Abakan(Settlement & River)Russian Possibly from Khakas аба (aba) meaning "bear" or "father" and хан (khan) meaning "blood". This is the name of a city and river in Russia.
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]
Acushnet(Settlement & River)English (American) Name of a river, city, and several other places in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag or Algonquin cushnea meaning "as far as the waters".
Ae(Settlement & River)Scottish, Scots The name of a village and a stream in southwest Scotland. The name seems to be derived from Old Norse á, meaning "river".
Agusan(Political Subdivision & River)Filipino, Cebuano, Tagalog Derived from Manobo agusan meaning "where the water flows". This is the name of two provinces of the Philippines (Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur), as well as a the name of a former province and a river.
Aibonito(Settlement & River)Spanish (Latin American) A river and city in Puerto Rico. Possibly from Taíno Hatibon or Jatibon combined with a Spanish diminutive, or from Spanish bonito meaning "pretty".
Ain(River & Political Subdivision)French A river and department in France.
Aire(River)English The name of a river in Yorkshire in England which passes through Leeds. Of uncertain etymology, probably of Celtic origin.
Aklan(Political Subdivision & River)Filipino, Hiligaynon, Tagalog Derived from Aklanon akean meaning "where there is boiling or frothing", in reference to the flow of water at the shallow mouth of the Aklan River. This is the name of a province of, as well as a river in, the Philippines.
Alei(River)German German transcription of the Russian Aley River.
Almodóvar(River, Body of Water & Settlement)Spanish From Arabic المدور (al-mudawwar) meaning "round (place)" referring to a fort, hill or other topographic feature. It is the name of a river and reservoir in the province of Cádiz, Spain, as well as three towns in other provinces.
Amper(River)German This is the name of a river in Southern Bavaria, located in Southern Germany.... [more]
Ancre(River)French This is the name of a river in Picardy, France.
Andelle(River)French The name of a river in Normandy, France.
Anduin(River)Literature A river in JRR Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' series. From the fictional Sindarin language and meaning “long” and duin meaning "river”.
Ångermanälven(River)Swedish Combination of Old Norse anger "deep fjord" and the definite form of Swedish älv "river". The river runs through the province Ångermanland from where it got its name.
Antietam(River)English (American) Multiple sites in the United States, including a creek in Maryland that was the site of a famous battle during the American Civil War. From an Algonquian word possibly meaning "swift water".
Apayao(Political Subdivision & River)Filipino, Itawit, Ilocano, Tagalog Derived from the word apa'yaw meaning "overtaking" in numerous Cordilleran languages, referring to the swift-flowing waters of the Apayao River. This is the name of a province of, as well as a river in, the Philippines.
Apurímac(River)Spanish (Latin American) A river in the Amazon Basin. From Quecha apu meaning "divinity" and rimaq meaning "oracle, talker".
Aragó(Country, Political Subdivision & River)Catalan Catalan form of Aragón.
Aragón(Country, Political Subdivision & River)Spanish, Aragonese, Asturian, Galician A river in Spain, as well as the kingdom and later autonomous community named for it. Unclear etymology, possibly from Baque haran meaning "valley".
Attawapiskat(River & Settlement)Cree River and town in Ontario, Canada. From the Attawapiskat people, meaning "people of the parting of the rocks", or Āhtawāpiskatowi ininiwak.
Avoca(Settlement & River)Irish A town and river in Ireland. The name is derived from the Greek place-name Oboka (Οβοκα) appearing in Ptolemy's 'Geography', which was later identified with the Irish river.
Battle(River)English The name Battle River is believed to originate from conflicts between Indigenous groups, particularly the Cree and Blackfoot, in the region before European settlement. The river served as an important route for trade, hunting, and travel... [more]
Baudette(Settlement & River)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Baudette. The town and river in Minnesota were named for Joseph Baudette, a French-Canadian trapper.
Belait(Political Subdivision & River)Malay The name of a district of, as well as a river in, Brunei, named after the Belait people.
