. Created name by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. The 'al' is from "Algonquin", the the 'goma' is from the word 'gomee', meaning "water".
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.
Alor Setar(Settlement)Malay, English From Malay alor meaning "river, stream" and setar meaning "gandaria" (a type of fruit). This is the name of the capital city of the Malaysian state of Kedah.
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]
Ambon(Island & Settlement)Indonesian Meaning uncertain, perhaps derived from Ambonese bong or ombong meaning "dew", so named because the mountain peaks on the island are often covered in dew. Alternately it may come from the Dutch name Amboina of Papiamentu origin... [more]
Amper(River)German This is the name of a river in Southern Bavaria, located in Southern Germany.... [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.
Anadyr(Political Subdivision)Russian (Archaic) Although the town itself has only been in existence for just over a century, the origins of the name Anadyr are much older. The name initially derives from the Yukaghir word "any-an" meaning "river"
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."
Ångermanälven(River)Swedish Combination of Old Norse anger "deep fjord" and the definite form of Swedish älv "river". The river runs through the province Ångermanland from where it got its name.
An Giang(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 安 (an) meaning "safe" and 江 (giang) meaning "river".
An Giang(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 安 (an) meaning "safe, secure" and 江 (giang) meaning "river". This is the name of a province of Vietnam.
Anmer(Settlement)English Derived from the village of Anmer, in Norfolk. It stems from the Old English aened "duck" and mere "pool".
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]
Aomen(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Chinese Means "bay gate" from Chinese 澳 (ào) meaning "inlet, bay, deep cove" and 门 (mén) meaning "gate, door". This is the Chinese name for Macau.
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]
Apulia(Political Subdivision)English, Ancient Roman, Polish, Spanish From Latin Apulia, itself of unknown origin, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep-, meaning "water". This is the name of a region in southern Italy.
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.
Arvidsjaur(Settlement)Swedish From Ume Sami Árviesjávrrie, composed of árvies "rich, abundant, fruitful" and jávrrie "lake".
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.
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]
Ba Bể(Body of Water, Political Subdivision & Other)Vietnamese From Vietnamese ba meaning "three," and bể meaning "lake" or "sea"; literally "three lakes/seas." It is the name of a lake, a county, and a national park in northeast Vietnam.
Bahia(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, English Literally "bay" in Portuguese, this name comes from the Bay of All Saints (Baía de Todos os Santos), for which a Portuguese captaincy was named. This is the name of a state in Brazil.
Baikal(Body of Water)Russian, English From Buryat Байгал (Baygal) of uncertain origin, perhaps from the Turkic roots baj meaning "rich" and kol meaning "lake" or from Mongolian байгалийн нуур (baigaliin nuur) meaning "natural lake"... [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.
Bắc Giang(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 北 (bắc) meaning "north, northern" and 江 (giang) meaning "river". This is the name of a province and city in Vietnam.
Bdoté(Island & Body of Water)Sioux From Dakota bdoté meaning "place where two or more bodies of water converge".
Bedfordshire(Political Subdivision & Region)English From Old English Bedanfordscir, meaning the shire or county of Bedford, itself meaning "Beda's river crossing".... [more]
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”.
Bến Tre(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese biển meaning "sea" and tre meaning "to know".
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.
Birkirkara(Settlement)Maltese Means "running water" or "cold water". Birkirkara is the second largest city in Malta.
Bir Lehlou(Settlement)English Derived from Hassaniya Arabic bir lehlou meaning "sweet water well". Bir Lehlou is an oasis town in the Polisario-controlled region in northeastern Western Sahara.
Bogusza(Settlement)Polish Meaning "of Bogusz" (as a given name or surname). It is the name of a village in southern Poland.
Boise(Settlement)English Most likely from French, but of uncertain ultimate origin. One account states that it may come from a story of a French-speaking person who yelled "Les bois! Les bois!" ("The woods! The woods!"); another account is that the name comes from the phrase la rivière boisée ("the wooded river").... [more]
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.
Bottenviken(Body of Water)Swedish Combination of Old Swedish botn "bay, gulf" and the definite form of Swedish vik "bay", making it a tautological place name meaning "the bay bay". Bottenviken is a part of Bottniska viken and the northernmost part of the Baltic Sea.
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]
Brunei-muara(Political Subdivision)Malay From the name Brunei and Malay muara meaning "river mouth". This is the name of a district of Brunei.
Bucheon(Settlement)Korean Combination of 富 (부, bu, "wealth") and 川 (천, cheon, "river, stream"), thus "wealthy river". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
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]
Bueng Kan(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai From Thai บึง (bueng) meaning "lake, marsh" and กาฬ (kan) meaning "black, dark". This is the name of a province of Thailand as well as its provincial capital.
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.
Cagayan(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Ilocano, Ibanag, Itawit, English From Spanish Cagayán, itself derived from the word kagayan meaning "place near or on a river" in various indigenous languages. This is the name of a province and administrative region of the Philippines (called Cagayan Valley).
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.
