Rabka(Settlement)Polish Name of Rabka-Zdrój until 1999, as well as its present colloquial name.
Rabka-Zdrój(Settlement)Polish Named after the river Raba with the diminutive suffix -ka, and zdrój meaning "spring, source". It is the name of a town in southern Poland.
Rạch Giá(Settlement)Vietnamese Most likely derived from Vietnamese rạch meaning "small irrigation canal, ditch" and giá meaning "bean sprouts". This is the name of a city in Vietnam.
Racine(Settlement)English, French Means "root" in French. It is the name of a large city in Wisconsin.
Rəḥōḇōṯ(Settlement)Biblical Hebrew From Hebrew רְחוֹבוֹת (rəḥōḇōṯ) meaning "broad places".
Rakoti(Settlement)Coptic (Bohairic) Derived from Egyptian rꜥ-qdyt possibly from rꜥ meaning "sun, day" (also the name of the Egyptian sun god Ra) and qdy meaning "to go around, to return, to surround"... [more]
Raleigh(Settlement)English Name of the capital in North Carolina, named for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.
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.
Rancho Cucamonga(Settlement)English From the name of a 19th-century land grant (rancho) given to Mexican merchant Tiburcio Tapía (1789-1845), who turned it into a winery. The name was derived from Tongva kukamonga meaning "sandy place"... [more]
Rangkasbitung(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Derived from Sundanese rangkas meaning "cut, broken" and awi bitung referring to a type of bamboo (genus Dendrocalamus). This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Rangoon(Settlement)Danish, Dutch, Swedish, English (Archaic) Historical English form of Yangon based on the Arakanese pronunciation of the city's name. It is also the standard Danish, Dutch and Swedish form.
Rankin Inlet(Settlement)Inuit First visited by Europeans in the early 1600's the Inlet was named for Lt. John Rankin of the British Royal Navy.... [more]
Ranong(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Most likely a corruption of the original name แร่นอง (Raenong) meaning "full of minerals", from แร่ (rae) meaning "mineral, ore" and นอง (nong) meaning "flood, overflow"... [more]
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.
Ratchaburi(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Means "royal city" from Thai ราช (rat) meaning "royal" and บุรี (buri) meaning "city, town". This is the name of a province of, as well as a district and town in, Thailand.
Ratnapura(Settlement)Sinhalese Means "city of gems" from Sanskrit रत्न (ratna) meaning "jewel, treasure" and पुर (pura) meaning "city"... [more]
Rawalpindi(Settlement)English From Punjabi راولپنڈی (Ravalpindi) meaning "village of rawals", derived from راول (raval), a variant of Sanskrit title राज (raja) meaning "king", and پنڈ (pind) meaning "village"... [more]
Rayong(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai From Chong ราย็อง (rayong) either meaning "boundary, territory, frontier" or referring to the Burma padauk (a type of tree). This is the name of a province and city in Thailand.
Red Deer(Settlement)English (Canadian) The name Red Deer is derived from the color of the local river, which is called the Red Deer River. The river itself was named by early European settlers. The city of Red Deer is located in central Alberta, Canada, and is one of the province's larger urban centers.
Reedley(Settlement)English (American) A city in Fresno County, California. Named for Thomas Law Reed, a veteran of the Union Army in the Civil War who donated most of his land to the city.
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]
Regina(Settlement)English (Canadian) Capital of Saskatchewan, Canada. Meaning "queen", named in honour of Queen Victoria.
Retford(Settlement)English Retford, also known as East Retford, is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England, and one of the oldest English market towns having been granted its first charter in 1105
Revere(Settlement)English (American) A city in Massachusetts named after American Revolutionary War patriot Paul Revere. Revere is an English word meaning "to admire".
Reykjavík(Settlement)Icelandic Means "bay of smokes", from Old Norse reykir, plural of reykr “smoke” and vík "bay". Steam from hot springs in the region is said to have inspired Reykjavík's name.
Reynosa(Settlement)Spanish Reynosa is a border city in the northern part of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is also the municipal seat of Reynosa Municipality.
Rhinelander(Settlement)American The name of a town in Oneida County, Wisconsin and the home of the Hodag, a cryptid with the head of a frog, the face of an elephant, and the body of a dinosaur. It was named after Frederic W. Rhinelander.
