Helsingør(Settlement)Danish, Norwegian Combination of helsing (itself a combination of Danish hals "narrow strait, neck" and -ing, a suffix denoting an inhabitant) and ør "gravel" (in this case referring to Øresund, a strait separating Denmark from Sweden)... [more]
Hemet(Settlement, Body of Water & Other)English (American) Etymology uncertain. Possibly from Swedish hemmet meaning "home, homeland". Other theories claim that the name is derived from an unspecified Native American language, possibly meaning "box", "acorn valley", "surrounded by trees", or derived from a female given name, Hemetica... [more]
Hempstead(Settlement)English Name of a town and village in Nassau County, New York. It is either named after the Dutch castle of Heemstede, or the British town of Hemel Hempstead.
Hengesdon(Settlement)Medieval English Earlier name for Hingston Down in Moretonhampstead, Devon, recorded in 1333. It meant "Hengest's hill" or "stallion's hill" from the Old English byname Hengest (or from Old English hengest "stallion") and Old English dun "hill".
Heracleion(Settlement)Ancient Egyptian (Hellenized, ?) Heracleion is an ancient Egyptian city built under Greek rule. Until it was destroyed by a earthquake in 200 BCE.
Herculaneum(Settlement)Ancient Roman An ancient Roman town in Italy destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Derived from the name of Hercules, a mythological figure whom some claimed had founded the settlement.
Herkimer(Settlement)English (American) Herkimer is a small settlement in new york USA. Herkimer was founded in 1788.... [more]
Hershey(Settlement)English A small community in Pennsylvania.
Hertford(Settlement)English Comes from a ford where a Hart (a male deer) drank at a ford.
Heshmon(Settlement)Biblical Hebrew City south of Judah, recorded in Joshua 15:27. Literal meaning, "fatness." Contextual meaning, "abundant blessing."
Hestitona(Settlement)Anglo-Saxon (Latinized) Latinized form of Old English Hengestestun meaning "town of Hengest", derived from the genitive of the Old English personal name Hengest and tun "enclosure, yard, town"... [more]
Hialeah(Settlement)American The name of a city in the American state of Florida, commonly said to mean "pretty prairie" from Muskogee haiyakpo "prairie" and hili "pretty". Alternatively it may mean "high prairie" or "upland prairie" in Seminole.
Hiawassee(Settlement)English The name of a town in the U.S. state of Georgia, located on the Hiwassee River. It is derived from a Cherokee or Creek word ayuhwasi meaning "meadow".
Hibbing(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Hibbing. The city in Minnesota was named for its founder, Frank Hibbing.
Higashiōsaka(Settlement)Japanese Means "East Ōsaka" in Japanese. This is the name of a city in Ōsaka Prefecture, Japan.
Hilo(Settlement)Hawaiian, English Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Hawaiian hilo meaning "twist, braid, spin". This is the name of a town in the US state of Hawaii.
Hinxton(Settlement)English The name of a village in Cambridgeshire, ultimately derived from a contraction of Old English Hengestestun which possibly meant "town of Hengest", itself from the genitive of the Old English byname Hengest (or from Old English hengest "stallion") and Old English tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Hiroshima(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 広 (hiro) meaning "vast, wide" and 島 (shima) meaning "island". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Hòa Bình(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 和 (hòa) meaning "peace" and 平 (bình) meaning "level".
Hòa Bình(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 和 (hoà) meaning "peace, harmony" and 平 (bình) meaning "level, even". This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh(Settlement)English From the name of Vietnamese revolutionary and politician Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969; natively HồChíMinh in Vietnamese)... [more]
Hội An(Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 會 (hội) meaning "meeting, festival" and 安 (an) meaning "safe, secure". This is the name of a city in Vietnam.
Hollywood(Settlement)English This is the name of several places throughout the United States as well as a few places in England. The most notable place is the district in Los Angeles, California, known for being the home of the U.S. motion-picture industry, whose name allegedly means "hauling wood".
