Belegaer(Body of Water)Literature An ocean in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. From the fictional Sindarin language beleg, "great", and gaer, "sea".
Belgorod(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Russian Means "white city" from Russian белый (beliy) meaning "white" and город (gorod) meaning "city, town". This is the name of an oblast (a type of administrative division) of, as well as a city in, Russia.
Belgrade(Settlement)English, French From Serbian Београд (Beograd) meaning "white city", derived from the Slavic root beli or beo meaning "white" combined with grad meaning "city, town". This is the name of the capital city of Serbia.
Bellagio(Political Subdivision)Italian Bellagio is an Italian comune in the Province of Como. It is also the name of a hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada
Bellevue(Settlement)English Means "beautiful view", from French "belle" meaning "beautiful" and "vue" meaning "view", the name of several cities in the United States.
Belmopan(Settlement)English Belmopan, the capital city of Belize, got its name from combining "Belize" and "Mopan," which is one of the indigenous Maya groups in Belize. The name was chosen in 1970 when the government decided to move the capital from Belize City to a more centrally located area.
Beltrami(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Italian surname Beltrami. The city and lake in Minnesota were named for Giacomo Costantino Beltrami, a Italian explorer.
Bengkulu(Political Subdivision)Indonesian Possibly from the name Bangkahulu meaning "upstream carcasses", derived from Indonesian bangkai meaning "carcass" and hulu meaning "upstream". This is the name of a province and city in Indonesia.
Berestia(Region)History, English This is the name of a historical region in Eastern Europe. Its territory was located in what is now Belarus, Poland and Ukraine. The region was named after the Belarusian city of Brest, which was at its centre.
Billings(Settlement)English Transferred use of the English surname Billings. The city in Montana was named for Frederick H. Billings, a former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Bình Định(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 平定 (hán tự) meaning "to subjugate".
Bình Định(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 平定 (bình định) meaning "subjugate, pacify". This is the name of a province of Vietnam.
Bình Phước(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 平 (bình) meaning "level" and 福 (phước) meaning "fortunate".
Bình Phước(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 平 (bình) meaning "level, even" and 福 (phúc) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing". This is the name of a province of Vietnam.
Bình Phước(Political Subdivision)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 平 (bình) meaning "level, even" and 福 (phước) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing". This is the name of a province of Vietnam.
Bờ Biển Ngà(Country)Vietnamese From Vietnamese bờ biển meaning "coast, seashore" and ngà meaning "ivory". This is the Vietnamese name for the Ivory Coast.
Bồ Đào Nha(Country)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 葡萄牙 (Bồ Đào Nha) possibly derived from Hokkien 葡萄牙 (Pô-tô-gâ). This is the Vietnamese name for Portugal.
Boryslav(Settlement)Ukrainian Boryslav is a city located on the Tysmenytsia River (a tributary of the Dniester), in Lviv Oblast (region) of western Ukraine. Boryslav is designated as a city of oblast significance.
Boyolali(Political Subdivision)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Javanese aja lali meaning "don't forget". This is the name of a regency of the Indonesian province of Central Java.
Brainerd(Settlement)English Transferred use of the English surname Brainerd. The city in Minnesota was named for Anne Eliza Brainerd Smith and Lawrence Brainerd, the wife and father-in-law of Northern Pacific railroad president John Gregory Smith.
Brampton(Settlement)English A city in the Great Toronto-Hamilton area of Ontario, Canada. From the surveyor of the same name.
Brecqhou(Island)Medieval Scandinavian A Channel Island in England. The name Brecqhou derives from the Old Norse 'brekka', meaning "slope' or "escarpment", and holmr, or -'hou', meaning "island" or "islet".
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.
Buchanan(Political Subdivision)Scottish A parish of Stirlingshire, Scotland. It's name derives from the Gaelic buth 'house, shed' and chanain 'canon', thus meaning 'house of the canon'.
Bueng Kan(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai From Thai บึง (bueng) meaning "lake, marsh" and กาฬ (kan) meaning "black, dark". This is the name of a province of Thailand as well as its provincial capital.
Bukidnon(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Bukid, Higaonon, Ilocano, English From Cebuano bukidnon meaning "mountaineers, people of the mountains", referring to the indigenous tribes of the Central Mindanao highlands. This is the name of a province of the Philippines.
