Notion(Settlement)Ancient Greek From Greek Νότιον (Notion), meaning "southern". This was the name of a city-state on the west coast of Anatolia, near present-day Izmir, Turkey.
Nottingham(Settlement)English Dervied from its Old English name "homestead of Snot's people"; the initial S was lost in the 12th century, due to the influence of Anglo-Norman French (the combination of sn- is alien to French). Name of a city in Nottinghamshire, from which the county gets its name.
Nouakchott(Settlement)French, English From Arabic نواكشوط (Nuwakshut), itself from Tamazight Nawākšūṭ meaning "place of the winds" or inua u-kshut meaning "made of wood, made of sticks". This is the name of the capital of Mauritania.
Novaya Zemlya(Island)Russian Means "new land" from Russian новая (novaya) meaning "new" and земля (zemlya) meaning "land, soil, earth". This is the name of an Arctic archipelago in northern Russia.
Novorossiya(Region)Russian Means "New Russia", from Russian новый (novyy), meaning "new" and Россия (Rossiya), meaning "Russia". Historically it was used to describe a region of land around the Ukrainian coastline, but in contemporary usage it refers to the group of 8 regions in Ukraine* (Donyetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozh'ye, Kherson, Khar'kov, Odessa, Dnyepr, Nikolayev) that are predominantly Russian... [more]
Null Island(Body of Water & Other)English Null Island is a point zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude, where the prime meridian and the equator intersect. Since there is no dry land, it is not an actual island, but there is a weather buoy marking the coordinates.... [more]
Númenor(Country & Island)Literature An island empire in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. From the fictional Quenya language númen, meaning "west", and nórë, meaning "land".
Nur-Sultan(Settlement)Kazakh, English, Russian From the given name Nursultan. This is the name of the capital city of Kazakhstan, which was renamed in honour of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev (1940-)... [more]
Nusantara(Region & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Old Javanese nūsāntara meaning "outer islands" or "other islands", from nūsa meaning "island" and antara meaning "interval, interspace, between, other" (both of Sanskrit origin)... [more]
Nusantara(Region & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Old Javanese nūsāntara meaning "outer islands" or "other islands", from nūsa meaning "island" and antara meaning "interval, interspace, between, other". In Indonesia this term is used to refer to the Indonesian Archipelago, while outside of Indonesia it has been used to represent the broader Malay Archipelago... [more]
Nusa Tenggara(Region & Political Subdivision)Indonesian, English Means "southeastern island" from Indonesian nusa meaning "island" and tenggara meaning "southeast". This is the Indonesian name for the archipelago of the Lesser Sunda Islands as well as the name of two Indonesian provinces (West and East Nusa Tenggara).
Oʻahu(Island)Hawaiian Meaning unknown. Legend says that a Polynesian navigator who discovered the Hawaiian islands named it after his daughter. This is the third largest and most populated island in Hawaii... [more]
Oakland(Settlement)English This is name of places in the United States and Canada (including the one in California).... [more]
Oban(Settlement)Scottish An t-Òban in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay''.
Obando(Settlement)Spanish Obando, officially the Municipality of Obando, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines... [more]
Ocala(Settlement)English A city in Florida. From Ocale, a Timucua village and kingdom.
Ocale(Country & Settlement)Timucan A Timucan settlement and kingdom in what is now Florida. From the Timucan language, of uncertain etymology.
Occitania(Region)English The name of a historical region in southern Europe where Occitan was historically the main language spoken. Not to be confused with Occitanie.
Occitanie(Region)French, English The name of a southernmost administrative region in France. Not to be confused with Occitania, the historical region which it is named after.
Ochillee(River)Indigenous American Ochillee is a subsidiary creek that flows northwest into the Upatoi creek, through Chattahoochee county, within the boundaries of the Fort Benning military reservation.
Oconomowoc(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A city and lake in Wisconsin. From Potawatomi coo-no-mo-wauk meaning "waterfall".
Ōda(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy". This is the name of a city in Japan.
Oddar Meanchey(Political Subdivision)Khmer From Sanskrit उत्तर (uttara) meaning “north” and from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning “victory”.
Oddar Meanchey(Political Subdivision)Khmer Means "victorious north" from Khmer ឧត្តរ (otda) meaning "north", មាន (mean) meaning "have, possess, own" and ជ័យ (chey) meaning "victory". This is the name of a province of Cambodia.
Odense(Settlement)Danish From Old Norse Óðinn's vé meaning "Odin's sanctuary". This is the 3rd largest city in Denmark and the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the author of fairy tales such as 'The Little Mermaid' (1837), and 'The Snow Queen' (1844).
Oenotria(Region)History Latinized form of Greek Οἰνωτρία (Oinotria), the name applied to southern Italy by Greek colonists when they arrived to the region in around the 8th century BC. It is possibly a derivative of Greek οἶνος (oinos) meaning "wine" (perhaps via the related word οἴνωτρον (oinotron), which referred to a kind of vine stake) and may mean "wine land" or "land of vineyards"... [more]
Oise(River & Political Subdivision)French Related to the Latin name Isara, borrowed from Celtic, though ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *isərós “vigorous, quick”, from *eis(ə, related to Sanskrit इषिरम् “fast, quick”.... [more]
Ōita(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "large division" in Japanese.
Ojai(Settlement)English Derived from a hispanicized form of the Ventureño Chumash word ʼawhaʼy which meant "moon". This is the name of a city and valley in Southern California.
Oka(Settlement)Mohawk Unknown meaning. Name of town in Quebec
Okanagan(Region & Body of Water)Salishan Region and lake in Canada, named after the Okanagan people. Means "the people living where you can see the top", due to the many mountains in the area.
