Samar(Region & Island)Filipino Samar is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines... [more]
Samarkand(Settlement)English, Russian, Ukrainian, Tatar From Uzbek Samarqand, derived (via Persian) from Sogdian smʾr/smā́r meaning "stone, rock" and knδh/kąθ meaning "fort, town, city". This is the name of a city in Uzbekistan.
San Andreas(Political Subdivision)Popular Culture Possibly meaning "Saint Andrew" in Spanish, named in honor for the patron saint of fisherfolk, but it may be incorrent since the Spanish form of Andrew is Andrés... [more]
San Antonio(Settlement & River)English Means "Saint Anthony" from Spanish san "Saint" + Antonio, a Spanish form of the given name Anthony. The river was named after San Antonio de Padua by the first governor of Spanish Texas, Domingo Terán de los Ríos in 1691... [more]
Sandhurst(Settlement)English Old English, meaning "sandy thicket of trees." A place name. In England, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (named after the village it is located) is the prestigious British Army officer training centre.
San Diego(Settlement)English Name of a city in California, meaning "Saint Diego" from Spanish san "Saint" + the given name Diego.
Sandringham(Settlement)English Derived from the Old English: "sand" hring "ring"/"circular" ham "homestead". "Sandy circular homestead". The name of a village in Norfolk, where Sandringham House, one of the Queen's country retreats is located.
San Francisco(Settlement)Spanish, English The name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, in honour of Saint Francis. One noteworthy place is the city of San Francisco in the US state of California.
San Gabriel(Settlement)Spanish, English The name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, in honour of Saint Gabriel, including one city in the US state of California.
Sanguinem(Settlement)Popular Culture Means "blood" in Latin. This was used in the Japanese manga and anime series Seraph of the End for the vampire capital city of Sanguinem.
San Juan(Other)Spanish The name of the Capital of Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital and largest city, sits on the island's Atlantic coast. Its widest beach fronts the Isla Verde resort strip, known for its bars, nightclubs and casinos... [more]
San Juan(Settlement)Filipino San Juan, officially the City of San Juan, is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. It is geographically located at Metro Manila’s approximate center and is also the country’s smallest city in terms of land area... [more]
Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas(Region)Chamorro This Chamorro for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Chamorros possibly settled this area thousands of years ago. Chamorros were enslaved here by Imperial Japan from 1944-1945. In Saipan (capital of Northern Mariana Islands) Chamorros under a American military government were put in a camp called Camp Susupe.
San Lorenzo(Settlement)Spanish This was one of the principal sites of the Olmec peoples when they were making a life for themselves near the Gulf of Mexico.
Santa Catarina(Political Subdivision & Island)Portuguese Portuguese form of "Saint Catherine (of Alexandria)", through Santa Catarina Island. This is the name of a state of Brazil.
Santa Clara(Settlement)English, Spanish Name of a city in California, named for Saint Claire (Spanish for “Saint Claire”)
Santa Clarita(Settlement)English (American) Means “little Saint Clare” in Spanish. This is the name of a city in California.
Santa Cruz(Political Subdivision, Settlement & River)Filipino Santa Cruz, officially the Municipality of Santa Cruz, is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Laguna, Philippines... [more]
Santa Fe(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Spanish The name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, derived from Spanish Santa Fe meaning "Holy Faith".
Santerre(Region)French From Latin sanguinis terra ("land of blood") referring to battles that took place in the region in 451 CE, or from sana terra ("healthy land") referring to its fertile soils. It is the name of a plateau region in central Picardy between the Somme, Luce, and Avre rivers.
Sanya(Settlement)Chinese Meaning unclear, perhaps derived from a Hlai name meaning "field with crows", from dax meaning "field, farmland" and eek meaning "crow". This is the name of a Chinese city on the island of Hainan.
Sápmi(Region)Sami, Swedish, English Perhaps ultimately derived from Proto-Balto-Slavic *źemē meaning "earth". Suomi, the Finnish name for Finland, is believed to be derived from the same root... [more]
Sapporo(Settlement)Japanese From Ainu サッ・ポロ・ペッ (sat poro pet) meaning "dry, great river", referring to the Toyohira River. This is the name of the capital city of Hokkaido prefecture, Japan.
Saragossa(Settlement)English From Çaragoça, the medieval form of the Arabic name سرقسطة (Saraqusṭa), from the Roman name Caesaraugusta, which is the combination of two Roman names Caesar and Augusta.
Sarajevo(Settlement)Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian, English From Turkish saray meaning "palace, mansion, house" and ova meaning "plain, lowland" or the Slavic suffix -evo used to indicate place names. This is the name of the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Saratoga(Settlement)English (American) From Mohawk se-rach-ta-gue or sa-ra-ta-ke meaning "the hillside country of the quiet river”. Several places in the United States were named for the city in New York, which was the site of a famous battle during the American Revolutionary War.
Sarawak(Political Subdivision)Malay, English Probably from Sarawak Malay serawak or serewa meaning "antimony". This is the name of a state in eastern Malaysia.
Saraybosna(Settlement)Turkish From Turkish saray meaning "place, mansion, house" and Bosna meaning "Bosnia". This is the Turkish name for Sarajevo.
