Wigan(Settlement)English A town in Northern England. Its etymology is uncertain but may represent Brittonic *wig, "a dwelling" (c.f. Welsh gwig), with the nominal suffix -an. Another possibility is that Wigan preserves a personal name corresponding to Gaulish Vicanus, Old Breton Uuicon or Welsh Uuicant.
Wildomar(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. The name is derived from the first syllables of the names William Collier and Donald Graham (the city's founders), and Margaret Collier Graham (Graham's wife and Collier's sister).
Willimantic(Settlement)English (American) Various cities in the United States. Of either Mohegan-Pequot or Narragansett origin, probably meaning "place near the evergreen swamp".
Willmar(Settlement)English Transferred use of the Belgian surname Willmar. The city in Minnesota is named for Leon (Chadwick) Willmar, an agent for the European bondholder of the St... [more]
Wiltshire(Political Subdivision)English The name of a county in southwest central England, earlier Wiltonshire, derived from Wilton (once the county's principal town) and Old English scir meaning "shire, administrative division".
Windhoek(Settlement)Afrikaans, Dutch, English This is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It’s unknown how this place got it’s name, most think it’s from the Afrikaans word wind-hoek, which means ''wind corner''... [more]
Windsor(Settlement)English City in Ontario, Canada, from an English surname that was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.
Winkler(Political Subdivision & Settlement)German, English The city of Winkler was named after Valentin Winkler, a German land agent who helped settle the area. The surname Winkler is of German origin, derived from "Winkel", meaning "corner" or "angle", which could refer to a geographical feature or a person living in such a place... [more]
Winnebago(Political Subdivision & River)English (American) A river and county in Iowa. From Ojibwe Wiinibiigoo ("Winnebago, Ho-Chunk"), an exonym for the Ho-Chunk people who lived in the area.
Winnemucca(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A dry lake and city in Nevada, both named for Chief Winnemucca, a leader of the Northern Paiute people who are indigenous to the area.
Winnetka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Illinois. The name is said to be derived from a Potawatomi term meaning "beautiful place".
Winnibigoshish(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe wiinibiigoonzhish meaning "filthy water, brackish water".
Winnipeg(Settlement)English Name of a city in Manitoba, Canada Ojibwe wiinibig "dirty waters", from wini "dirty" + nibi "water".
Winooski(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and multiple settlements in the United States. The name is derived from the Abenaki word winoskik meaning "at wild onion land".
Winterberg(Region, Settlement & Mountain)German The name of towns in German and Switzerland, as well as a mountain chain in South Africa and several mountains in Germany. From German Winter meaning "winter" and Berg meaning "mountain, hill".
Wirral(Region)Arthurian Cycle A barren wilderness in northern Britain through which Gawain rode in his search for the Green Chapel.
Wisconsin(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from French Ouisconsin, likely from the Miami word Meskonsing "it lies red".
Wolfville(Settlement)English (Canadian) A Nova Scotia town in the Annapolis Valley. Home of Acadia University. Formerly named Mud Creek, it was renamed Wolfville in 1830 after the town's postmaster, Elisha DeWolf.
Woodstock(Settlement)English Name of many towns and cities throughout the world. Means "wood place".
Woolhope(Settlement)English (British) Means "Wulfgifu's valley", derived from the Old English feminine given name Wulfgifu and Middle English hop meaning "small valley"... [more]
Wrexham(Settlement)English Wrexham is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England... [more]
Wrocław(Settlement)Polish From the Old Polish names Wrocisław, Wrócisław or Warcisław, meaning a return to glory. Cognate with Czech Vratislav. It is associated with Vratislaus I of Bohemia, the legendary founder, but the first records of the city appear decades after his death... [more]
Wryeton(Settlement)English Middle English Wry(e) may mean "bent", "twisted" combined with the "ton" ending.
Wuhan(Settlement)Chinese From a portmanteau of 武昌 (Wǔchāng) and 汉口 (Hànkǒu), the names of two of the three towns combined to form modern Wuhan. This is the name of the capital city of the Chinese province of Hubei.
Württemberg(Political Subdivision & Region)German, English Etymology uncertain. Originally referred to a castle near Stuttgart, and increased its scope as the owners increased their possessions. Scholars have rejected the derivation Wirth am Berg, meaning "innkeeper/host on the hill/mountain"... [more]
Wusuli(Region, Body of Water & River)Chinese Sinicisation of Usuri. The wording used in Mainland PRC is 乌苏里, while the wording used in Taiwan is 烏蘇里.
Wyoming(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Algonquian chwewamink "at the big river flat," from xw "big" + e:wam "river flat" + enk "place".