Bulawayo(Settlement)Shona Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe and is also a province in the Matabeleland region. It was founded by a king named Lobengula around 1840. The city's name means 'place of slaughter'.
Bulunksy(Region)Russian I don't know if it's the actual etymology or if it just 'looks similar,' but a search for 'etymology of bulunsky' turns up a lot of results about "Blue Sky"
Burgundy(Political Subdivision & Region)English From the ethnonym for the Burgundians, an East Germanic people who moved westwards beyond the Rhine during the late Roman period.... [more]
Buryatia(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Бурятия (Buryatiya), itself from буряад (buryaad), the name of the Buryat people. The ethnic name is of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly from Buryat буртэ (burte) meaning "wolf"... [more]
Buskerud(Political Subdivision)Norwegian Named after an old manor of the same name. (Biskupsruð) It derives from the Old Norse biskup (bishop) and ruð (clearing, farm.) The biskup part referring in particular to the Bishop of the ancient Catholic diocese of Hamar.... [more]
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.
Calimesa(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From a portmanteau of California and the English word "mesa" or the Spanish word mesa meaning "table, mesa".
Callifae(Settlement)English From the name of a town in ancient Italy, of uncertain origin. It was mentioned only by the Roman historian Livy, and may correspond to the village Calvisi, at the foot of the Monte Matese.
Caloocan(Settlement)Tagalog, English Derived from Tagalog kalookan meaning "interior, inland, innermost region". This is the name of a city in the Philippines.
Calvados(Political Subdivision)French A department in Normandy, France. It is named after a cluster of sparsely vegetated rocks off the coast, likely from 'calva dorsa', meaning "bare backs".
Cambodia(Country)English From French Cambodge taken from Khmer កម្ពុជា (Kampuchea). The name comes from Sanskrit कम्बोजदेश (Kambujadesha), derived from काम्बोज (kamboja), the name of an ancient tribe and kingdom described in Hindu literature, combined with देश (desha) meaning "kingdom, country"... [more]
Camiguin(Island & Political Subdivision)Filipino, Cebuano, Tagalog, English Derived from Cebuano kamagong meaning "velvet apple", referring to a type of fruiting tree found on the island. This is the name of an island province of the Philippines.
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.
Campeche(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Spanish Derived from Kaan Peech, the name of the 16th-century Maya chiefdom meaning "place of snakes and ticks", derived from Yucatec Maya kaan meaning "snake" and peech meaning "tick"... [more]
Canarias(Island)Spanish From Latin Canariae Insulae meaning "islands of the dogs". This is the name of a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of northwestern Africa.
Canberra(Settlement)English From the city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
Carperby(Settlement)English A village in Yorkshire, England. The second element is Old Norse -byr, 'farm'. The first element is possibly the Old Gaelic personal name Cairpre. This seems to indicate a farm of an Irish or Scottish Viking, who settled in England... [more]
Carteret(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Carteret. The city in North Carolina was named for either Sir George Cartaret or John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville.
Carthage(Settlement)English Carthage is a city in Missouri, and another city with the same name is in Texas.
Casciago(Settlement)Italian Town in Italy. Possibly the site of the ancient Cassiciacum, a place where Saint Augustine and his friends lived after his conversion to Christianity.
Castries(Settlement)French Creole Named for Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix de Castries.
Caucásia(Region)Portuguese Portuguese form of Caucasia, which is an alternative name for the Caucasus geographical region.
Caucasus(Mountain)English From Greek Καύκασος (Kaúkasos), which is of uncertain origin; it may be derived from Scythian *xrohukäsi meaning "ice-shining" or "white snow". Alternatively, it may be from Greek κήξ (kḗx) meaning "sea swallow (a kind of bird)" and κάσος (kásos) possibly meaning "mountain" or "rock"... [more]
Champlin(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Champlin. The city in Minnesota is named for U.S. Navy Commodore Stephen Champlin.
Changsha(Settlement)Chinese Means "long sandbar" from Chinese 长 (cháng) meaning "long" and 沙 (shā) meaning "sand, gravel"... [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.