Bocaue(Settlement & River)Filipino Bocaue, officially the Municipality of Bocaue, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines... [more]
Bois De Sioux(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota. From French bois de Sioux meaning "woods of the Sioux" (Sioux being the French name for the Oceti Sakowin peoples, a short form of French Nadouessioux, which itself was derived from Ojibwe Nadowessi meaning "little snakes, enemy").
Buffalo(Settlement & River)English Various cities in the United States. From the English word "buffalo". The city in New York was named for the Buffalo River.
Cam(River)English The River Cam is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England.... [more]
Catwaba(Settlement & River)English (American) A river as well as several settlements in the United States. From the name of the Catawba Native American people.
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".
Cloquet(Settlement & River)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Cloquet. The river in Minnesota may have been named for French doctors Hippolyte and Jules Cloquet, and the city was named for the river.
Clyde(River)Brittonic, Scottish Gaelic, English The name Clyde originates from the Brittonic Celtic word Clud or Clota, which may mean "the holy one" or "the cleansing one", referring to the river's significance. In Scottish Gaelic, it is known as Abhainn Chluaidh (abhainn = "river", Chluaidh = "Clyde")... [more]
Coquet(River)English A river in Northumberland, England. Its name originates from words of a local Brythonic-Celtic language, equivalent to the Welsh coched, meaning 'red, brown'.
Cuyahoga(River)English (American) A river in Ohio. The name is possibly derived from the Mohawk word cayagaga meaning "crooked river", the Seneca word gayó'ha'geh meaning "on your chin", or the Wyandot name for the river, yažaʔyeh.
Davao(Region, Settlement & River)Filipino Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of 2,443.61 km2, making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land area... [more]
Deerfield(Settlement, River & Other)English (American) From "deer" (the animal) and "field", referring to open land where deer graze.... [more]
Dniester(River)English Derived from Sarmatian dānu nazdya meaning "the close river" (as in, the river close-by). This is the name of a river in Eastern Europe, which flows through Ukraine and Moldova to the Black Sea.
Fergus(River)Irish Possibly derives from Old Irish for- ("on, upon") and gas, "twig", with the River Fergus in County Clare seen as a small branch off of the River Shannon.
Flint(Settlement & River)English The name of a town in north Wales and numerous communities in the United States, notably the city in Michigan, as well as several rivers in the United States and Jamaica.... [more]
Fraser River(River)English, Indigenous American The Fraser River is named after Simon Fraser, a Scottish-Canadian explorer who navigated much of its length in 1808 while working for the North West Company. Indigenous names for the Fraser River include the Stó:lō name Sto:lo, meaning "river," and the Secwepemc name Teqtéqe... [more]
Gambia(Country & River)English The name of the Country in West Africa. The Gambia is a small West African country, bounded by Senegal, with a narrow Atlantic coastline. It's known for its diverse ecosystems around the central Gambia River... [more]
Gawłów(Settlement & River)Polish From the given name Gaweł or the surname Gaweł with the suffix -ów... [more]
Ghanj(River)Arabic Arabic form of Ganges, usually written with the definite article: الغانج (al-Ghanj).
Giau(River)Mormon In an account of a vision published in the Millennial Star, a map of the world is described, with the names of the four major rivers, which appear to be in the Adamic language. One river was labeled Giau, which appears to be the same as Gihon from the Bible and the Book of Moses.
Gichigami-ziibi(River)Ojibwe A river in Minnesota. From Ojibwe gichigami-ziibi meaning "great lake river".
Ilim(River)Russian, Arabic I couldn't find the meaning of the river's name, but Wiktionary (without mentioning the river) says it's a Turkish word with an Arabic root that means "Knowledge, Science"
Irrawaddy(River)English From Burmese ဧရာဝတီ (Eyawadi), ultimately derived from Sanskrit इरावती (iravati) meaning "gaining drink or refreshment, satiating, endowed with provisions". This is the name of a river in Myanmar.
Irtysh(River)Russian A river in Siberia. Likely ultimately from the Bakshir language.
Isar(River)German (Austrian) A river in Austria. Likely from the Indo-European '*es' or '*is', meaning "flowing water".
