Annapurna(Mountain)Nepali, English A mountain in Nepal, the 10th highest in the world. From the name of the Hindu goddess Annapurna.
Ann Arbor(Settlement)English (American) The name of a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Washtenaw County located in the south of the state.... [more]
Annecy(Other)French Town in southeastern France, the capital of the Haute-Savoie department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.... [more]
Annwn(Settlement & Other)Welsh Possibly from ande-dubnos, a common Gallo Brittonic word that literally meant "underworld".
Anoka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. Possibly from Dakota anoka meaning "on both sides, from both sides" or Ojibwe anoki meaning "I work".
Ansan(Settlement)Korean Combination of 安 (안, ān, "peace") and 山 (산, san, "mountain"), thus "peaceful mountain". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Ansonia(Political Subdivision)English An eponymous city in Connecticut's Naugatuck River Valley named for founder Anson Green Phelps. In the 19th and early 20th centuries Ansonia was an manufacturing hub; one successful business was the Ansonia Clock Company, which sold world-wide... [more]
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]
Anticosti(Island)French (Quebec) Anticosti is an island in the Minganie Regional County Municipality Canada. Originally inhabited by natives , The Innu called it Notiskuan which means "where bears are hunted", and the Mi'kmaq called it Natigôsteg meaning "forward land".... [more]
Antietam(River)English (American) Multiple sites in the United States, including a creek in Maryland that was the site of a famous battle during the American Civil War. From an Algonquian word possibly meaning "swift water".
Antigua and Barbuda(Country)English The history of Antigua and Barbuda can be separated into three distinct eras. In the first, the islands were inhabited by three successive Amerindian societies. The islands were neglected by the first wave of European colonization, but were settled by England in 1632... [more]
Antiocheia(Settlement)Ancient Greek Derived from the Greek name Antiochos and the feminine suffix -ειᾰ (-eia). This was the name of multiple ancient cities founded by Seleucus I Nicator and named for his father, Antiochus, the most famous of which - Antioch on the Orontes - later became one of the Roman Empire's largest cities, was made the capital of the province of Syria, and became an important centre of early Christianity.
Antipolo(Settlement)Filipino Antipolo, officially the City of Antipolo, is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Rizal, Philippines... [more]
Antique(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Kinaray-a, Hiligaynon, Tagalog Hispanicized form of Kinaray-a hamtik or Hiligaynon hantik both referring to a species of large red ant. This is the name of a province of the Philippines.
Anyang(Settlement)Korean From the Anyang temple, established by Emperor Wang Geon. Combination of 安 (안, ān, "peace") and 養 (양, yang, "to raise"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
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.
Aomori(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 青 (ao) meaning "green, blue" and 森 (mori) meaning "forest". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Aonia(Country)English This was an ancient name of the country of Boeotia in Greek legend, allegedly derived from that of the hero Aon. Aonia was a region sacred to the Muses, whom the English poet Alexander Pope called the "Aonian maids".
Aosta(Region & Settlement)Italian From the Latin name Augusta Praetoria Salassorum, itself named after Emperor Augustus. This is the name of a city and valley in the north-western corner of Italy.
Aotearoa(Country)Maori, English (New Zealand) While the original intended meaning of the name is not entirely clear, it is commonly translated as "Long White Cloud" today. It is not known whether it is intended to be made of the words ao ("cloud; dawn; daytime; world"), tea ("white; clear; bright"), and roa ("long; tall"), or Aotea (one of the canoes on which the original Māori arrived to New Zealand in) and roa ("long; tall")... [more]
Apaj(Settlement)Hungarian Apaj is a village in Pest County, Hungary.
Apayao(Political Subdivision & River)Filipino, Itawit, Ilocano, Tagalog Derived from the word apa'yaw meaning "overtaking" in numerous Cordilleran languages, referring to the swift-flowing waters of the Apayao River. This is the name of a province of, as well as a river in, the Philippines.
Apkhazeti(Country)Georgian From აფხაზი (apxazi), the Georgian exonym for the Abkhaz people, and the suffix -ეთი (-eti) used to indicate location. This is the Georgian name for Abkhazia.
Appalachia(Region)English Appalachia is the name of a cultural region in the Eastern United States. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it is ultimately of Native American origin, as the region was named after a Native American tribe.
Apperley(Settlement)English Means "apple clearing". From æppel "apple" and leah "woodland, clearing"
Apple Valley(Settlement)English Various cities around the United States. From the English words "apple" and "valley".
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.
Aquinnah(Settlement)English (American) A town in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag Âhqunah, a Wampanoag tribe also known as the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head.
Aquitaine(Region)French French form of Aquitania. This is the name of a historical region of France located roughly between the Pyrenees, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Garonne... [more]
Aquitania(Region)Spanish Aquitania was a region of Gaul inhabited by the Aquitani, a people living in Gallo-Roman times in what is now Aquitaine, France.
Aqwa(Settlement)Abkhaz Meaning unknown, possibly derived from the Mingrelian toponymic marker ყვა (-qwa). This is the Abkhaz name for Sukhumi.
