Sanya(Settlement)Chinese Meaning unclear, perhaps derived from a Hlai name meaning "field with crows", from dax meaning "field, farmland" and eek meaning "crow". This is the name of a Chinese city on the island of Hainan.
Sapporo(Settlement)Japanese From Ainu サッ・ポロ・ペッ (sat poro pet) meaning "dry, great river", referring to the Toyohira River. This is the name of the capital city of Hokkaido prefecture, Japan.
Saragossa(Settlement)English From Çaragoça, the medieval form of the Arabic name سرقسطة (Saraqusṭa), from the Roman name Caesaraugusta, which is the combination of two Roman names Caesar and Augusta.
Sarajevo(Settlement)Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian, English From Turkish saray meaning "palace, mansion, house" and ova meaning "plain, lowland" or the Slavic suffix -evo used to indicate place names. This is the name of the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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.
Saraybosna(Settlement)Turkish From Turkish saray meaning "place, mansion, house" and Bosna meaning "Bosnia". This is the Turkish name for Sarajevo.
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.
Sassuolo(Settlement)Italian Of uncertain origin: possibly from the presence of petroleum in the area, at the time called olio di sasso ("rock oil"), or from Latin saxum solum ("rocky ground").... [more]
Satporopet(Political Subdivision, Region, Settlement & River)Ainu The source of Sapporo, meaning “Dry, Great River” in reference to the Toyohira river.
Satun(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Derived from Malay sentul meaning "santol" (a type of tropical fruit). This is the name of a province and city in Thailand.
Sauquoit(Settlement & Body of Water)English, Oneida From the Oneida word sa-da-quoit, meaning "smooth pebbles in a stream."
Sausalito(Settlement)English The name of a city in California, derived from Spanish sauzalito meaning "small willow grove".
Savannah(Settlement)English Likely from the Savannah River, which probably derives from a variant name for the Shawnee people (natively called Ša·wano·ki, meaning "Southerners") that began to settle near the river in the 1860s... [more]
Scarborough(Settlement)English The name of a city in England. It is mentioned in the folk song "Scarborough Fair" about a fair held in the Middle Ages. A notable version of this song is the one by Simon and Garfunkel.
Scunthorpe(Settlement)English Scunthorpe is a large industrial town in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative center.... [more]
Seattle(Settlement)English From the given name Seattle, named in honour of Suquamish and Duwamish chief Seattle (1786-1866). This is the name of a city in the United States.
Secacah(Settlement)Biblical A Hebrew girl's name, originating in Israel, meaning "covering, defense"
Sedbergh(Settlement)English A small town in rural Northern England. Its name derives from Old Norse sed, meaning 'sand' and berg, meaning 'mountain', referring to the mountainous location of Sedbergh and possibly the sandstone hills.
Sedona(Settlement)English A city in Arizona. Transferred use of the given name Sedona.
Sejong(Settlement)Korean In honor of King Sejong the Great (1397–1450), creator of the Hangul alphabet. Combination of 世 (세, se, "life, age, generation") and 宗 (종, jong, "school, sect, purpose"), thus "kind river"... [more]
Semarang(Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese From Indonesian asam meaning "tamarind" and jarang meaning "rare, seldom", a reference to the tamarind trees in the area that rarely grew close together. This is the name of the capital city of the Indonesian province of Central Java.
Semporna(Settlement)Malay Derived from Malay sempurna meaning "perfect", from the older name Labuan Semporna meaning "perfect port" or "perfect anchorage". This is the name of a city in Malaysia.
Sendai(Settlement)Japanese Evolved from earlier 仙臺; originally 千代 ("a thousand generations"), due to the presence of a temple with a thousand Buddha statues in Aoyama.... [more]
Seongnam(Settlement)Korean Combination of 城 (성, seong, "castle") and 南 (남, nam, "south"), thus "southern castle". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Seoul(Settlement)Korean, English Means "capital" in Korean, probably derived from Sillan 서라벌 (Seorabeol), the name of the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (which is now the present-day city of Gyeongju). This is the name of the capital city of South Korea.
Serang(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian Means "rice field" in Sundanese. This is the name of a city in Indonesia as well as a regency of the Indonesian province of Banten.
Serdica(Settlement)Ancient Greek Latin and Ancient Greek name for the Bulgarian city now known as Sofia. Named after the Celtic tribe Serdi.
Seremban(Settlement)Malay, English Possibly from Malay seremban, the name of a children's stone-tossing game. This is the name of a city in Malaysia.