Isca(River)Old Celtic (Latinized), History Romanized form of a Celtic river name, from Common Celtic *iska- "water" (cognate with whiskey). This is the Latin name for both the River Exe and the River Usk, after which the towns of Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) and Caerleon (Isca Augusta) got their Roman names.
Istros(Island & River)Ancient Greek Ancient Greek name for the Greek island of Gyali as well as for the lower section of the Danube river. In the case of the latter, the name is a loanword from either Dacian or Thracian... [more]
Jinsha(River)Chinese Jinsha means 'Gold Sanded River', it is called this currently due to the gold panning commonly done in the river. The river has gone by other names, listed below.... [more]
Kaduna(Political Subdivision, Settlement & River)Hausa English Its a corruption of the Hausa word “kadduna” for crocodile. A name for a city a state and a river in Nigeria.
Kawishiwi(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota, likely derived from Ojibwe amikwiish meaning "beaver lodge".
Kazabazua(River & Settlement)Algonquin (Gallicized) River and town in Quebec. From 'kachibadjiwan', meaning "hidden current" in Algonquin, as the river is primarily underground.
Kenai(Region, River & Settlement)Indigenous American, Dena'ina, Russian From a Dena'ina word meaning "flat, meadow, open area with few trees; base, low ridge." This is the name of a town, peninsula, borough and river in Alaska.
Kennebecasis(River)Maliseet, English The name Kennebecasis comes from the Maliseet (Wolastoqey) word Kenepekachiachk, meaning "little long bay" (kenebek = "long bay," asis = "little"). It describes the widening sections of the river, which flow into the Saint John River... [more]
Ketchikan(Settlement & River)English (American) The city in Alaska is named for the nearby Ketchikan Creek, which itself comes from Tlingit kichx̱áan, of disputed meaning.
Khalyma(Body of Water & River)Yakut From Tundra Yukhagir kulumaa meaning river.
Khovd(Settlement & River)Mongolian Of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a city and a river in Mongolia.
Kielder(River)English A river and reservoir in Northern England. It's name could come from Celtic words cognate with Welsh clou, 'fast' and dwr 'river'.
Kim(Body of Water & River)Khakas The Khakas variant of Ulug Hem, the Tuvan name of Yenisey.
Kinnickinnic(River)English (American) A river in Wisconsin. The name is derived from the word kinnikinnick, referring to a kind of mixture of herbs used for smoking by various Native American peoples.
Kissimmee(Settlement & River)English (American) A city, river, and lake in Florida. Possibly from a Jororo word, or from Atissimi, the name of a Spanish mission in the area.
Klang(Settlement & River)Malay, English Meaning uncertain, possibly of Aslian or Old Malay origin. This is the name of a city and river in Malaysia.
Kolyma(Body of Water & River)Russian Originated in the tundra Yukaghir word kulumaa, which means river.
Lackawanna(Settlement, Body of Water & River)English (American) A city in New York, a river in Pennsylvania, and a lake in New Jersey. The name may be derived from a phrase in a Lenape language meaning "stream that forks".
Lakeland(Region, River & Other)English (Rare) The Lake District, a rural area in northwest England.... [more]
Laramie(Settlement, River & Mountain)English (American) From the French surname Laramie. Several places in the United States were named for Jacques LaRamie, a French or French-Canadian trapper who was one of the first people of European descent to come to the Wyoming area.
Lea(River)English (British) Lea is a river in the UK. It's found in southeast England and flows from the Chiltern Hills and flows to the river Thames at Bow Creek.... [more]
Leith(Settlement & River)Scottish, Medieval Scottish The name of a river (Water of Leith) and the settlement at it's mouth, near Edinburgh, Scotland. The name is likely of Cumbric origin and is likely cognate with the Welsh word laith, meaning 'damp, moist'.
Lena(River)Russian A river in eastern Russia. Possibly from Even-Evenk Elyu-Ene meaning "long river".
