Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Å(Settlement)Swedish, Norwegian Taken directly from Swedish and Norwegian å meaning "stream, creek, small river". This is the name of several villages in Sweden and Norway.
Aabenraa(Settlement)Danish Aabenraa is a settlement in south Denmark. ... [more]
Aadorf(Settlement)German (Swiss) Aadorf is a municipality in Münchwilen District Switzerland , founded in the 13th century but first mentioned in 886.... [more]
Aalborg(Settlement)Danish Ultimately derived from Old Norse áll "river, stream" and borg "fortress, castle". This is the name of the fourth largest city in Denmark.
Aarhus(Settlement)Danish From Old Danish Árós meaning "river mouth", ultimately derived from Old Norse á "river" and óss "mouth (of a river)". Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark.
Aasiaat(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "spiders" in Greenlandic, though spiders are very rare on the island. Aasiaat is town in Greenland.
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.
Aberdeen(Settlement)English (Rare) A city in Scotland, stemming from the prefix aber- meaning 'river mouth', and the suffix -deen, which could possibly be referring to the rivers don and dee.
Åbo(Settlement)Finland Swedish Possibly from Swedish å "river" and bo "home, dwelling" or "dweller, inhabitant". Other meanings are possible, like it being derived from the given name Aabo... [more]
Abuja(Settlement)Western African, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, English From Abu-Ja, a nickname of 19th-century monarch Abubakar Jatau (sometimes referred to as "Abu"), who founded what is now the city of Abuja in 1828. By some accounts, he was described as having fair skin, which possibly earned him the nickname Ja meaning "red" in Hausa... [more]
Acádia(Country, Region & Settlement)Portuguese Portuguese form of both Acadia and Akkad (mostly the ancient city, but sometimes also the Akkadian Empire).
Accra(Settlement)English Derived from Akan nkran meaning "fire ant". This is the name of the capital city of Ghana.
Adan(Settlement & Body of Water)Arabic Arabic form of Aden.
Adana(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Turkish City and province in Turkey.
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).
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".
Agadir(Settlement)Arabic (Maghrebi), Berber, English, French Means "fortified fortress, wall" in Central Atlas Tamazight, ultimately from Phoenician gdr meaning "wall, compound". This is the name of a city in Morocco.
Aietxu(Settlement)Basque The name of a town in the Basque region of Spain.
Aikawa(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of several towns in Japan. The first one (愛川) is located in Kanagawa Prefecture in eastern Japan, the second one (合川), located in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, was merged with other towns to form the city of Kitaakita... [more]
Aintzila(Settlement)Basque Means "hill of mud" in Basque. It is the name of a town in the Basque region of France.
Aintzioa(Settlement)Basque The name of a town in the Basque region of Spain.
Airton(Settlement)English The name of a small village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire in England, also known as Airton-in-Craven. It is derived from a combination of Aire (referring to the river) and Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town."
Aitzuriaga(Settlement)Basque The name of a little village near Lizoain (in the general area of Navarre) that disappeared shortly after the 13th century.
Aizawl(Settlement)Mizo, English The capital city of Mizoram in far eastern India.
Akishima(Settlement)Japanese This is a city in Tokyo prefecture, meaning "bright island".
Akita(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Aktau(Settlement)Russian, English From Kazakh Ақтау (Aqtau) meaning "white mountain", derived from ақ (aq) meaning "white" and тау (tau) meaning "mountain". This is the name of a city in Kazakhstan.
Aktobe(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English, Russian From Kazakh Ақтөбе (Aqtobe) meaning "white hill", derived from ақ (aq) meaning "white" and төбе (töbe) meaning "hill". This is the name of a region of, as well as a city in, Kazakhstan.
Akureyri(Settlement)Icelandic Combination of Icelandic akur "field" and eyri "sandbank". Akureyri is a town in the north of Iceland.
Albaina(Settlement)Spanish Albaina is a hamlet and minor local entity located in the municipality of Condado de Treviño, in Burgos province, Castile and León, Spain.
Albany(Settlement)English Name of the capital in New York, renamed after British acquisition in 1664 in honor of the Dukes of Albany (House of Stuart), hence a name borne by their retainers.