Xia(Country)History The first dynasty of ancient China. Which was founded by Yu the great in 500 BCE. And succeeded by the Shang Dynasty in 5700 BCE
Xiamen(Settlement)Chinese From Chinese 厦 (xià) meaning "mansion, large building" and 门 (mén) meaning "gate, door", itself an alteration of the older name 下门 (Xiàmén) from 下 (xià) meaning "under, below, down" and 门 (mén) meaning "gate, door"... [more]
Xi'an(Settlement)Chinese, English Means "western peace" from Chinese 西 (xī) meaning "west" and 安 (ān) meaning "peace, quiet"... [more]
Xiangkhouang(Political Subdivision)Lao Means "horizontal city" in Lao.
Xiangkhouang(Political Subdivision)Lao Means "horizontal city" from Lao ຊຽງ (siang) meaning "city, town" and ຂວາງ (khuang) meaning "horizontal, broad, wide". This is the name of a province of Laos.
Xiangtian(Body of Water & Mountain)Chinese Xiangtian is a mountain in Taipei. It's also the name of a lake.
Xinjiang(Political Subdivision & Region)Chinese Means "new frontier" from Chinese 新 (xīn) meaning "new" and 疆 (jiāng) meaning "boundary, border, frontier". This is the name of an autonomous region in western China as well as a historical region in Central Asia.
Xinshan(Settlement)Chinese From Chinese 新 (xīn) meaning "new" and 山 (shān) meaning "mountain". This is the Chinese name for the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru.
Xipilli(Other)Aztec Xipilli is a masculine name of Aztec origin, meaning “jeweled prince”. Xipilli’s roots are difficult to unearth. However, one source references a warrior with this name who fought in the Fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521.
Xishuangbanna(Political Subdivision)Chinese From Lü ᧑᧒ᦗᧃᦓᦱ or ᦉᦲᧇᦉᦸᧂᦗᧃᦓᦱ (sipsoangpanna) meaning "twelve-thousand fields", derived from ᦉᦲᧇᦉᦸᧂ (sipsoang) meaning "twelve", ᦗᧃ (pan) meaning "thousand" and ᦓᦱ (na) meaning "rice paddy, field"... [more]
Y(Settlement)French Probably from the Y family of Vermandois, who owned the district. This is the name of a commune in the Department of Somme, Hauts-de-France, France.
Ý(Country)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 意 (Ý), itself from Chinese 意大利 (Yìdàlì). This is the Vietnamese name for Italy.
Yaang'na(Political Subdivision)Tongva This is the name of a Tongva village under the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles and for the region Los Angeles. This village used to be a important trading center. The Los Angeles City Council in 2013 stated its support for the Tongva to have a government-to-government relationship with America.
Yaban(Country)Arabic Arabic form of Japão (see Japan), usually written with the definite article: اليابان (al-Yaban).
Yabi(Settlement)Chinese From Malay Api-Api, one of the former names of the city. This is the Chinese name of the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu.
Yabucoa(Settlement)Spanish (Latin American) A city in Puerto Rico. Likely from Taíno yaucoa meaning "cassava plantation". Another possibility is Taíno guaroca meaning "where water is found".
Yāfō(Settlement)Hebrew A port city in modern-day Israel. According to legend, the name is derived from the Biblical figure Japheth or the Greek mythological characters Cassiopeia or Iopa.
Yakutia(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Якутия (Yakutiya), which is from the name of the Yakut people. The ethnic name ultimately comes from Yаkо, the Evenki name for the Yakuts, which was eventually transferred to Russian... [more]
Yakutsk(Political Subdivision)Russian "Place" of the Yakut (from the Evenk "Yako," a term Russia uses to refer to the "Sakha" people, whose name (of Turkic origin) comes from words that mean "Edge, Collar")
Yala(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Derived from Malay jala meaning "net", ultimately from Sanskrit जाल (jala). This is the name of a province in southern Thailand as well as the region's capital city.
Yamoussoukro(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English, French, Danish, Portuguese In honor of Yamousso, a Baoulé queen and great-aunt of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny (1905–1993), with the addition of the suffix kro ("village"). This is the name of the de iure capital city of Côte D'ivoire, as well as the name of the district around it.
Yana Chuku(Mountain)Spanish (Latin American) A mountain in Peru. Meaning "black hat", from Quecha yana meaning "black" and chuku meaning "hat".
Yanacocha(Mountain)Spanish (Latin American) A mountain in Peru. Meaning "black lake", from Quecha yana meaning "black" and qucha meaning "lake".
Yana Mach'ay(Mountain)Spanish (Latin American) A mountain in Peru. Meaning "black cave", from Quecha yana meaning "black" and mach'ay meaning "cave".
