Abruzzo(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese From Late Latin Aprutium, itself probably from Praetūtium, which defined the territory in which the tribe of the Praetutii lived. This is the name of a region in southern Italy.
Acre(Political Subdivision & River)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese Most likely from Aquiri, a transliteration by European explorers of the Ipurinã term Umákürü or Uakiry. Other theories include the name originating from Tupi a'kir ü ("green river") or a'kir ("to sleep"), or from Yasi'ri, or Ysi'ri, meaning "flowing or swift water"... [more]
Addis Ababa(Settlement)English, Danish, Turkish From Amharic አዲስ አበባ (ʾädis ʾäbäba), meaning "new flower". This is the name of the capital city of Ethiopia.
Aden(Settlement & Body of Water)English From Arabic عدن ('Adan) derived from Akkadian edinu meaning "plain, lowland", itself from Sumerian eden meaning "plain, open country". This is the name of a city in Yemen as well as a gulf between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea (the Gulf of Aden).
Alagoas(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese Plural form of Portuguese alagoa, a variant of lagoa ("lagoon"), referring to the Manguaba (the "southern lagoon") and Mundaú (the "northern lagoon") estuarine lagoons... [more]
Amapá(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) Of uncertain origin. It may come from Tupi amapá, meaning "the place of the rain"; from a Nheengatu term meaning "island" or "land that ends", or from an Arawak term denoting the Hancornia amapa, a local species of tree; or from a Northern Geral term indicating a local species of tree... [more]
Anaheim(Settlement)English Union of Ana, referring to the nearby Santa Ana River, and the German suffix heim ("home"). This is the name of a city in the US state of California.
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.
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]
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.
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.
Baghdad(Settlement)English, Italian, Malay, Uyghur From Arabic بغداد (baḡdād), itself from Persian بغداد (baǧdâd), probably from Middle Persian bgdt, meaning "given by god", from Old Persian *Bagadātaʰ... [more]
Bahia(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, English Literally "bay" in Portuguese, this name comes from the Bay of All Saints (Baía de Todos os Santos), for which a Portuguese captaincy was named. This is the name of a state in Brazil.
Bakersfield(Settlement)English Named after a person bearing the surname Baker. The city in California was named after former colonel Thomas Baker of the Ohio Militia, who moved to the area in 1863.
Basilicata(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese The origin of the name is uncertain: it may come from the Greek term βασιλικός (basilikos), a title given to the Byzantine governors of the region; it may be derived from the church of Acerenza, whose bishop had jurisdiction over the territory; or it may be connected to Basil II Porphyrogenitus, Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025.... [more]
Baton Rouge(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From French le bâton rouge ("the red stick"), itself from Choctaw iti humma ("red pole") through Istrouma, a possible corruption; the name ultimately comes from a red pole marking the hunting boundaries for the Houma and Bayagoula tribes... [more]
Boise(Settlement)English Most likely from French, but of uncertain ultimate origin. One account states that it may come from a story of a French-speaking person who yelled "Les bois! Les bois!" ("The woods! The woods!"); another account is that the name comes from the phrase la rivière boisée ("the wooded river").... [more]
Brussels(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English Union of Proto-Germanic elements brōk, "marsh", and sali, "building, room"; influenced by Dutch Brussel. This is the name of the capital city of Belgium.
Bucheon(Settlement)Korean Combination of 富 (부, bu, "wealth") and 川 (천, cheon, "river, stream"), thus "wealthy river". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Calabria(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, Finnish, Galician, Spanish From Ancient Greek Καλαβρία (Kalabría), itself derived from the name of a local Oscan tribe. This is the name of a region in southern Italy.
Campania(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, Galician, Spanish, Ancient Roman From Latin Campania, itself from campania felix, denoting the fertile countryside around Mount Vesuvius. This is the name of a region in southern Italy.
Campobasso(Settlement)Italian, English, French, German, Spanish Literally "low field"; derived from Latin Campus Vassorum, denoting that the city was host to vassals. This is the name of the capital city of the southern Italian region of Molise.