Cà Mau(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese Derived from Khmer ទឹកខ្មៅ (tuk khmaw) meaning "ink" (literally "black water"), from ទឹក (tuk) meaning "water" and ខ្មៅ (khmaw) meaning "black". This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Vietnam.
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.
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]
Ceará(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) Most likely from Tupi ceará, probably a combination of the words cemo ("to sing loudly", "to scream") and ara ("small macaw, parakeet, jandaia"), thus "the jandaia sings". Another interpretation is that the name means "river originating from the mountains"... [more]
Celephaïs(Settlement)Literature The name refers to a fictional city that appears in Lovecraft's Dream Cycle, including his novella "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath".
Chachoengsao(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Believed to be a corruption of Khmer ស្ទឹងជ្រៅ (stoeng chrau) meaning "deep river", from ស្ទឹង (stoeng) meaning "small river, stream" and ស្ទឹង (chrau) meaning "deep"... [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.
Châu Đại Dương(Region)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 洲 (châu) meaning "continent, island" and 大洋 (đại dương) meaning "ocean". This is the Vietnamese name for Oceania.
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.
Chukotka(Political Subdivision)Russian, English Derived from the Russian name Чукчи (Chukchi), referring to the native people who originally inhabited the area. The word Chukchi is derived from Chukchi Chauchu meaning "rich in reindeer", used by the Reindeer Chukchi people to distinguish themselves from the Maritime Chukchi (the Anqallyt meaning "sea people")... [more]
Cilegon(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Derived from Sundanese cai meaning "water" and legon meaning "arch, bay, cove". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
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".
Cimahi(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese From the name of a river derived from Sundanese cai mahi meaning "enough water". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Cirebon(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese, Javanese Either derived from Javanese caruban meaning "mixed, assorted" (likely a reference to the region's mixed cultural influences) or from Sundanese cai meaning "water" and rebon meaning "shrimp, prawn"... [more]
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.
Colombo(Settlement)English Probably from the old Sinhalese word kolamba meaning "ferry" or "port". It is popularly believed to be derived from Sinhalese කොලොන් තොට (kolon tota) meaning "port on the river Kelani" or කොල අඹ (kola amba) meaning "leafy mango grove", altered with influence from the name of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus or Latin columba meaning "dove"... [more]
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]
Connecticut(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the name of the Connecticut river, from Algonquian quinnitukqut "at the long tidal river," from kwen "long" + ehtekw "tidal river" + enk "place".
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 Lạt(Settlement)Vietnamese Derived from Koho daa meaning "water" and Lạt, a name for the indigenous Koho people of Vietnam. This is the name of a city in Vietnam.
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.
Dayangzhou(Region)Chinese From Chinese 大洋 (dàyáng) meaning "ocean, sea" and 洲 (zhōu) meaning "continent, island". This is the Chinese name for Oceania.
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".
Đắk Lắk(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Mnong ដក្ (dâk) meaning "lake" and ឡក្ (ḷâk) meaning "Lắk", referring to Lắk Lake.
Đắk Nông(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Mnong ដក្ (dâk) meaning "lake" and nông.
Dniester(River)English Derived from Sarmatian dānu nazdya meaning "the close river" (as in, the river close-by). This is the name of a river in Eastern Europe, which flows through Ukraine and Moldova to the Black Sea.
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".
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.
Ellesmere(Settlement)English The name of a town in Shropshire, England, which possibly meant either "Elli's lake", "principal lake" or "eel lake". The first element may refer to the personal name Elli or to an adjoining lake or mere that was the largest of several in the neighbourhood, or could be derived from Old English ǣl meaning "eel"; the second element is Old English mere "sea, ocean; lake, pool, pond, cistern".
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.
Espoo(Settlement)Finnish Derived from Esbo, a combination of Swedish asp "aspen" (or possibly äspe "aspen forest") and å "river, stream". Espoo is the second largest city (and urban area) in Finland.
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.
Evrytania(Political Subdivision)Greek Derived from Εὐρυτᾶνες (Eurytanes) "Eurytanians", the name of an ancient Aetolian tribe who inhabited Eurytania, an ancient region. It is possibly derived from Greek εὐρύτης (eurytes) meaning "width, breadth", itself a derivative of εὐρύς (eurys) "wide, broad", or Greek εὔρυτος (eurytos) meaning "full-flowing", from εὖ (eu) "well" and ῥέω (rheo) "to flow, run, stream, gush".... [more]
Falkland(Settlement)Scottish A village, parish and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. It is derived from Scottish Gaelic, a combination of an unclear first element, possibly falach meaning "hidden," failc meaning "wash" or falc meaning "heavy rain," and the second element lann meaning "enclosure" (might also come from a Pictish cognate).
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]
Frankfurt(Settlement)German, English Combination of Frank, the name of a Germanic tribe, and furt "ford, river crossing". This is the name of the fifth largest city in Germany, Frankfurt am Main in Hesse, as well as a sizable city in Brandenburg, Frankfurt an der Oder.
