Pontiac(Settlement)English Various cities in Canada and the United States. After the Odawa chief Pontiac, also known as Obwaandi'eyaag.
Poquoson(Settlement)English (American) A city in Virginia. From the English word "pocosin", which refers to a type of wetland and is derived from an unknown Algonquian word, possibly Abenaki pôgwaso meaning “very shallow”.
Potomac(Settlement)English A river and various cities in the United States. From the name of the Patawomeck people, who are indigenous to the river area.
Poughkeepsie(Settlement)English (American) From Munsee u-puku-ipi-sing meaning "the reed-covered lodge by the little-water place".
Poway(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. Likely from Kumeyaay pawii "arrowhead" or paguay "watering hole".
Pueblo(Settlement)English (American) A city in Colorado. From Spanish pueblo meaning "town, people".
Pulaski(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Polish surname Pulaski. The city in Virginia was named for Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish-born hero of the American Revolutionary War.
Quiulacocha(Body of Water & Mountain)Spanish (Latin American) A mountain and lake in Peru. Possibly meaning "gull lake", from Quecha qillwa, qiwlla, or qiwiña meaning "gull" and qucha meaning "lake".
Rəḥōḇōṯ(Settlement)Biblical Hebrew From Hebrew רְחוֹבוֹת (rəḥōḇōṯ) meaning "broad places".
Ramona(Settlement)English Transferred use of the given name Ramona. The settlement in California was named for Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona, which was set in southern California.
Rantoul(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Rantoul. The city in Illinois was named for Robert Rantoul, Jr., a a U.S. representative from Massachusetts, and a director of the Illinois Central Railroad.
Rhûn(Body of Water)Literature A sea in JRR Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' series. From the fictional Sindarin language rhûn meaning "east".
Richfield(Settlement)English Various cities in the United States and Canada. From the English words "rich" and "field".
Rincón(Settlement)Spanish From Spanish rincón meaning "nook".
Rivière Des Embarras(River)French A river in Minnesota. From French rivière des embarras meaning "river of obstructions".
R'lyeh(Settlement)Literature A fictional lost city in the South Pacific, invented for HP Lovecraft's short story 'The Call of Cthulhu'. From a fictional language incomprehensible to and unable to be pronounced by humans.
Rockford(Settlement)English From the English words "rock" and "ford". The city in Illinois was named for a ford in the nearby Rock River
Saginaw(Settlement)English (American) A city in Michigan. Most likely meaning "place of the outlet", from Ojibwe sag meaning "opening" and ong meaning "place of", though popular legend claims it derives from Ojibwe sace-nong or sak-e-nong meaning "where the Sauk were".
Sahel(Region)English A savanna region south of the Sahara Desert. From Arabic ساحل sāḥil meaning "coast, shore".
Salina(Settlement)English (American) From the English word "saline". The city in Kansas was named for the nearby Saline River.
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.
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.
Scituate(Settlement)English (American) A city in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag satuit meaning "cold brook".
Sedona(Settlement)English A city in Arizona. Transferred use of the given name Sedona.
Sheboygan(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and river in Wisconsin. From Menominee sāpīwǣhekaneh meaning "at a hearing distance in the woods".
Sheridan(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Sheridan. The city in Wyoming was named for General Philip Sheridan, who fought for the Union in the American Civil War.
Shoshoni(Settlement)English (American) A town in Wyoming named after the Shoshone people, who are indigenous to the area.
Šīlō(Settlement)Hebrew A city in ancient Israel. From Hebrew שלה (shiló), of uncertain etymology but possibly meaning "tranquil".
Sirion(River)Literature From JRR Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' series. From the fictional Sindarin language sîr meaning “river” and iaun meaning “wide”.
Snohomish(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and river in Washington State. From the name of the Snohomish people, who are indigenous to the area.
Somme(Body of Water & River)French, English A river, bay, and department in France. Derived from Samara, a proto-Celtic name for the river, possibly derived from samaro meaning "summery, quiet" or samo meaning "summer"... [more]
Stalingrad(Settlement)Russian From the surname Stalin and Russian grad meaning "town, city". The former name of the city Volgograd, after Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, the then-General Secretary of the USSR's Communist Party.
Stuotgarten(Settlement)Old High German From Old High German Stuotgarten meaning "stud farm"; the city in Germany was founded as a site for breeding warhorses.
Sturgis(Settlement)English Transferred use of the English surname Sturgis. The city in South Dakota was named for General Samuel D. Sturgis, who fought for the Union during the American Civil War.
Sundance(Settlement)English A city in Wyoming named for the Sun Dance ceremony held by various local Native American nations.
Superior(Settlement & Body of Water)English Name of the largest of the North American Great Lake Chain as well as a city in Wisconsin bordering it. In the case of the lake, it is an Anglicization of French superieur meaning "upper" (referring to its position north of Lake Huron)... [more]
Surprise(Settlement)English Several places in the United States, including a city in Nebraska and a city in Arizona. From the English word "surprise".
Suwannee(River)English (American) A river in Georgia and Florida. Possibly from Spanish San Juan, from the name of the Shawnee Native American people, or from Creek sawani eaning "echo".
Swannanoa(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and a settlement in North Carolina, as well as a village in New Zealand named for the river. From Cherokee Suwa’lĭ-Nûñnâ’hĭ meaning “the trail to Suwa’li". Suwa’li, also called Joara, was a nearby kingdom... [more]
Tahlequah(Settlement)English (American) A city in Oklahoma. Most likely from Cherokee di li gwa meaning "grain, rice".
Tamboraga(Mountain)Spanish (Latin American) A mountain in Peru. Possibly meaning "tambo crack, tambo crevice," from Quecha tampu meaning "inn, tambo" and raqra meaning "fissure, crack, crevice".
Tawatinsuyu(Country)Quechua Quechua name for the Inca Empire. From tawatin suyu meaning "land of four parts".
Toppenish(Settlement)English (American) A city in Washington State. Likely from Sahaptin txápniš meaning "protruded, stuck out". The name refers to a nearby landslide.
Valinor(Region)Literature A region in JRR Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' series. From the fictional Quenya language, a compound of vala, a fictional quasi-divine species, and the suffix ndor meaning "land".
Val Verde(Settlement)English (American) A town in New Mexico. Meaning "green valley", from Spanish val "valley" and verde "green".
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.
Vostok(Body of Water)Russian Lake Vostok is the largest subglacial lake in Antarctica. Its name ultimately derives from Russian vostok meaning "east".
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".
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".
Waipahu(Settlement)Hawaiian From Hawaiian waipahu, "water forced up, spring", from wai, "water" and pahū, "burst, explode".
Wakonda(Settlement)English (American) A city in South Dakota. From Dakota wakor or waukon meaning "wonder, miracle, marvel, sacred, medicine".
Waseca(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota, derived from the Dakota word washecha, meaning "rich, fertile".
Watab(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota. From Ojibwe wadab-ziibi meaning "spruce-root river".
Wateree(River)English (American) A river in South Carolina. From the name of the Wateree Native American people.
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".
Wawina(Settlement)English (American) A township in Minnesota. From Ojibwe waawiinaa meaning "I mention him often".
Wayzata(Settlement)English (American) From the Dakota word wazíyata, meaning "north" or "north shore".
Wazi Oju(River)Sioux A river in Minnesota. From Dakota Wazi Oju meaning "place of pines".
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".
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".
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]
Winnibigoshish(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe wiinibiigoonzhish meaning "filthy water, brackish water".
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".
Woodbury(Settlement)English From Old English wudu, “wood” and burg, “fortified place”.
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".
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".
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".