Okayama(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "hills and mountains" in Japanese.
Okemos(Settlement)English (American) A city in Michigan, named after Chief John Okemos of the Ojibwe people. The surname Okemos is an anglicized form of Ojibwe ogimaans meaning "little chief".
Okhotsk(Political Subdivision)Russian from an Even word окат (okat) meaning "river"
Okinawa(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "island in the far-away sea" in Japanese.
Okinawa(Political Subdivision, Settlement & Island)Japanese From Japanese 沖 (oki) meaning "open sea" and 縄 (nawa) meaning "rope, cord", possibly from an archaic word for a type of rope used to catch fish. This is the name of a prefecture and city in Japan, as well as the name of a group of islands (along with the main island within that group).
Oklahoma(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Choctaw okla "people" "tribe" "nation" + homma "red".
Okmulgee(Settlement)English (American) A city in Oklahoma. From Muskogee okimulgi meaning "boiling waters".
Okoboji(Body of Water)Sioux Legend tells the lake was named for Chief Okoboji; meaning either ‘place of rest’ or ‘reeds or rushes,’-preferred.... [more]
Olaha Shinehah(Region)Mormon The name of a plain mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants, a work of Mormon scripture. In the 1800's, the same section in which it was mentioned was copied into a few journals, though the spellings differed... [more]
Olhudookara(Country & Island)Dhivehi From Dhivehi އޮޅުދޫ (olhudoo) referring to the island of Sri Lanka combined with ކަރަ (kara) meaning "landmass, country". This is the Dhivehi name of Sri Lanka.
Oliblish(Other)Mormon In the Book of Abraham, a figure in one of the facsimiles is said to represent Oliblish, one of the grand governing stars next to Kolob. It is listed among one of the three governing powers, called the Grand Key, along with Enish-go-on-dosh and Kae-e-vanrash, which govern all other creations, but are subject to Kolob.
Olisipo(Settlement)Ancient Roman Ancient name of Lisboa used while the city were a part of the Roman Empire. Probably derived from the name Odysseus.
Ollandia(Country & Political Subdivision)Greek Greek form of Holland 1. It is usually used to refer to the whole country of the Netherlands, even though that is technically incorrect... [more]
Omaha(Settlement)Sioux Siouan people of northeastern Nebraska, 1804, Maha, perhaps from Omaha umaha, perhaps literally "upstream (people), against the flow." The Nebraska city was founded in 1854.
Ome(Political Subdivision)Japanese A rural city in west Tokyo. It means "unripe plum", spelled with 青 (o, ao) meaning "blue, green" and 梅 (me, ume) meaning "plum, apricot".
Omeyocan(Settlement)Aztec, Aztec and Toltec Mythology It means "the place of duality." The word is composed of ōme ('two') and -yō (suffix for abstractions), which gives ōmeyōtl or duality; and -cān (place).
Onalaska(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) Various cities in the United States and a lake in Wisconsin. After Unalaska, a volcanic island in Alaska which was mentioned in the poem "The Pleasures of Hope" by the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell.
Onamia(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A city and lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe onamanii-zaaga'iganiing, which itself is derived from onaman meaning "red ochre, vermilion" and zaaga'igan meaning "lake".
Oneida(Settlement)English (American) A city in New York. From the name of the Oneida people, who are indigenous to the area.
Oneka(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Dakota onakan meaning "strike, knock off", referring to the practice of gathering wild rice by knocking it into a canoe.
Onslow(Settlement)English Meaning, "a place within the liberty of Shrewsbury, in Salop', the original and still confusingly used, name for the county of Shropshire.
Ontario(Region)English, French (Quebec), Iroquois The name Ontario comes from the Iroquoian word ontarí:io, meaning "great lake" or "beautiful water." It originally referred to Lake Ontario, which is one of the five Great Lakes in North America... [more]
Opa-locka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Florida. From Seminole opa-tisha-wocka-locka or opatishawockalocka meaning "wooded hummock, hot and dry hummock".
Opelika(Settlement)English Derived from Muscogee (Creek) opilwa lako meaning "large swamp". This is the name of a small city in the American state of Alabama.
Opelousas(Settlement)English (American) A city in Louisiana. From the Opelousa people, who were indigenous to the area.
Oppland(Political Subdivision)Norwegian From the Old Norse upp meaning "up, upper" and lǫnd meaning "lands." The inner regions of Norway were called Upplǫnd in Norse times.... [more]
Oran(Settlement)English, French From the Arabic name وهران (Wahran), which is ultimately derived from the Berber root hr meaning "lion". This is the name of a city in Algeria.
Orcadia(Island)Medieval, Old Celtic (Latinized) A medieval name for the Orkney Islands, the famous archipelago of the northwest coast of Scotland. It comes from the Roman name Orcades which was probably derived from Celtic *forko- "young pig"... [more]
Örebro(Settlement)Swedish Combination of Swedish ör, an archaic word meaning "gravel", and Bro "bridge. ... [more]
Oregon(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the name of a large river in the west of North America, possibly from Algonquin wauregan "beautiful".
Orinda(Settlement)English A transferred use of the given name Orinda. The city in California was likely named for the Anglo-Welsh poet Katherine Philips, who wrote under the pen name Orinda.
Orival(Settlement)French Derived from Latin aurea vallis meaning "golden vale/valley," the name belonging to three communes (one since defunct), located in the Seine-Maritime & Somme départements of northern France and Charente département of western France.
Orlando(Political Subdivision)English Name of a city in Florida, named in honor of Orlando Reeves who died in 1835 during a supposed attack by Seminoles in the Second Seminole War.