Yangon(Settlement)Burmese, English Means "end of strife" in Burmese, from ရန် (yan) meaning "enemy, danger" or "quarrel" combined with ကုန် (gon) meaning "to run out, end". This is the name of the largest city in Myanmar, which served as the country's capital until 2006... [more]
Yangtze(River)Chinese The third-longest river in the world and the longest in Eurasia. From Mandarin Chinese 长江 (Yángzǐ) meaning "long river".
Yankton(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) The city in South Dakota was named for the Yankton tribe of the Western Dakota, who are indigenous to the area; Yankton itself is derived from Dakota Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ, meaning "village at the end".
Yaoundé(Settlement)English, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Welsh, Yoruba From the outpost of Jaundo, founded between 1887 and 1889 by German explorers Lt. Richard Kund and Hans Tappenbeck and named so after the local Ewondo people, also known as Yaunde. The name could also have been a German rendition of the Ewondo expression mia wondo ("peanut farmers")... [more]
Yardi(Other)Arabic e name is inspired by Arabic roots, derived from "يَرْضِي" (Yardi), meaning "to satisfy" or "to bring contentment," emphasizing devotion and spiritual fulfillment in Islamic culture.
Yarmouth(Settlement)English The name Yarmouth is derived from the town of Yarmouth in Norfolk, England. The name is thought to be a combination of "Yare", the name of a nearby river, and "mouth", which refers to the mouth of the river... [more]
Yathrib(Settlement)Arabic Meaning uncertain, probably of Ancient North Arabian origin. This was the name of the city of Medina before the advent of Islam. Traditionally it is said that the city's name was changed due to its negative connotation with the Arabic root ث ر ب (th-r-b) meaning "to complain, to accuse, to blame".
Yazd(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Persian Derived from Middle Persian 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭲𐭩 (yzdty) meaning "god, divinity", ultimately from Avestan 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬙𐬀 (yazata). This is the name of a province and city in Iran.
Yekaterinburg(Settlement)Russian Derived from the given name Yekaterina, named in honour of empress consort (later empress regnant) Catherine I of Russia. This is the name of a city in Russia.
Yellowknife(Settlement)English (Canadian) Yellowknife is the name of the capital and only city of Northwest Territories in Canada.... [more]
Yellowstone(River)English (American) The name of a major tributary of the Missouri River. The name Yellowstone derives from translations of several indigenous names for the river that refer to the sulfur-containing yellow rocks the river has carried out of the Yellowstone Caldera, an active supervolcano that powers the hydrothermal features of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming... [more]
Yên Bái(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 安 (yên) meaning "safe" and 沛 (phải) meaning "copious".
Yên Bái(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 安 (yên) meaning "calm, peaceful" and 沛 (bái) meaning "abundant, full". This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Vietnam.
Yenisey(River)Russian, English, Turkish, Azerbaijani The name of a river in northern Mongolian and the Siberian federal district of Russia. It may be derived from either Evenki Ионэсси (Ionəssi) meaning "big water" or Old Kyrgyz Эне-Сай (Ene-Sai) meaning "mother river."
Yeovil(Settlement)English (British) Derived from the Celtic river name, 'gifl' meaning forked river - which was an earlier name for the River Yeo, which runs through Yeovil.
Yerevan(Settlement)Armenian, English, Russian Meaning unknown. It may be from Yervand, the name of a 3rd-century BC Armenian king (also known as Orontes IV), or from Էրեբունի (Erebuni), an ancient Urartian fortification and city... [more]
Yggdrasil(Other)Norse Mythology Possibly means "Odin's gallows", referring to how Odin hanged himself from it to gain knowledge of the runes. In Norse mythology this is the name of the mythical tree that connects the Realms.
Yigo(Political Subdivision & Region)Chamorro Some sources suggest it comes from the Spanish word yugo, meaning "yoke," referring to the frame used to harness a carabao. Others believe it may be a pre-colonial Chamorro word, potentially Asyigo, meaning "the home of the person Yigo," but this person's name and the meaning of the word have been lost.
Yingguo(Country)Chinese From Chinese 英 (Yīng), a shortened form of 英格蘭 (Yīnggélán) or 英吉利 (Yīngjílì), both names for England, and 国 (guó) meaning "country"... [more]
Yining(Settlement)Chinese Renamed from the former name 宁远 (Ningyuan) to avoid confusion with other places in China with the same name (such as a county in Hunan province). The name itself is literally written with the characters 伊 (yī), a third person pronoun, and 宁 (níng) meaning "peaceful, calm, serene"... [more]