Catania(Settlement)Italian, English, German, Sicilian, Spanish From Ancient Greek Kατάvη (Katánē), itself either from Sicel katane ("grater"), due to its proximity to Mount Etna and the resulting rough earth, or from Proto-Italic katina ("basin"), owing to the wide valley around the town... [more]
Catanzaro(Settlement)Italian, English, French, Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, German From Latin Catanciarium, itself derived from Catacium, ultimately from Ancient Greek Καταρτάριοι, meaning "silk spinners". This is the name of a city in southern Italy, the second city in Calabria, as well as its capital city.
Ceará(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) Most likely from Tupi ceará, probably a combination of the words cemo ("to sing loudly", "to scream") and ara ("small macaw, parakeet, jandaia"), thus "the jandaia sings". Another interpretation is that the name means "river originating from the mountains"... [more]
Changwon(Settlement)Korean Combination of 昌 (창, chang, "prosperity") and 原 (원, won, "meadow"), thus "prosperous meadow". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Cheonan(Settlement)Korean Combination of 天 (천, cheon, "sky, heaven") and 安 (안, ān, "peace"), thus "heavenly peace". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Cheongju(Settlement)Korean Combination of 淸 (청, cheong, "clear, clean") and 州 (주, ju, "province"), thus "clear province", or "perfect province". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Choibalsan(Settlement)Mongolian In honor of Communist leader Khorloogin Choibalsan, who took part in the Mongolian Revolution of 1920. This is the name of a city in Mongolia.
Cleveland(Settlement & Other)English This is the name of several settlements, mainly in the United States, as well as a geographical region in Yorkshire, England; in both cases, the name comes from the combination of the Middle English words cleve ("cliff") and land.... [more]
Columbus(Settlement)English Named after famous Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the capital city of the state of Ohio.
Daegu(Settlement)Korean Combination of 大 (대, dae, "big, large") and 邱 (구, gu, "hill"), thus "large hill". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Daejeon(Settlement)Korean Combination of 大 (대, dae, "big, large") and 田 (전, jeon, "cultivated piece of land"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Darkhan(Settlement)Mongolian Means "blacksmith" in Mongolian. This is the name of a city in Mongolia.
Denver(Settlement)English Named after James W. Denver; the surname itself comes from Old English Denefær ("crossing of the Danes") or den-ōfer ("valley-bank")... [more]
El Paso(Settlement)English, Spanish From Spanish el paso, meaning "the pass". This is the name of several settlements in the world, including the city in Texas.
Emilia(Region)Italian, English, Finnish, Polish, Spanish From the Via Aemilia, itself from Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the Roman consul who planned the road. This is the name of a traditional region of northern Italy, now contained in the modern political region of Emilia-romagna.
Empoli(Settlement)Italian, English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish Of uncertain origin: possibly from the Germanic first name *Empo- with the suffix -ulus, or from Latin in portu ("in the port") as per the Tabula Peutingeriana. An eighth-century castle is documented with the names Empolum, Emporium and Empolis... [more]
Erdenet(Settlement)Mongolian Means "with treasure" in Mongolian. This is the name of a city in Mongolia.
Florence(Settlement)English, Dutch, French, Latvian From Latin Florentia, derived from florens, ("flowering"), ultimately from flos, meaning "flower". This is the name of the capital city of Tuscany, in central Italy, as well as several settlements throughout the United States.... [more]
Foggia(Settlement)Italian, English Possibly from Latin fovea, referring to the pits where wheat was stored, or to a drainage basin.... [more]
Fort Worth(Settlement)English Named in honor of officer William J. Worth, who fought in the Mexican-American War. This is the name of a city in Texas.
Funabashi(Settlement)Japanese Means either "bridge on a ship" or "bridge made of ships" in Japanese, from 船 (funa), meaning "ship, vessel", and 橋 (hashi), meaning "bridge"... [more]
Gimhae(Settlement)Korean Combination of 김 (gim, "money, gold") and 해 (hae, "sea, ocean"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Goiás(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) Of uncertain origin. It may be derived from the name of the (possibly mythical) Guaiá indigenous community; the name itself is composed of the Tupi words gua and iá, meaning, among other things, "the same person" or "people of the same origin." This is the name of a state of Brazil.
