Villarreal(Settlement)Spanish Means "royal village" in Spanish, from villa "small town, settlement" and real "royal". Villarreal is a city in the province of Castelló, in the Valencian Community, Spain, named for being founded by King James I of Aragon.
Villaviciosa(Settlement)Spanish, Filipino Combination of villa meaning "small town" and viciosa meaning "vigorous; abundant" (usually "vicious, profligate").... [more]
Vilnius(Settlement)Lithuanian, English From the name of the Vilnia River, which is derived from Lithuanian vilnis meaning "wave, ripple". This is the name of the capital city of Lithuania.
Vinh(Settlement)Vietnamese Shortened form of any of the place's previous names, such as Kẻ Vinh, Vinh Giang, Vinh Doanh or Vinh Thi, most likely from European influence. The use of the Sino-Vietnamese character 永 (vĩnh) comes from the old practice of phonetic matching, with the character itself holding no significant meaning... [more]
Vĩnh Long(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 永 (vĩnh) meaning "forever" and 隆 (long) meaning "grand".
Vĩnh Phúc(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 永 (vĩnh) meaning "everlasting" and 福 (phúc) meaning "fortune".
Vĩnh Phúc(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 永 (vĩnh) meaning "forever, perpetual, eternal" and 福 (phúc) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing". This is the name of a province of Vietnam.
Vĩnh Yên(Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 永 (vĩnh) meaning "forever, perpetual, eternal" and 安 (yên) meaning "calm, peaceful". This is the name of a city in Vietnam.
Vinland(Region)Old Norse Old Norse name for a place in modern Canada, named by viking Leif Eriksson c. 1000 AD. The first element of the name is uncertain, but it could be from Old Norse vín "wine" or vin "meadow".
Virginia(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, "country of the Virgin", after Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the "Virgin Queen" because she never married.
Virginië(Political Subdivision)Dutch (Archaic), Afrikaans Archaic Dutch and modern Afrikaans form of Virginia. The modern Dutch form is written exactly the same as the English form.
Višakis(River)Lithuanian Meaning "all branches", from visas "all" and šaka "branch". It is the name of a river in southern Lithuania.
Visayas(Region & Body of Water)Filipino The Visayas, or the Visayan Islands, are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao... [more]
Visby(Settlement)Swedish Visby is a city on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The area's been settled for a long time and was pre-13th century called just Vi "holy place, place of sacrifice, sanctuary"... [more]
Vistula(River)English, Amharic, Indonesian, Romanian, Swahili Borrowed from Latin, likely originating from the Indo-European root *weys- meaning "to flow". It is the longest river in Poland and has significant connections to Polish history and culture.
Víðbláinn(Other)Norse Mythology Derived from Old Norse víðr "wide, extensive" and blár "blue, dark, livid" (the colour used to describe corpses and bruises, e.g. hel-blár "black as death"; compare Bláinn)... [more]
Vladikavkaz(Settlement)Russian Means "ruler of the Caucasus" from Russian владеть (vladet) meaning "to own, to possess, to control" combined with Кавказ (Kavkaz) meaning "Caucasus"... [more]
Vladivostok(Political Subdivision)Russian literally 'Ruler of the East', 'Rule the East', 'Lord of the East', or 'Expansion to the East.' The name was first applied to the bay but, following an expedition by Alexey Shefner in 1860, was later applied to the new settlement.
Vladivostok(Settlement)Russian Means "ruler of the East" from Russian владеть (vladet') meaning "to possess, to control, to rule" and восток (vostok) meaning "the East". This is the name of a city in Russia.
Volga(River)English, Russian English and Russian name for the largest river in Europe. The Old Mari name of the river is Volgydo, which means "bright". The name volgydo is cognate to Finno-Ugric valkea meaning "white" or "bright"... [more]
Volodymyr(Settlement)Ukrainian, English, Czech, French, Italian, Slovak Transferred use of the Ukrainian given name Volodymyr. The city in Ukraine was named for Vladimir I Sviatoslavich, the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Kiev.
Vũng Tàu(Settlement)Vietnamese Means "anchorage" in Vietnamese, so named for the European trading ships that used to visit the area during the 14th and 15th centuries. This is the name of a city in Vietnam.
Vuntut(Other)Cree National park in Yukon, Canada. Meaning "among the lakes" in Gwich'in.
Vurel(Other)Mormon The Mormon astronomical star said to be the seventh out of fifteen great ones throughout the galaxy.
Vỹ Dạ(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From a mispronunciation of Sino-Vietnamese 葦野 (vi dã) meaning "reed field". This is the name of a ward in the Thuận Hóa district of Huế, the subject of "Đây thôn Vĩ Dạ," one of the most famous Vietnamese poems by the celebrated Hàn Mặc Tử.
Vyimka(Settlement)Ukrainian Derived from Ukrainian виїмка (vyyimka), a shorting of виймання (vyymanya) "extraction (mining)". Vyyimka is an abandoned village in the Bakhmut Rayon, Donyetsk Oblast. It is called Выемка (Vyyemka) in Russian.