Seria(Settlement)Malay The name of a town in Brunei, derived from an acronym of South East Reserved Industrial Area.
Setagaya(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 世 (se) meaning "world, generation, era", 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy" and 谷 (ya) meaning "valley"... [more]
Seton(Settlement)English A Scottish place, Seaton near Longniddry, "is so named because it was held from the 12th century by a Norman family de Sey, from Say in Indre. Other places of this name, for example those in Cumbria, Devon, County Durham, Northumbria, and Yorkshire, are mostly named with Old English sæ "sea, lake" and tun "enclosure, settlement"... [more]
Seville(Settlement)English From Spanish Sevilla, ultimately derived (via Arabic and Latin) from Phoenician 𐤔𐤐𐤋𐤄 (shplh) meaning "plain, valley, lowland". This is the name of a city in Spain.
Shah Alam(Settlement)Malay, English From the name of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah (1898-1960), the second monarch of Malaysia and the sixth sultan of Selangor. This is the name of the capital city of the Malaysian state of Selangor.
Shakopee(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and creek in Minnesota, named for the Chief Shakopee III, a leader of the Dakota people, who are indigenous to the area.
Shandora(Settlement & Other)Popular Culture Shandora is an ancient city on the Spring island of Jaya in the One Piece franchise. In the language of the Shandorians, it means “The Skull’s Right Eye”.
Sheboygan(Settlement & River)English (American) A city and river in Wisconsin. From Menominee sāpīwǣhekaneh meaning "at a hearing distance in the woods".
Shenyang(Settlement)Chinese Means "sunny side of the Shen River", from Chinese 沈 (shěn) referring to the Hun River (previously known as the Shen) and 阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun"... [more]
Shenzhen(Settlement)Chinese From Chinese 深 (shēn) meaning "deep" and 圳 (zhèn) meaning "furrow, drainage, ditch". This is the name of a city in China.
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.
Sherrwood Park(Settlement)English The name Sherwood Park likely draws inspiration from Sherwood Forest in England, a name associated with the legendary tales of Robin Hood.... [more]
Shibuya(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 渋 (shibu) meaning "astringent, tough" and 谷 (ya) meaning "valley". This is the name of a special ward of Tokyo.
Shime(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a town in Japan's Fukuoka prefecture.... [more]
Shimonoseki(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 下 (shimo) meaning "under, below" and 関 (seki) meaning "frontier, pass". This is the name of a city in Japan.
Shinagawa(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 品 (shina) meaning "goods, articles, stock" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream". This is the name of a special ward of Tokyo.
Shinjuku(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 新 (shin) meaning "new" and 宿 (juku) meaning "inn, lodge, home". This is the name of a special ward of Tokyo.
Shiojiri(Settlement)Japanese Shiojiri is a city in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It is spelled with 塩 (shio) meaning "salt" and 尻 (jiri) meaning "rear, end, back".
Shunhua(Settlement)Chinese The Chinese name for the Vietnamese city of Huế, derived from the city's historical name, 順化 (Thuận Hoá).
Shymkent(Settlement)Kazakh, Russian From Kazakh шым (shym) meaning "sod, turf, meadow" and кент (kent) meaning "town". This is the name of a city in Kazakhstan.
Sidon(Settlement)Arabic, English Sidon or Saida is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast.
Siem Reap(Settlement)Khmer, English Means "submission of Siam", from Khmer សៀម (Siem) referring to Siam (or Thailand) and រាប (reap) meaning "submissive, obedient, tame"... [more]
Sihanoukville(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English, French From the name of king Norodom Sihanouk (1922-2012) combined with French ville meaning "town, city". This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Cambodia.
Simunul(Settlement)Filipino, Sama-Bajau, Tagalog The name of a city in the Philippines, derived from the Arabic phrase اسمي نور (ismi nur) meaning "my name is light".
Sing Buri(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Means "lion city" from Thai สิงห์ (sing) meaning "lion" and บุรี (buri) meaning "city, town". This is the name of a province of, as well as a district and town in, Thailand.
Sisimiut(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the residents at the foxholes" in Greenlandic. Sisimiut is the second largest town in Greenland.
Sitka(Settlement)Tlingit From the Tlingit name Shee Atʼiká, meaning "people on the outskirts of Baranof Island." This is the name of a city in Southeast Alaska. It is the largest US city by total area.
Sittwe(Settlement)Burmese Means "place where war meets" in Burmese and Arakanese, from စစ် (sit) meaning "war" and the suffix တွေ (-twe). This is the name of a city in Myanmar that serves as the capital of Rakhine State.