Goyang(Settlement)Korean Combination of 高 (고, go, "high, tall") and 陽 (양, yang, "sky, sun, sun light, morning"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Gwangju(Settlement)Korean Combination of 光 (광, gwang, "light, shine, lustre") and 州 (주, ju, "province"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Hachiōji(Settlement)Japanese Means "eight princes" in Japanese, from 八 (hachi), meaning "eight", 王 (ō), meaning "king", and 子 (shi), meaning "child"... [more]
Hamamatsu(Settlement)Japanese Means "pine beach" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 浜 (hama), meaning "beach, seashore", and 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree"... [more]
Harrisburg(Settlement)English After a person bearing the surname Harris. In the case of the capital city of the US state of Pennsylvania, the city was named after founder John Harris Sr.
Hartford(Settlement)English Variant of Hertford, from the union of the words heorot ("hart, stag") and ford. This spelling is mostly used in the United States, most famously by the capital city of the State of Connecticut.
Higashiōsaka(Settlement)Japanese Means "East Ōsaka" in Japanese. This is the name of a city in Ōsaka Prefecture, Japan.
Himeji(Settlement & Other)Japanese Of uncertain meaning. This is the name of the largest castle in Japan, as well as a city in Hyōgo Prefecture.
Hwaseong(Settlement)Korean Combination of 華 (화, hwa, "bright, colorful") and 城 (성, seong, "castle"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Incheon(Settlement)Korean From Sino-Korean 仁 (in) meaning "compassionate, benevolent" and 川 (cheon) meaning "river, stream". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Indianapolis(Settlement)English Union of "Indiana", itself meaning "Land of the Indians" in Latin, and the Greek suffix polis. This is the name of the capital city of the US state of Indiana.
Jackson(Settlement)English After a person bearing the surname Jackson, such as Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), seventh President of the United States. This is the name of several settlements in the United States, such as the capital city of the State of Mississippi.
Jeonju(Settlement)Korean Combination of 全 (전, jeon, "perfect") and 州 (주, ju, "province"), thus "perfect province". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Kanazawa(Settlement)Japanese Means "marsh of gold" in Japanese; derived from a local legend, according to which a peasant who found flakes of gold while digging for potatoes. The kanji that make up the name are 金 (kana), meaning "metal, gold", and 沢 (sawa), meaning "marsh"... [more]
Kawaguchi(Settlement)Japanese Means "estuary, mouth of a river" in Japanese, from 川 (kawa), meaning "river", and 口 (kuchi), meaning "mouth-like opening"... [more]
Kawasaki(Settlement)Japanese Means "river bank" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 川 (kawa), meaning "river, stream, brook", and 崎 (saki), meaning "peninsula, promontory, cape, spit"... [more]
Kitakyūshū(Settlement)Japanese Means "North Kyushu (city)" in Japanese. This is the name of a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Kōfu(Settlement)Japanese Means "capital of Kai Province" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 甲 (kō), originally an abbreviation of 甲斐 (kai), of uncertain meaning, and 府 (fu), meaning "government office"... [more]
Latina(Settlement)Italian, English, Finnish, French Derived from the former name Latinia, itself adopted in 1944 to replace the name Littoria, which had been chosen by the Fascist government upon the inauguration of the city in 1932... [more]
Little Rock(Settlement)English From the name of a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River, used as a landmark by early river traffic. This is the name of the capital city of the US state of Arkansas.
Louisville(Settlement)English Named in honor of King Louis XVI of France, whose soldiers were aiding the Americans during the Revolution. This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the lagrest city in the state of Kentucky.
Madison(Settlement)English Named after James Madison (1751–1836), Founding Father and fourth President of the United States. This is the name of several settlements, including the capital city of the State of Wisconsin.
Maebashi(Settlement)Japanese From earlier 厩橋 (Umayabashi), derived from 駅家 (umaya), meaning "stable", denoting a small refreshment house with a stable, not far from a bridge (橋, hashi) that crossed the Tone River... [more]
Maranhão(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) Of uncertain origin: it may come from Tupi mar'anhan ("running sea"), a name for the Amazon River. This is the name of a state of Brazil.
