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]
Arcadia(Region & Settlement)English, Italian, Spanish From Greek Ἀρκαδία (Arkadia) named for the mythological character Arcas. This is the name of a region in the Peloponnese in southern Greece, as well as the name of numerous cities in various countries.
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.
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').
Astana(Settlement)Kazakh, English, Russian Means "capital city" in Kazakh, ultimately from Persian آستانه (astaneh). This was the name of the capital city of Kazakhstan until 2019, when it was renamed Nur-Sultan.
Asunción(Settlement)Spanish Means "assumption" in Spanish, as in “assumption of Mary to heaven". This is the capital of Paraguay. Originally called Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción (meaning "Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption") by its founder, it was later shortened to Asunción.
Ataídes(Settlement)Portuguese Freguesia in Portugal, probably named after Athanagild, 6th-century king of Visigothic Hispania and probable founder of the village.
Athabasca(Settlement, Other, Body of Water & Mountain)Cree (Anglicized) Name of numerous towns, lakes, rivers, a glacier, and a mountain, in Canada, primarily in the province of Alberta... [more]
Athenry(Settlement)Irish Athenry (Baile Áth an Rí) meaning "Town of the Ford of the King" is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies 25 kilometres east of Galway city.
Athlacca(Settlement, Political Subdivision & Other)English From Irish An tÁth Leacach, meaning "the flagstone ford." It is the name of a settlement, ford, civil parish, and electoral division in County Limerick, Ireland.
Attapeu(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Lao From a French corruption of the name Idkabue meaning "buffalo droppings", so named for the many wild buffaloes that roamed the area. This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Laos.
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.
Auckland(Settlement)English The Baron Auckland and the Earl of Auckland are titles of the English nobility. The first Baron Auckland, William Eden, had the city of Auckland in New Zealand named after him. Bishop Auckland is a town in the county of Durham in Britain which has lent its name to the title... [more]
Auroville(Settlement)English The name of an indian town built by UNESCO located in southern India. It was built as an experimental town to see how is the world without politics, money or polution.
Austerlitz(Settlement)German (Austrian) The historic German name for the Czech town of Slavkov u Brna, derived from Latin Nova sedes meaning "new settlement". Over time the name evolved, with the spelling "Austerlitz" first documented in 1611... [more]
Austin(Settlement)English Named after several people bearing the first name Austin or its surname counterpart Austin... [more]
Avalbane(Settlement)Irish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Irish Abhaill Bhán "white orchard". This is or was the name of a township in the civil parish of Clontibret in County Monaghan, Ireland.
Ayuhwasi(Settlement)Cherokee Ayuhwasi, meaning "savanna" or "large meadow". The name has been applied to several entities past and present in the U.S. states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee
Ayutthaya(Country & Settlement)Thai, English Derived from Sanskrit अयुध्य (ayudhya) meaning "invincible, unconquerable". This was the name of a kingdom (as well as one of its capital cities) that reigned from 1350 to 1767, considered the precursor of modern Thailand.
Azotus(Settlement)Hebrew Latinized form of Ashdod, one of the five confederate cities of the Philistines.
Aztlan(Other & Settlement)Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Aztec From the very name of the mythical homeland of the Aztec peoples. Etymology uncertain, often said to mean "place of the herons", from Nahuatl aztatl "heron, snowy egret" and the locative suffix -tlan, though this doesn’t fit Nahuatl morphology... [more]
Bạc Liêu(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Teochew 薄遼 (po liaw) meaning "meagre hamlet".
Bạc Liêu(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese Perhaps from Sino-Vietnamese 薄 (bạc) meaning "miserable, poor" and 寮 (liêu) meaning "neighbourhood, village". Alternately it may be derived from Khmer ប៉ុស្តិ៍ (poh) meaning "post, station" or ពល (pol) meaning "troops, forces" and លាវ (leav) meaning "Lao"... [more]
Bacolod(Settlement)Hiligaynon, Tagalog, English Derived from Hiligaynon bakolod meaning "hill, mound". This is the name of a city in the Philippines.
Bacoor(Settlement)Filipino Bacoor, officially the City of Bacoor, is a 1st class component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 664,625 people, making it the 15th most populous city in the Philippines and the second largest city in Cavite after Dasmariñas.
Baden(Settlement)German The name of a town in Austria.
Badley(Settlement)English Habitational name from Badley in Suffolk or Baddeley Green in Staffordshire, both named with the Old English personal name Bad(d)a + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.
Baghdad(Settlement)English, Italian, Malay, Uyghur From Arabic بغداد (baḡdād), itself from Persian بغداد (baǧdâd), probably from Middle Persian bgdt, meaning "given by god", from Old Persian *Bagadātaʰ... [more]
Baghdad(Settlement)Arabic, English, Armenian, Hindi, Italian, Malay, Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Uyghur From Persian بغداد (Baghdad) most likely derived from Middle Persian 𐭡𐭢𐭣𐭲 (bgdt) meaning "given by god", itself from Old Persian 𐏎 (baga) meaning "god" and 𐎭𐎠𐎫 (dātaʰ) meaning "given, created"... [more]
Bago(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Burmese Most likely derived from Old Mon ဗဂေါ (bagaw) meaning "beautiful city" or "beautiful town". This is the name of a region of, as well as a city in, Myanmar.