Wabash(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and various cities in the United States. From Miami-Illinois waapaahšiiki meaning "it shines white, pure white", after the white limestone making up the riverbed.
Wabasha(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Dakota given name Wabasha. The city in Minnesota was most likely named for Wabasha II, a chief of the Dakota people.
Wabasso(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Ojibwe waabooz meaning "rabbit, snowshoe hare".
Waco(Settlement)English (American) A city in Texas, named for the Waco subdivision of the Wichita people, who are indigenous to the area.
Waconia(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A city and lake in Minnesota. From Dakota meday wa ko ni ya meaning "lake of the fountain, lake of the spring" or "out of the water comes life".
Wadling(Body of Water)Arthurian Cycle A lake in Inglewood Forest, which formerly existed under High Hesket (Cumbria), ten miles south of Carlisle. It is the setting for the Middle English poem The Awntyrs off Arthure at the Terne Wathelyne... [more]
Wadsley(Other)English Name of a suburb of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England.
Waggaman(Settlement)English (American) Transferred usage of the surname Waggaman. The settlement in Louisiana is named for George A. Waggaman, the US Senator for Louisiana from 1831-1835.
Wagoh-ox-oan(Other)Mormon The tenth great star according to Mormon cosmology. The meanings of the first three parts of the name are uncertain, while the fourth part is, according to Joseph Smith, the name for a symbol representing a compound of Zub-zool-oan, whose meaning is given as "the beginning" or "first".
Wahiawā(Settlement)Hawaiian A settlement in Hawaiʻi. The name is derived from the Hawaiian phrase wahi a wā meaning "place of the wa people".
Waikato(River)Maori From the Māori word wai, meaning "water", and kato, meaning "flow; current". Together, this is often translated as "flowing water". The Waikato River is the biggest river in Aotearoa New Zealand, and is often referred to by locals as the 'Mighty Waikato'
Waine(Other)Mormon The ninth great star according to Mormon cosmology, which is preceded by Venisti and succeeded by Wagoh-ox-oan.
Walkden(Settlement)English (British) The name Walkden or Walkeden derives from the Old English 'denu', a valley, belonging to a man possibly called Wealca.
Wallonia(Political Subdivision)English Region of southern Belgium characterized for being primarily French-speaking. Other languages spoken are German, Walloon, Lorrain, Luxembourgish, Picard and Franconian.
Walpole(Settlement)English The name of two places in Norfolk and Suffolk. The place names probably derive from Old English walh "foreigner, Briton, serf" (genitive plural wala) and pol "pool", though the Norfolk place name may have Old English wall "wall" as the first element.
Walton(Settlement)English The name of several villages in England, particularly Lancashire. Named from Old English wale, meaning 'Celt, foreigner' (Compare Wales) and tun, meaning 'town, village'.
Wanaque(Settlement)English (American) A river and city in New Jersey. The name is possibly derived from a Lenape word meaning "land of sassafras".
Wank(Mountain)Upper German The Wank is a mountain in southern Germany, situated in the Loisach valley close to the Austrian border in the southwestern Ester Mountains range near Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Wapakoneta(Settlement)English (American) A city in Ohio. The name is possibly derived from the Shawnee word wa-po'kanite meaning "the place of white bones".
Wapsipinicon(River)English (American) A river in Iowa, from Ojibwe waabiziipiniikaan-ziibi, "river abundant in wild artichokes".
Wapusk(Other)Cree National park in Manitoba, Canada. From the Cree word for polar bear, 'wâpask'.
Warba(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. The name is derived from either the Ojibwe word wiiba meaning "early, soon" or wayiiba meaning "early, in a little while, soon".
Warrenville(Political Subdivision)English Warrenville is a city in Illinois. It is also the name of a village in DuPage County.
Watauga(Settlement, Body of Water & River)English (American) A river, lake, and several settlements in the United States. Possibly meaning "river of islands", "the land beyond," or "beautiful river, beautiful water" in an unknown Native American language, likely Cherokee.
Wateree(River)English (American) A river in South Carolina. From the name of the Wateree Native American people.
Waterford(Settlement)Irish A city in Southern Ireland. Its name derives from Old Norse veðra, 'ram' (Swedish vädur, 'ram', See Wetherby) and fjord, 'fjord'.
Waterloo(Settlement)Flemish, English The name of multiple town and cities throughout the world, most notably the Battle of Waterloo, in 1815, where Napoleon was defeated. From the Flemish and Middle Dutch words 'water' and 'loo' (meaning forest, marsh).
Wauconda(Settlement)English (American) A village in Illinois. While the meaning of the name is unknown, local legend claims that it is named for a Native American leader whose name meant "spirit water".
Waukegan(Settlement)English (American) A city in Illinois. The name is derived from the Potawatomi word wakaigin meaning "fort, fortress".
Waukesha(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. Likely an Anglicization of Ojibwe waagoshag meaning "foxes" or derived from the Potawatomi name Wau-tsha.