Sark(Island)English, Ancient Semitic, Medieval Scandinavian One of the Channel Islands in England. Could be derived from the Proto-Semetic 'śrq', meaning "redden", "rise", or "east", as Sark is the easternmost island. Alternatively, it come from Old Norse 'serkr', meaning "shirt".
Sartell(Settlement)English Transferred use of the English surname Sartell. The city in Minnesota was named for Joseph B. Sartell, who owned a local flour mill and the Sartell Brothers Lumber Company.
Sasana(Country)Irish Irish name for England, from the Saxon people group.
Sassuolo(Settlement)Italian Of uncertain origin: possibly from the presence of petroleum in the area, at the time called olio di sasso ("rock oil"), or from Latin saxum solum ("rocky ground").... [more]
Satawal(Other)Satawalese This is the name of a atoll in what is now Federated States of Micronesia. It was devastated by 1815 typhoon which led to Satawalese moving to what is now Téél Falúw Kka Efáng Iiól Marianas... [more]
Satporopet(Political Subdivision, Region, Settlement & River)Ainu The source of Sapporo, meaning “Dry, Great River” in reference to the Toyohira river.
Satun(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Derived from Malay sentul meaning "santol" (a type of tropical fruit). This is the name of a province and city in Thailand.
Saugeen(River & Political Subdivision)Ojibwe (Anglicized) Town and river in Ontario, Canada. From the Ojibwe 'zaagiing', and means "at the river's outlet" or "at the mouth of the river".
Savannah(Settlement)English Likely from the Savannah River, which probably derives from a variant name for the Shawnee people (natively called Ša·wano·ki, meaning "Southerners") that began to settle near the river in the 1860s... [more]
Savannakhet(Political Subdivision)Lao From Lao ສະຫວັນຮນະໂຂເນະ (savanh nakhone) meaning "heavenly district".
Sawel(Mountain)English, Irish (Anglicized) Sawel Mountain (historically known as Slieve Sawel) is the highest peak in the Sperrins, a mountain range in Northern Ireland. This is an Anglicized form of Irish samhail meaning "likeness", taken from its Irish name Samhail Phite Méabha "likeness to Méabh's vulva", referring to a glen or hollow on the side of the mountain.
Sážžá(Island)Northern Sami An Island and a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The meaning is unknown. The Norwegian name for the island is Senja.
Scandinavia(Region)English Likely derived from the Germanic root *Skaðin-awjō, a combination of the reconstructed elements *skaðan- "danger, damage" and *awjō "island". Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe and usually refers to Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
Scarborough(Settlement)English The name of a city in England. It is mentioned in the folk song "Scarborough Fair" about a fair held in the Middle Ages. A notable version of this song is the one by Simon and Garfunkel.
Scunthorpe(Settlement)English Scunthorpe is a large industrial town in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative center.... [more]
Seattle(Settlement)English From the given name Seattle, named in honour of Suquamish and Duwamish chief Seattle (1786-1866). This is the name of a city in the United States.
Séc(Country)Vietnamese Derived from French tchèque meaning "Czech". This is the Vietnamese name for Czechia.
Secacah(Settlement)Biblical A Hebrew girl's name, originating in Israel, meaning "covering, defense"
Sedbergh(Settlement)English A small town in rural Northern England. Its name derives from Old Norse sed, meaning 'sand' and berg, meaning 'mountain', referring to the mountainous location of Sedbergh and possibly the sandstone hills.
Sedona(Settlement)English A city in Arizona. Transferred use of the given name Sedona.
Seine(River)French From Gaulish Sēquana, the Gallo-Roman goddess of the river. Sometimes associated with Latin; the Latin word seems to derive from the same root as Latin sequor "to follow", from Proto-Indo-European *seikw-, meaning 'to flow'.... [more]
Seipél(Island)Carolinian This is the Refaluwasch, what the Carolinian language name for themselves, name of the island of Saipan and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. Chamorros possible settled Seipél thousands of years ago... [more]
Sejong(Settlement)Korean In honor of King Sejong the Great (1397–1450), creator of the Hangul alphabet. Combination of 世 (세, se, "life, age, generation") and 宗 (종, jong, "school, sect, purpose"), thus "kind river"... [more]
Selangor(Political Subdivision)Malay, English Meaning uncertain. It may be derived from Malay langau meaning "horsefly", from the name Salang Ur meaning "Salang village" (itself from the name of the Salang people and Tamil ஊர் (ur) meaning "village, town") or from Malay salang possibly meaning "stabbing" combined with jemur meaning "to burn, to dry (in the sun)"... [more]
Sëlva(Political Subdivision & Region)Ladin Means ‘Forest’ in Ladin.
Semarang(Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese From Indonesian asam meaning "tamarind" and jarang meaning "rare, seldom", a reference to the tamarind trees in the area that rarely grew close together. This is the name of the capital city of the Indonesian province of Central Java.
Semporna(Settlement)Malay Derived from Malay sempurna meaning "perfect", from the older name Labuan Semporna meaning "perfect port" or "perfect anchorage". This is the name of a city in Malaysia.