Matsue(Settlement)Japanese The kanji that make up the name are 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree", and 江 (e), meaning "creek, inlet, bay"... [more]
Matsuyama(Settlement)Japanese Means "pine mountain" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree", and 山 (yama), meaning "mountain"... [more]
Mesa(Settlement)English, Spanish From Spanish mesa, literally "table", referring to a flat-topped elevation. This is the name of a city in the US state of Arizona.
Milwaukee(Settlement)English From Algonquian millioke, meaning "good", "beautiful" and "pleasant land". This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the largest city in the state of Wisconsin.
Minas Gerais(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese Literally "general mines" in Portuguese. It is unclear whether the adjective Gerais refers to the many mines within the region or to the Matos Gerais (or Campos Gerais), the fields that were far away from the mines... [more]
Mito(Settlement)Japanese The kanji that make up the name are 水 (mizu), meaning "water", and 戸 (to), meaning "door". This is the name of the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.
Mòdna(Settlement)Emilian-Romagnol Emilian-Romagnol form of Modena. More specifically, this is the Modenese dialect form of the name.
Molise(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, French Most likely derived from the Norman family de Moulins of Moulins-la-Marche. Rodolphe de Moulins, forefather of the family, became count of Bojano in 1053, which would go on to form the County of Molise.... [more]
Morioka(Settlement)Japanese Means "prosperous hill" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 盛 (mori), meaning "prosper", and 岡 (oka), meaning "hill". This is the name of the capital city of Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
Mörön(Settlement)Mongolian Means "river" in Mongolian. This is the name of a city in Mongolia.
Nagoya(Settlement)Japanese Of uncertain meaning, possibly from Japanese 和やか (nagoyaka) meaning "peaceful". This is the name of a city in Japan.
Naha(Settlement)Japanese Possibly a corruption of naba, a Western Japanese and Ryukyuan word for "mushroom". This is the name of the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
Namyangju(Settlement)Korean Combination of 南 (남, nam, "south"), 楊 (양, yang, "willow") and 州 (주, ju, "province"), thus "southern willow province". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Niamey(Settlement)English, Armenian, Danish, Finnish, French, Italian, Slovak, Spanish Of uncertain origin; there are several theories on the origin of the name. It may be derived from a combination of Zarma words nia ("tree") and me ("shore where water is drawn"), or from the phrase "Wa niammané" ("take this city"), reportedly said by a Kalle clan chief... [more]
Ölgii(Settlement & Mountain)Mongolian Means "motherland" in Mongolian. This is the name of a city and a mountain in western Mongolia.
Ōtsu(Settlement)Japanese Means "large port" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 大 (ō), meaning "big, large", and 津 (tsu, Japanese kun reading of jīn), meaning "port"... [more]
Pará(Political Subdivision & River)Portuguese From Tupi pará, meaning "sea" or "large river". This is the name of a river and a state of Brazil.
Paraíba(Political Subdivision & River)Portuguese (Brazilian) From Tupi pa'ra ("river") and a'íba ("difficult to invade/navigate"), referring to the narrow mouth of the Paraíba River. This is the name of a river and a state of Brazil.
Paraná(Political Subdivision & River)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese From Geral paraná, meaning "river". Some sources claim that the name comes from Guaraní para ("sea") and anã "resembling", owing to the width of the river Paraná. This is the name of a state in Brazil.
Pernambuco(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese Four theories exist over the origin of the name. The first theory is that it may come from Tupi para'nã ("great river" or "sea") and buka, meaning "hole", thus meaning "hole in the sea", perhaps indicating the Canal de Santa Cruz, which separates the island of Itamaracá from mainland Brazil.... [more]
Piauí(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) From Piagoí, through the earlier name Piagüí, which is an early rendition of Tupi piauí, which means "river of the piabas" (piaba being a term used to indicate several types of fish)... [more]
Piedmont(Political Subdivision & Region)English From Italian piemonte, itself derived from Medieval Latin Pedemontium, ultimately from Latin ad pedem montium, literally "at the foot of the mountains".... [more]
Pohang(Settlement)Korean Combination of 浦 (포, po, "riverside") and 項 (항, hang, "item, matter"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Potenza(Settlement)Italian, English, French From Latin Potentia, itself from the Latin adjective potens, meaning "powerful", "mighty". This is the name of the capital city of the southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Prato(Settlement)Italian, English, French, Esperanto, German, Spanish, Dutch Italian for "meadow". This is the name of a city in northern Italy, which was probably chosen because the city was founded on a meadow.