Rhyl(Settlement)Welsh Seaside resort and community in the Welsh county of Denbighshire. The origin is not fully known. The name seems to be a hybrid of the English word "hill" and the Welsh definite article "y", meaning "the hill"... [more]
Riga(Settlement)English, Russian From Latvian Rīga, origin disputed. It may be derived from Livonian ringa meaning "loop", referring to an ancient harbor formed by the tributary loop of the Daugava river, from Riege, the German name of the Rīdzene (a tributary of the Daugava), or from Latvian rija meaning "threshing barn"... [more]
Riksgränsen(Settlement)Swedish Means "the national border" in Swedish. Riksgränsen is a small village and popular ski-resort in Northern Sweden, close to the Norwegian border.
Rio de Janeiro(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Portuguese, English The name of a state and city in Brazil, meaning "river of January" in Portuguese. The city was named after the nearby Guanabara Bay, which was first discovered by Europeans on January 1, 1502.
Riyadh(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Arabic, English Means "meadows, gardens", from the plural of Arabic روضة (rawdah). This is the name of the capital city of Saudi Arabia and a province of the same name. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article: الرياض (ar-Riyadh).
Rjukan(Settlement)Norwegian The settlement of Rjukan got it's name from the nearby waterfall named 'Rjukanfossen' which means waterfall that emits fog, or foggy waterfall.
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.
Roanoke(Settlement, Island & River)Algonquian The name Roanoke is said to have originated from rawrenock, an Algonquian word for "shell money".
Rochester(Settlement)English Name of three places in Northumberland with names whose early spellings are very similar and sometimes difficult to distinguish from each other. Rudchester in Ovingham is probably the likeliest source of the surname which is concentrated in the southern half of Northumberland but Rochester parish and a lost Ruchester in Chollerton are both possible candidates... [more]
Rock Bottom(Settlement)Popular Culture Rock Bottom is a fictional town from the cartoon 'Spongebob Squarepants'. It's name is a reference to the saying Rock Bottom. Rock Bottom is typically used as a way of expressing desperation or feeling like one is stuck... [more]
Rockford(Settlement)English From the English words "rock" and "ford". The city in Illinois was named for a ford in the nearby Rock River
Rodney(Settlement)English A place name meaning "Hroda's island" in Old English (where Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame") and ieg "island"... [more]
Rodriguez(Settlement)Filipino Rodriguez, officially the Municipality of Rodriguez and commonly known by its former name Montalban, is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines... [more]
Roi Et(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Means "one hundred and one" from Thai ร้อย (roi) meaning "hundred" and เอ็ด (et) meaning "one". This is the name of a province of, as well as a town in, Thailand.
Roncesvalles(Settlement)Spanish Derived from Latin roscida vallis meaning "dewy valley". Alternatively, it may be derived from Basque *Erozabal meaning "the plain of the Erro valley", which may have later mutated into Rozavalles, a form first recorded in 1050... [more]
Roncisvalle(Settlement)Italian The Italian form of Roncesvalles (Navarra, Spain) where in 778 Charlemagne lost a famous battle against Arabs.
Roreto(Settlement)Italian Roreto is an Italian boys place name which originates from Northern Italy region near Turin.... [more]
Roscommon(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish County and town in Ireland. From the Irish 'Ros Comáin', meaning "Saint Coman's wood", after Saint Coman mac Faelchon who built a monastery there in the 5th century.
Roseau(Settlement)French (Caribbean) Roseau, the capital of Dominica, got its name from the French word for "reed." It is believed that the French explorers who first settled the area named it Roseau due to the abundance of reeds along the banks of the Roseau River, which flows through the city.
Rumoi(River & Settlement)Japanese Possibly derived from Ainu ルㇽモオッペ (rur-mo-ot-pe) meaning "river with quiet tides" or "river where the tide is deep". This is the name of a river and city in Japan.
Rwenzori(Region, Settlement & Mountain)Eastern African, Konjo Rwenzori is the name of a popular National Park in Southwest Uganda. Its name comes from a Konjo word which means “Rainmaking Mountains”.
Rwenzururu(Region & Settlement)Konjo, Eastern African Rwenzururu means ‘The Mountains of Rain’ in the Konjo Language of West Uganda. Rwenzori is a diminutive of it.
Sacramento(Settlement)English Name of a city in California, from Spanish sacramento, in honor of the Holy Sacrament.
Sa Đéc(Settlement)Vietnamese Derived from Khmer ផ្សារ (phsa) meaning "market" and ដែក (daek) meaning "iron". This is the name of a city in Vietnam.