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]
Fyvie(Settlement)Scottish From the name of a Scottish village, chiefly distinguished for its castle (allegedly haunted, with a history going back to 1211), the meaning of which is uncertain. Earlier it may have been Fycyn or Fywin, according to one source from the Gaelic flodh abhuinn “wilderness by the river”... [more]
Gävle(Settlement)Swedish From the name of the river Gavleån whose name was derived from archaic Swedish gavel "steep river bank". Gävle is a city in Sweden and the capital of Gävleborg County. The city was founded in 1446, but the name (ij) Gæffla was first mentioned in 1432.
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.
Hà Giang(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 河 (hà) meaning "waterway" and 江 (giang) meaning "river".
Hà Giang(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese Possibly derived from Sino-Vietnamese 河 (hà) meaning "river" and a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 楊 (yáng) meaning "willow, poplar, aspen"... [more]
Hải Dương(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 海 (hải) meaning "sea, ocean" and 陽 (dương) meaning "light, sun"... [more]
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]
Haiphong(Settlement)English From Vietnamese Hải Phòng derived from Sino-Vietnamese 海 (hải) meaning "sea, ocean" and 防 (phòng) meaning "defend, protect, guard"... [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.
Hampton(Other)English Name of numerous places in England, from Anglo-Saxon ham "homestead " or hamm "water meadow" + tun "enclosure" "settlement".
Hà Nam(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 河 (hà) meaning "river" and 南 (nam) meaning "south".
Hà Nam(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 河 (hà) meaning "river" and 南 (nam) meaning "south", referring to the place's location south of the Red River... [more]
Hanoi(Settlement)English From Sino-Vietnamese 河內 (Hà Nội), which is derived from Chinese 河內 (Hénèi) meaning "inside the river", from 河 (hé) meaning "river, stream" and 内 (nèi) meaning "inside", so named because of the area's location within the Red River... [more]
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.
Hà Tĩnh(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 河 (hà) meaning "river" and 靜 (tĩnh) meaning "still". This is the name of a city in Vietnam as well as the province in which it is located.
Hậu Giang(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 後 (hậu) meaning "behind" and 江 (giang) meaning "river". This is the name of a province of Vietnam.
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]
Helsingborg(Settlement)Swedish Helsingborg is a city in Scania, Sweden. The name is a combination of hals "neck, narrow strait" and borg "castle, fortification". There has been a permanent settlement around Helsingborg since 1085, making it one of Sweden's oldest cities.
Helsingfors(Settlement)Finland Swedish, Swedish From Swedish helsing, composed of hals "neck, narrow strait" and -inge denoting an inhabitant, combined with fors "rapid, waterfall". Helsing was either taken from the name of the Swedish province Hälsingland (where many early settlers originated from), or directly from the Swedish word (referring to a narrow part of the Vantaa River)... [more]
Helsingør(Settlement)Danish, Norwegian Combination of helsing (itself a combination of Danish hals "narrow strait, neck" and -ing, a suffix denoting an inhabitant) and ør "gravel" (in this case referring to Øresund, a strait separating Denmark from Sweden)... [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.
Heng He(River)Chinese Chinese form of Ganges, from 恒 (héng) referring to the Ganges River and 河 (hé) meaning "river, stream".
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".
Hokkaido(Political Subdivision & Island)Japanese From Japanese 北海 (hokkai) meaning "northern sea" and 道 (dō) meaning "circuit". This is the name of an island and prefecture of Japan.
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]
Honolulu(Settlement)Hawaiian, English Means "sheltered harbor", from Hawaiian hono "bay, harbor" and lulu "shelter". This is the state capital of Hawaii.
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.
Húsavík(Settlement)Icelandic, Faroese Combination of Icelandic and Faroese hús "house" and vík "bay".
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.
Hyperoxiane(Region)Ancient Greek Means "beyond the river Oxus", derived from Greek ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning "over, above, beyond" combined with the Greek noun Ὦξος (Oxos) meaning "Oxus"... [more]
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]
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]
Incheon(Settlement)Korean From Sino-Korean 仁 (in) meaning "compassionate, benevolent" and 川 (cheon) meaning "river, stream". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
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]
Inle(Body of Water)Burmese From Burmese အင်း (in) meaning "lake" and လေး (le) of unclear meaning. This is the name of a lake in Myanmar.
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.
Isar(River)German (Austrian) A river in Austria. Likely from the Indo-European '*es' or '*is', meaning "flowing water".
Isca(River)Old Celtic (Latinized), History Romanized form of a Celtic river name, from Common Celtic *iska- "water" (cognate with whiskey). This is the Latin name for both the River Exe and the River Usk, after which the towns of Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) and Caerleon (Isca Augusta) got their Roman names.
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.
Itämeri(Body of Water)Finnish Means "east sea" in Finnish. This is the Finnish form of the Baltic Sea, even though the sea is located to the west of Finland... [more]
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.
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]
Jeju(Settlement, Island & Political Subdivision)Jeju, Korean From Sino-Korean 濟 (je) meaning "to cross (a river)" and 州 (ju) meaning "state, province". This is the name of an island province and city in South Korea.
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.