Liffey(River)Irish The River Liffey runs through the city of Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. In poetry and mythology, the river is called Abhainn An Life, which is occasionally anglicized as 'Anna Liffey'
Loire(River)French From Latin Liger, a transcription of the native Gaulish name of the river, derived from the Gaulish word liga, meaning "silt, sediment", itself deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *legʰ-, meaning "to lie".... [more]
Lule Älv(River)Swedish Combination of Lule Sami lulij "the people living in the east" (referring to forest Sami people), and Swedish älv "river".
Lyd(River)English The name of a river in Devon, England, perhaps derived from a Celtic source such as Lludd, though the usual derivation is Old English hlȳde "noisy stream" - which the Saxons may have assumed was the river's name.
Malden(Political Subdivision & River)English Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex county, Massachusetts. It is near the Malden river.
Manitowoc(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe manidoowaak meaning "spirit spawn", "spirit woods" or "spirit land".
Marikina(Settlement & River)Filipino Marikina, officially the City of Marikina, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Located along the eastern border of Metro Manila, Marikina is the main gateway of Metro Manila to Rizal and Quezon provinces through the Marikina-Infanta highway.
Marne(River)French From Latin Dea Mātrōna, meaning literally “divine mother goddess”, the name of a mother goddess associated with the river who was worshipped by the Gauls.... [more]
Maumee(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and city in Ohio, as well as a former proglacial lake that preceded Lake Erie. The name is an Anglicization of Maamii, the Ottawa name for the Miami people.
Maunabo(Settlement & River)Spanish (Latin American) A river and town in Puerto Rico. The name is derived from a Taíno name for the river, Manatuabón.
Mekong(River)English From Thai แม่โขง (Mae Khong), a contraction of แม่น้ำโขง (Mae Nam Khong) from แม่น้ำ (mae nam) meaning "river" (literally "mother of waters") and โขง (khong) derived from Proto-Austroasiatic ruŋ meaning "river"... [more]
Menomonee(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and town in Wisconsin, both named for the Menominee people, who are indigenous to the area.
Minnehaha(River)English (American) The name of several places and bodies of water in the United States and Canada, derived from Dakota mniȟáȟa meaning "waterfall, rapid water". A popular but false legend translates the name as "laughing water".
Mirna(River, Settlement & Political Subdivision)Slovene Dissimilation from Slavic nyrati meaning "to rise from the earth." It is the name of a river, village, and municipality in Slovenia.
Musku(Settlement & River)Khmer Khmer form of Moscow via the French form Moscou.
Mỹ Tho(Settlement & River)Vietnamese Most likely means "land of white girls", derived from Khmer ស្រុក (srok) meaning "land, inhabited area" (this element was dropped at some point), មេ (me) meaning "girl" and ស (sa) meaning "white"... [more]
Nahanni(River & Other)Chipewyan River and national park in Northwest Territories, Canada. From the Dene name for the area, 'Nahʔa Dehé', which means "river of the land of the Nahʔa people".
Nan(Political Subdivision & River)Thai Nan (น่าน) is a province and river in northern Thailand, with it’s capital Nan Town. Exact etymology is unclear.
Niadi(River, Other, Political Subdivision & Settlement)Kongo, Central African The name of both a river and a valley in Southwest Republic of the Congo.
Nidelva(River)Norwegian The name of a river that runs through Trondheim, and the name of a river in southern Norway. The name is a combination of the words elv "river" and nid (of unknown meaning).
Nyukzha(Region, Settlement, Body of Water & River)Evenki, Russian From nyukhzach meaning ‘to wander’.
Ob(River)Russian A major river in Russia. From Russian Обь ob', possibly from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hā́p, "river, water" through Komi ob "river".
Ochillee(River)Indigenous American Ochillee is a subsidiary creek that flows northwest into the Upatoi creek, through Chattahoochee county, within the boundaries of the Fort Benning military reservation.
Oise(River & Political Subdivision)French Related to the Latin name Isara, borrowed from Celtic, though ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *isərós “vigorous, quick”, from *eis(ə, related to Sanskrit इषिरम् “fast, quick”.... [more]