Sadhuim(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Mon Sadhuim is the vernacular Mon name of Sudharmapura, currently known by its Burmese name of Thaton, which is a town in Myanmar.
Saeki(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a former town in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan and a ward of Hiroshima City, also in western Japan.... [more]
Saga(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "celebrating sa rank, celebrating help" in Japanese.
Sagaing(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From Burmese စစ်ကိုင်း (zagaing) of uncertain meaning. This is the name of an administrative division of, as well as a city in, Myanmar.
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.
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".
Saigon(Settlement & River)English From Vietnamese Sài Gòn of unclear origin. It may have come from Khmer ព្រៃនគរ (Prey Nokor), the Khmer Empire-era name that was used to refer to the region before it was annexed by the Vietnamese in the 17th century (the name itself comes from Khmer ព្រៃ (prey) meaning "jungle, forest, woods" and នគរ (nokor) meaning "kingdom, city")... [more]
Saint-Malo(Settlement)French An historic French port located in the Ille-et-Vilaine department of Brittany on the English Channel coast, named after Saint Malo.
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.
Saint Petersburg(Settlement)English English translation of Russian Санкт-Петербург (Sankt-Peterburg), which is derived from the German name Sankt Petersburg meaning "Saint Peter's City", named in honour of Saint Peter the Apostle as well as Tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725)... [more]
Saishū(Political Subdivision, Settlement & Island)Japanese Japanese form of Jeju.
Saitama(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "spheric peninsula" in Japanese.
Saitama(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 埼 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula" and 玉 (tama) meaning "jewel, ball, sphere". This is the name of a prefecture of, as well as a city in, Japan.
Sa Kaeo(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Means "crystal pond" from Thai สระ (sa) meaning "pond, pool" and แก้ว (kaeo) meaning "crystal, glass". This is the name of a province of, as well as a town in, Thailand.
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.
Salford(Settlement)English From Old English sealh "willow, sallow" combined with ford "ford, river crossing". This is the name of several settlements in England, including a city near Manchester.
Salina(Settlement)English (American) From the English word "saline". The city in Kansas was named for the nearby Saline River.
Samarkand(Settlement)English, Russian, Ukrainian, Tatar From Uzbek Samarqand, derived (via Persian) from Sogdian smʾr/smā́r meaning "stone, rock" and knδh/kąθ meaning "fort, town, city". This is the name of a city in Uzbekistan.
San Antonio(Settlement & River)English Means "Saint Anthony" from Spanish san "Saint" + Antonio, a Spanish form of the given name Anthony. The river was named after San Antonio de Padua by the first governor of Spanish Texas, Domingo Terán de los Ríos in 1691... [more]
Sandhurst(Settlement)English Old English, meaning "sandy thicket of trees." A place name. In England, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (named after the village it is located) is the prestigious British Army officer training centre.
San Diego(Settlement)English Name of a city in California, meaning "Saint Diego" from Spanish san "Saint" + the given name Diego.
Sandringham(Settlement)English Derived from the Old English: "sand" hring "ring"/"circular" ham "homestead". "Sandy circular homestead". The name of a village in Norfolk, where Sandringham House, one of the Queen's country retreats is located.
San Francisco(Settlement)Spanish, English The name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, in honour of Saint Francis. One noteworthy place is the city of San Francisco in the US state of California.
San Gabriel(Settlement)Spanish, English The name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, in honour of Saint Gabriel, including one city in the US state of California.
Sanguinem(Settlement)Popular Culture Means "blood" in Latin. This was used in the Japanese manga and anime series Seraph of the End for the vampire capital city of Sanguinem.
San Juan(Settlement)Filipino San Juan, officially the City of San Juan, is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. It is geographically located at Metro Manila’s approximate center and is also the country’s smallest city in terms of land area... [more]
San Lorenzo(Settlement)Spanish This was one of the principal sites of the Olmec peoples when they were making a life for themselves near the Gulf of Mexico.
Santa Clara(Settlement)English, Spanish Name of a city in California, named for Saint Claire (Spanish for “Saint Claire”)
Santa Clarita(Settlement)English (American) Means “little Saint Clare” in Spanish. This is the name of a city in California.
Santa Cruz(Political Subdivision, Settlement & River)Filipino Santa Cruz, officially the Municipality of Santa Cruz, is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Laguna, Philippines... [more]
Santa Fe(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Spanish The name of several places in the Spanish-speaking world, derived from Spanish Santa Fe meaning "Holy Faith".