Waupun(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe waubun meaning "east, morning, dawn".
Wausau(Region & Settlement)Indigenous American (Latinized, Rare) Term used in many Native American languages with varying similar meanings such as "to see from a distance" or "to hear from a distance." It was the Native American name for a valley in central Wisconsin that is still refered to as such by locals... [more]
Wauwautosa(Settlement)Algonquian Wauwautosa (an edge city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is named after the Potawatomi Chief Wauwataesie and the Potawatomi word for "firefly".
Waveney(River)English The name of a river that forms much of the boundary between the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk in eastern England. It is derived from Old English wagen meaning "quagmire" and ēa "meaning "river; running water, stream."
Waverton(Settlement)English Possibly means "Weaver Town" from Old English waver meaning weaver, and ton meaning town.
Wawa(Settlement & Body of Water)Ojibwe Name of a town and lake in Ontario, Canada. From the Ojibwe wording wewe, meaning "wild goose"
Wawanakwa(Settlement)Popular Culture, Algonquian (?), Iroquois (?) Might mean "the most wild geese" from Ojibwe wewe meaning "wild goose" (?) combined with nakwá: meaning "the most" in Mohawk (?). This is the name of the main island in the popular show 'Total Drama Island'.
Wawina(Settlement)English (American) A township in Minnesota. From Ojibwe waawiinaa meaning "I mention him often".
Waxahachie(Settlement)English (American) A city in Texas. Possibly from the Alabama term waakasi hachi meaning "calf's tail", or from the Muscogee compound word wakyhyce meaning "cow river".
Wear(River)English A river in North-East England. It is taken to be of Old Celtic origin and meant 'blood-colored water', referring to the reddish-brown color of the river. In modern Welsh, the name would be waed dwr, 'blood water'... [more]
Weehawken(Settlement)English (American) A city in New Jersey. The name is most likely from a Lenape language, and has been suggested to mean "maize land", "place of gulls", "rocks that look like trees", or "at the end".
Weh(Island)Indonesian The name of an island in Indonesia, derived from Acehnese wèh meaning "move, go away, leave". The name probably refers to either the splitting of the original island into separate, smaller islands or the island's break off from Sumatra.
Wekiwa(River)English (American) Two rivers in Florida. The name is derived from the Creek-Seminole word wekiwa meaning "spring".
Wellington(Settlement)English From Old English Weolingtun meaning "wealthy estate". Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. It is also the name of several settlements throughout the English-speaking world.
Wenatchee(Settlement)English (American) A city in Washington. From the name of the Wenatchi people, who are indigenous to the area.
Wenji-maajiijiwang(Body of Water)Ojibwe Ojibwe name for the headwaters of the Mississippi River. From the Ojibwe word wenji-maajiijiwang meaning "where the river begins".
Wenlai(Country)Chinese Chinese form of Brunei. 文萊 or 文莱 (Wénlái) is the spelling more commonly used in mainland China while 汶萊 or 汶莱 (Wènlái) or (Wénlái) is the prominent spelling in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
Wenningsted(Settlement)North Frisian Derived from North Frisian winning "gained land" and Low German stede "settlement".
Westminster(Settlement)English From Middle English Westmestre, equivalent to west + minster.
West Virginia(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, The western, transmontane, counties of Virginia; separated from Virginia during Civil War.
Westwego(Settlement)English (American) Possibly from the English phrase "west we go", as the city in Louisiana was a major crossing point on the Mississippi River during the westward migration of Euro-American colonizers.
Wetaskiwin(Settlement)English (Canadian), Cree A city in Alberta. From the Cree word wiitaskiiwin ispatinaw, meaning "the hills where peace was made".
Wetherby(Settlement)English A town in West Yorkshire. It's name derives from Old Norse veðra, 'ram' (Swedish vadur, Norwegian vær) and byr, 'farm'. See Waterford.
Weybourne(Settlement)English The name Weybourne is derived from the Old English elements "wæge" (meaning "ford" or "shallow crossing") and "burna" (meaning "stream" or "brook"). The name likely refers to a stream or crossing in the area... [more]
Wharekauri(Settlement)Maori This is misnomer of the Chatham Islands and Chatham Island. A Maori man made this mistake before 1835. This came from a settlement on Chatham Island named Wharekauri. The Maori have called Chatham Island that to this day.
Whitewater(River)English A river in Minnesota. The name is derived from the English words "white" and "water", a translation of the river's Dakota name.
Why(Settlement)English (American) Small community in Arizona State, US. Arizona law stated that a settlement's name must have at least 3 letters, so the towns founders named the town, which was situated on a Y-section, "Why" instead of "Y"... [more]
Wichita(Settlement)English Name of a city in Kansas, named after the Native American tribe Wichita. Possibly from Wichita We-chate hatchee, "Red Water River".
Wicklow(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish, Old Norse Town and county in Ireland. From Old Norse 'víkingalág' or 'vikinga-ló', meaning "meadow of the Vikings".