Albiztur(Settlement)Basque Albiztur is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain.
Albuquerque(Settlement)English (American) Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, sits in the high desert. Its modern Downtown core contrasts with Old Town Albuquerque, dating to the city’s 1706 founding as a Spanish colony.
Alhambra(Settlement)English From the name of the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, itself derived from Arabic الحمراء (al-hamra') meaning "the red (one)". This is the name of a city in California.
Almaty(Settlement)Kazakh, Russian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Kazakh алма (alma) meaning "apple". This is the name of the largest city in Kazakhstan.
Almería(Settlement)Spanish From the name of the Spanish city. Means 'the mirror of the sea.'
Alor Setar(Settlement)Malay, English From Malay alor meaning "river, stream" and setar meaning "gandaria" (a type of fruit). This is the name of the capital city of the Malaysian state of Kedah.
Al-qahirah(Settlement)Arabic It is the original form of Cairo the Egyptian capital city. Al-Qāhira means 'The Conquerer' because of a myth between its foundation and the planet Mars (that in Arabic is 'The Conquerer Star').
Al-Quds(Settlement)Arabic Variant of Quds with the definite article ال (al-).
Altham(Settlement)English Meaning "river meadow of the swans" hamm elfitu.
Amalfi(Settlement)Italian, Spanish (Latin American) The name of a coastal in the Italian province of Salerno and a town and municipality in the Antioquia Department of Colombia which is named in honour of the Italian town.... [more]
Amán(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Spanish Spanish form of Amman.
Amani(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Georgian Georgian form of Amman.
Amarapura(Settlement)Burmese Means "immortal city", derived from Sanskrit अमर (amara) meaning "immortal, undying" and पुर (pura) meaning "fortress, city"... [more]
Amarita(Settlement)Basque Amarita is a village and city council in the municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz in the province of Álava, Basque Country, Spain. It is included within the rural area northwest of Vitoria.
Ambon(Island & Settlement)Indonesian Meaning uncertain, perhaps derived from Ambonese bong or ombong meaning "dew", so named because the mountain peaks on the island are often covered in dew. Alternately it may come from the Dutch name Amboina of Papiamentu origin... [more]
Ammāna(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Latvian Latvian form of Amman.
Amnat Charoen(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai From Thai อำนาจ (amnat) meaning "authority, power" and เจริญ (charoen) meaning "prosper, grow". This is the name of a province of, as well as a district and city in, Thailand.
Amoy(Settlement)English (Archaic) Older variant of Xiamen based on the Zhangzhou Hokkien romanization 廈門 (Ēe-mûi).
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.
Anamoose(Settlement)Ojibwe City in North Dakota. From the Ojibwe word 'uhnemoosh', meaning "female dog".
Añana(Settlement)Basque Añana is both a valley and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.
Ancona(Settlement)Italian From the Ancient Greek word Ἀγκών (Ankòn) meaning "elbow", because, to the Doric settlers who settled here, the shape of the city remembered an elbow. This is a town in Central Italy.... [more]
Anfa(Settlement)Berber Means "hill" or "top" in Tamazight. This is the Berber name for Casablanca, which was used as the city's official name before the 1755 Lisbon earthquake destroyed the area... [more]
Ang Mo Kio(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English, Malay Meaning uncertain, possibly from Hokkien 紅毛 (Âng-mô͘) meaning "white person, Caucasian" (literally "red-haired") and 橋 (kiô) meaning "bridge". This is the name of a planning area and town in Singapore.
Ang Thong(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Means "golden basin" from Thai อ่าง (ang) meaning "basin, bowl" and ทอง (thong) meaning "gold". This is the name of a province of, as well as a district and city in, Thailand.
An Lú(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish The Irish name for Louth, from Lú, the modern Irish form of Lugh, a god from Irish mythology associated with skill in many disciplines, kingship and oaths.... [more]
Ann Arbor(Settlement)English (American) The name of a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Washtenaw County located in the south of the state.... [more]
Anqing(Settlement)Chinese From Chinese 安 (ān) meaning "peace, quiet" and 庆 (qìng) meaning "congratulate, celebrate"... [more]
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]
Antiocheia(Settlement)Ancient Greek Derived from the Greek name Antiochos and the feminine suffix -ειᾰ (-eia). This was the name of multiple ancient cities founded by Seleucus I Nicator and named for his father, Antiochus, the most famous of which - Antioch on the Orontes - later became one of the Roman Empire's largest cities, was made the capital of the province of Syria, and became an important centre of early Christianity.