Skellefteå(Settlement)Swedish Combination of an unexplained first element, though it's believed to be of Sami origin, and the place name suffix -eå "river".
Skipton(Settlement)English A town in North Yorkshire, England meaning "sheep town".
Slavkov u Brna(Settlement)Czech Historically named Slavkov, it is derived from the name Slávek, a colloquial derivative of Bohuslav, which was likely the name of a prominent town figure or property owner. In 1918, Slavkov was renamed Slavkov u Brna, meaning "Slavkov near Brno", to distinguish it from other places with the same name.... [more]
Sligo(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish Town and county in Ireland. Means "shelly place", because of the large amount of shellfish the nearby river.
Smara(Settlement)English Meaning unknown. Smara is a Moroccan-controlled city in the disputed Western Sahara.
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.
Sóc Trăng(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese Derived from Khmer ស្រុក (srok) meaning "land, inhabited area" and ឃ្លាំង (khleang) meaning "storehouse, treasury" or ត្រែង (treng) meaning "reed"... [more]
Sofia(Settlement)Bulgarian, English Capital of Bulgaria named after the Saint Sofia Church located in the city. The name was first used by Bulgarian tsar Ivan Shishman in the 14th century.
Sollefteå(Settlement)Swedish Possibly a combination of Swedish sol "sun" and the place name suffix -eå "river". The river Ångermanälven runs through the town.
Solna(Settlement)Swedish From Old Swedish Solnö, a combination of soln "sun" and ö "island". Solna is a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden.
Solzha-Ghala(Settlement)Chechen Means "city (on the) Sunzha River" from Chechen Соьлжа (Solzha) referring to the Sunzha River and гӏала (ghala) meaning "town". This is the Chechen name for Grozny.
Sønderborg(Settlement)Danish (Modern) Town in Denmark located in North Slesvig specifically on the southern part of the island of Als and partly on the peninsula Jutland. Sønder meaning "southern" and borg meaning "castle"... [more]
Songkhla(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai Derived from Malay Singgora, itself from Sanskrit सिंहपुर (sinhapura) meaning "city of lions", from सिंह (sinha) meaning "lion" and पुर (pura) meaning "city, town"... [more]
Sopot(Settlement)Polish Thought to mean "stream" or "spring" in Old Slavic. This is the name of a city in Poland.
Soquel(Settlement)English Soquel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States approximately 75 miles (120 km) south of San Francisco, and forms part of the north coast of Monterey Bay.... [more]
Sorin(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Khmer Khmer form of Surin.
Sortobe(Settlement)Kazakh, Russian, English, Ukrainian Meaning uncertain, possibly of Dungan origin. This is the name of a town in southern Kazakhstan.
Spalding(Settlement)English This is the name of several places in England, USA, Canada and Australia, including one located in the eastern English county of Lincolnshire.... [more]
Sparta(Settlement)English, Czech, Danish, Finnish, German, Icelandic, Manx, Polish, Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman From Doric Greek Σπάρτα (Sparta) and Attic Greek Σπάρτη (Spartē), which is of uncertain origin but possibly derived from σπάρτον (sparton) meaning "rope, cable" - a reference to the cords laid as the city’s foundation boundaries, though this could be just a folk etymology.... [more]
Springville(Settlement)English (American) The city of Springville in Utah was named after Fort Springville, a fort that religious leader Brigham Young ordered to be built to be turned into a town as soon as possible.
Spruce Grove(Settlement)English The name Spruce Grove refers to the abundance of spruce trees in the area and the original natural landscape of the settlement. Established as a small agricultural community in the late 19th century, it grew alongside the development of the Canadian railway... [more]
Sredets(Settlement)Bulgarian Original Bulgarian name of Sofia in use until the 18th century. It is also the name of a city in southeastern Bulgaria.
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte(Settlement)English From Sinhalese ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර කෝට්ටේ (shri jayawardhanapura kotte) meaning "blessed fortress city of growing victory" or "fortified city of victory"... [more]
Srinagar(Settlement)English From Hindi श्रीनगर (shrinagar) comprised of श्री (shri) meaning "radiance, splendour, beauty" and नगर (nagara) meaning "town, city"... [more]
St Albert(Settlement)English, French (Quebec) Named after Albert Lacombe, a Roman Catholic priest who founded the St. Albert Mission in 1861 to serve the Métis people and local settlers. St. Albert is located in Alberta, Canada, and is part of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region.
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.