Aqyar(Settlement)Crimean Tatar, Tatar From Crimean Tatar aq meaning "white" and yar meaning "cliff" or shore, coast". This is the Crimean Tatar and Tatar name for Sevastopol.
Arabwal(Other)Carolinian This is the name of a village in Northern Mariana Islands the Satawalese Chief Aghurubw founded in the early 1800s after a typhoon devastated his homeland. This name came from a vine-like plant found on beaches in Satawal Island, Federated States of Micronesia and Saipan... [more]
Aragó(Country, Political Subdivision & River)Catalan Catalan form of Aragón.
Aragón(Country, Political Subdivision & River)Spanish, Aragonese, Asturian, Galician A river in Spain, as well as the kingdom and later autonomous community named for it. Unclear etymology, possibly from Baque haran meaning "valley".
Arapaho(Settlement)Sioux Arapaho is probably from Hidatsa arúpahu, or a cognate word in another Siouan language. Apparently borrowed from a widespread Siouan designation for one or more Arapaho bands, compare, in Siouan languages: Crow arappaho, Hidatsa arúpahu, Mandan "Arrapahó", Omaha-Ponca aðábahu, and Kansa aropwahì... [more]
Arcadia(Region & Settlement)English, Italian, Spanish From Greek Ἀρκαδία (Arkadia) named for the mythological character Arcas. This is the name of a region in the Peloponnese in southern Greece, as well as the name of numerous cities in various countries.
Arctic(Region & Body of Water)English Means "near the bear," from the Greek word ἀρκτικός (arktikos), derived from arctos, meaning "bear." It refers to the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, which are two of the most well known and consistently named constellations in the northern hemisphere... [more]
Ardea(Settlement)Late Roman Means "heron" in Latin. A town in 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]
Åre(Settlement)Swedish Meaning uncertain, but probably derived from Old West Norse *ár "peak, crest". Åre is a village and a popular ski resort in Jämtland, Sweden.
Arecibo(Settlement)Spanish, English A city in Puerto Rico. From the name of the Taíno cacique Arasibo. The name Arasibo itself likely comes from Taíno ara, possibly meaning "people" and siba, possibly meaning "rock, stone".
Arendal(Settlement)Norwegian Combination of Old Norse ǫrn "eagle" and dalr "valley, dale". Arendal is a town and municipality in Southern Norway.
Arendelle(Region & Settlement)Popular Culture Likely based on Arendal, the name of a town and municipality in Southern Norway. Arendalle is a fictional kingdom in Disney's animated movie 'Frozen' (2013).
Areni(Settlement)Armenian The name of a village in Vayots Dzor province in Armenia, famous for the world's earliest known winery, Areni-1.
Arkalgud(Settlement)Hindi Derived from Kannada ಅರಕೇಶ್ವರ (Arakeshvara), the name of a local deity, and ಗೂಡು (gudu) meaning "hut, hutment." It is a town in Karnataka.
Arkansas(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the French pronunciation of the Quapaw people who lived on the Arkansas River.
Arkham(Settlement)Literature The name of a fictional town in Essex County, Massachusetts, used in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937). It may be influenced by Latin arcanum meaning "mystery, secret" and Old English ham "home, homestead".
Arlandria(Settlement)English (American) The name of a neighbourhood in north-eastern Alexandria, Virginia. It is a portmanteau of Arlington and Alexandria, reflecting its location on the border of Arlington County and Alexandria.
Armavir(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Armenian, Russian The name of an ancient Armenian city founded in the 8th century BC, which became the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia in 331 BC under the Orontid dynasty. In modern times the name is also borne by a nearby town (which was renamed Armavir in 1992 after the historic city) and province, as well as another city and administrative division in Russia.
Armorica(Country)History Armorica or Aremorica is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul that includes the Brittany peninsula and the territory between the Seine and Loire rivers.
Arnauthtwyla(Country)Abkhaz From Abkhaz арнауҭ (arnauth) meaning "Albanian" and атәыла (atwyla) meaning "country". This is the Abkhaz name for Albania.
Arnor(Country)Literature A former kingdom in JRR Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' series. From the fictional Sindarin language ar meaning "high, noble, royal" and dor meaning "land, dwelling".
Arrington(Settlement)English Arrington, a place in Cambridgeshire, named from an Old English byname, Earn(a), meaning ‘eagle’ + -inga- ‘people or followers of’ + tūn ‘settlement’.
Artan(Country & Region)Persian Artan was the name of Dariush’s father in law.
Artsakh(Political Subdivision)Armenian The Republic of Artsakh (Armenian: Արցախի Հանրապետություն, Artsakhi Hanrapetut'yun), or simply Artsakh, also known by its second official name, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, is a breakaway de facto state in the South Caucasus that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan... [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.
Aryaan(Other)Indian (Rare) Aryaan is derived from the Indian word which means 'illustrious' and the Sanskrit word which means 'gentleman'. This is an Islamic name.
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]