Bagshaw(Settlement)English Means "Bacga's thicket" or "Bacga's copse". Derived from the Anglo-Saxon given name Bacga and the word sceaga "thicket, copse"
Baguio(Settlement)Filipino, Ilocano, Tagalog, English Hispanicized form of Ibaloi bagiw meaning "moss". This is the name of a city in the Philippines.
Baikonur(Settlement)Russian, English From Kazakh Байқоңыр (Bayqonyr) meaning "wealthy brown" or "fertile land with many plants", derived from бай (bay) meaning "rich, wealthy" and қоңыр (qonyr) meaning "brown"... [more]
Bakersfield(Settlement)English Named after a person bearing the surname Baker. The city in California was named after former colonel Thomas Baker of the Ohio Militia, who moved to the area in 1863.
Baku(Settlement)English, Russian, Persian From Azerbaijani Bakı from Persian باکو (baku), which is of uncertain meaning. One popular etymology suggests that it means "wind-pounded city" from Persian باد (bad) meaning "wind" and کوبیدن (kubidan) meaning "to pound, to beat", given in reference to the area's frequent storms and high winds... [more]
Balıkesir(Settlement)Turkish Most likely from Greek Παλαιόκαστρον (Palaiokastron) meaning "old castle", from παλαιός (palaios) "old" and κάστρον (kastron) "castle". This is the name of a city in Turkey.
Balikpapan(Settlement)Indonesian The name of a city in Indonesia, meaning uncertain.
Banda Aceh(Settlement)Indonesian Means "port of Aceh" from Indonesian bandar meaning "port, harbour" (of Persian origin) and Aceh. This is the name of the capital city of the Indonesian province of Aceh.
Bandar Lampung(Settlement)Indonesian From Indonesian bandar meaning "harbour, port" (of Persian origin) and Lampung. This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Bandar Seri Begawan(Settlement)Malay, English Means "town of the radiance of the gods" from Malay bandar meaning "town" (of Persian origin), seri meaning "radiance, splendour, glory" and begawan meaning "holy". The name comes from Seri Begawan, a Malay title used by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III (1914-1986), which was ultimately derived from Sanskrit श्री भगवान् (shri bhagvan)... [more]
Bandung(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese From Indonesian bendung or bendungan meaning "dam, dike", given in reference to the area in relation to the nearby Citarum River. Local sources also relate the name to the phrase Nga-Bandung-an Banda Indung, which is considered sacred in Sundanese culture... [more]
Bangalore(Settlement)English From Kannada ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು (Bengaluru) of uncertain meaning, possibly from Old Kannada beṅga-val-ūru meaning "city of guards" or benda-kāl-ūru meaning "town of boiled beans" (referring to a story from Kannada folklore)... [more]
Bangkok(Settlement)Thai, English Believed to be from Thai บาง (bang) meaning "village, settlement" and กอก (kok) meaning "olive" (so named because of the olive trees that used to grow in the area) or perhaps เกาะ (ko) meaning "island"... [more]
Bangor(Settlement)English, Welsh Derived from bancor, the Old Welsh word for "wattled enclosure". This is the name of a city in Wales, and the namesake of the associated University.
Banjarmasin(Settlement)Indonesian, Banjar Possibly a corruption of Bandar Masih meaning "Port Masih", referring to a local ruler named Patih Masih (likely a nickname). This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Baoding(Settlement)Chinese From Chinese 保 (bǎo) meaning "protection" and 定 (dìng) meaning "stable". This is the name of a city just south of Beijing in Hebei province.
Barcelona(Settlement)Catalan, Spanish, English Barcelona is a city in Spain. It is the capital and largest city of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain.
Barnet(Settlement)English Means "land cleared by burning". This is the name of a large town in Barnet Borough, England. Named after it is a small town in Vermont State, US.
Batam(Island & Settlement)Indonesian, Malay Meaning uncertain. This is the name of an island and city in Indonesia.
Batangas(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Filipino, Tagalog, English Derived from Tagalog batangan meaning "timberland, place of wooden rafts", itself from batang meaning "log" combined with the place marker suffix -an. This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, the Philippines.
Batavia(Region & Settlement)English, Dutch, Indonesian From Latin Batavia, itself from Proto-Germanic Batawjō meaning "good island", derived from bataz meaning "good" and awjō meaning "island". This is the name of a historical and geographical region located in what is now the Netherlands... [more]
Batdambang(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Khmer Alternate transcription of Khmer បាត់ដំបង (see Battambang).
Bathgate(Settlement)Scottish A town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is derived from the Cumbric beith, meaning 'boar' (Welsh baedd) and chyd, meaning 'wood, trees' (Welsh coed).
Batoche(Settlement & Other)French A historic village and National Historic Site in modern day Saskatchewan, Canada. Batoche is where Métis leader Louis Riel and his forces were defeated by the Canadian Army... [more]
Baton Rouge(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From French le bâton rouge ("the red stick"), itself from Choctaw iti humma ("red pole") through Istrouma, a possible corruption; the name ultimately comes from a red pole marking the hunting boundaries for the Houma and Bayagoula tribes... [more]
Battambang(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Khmer Means "lost stick" in Khmer, from បាត់ (bat) meaning "lost, gone, missing" and ដំបង (dambang) meaning "stick, staff", named in reference to a local legend of a king who lost a stick in the area... [more]
Batu Gajah(Settlement)Malay, English Means "elephant rock" from Malay batu meaning "stone, rock" and gajah meaning "elephant", most likely named for two large boulders that resembled elephants located along a nearby river... [more]