Providence(Settlement)English Name chosen by Puritan minister Roger Williams, in honor of "God's merciful Providence". This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the capital city of the state of Rhode Island.
Reggio Calabria(Settlement)Italian, English, German, Dutch From Latin Regium, itself from Ancient Greek Ῥήγιoν (Rhéghion), of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a city in southern Italy.... [more]
Reggio Emilia(Settlement)Italian, English, Dutch, German, Spanish From Latin Regium, abbreviation of Regium Lepidi, named after Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, who oversaw the construction of the Via Aemilia. This is the name of a city in northern Italy.... [more]
Rio Grande do Norte(Political Subdivision)Portuguese, English Literally "Great River of the North" in Portuguese, referring to the mouth of the Potenji River. This is the name of a state of Brazil.
Rio Grande Do Sul(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, English Literally "Great River of the South" in Portuguese. This name comes from the Lagoa dos Patos, which was thought to be the mouth of the Rio Grande by Dutch explorers. This is the name of a state in Brazil.
Sagamihara(Settlement)Japanese Means "Sagami meadow" in Japanese; "Sagami", perhaps referring to Sagami Bay, is of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Saint Paul(Settlement)English After St. Paul's Chapel, built for French Catholic missionary Lucien Galtier around 1841. This is the name of the capital city of the US state of Minnesota.
Sakai(Settlement)Japanese Of uncertain meaning. First appeared in 1045 or earlier in Fujiwara Sadoyori's poetry. This is the name of a city in Ōsaka Prefecture, Japan.
Salerno(Settlement)Italian Of uncertain origin, possibly from a combination of pre-Latin elements *sal(-a) ("canal") and ern.
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.
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]
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]
Sendai(Settlement)Japanese Evolved from earlier 仙臺; originally 千代 ("a thousand generations"), due to the presence of a temple with a thousand Buddha statues in Aoyama.... [more]
Seongnam(Settlement)Korean Combination of 城 (성, seong, "castle") and 南 (남, nam, "south"), thus "southern castle". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Sergipe(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian) Union of the Tupi words siri (the local name for the Callinectes genus of crabs) 'y ("river") and pe ("in"), thus "in the river of the siri". This is the name of a state of Brazil.
Suwon(Settlement)Korean Combination of 水 (수, su, "water") and 原 (원, won, "meadow"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Takamatsu(Settlement)Japanese Means "tall pine tree" in Japanese; derived from a local legend, according to which a peasant who found flakes of gold while digging for potatoes. The kanji that make up the name are 高 (taka), meaning "tall", and 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree"... [more]
Tocantins(Political Subdivision & River)Portuguese (Brazilian) Union of Tupi words tukana ("toucan") e tim ("beak"), thus "toucan's beak". This is the name of a river and a state of Brazil.
Tsu(Settlement)Japanese Means "port" in Japanese; tsu is the Japanese kun reading of jīn. This is the name of the capital city of Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Tulsa(Settlement)English From Muscogee Tallasi, meaning "old town". This is the name of a city in the US state of Oklahoma.
Turin(Settlement)English, French, German, Piedmontese, Russian From Latin Augusta Taurinorum, itself from Taurini, the name of a tribe. This is the name of the capital city of Piedmont, in northern Italy.
Ulsan(Settlement)Korean Combination of 蔚 (울, ul, of uncertain meaning) and 山 (산, san, "mountain"), thus "kind river". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
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.
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.
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]
Yokohama(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "sideways, horizontal" and 浜 (hama) meaning "beach, seashore". This is the name of a city in Japan.
Yongin(Settlement)Korean Combination of 용 (yong, "dragon") and 인 (in, "benevolence"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.