Chechnya(Political Subdivision)Russian, English Means "(place) of the Chechens", derived from the Russian name for the Chechen people. The exonym is of uncertain meaning, with Russian folk etymologies suggesting that it originates from the name of a village; on the other hand, it may be derived from the Kabardian name Шашан (Shashan)... [more]
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.
Cheyenne(Settlement)English The capital of Wyoming, in the United States.
Chicopee(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and river in Massachusetts. From Nipmuc chekee meaning "violently" and pe, a suffix used in the names of bodies of water, or chikkupee meaning "of red cedar".
Chonburi(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai From Thai ชล (chon) meaning "(body of) water" and บุรี (buri) meaning "city, town", so named for the nearby Gulf of Thailand. This is the name of a province of Thailand as well as said province's capital city.
Chubetsu(Mountain)Japanese Chubetsu-dake (or Mount Chubetsu in English) is apart of the Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido.
Chukotka(Political Subdivision)Russian, English Derived from the Russian name Чукчи (Chukchi), referring to the native people who originally inhabited the area. The word Chukchi is derived from Chukchi Chauchu meaning "rich in reindeer", used by the Reindeer Chukchi people to distinguish themselves from the Maritime Chukchi (the Anqallyt meaning "sea people")... [more]
Chumphon(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai From Thai ชุม (chum) meaning "come together, assemble, gather" and พร (phon) meaning "blessing". The second element may be a corruption of พล (phon) meaning "force, strength, power" or, alternately, the entire name may come from a corruption of อุทุมพร (uthumphon) meaning "gular fig tree"... [more]
Claddagh(Settlement)Irish, English The name of an ancient village in Ireland, where the tradition of the Claddagh ring developed.
Coahuila(Political Subdivision)Spanish Meaning uncertain. It is most likely of Nahuatl origin, with possible meanings including "flying serpent", "place of many trees" or "place where serpents creep". This is the name of a state of Mexico, formally known as Coahuila de Zaragoza.
Cohasset(Settlement)English (American) A town in Massachusetts. From Massachusett conahasset possibly meaning "long rocky place" or "fishing promontory".
Colorado(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named after the Colorado river, from Spanish colo + "colored" rado "reddish", "ruddy".
Colossae(Settlement)Greek either "Establishing a Temple or Shrine" or "to Punish" or "Dyed Wool," but no direct connection to "the Colossus of Rhodes"
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.
Connacht(Political Subdivision & Region)Irish From the name of the medieval ruling dynasty, the Connacht, later Connachta, meaning “descendants of Conn”, referring to the legendary king Conn of the Hundred Battles.... [more]
Corásmia(Political Subdivision & Region)Portuguese Portuguese form of Khwarazm via its Greek and Latin name Chorasmia.
Corasmia(Political Subdivision & Region)Italian, Spanish Italian and Spanish form of Khwarazm via its Greek and Latin name Chorasmia.
Corcaigh(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish Irish form of Cork.
Corleone(Settlement)Italian From Sicilian Cunigghiuni or Curliuni of uncertain meaning, possibly of Arabic or Latin origin. This is the name of a town in Sicily.
Cornwall(Political Subdivision & Region)English, Dutch An English county or country, a place next to Devon at the bottom of southwestern England, derived from Old English Cornwealas which eventually turned into Cornwall... [more]
Cotabato(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Tagalog, English From Maguindanao Kutawatu meaning "stone city", from kuta meaning "city, fort" and wato meaning "stone, rock". This is the name of both a province and a city in the southern Philippines.
Crna Gora(Country)Montenegrin, Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian Montenegrin form of Montenegro, which several other Balkan countries have adopted as their name for the country. The name literally means "black mountain", as it is derived from the South Slavic adjective crn meaning "black" combined with the South Slavic noun gora meaning "mountain".
Crompton(Settlement)English From Old English crumbe ("bent") + tun ("town"), referring to its location on a river bend. It is the name of a former town now part of Shaw and Crompton.
Cwm Gwaun(Settlement)Welsh Cwm Gwaun (English: Gwaun Valley) is a community and valley in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. The name itself is derived from Welsh cwm "valley" and gwaun "heath, moor".
Dagestan(Political Subdivision)Russian Derived from Turkish dağ meaning "mountain" and the Persian suffix ستان (stan 2) meaning "land of". This is the name of a federal subject of Russia.