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.
Aomori(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 青 (ao) meaning "green, blue" and 森 (mori) meaning "forest". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Aosta(Settlement)Italian A city in the north-western corner of Italy. Developed from the Latin name Augusta Praetoria Salassorum, itself named after emperor Augustus.
Aqwa(Settlement)Abkhaz Meaning unknown, possibly derived from the Mingrelian toponymic marker ყვა (-qwa). This is the Abkhaz name for Sukhumi.
Aqyar(Settlement)Crimean Tatar, Tatar From Crimean Tatar aq meaning "white" and yar meaning "cliff" or shore, coast". This is the Crimean Tatar and Tatar name for Sevastopol.
Arapaho(Settlement)Sioux Arapaho is probably from Hidatsa arúpahu, or a cognate word in another Siouan language. Apparently borrowed from a widespread Siouan designation for one or more Arapaho bands, compare, in Siouan languages: Crow arappaho, Hidatsa arúpahu, Mandan "Arrapahó", Omaha-Ponca aðábahu, and Kansa aropwahì... [more]
Ardea(Settlement)Late Roman Means "heron" in Latin. A town in Italy.
Åre(Settlement)Swedish Meaning uncertain, but probably derived from Old West Norse *ár "peak, crest". Åre is a village and a popular ski resort in Jämtland, Sweden.
Arendal(Settlement)Norwegian Combination of Old Norse ǫrn "eagle" and dalr "valley, dale". Arendal is a town and municipality in Southern Norway.
Arendelle(Region & Settlement)Popular Culture Likely based on Arendal, the name of a town and municipality in Southern Norway. Arendalle is a fictional kingdom in Disney's animated movie 'Frozen' (2013).
Areni(Settlement)Armenian The name of a village in Vayots Dzor province in Armenia, famous for the world's earliest known winery, Areni-1.
Arhel(Settlement)Tagalog Tagalog form of Algiers via the Spanish form Argel.
Århus(Settlement)Danish, Swedish Danish alternative form of Aarhus, as well as the Swedish form.
Arica(Settlement)Spanish It is the name of province, and town in Chile. It is also the name of a town in Colombia.
Arkalgud(Settlement)Hindi Derived from Kannada ಅರಕೇಶ್ವರ (Arakeshvara), the name of a local deity, and ಗೂಡು (gudu) meaning "hut, hutment." It is a town in Karnataka.
Arkham(Settlement)Literature The name of a fictional town in Essex County, Massachusetts, used in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937). It may be influenced by Latin arcanum meaning "mystery, secret" and Old English ham "home, homestead".
Arlandria(Settlement)English (American) The name of a neighbourhood in north-eastern Alexandria, Virginia. It is a portmanteau of Arlington and Alexandria, reflecting its location on the border of Arlington County and Alexandria.
Arlington(Settlement)English Three possible places called Arlington in Gloucestershire, Devon, and East Sussex.
Arrington(Settlement)English Arrington, a place in Cambridgeshire, named from an Old English byname, Earn(a), meaning ‘eagle’ + -inga- ‘people or followers of’ + tūn ‘settlement’.
Ashgabat(Settlement)English From Turkmen Aşgabat, from Persian عشقآباد (eshq abad) meaning "city of love", derived from عشق (eshq) meaning "love, passion" and آباد (abad)# meaning "city"... [more]
Ashkelon(Settlement)Ancient Hebrew An ancient city of southwest Palestine on the Mediterranean Sea. Inhabited as early as the third millennium bc, it was a seat of worship for the goddess Astarte.
Askrigg(Settlement)English A village in rural Northeast England. It is derived from the Old Norse askr, 'ash tree' (c.f Swedish ask, 'ash tree') and hryggr, 'ridge' (c.f Swedish rygg, 'ridge, spine', German rücken, 'spine', Scots rig, 'ridge').