Holon(Settlement)Hebrew The name comes from the word "חול" meaning "sand"... [more]
Holywood(Settlement)Northern Irish (Anglicized) English translation of Latin Sanctus Boscus, meaning “holy wood”. Holywood is a seaside town in County Down, Northern Ireland. This was the name the Normans gave to the woodland surrounding the monastery of Saint Laiseran, son of Nasca, founded before 640 on the site of the present Holywood Priory... [more]
Hombori(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Fula A region and city in Mali.
Honolulu(Settlement)Hawaiian, English Means "sheltered harbor", from Hawaiian hono "bay, harbor" and lulu "shelter". This is the state capital of Hawaii.
Horningtoft(Settlement)English From the Old English horn "horn-shaped" -ingas "people of" toft "curtilage". "people of the horn-shaped curtilage". The name of a village in the county of Norfolk.
Hornowo(Settlement)Polish From Belarusian горны (horny) meaning "upper". It is a village in northeast Poland.
Houma(Settlement)English (American) A city in Louisiana. The name is derived from the name of the Houma Native American people.
Houtadi(Settlement)Chinese From Chinese 后 (hòu) meaning "rear," 塔 (tǎ) meaning "tower," and 底 (dǐ) meaning "base" (literally "base of the rear tower"). It is the name of a village in Hebei, China.
Huddinge(Settlement)Swedish Newer form of Uddunge (first mentioned as Wddunge in 1314) meaning "those who live by the headland". Huddinge is a part of Stockholm urban area.
Hue(Settlement)English English unaccented form of Huế.
Huế(Settlement)Vietnamese Likely a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 化 (huà), which referred to the historical territory of Thuận Hoá (順化) in central Vietnam. This is the name of a city in Vietnam.
Hugo(Settlement)English Transferred use of the French surname Hugo.
Hưng Yên(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 興 (hưng) meaning "prosperous" and 安 (yên) meaning "peace".
Hưng Yên(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 興 (hưng) meaning thrive, prosper, flourish" and 安 (yên) meaning "peaceful". This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Vietnam.
Hưng Yên(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Vietnamese From Sino-Vietnamese 興 (hưng) meaning "thrive, prosper, flourish" and 安 (yên) meaning "calm, peaceful". This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Vietnam.
Huntsville(Settlement)English Means "Hunt's town". This is the name of a city in Alabama, as well as several other places in the United States.
Hvorslev(Settlement)Danish The name of a village in Denmark. Name meaning "A flat place". The population of Hvorslev is approximately 221.
Hwaseong(Settlement)Korean Combination of 華 (화, hwa, "bright, colorful") and 城 (성, seong, "castle"). This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Hyderabad(Settlement)English From Urdu حیدر آباد (haidar abad), derived from Arabic حيدر (haydar) meaning "lion, warrior" (see the given name Haidar) and Urdu آباد (abad) meaning "populated area, inhabited area, city" (of Persian origin)... [more]
Hyūga(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Shifted from earlier Himuka, belonging to an old province which corresponds to modern Miyazaki Prefecture and a modern city in that prefecture, formed on April 1, 1951.
Ilkley(Settlement)English Of uncertain origin. The English-born clergyman Robert Collyer (1823-1912) claimed this is derived from an old British word llecan meaning "rock". The second syllable may be derived from Old English leah "(woodland) clearing".
Iloilo(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Filipino, Hiligaynon, Tagalog, English Derived from Hiligaynon Ilong-Ilong, itself from ilong meaning "nose" referring to the nose-like shape of a landform in the region. This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, the Philippines.
Ilulissat(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the icebergs" in Greenlandic. Ilulissat is the 3rd largest town in Greenland.
Imari(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a city, known for Imari porcelain (even though it's actually made in nearby Arita) and for Imari pears, which is located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in south-western Japan.... [more]
Immokalee(Settlement)English (American) A census-designated place in Florida. The name is derived from the Mikasuki word immokalee meaning "your home".
Imus(Settlement)Filipino Imus, officially the City of Imus, is a 1st class component city and de jure capital of the province of Cavite, Philippines... [more]
Incheon(Settlement)Korean From Sino-Korean 仁 (in) meaning "compassionate, benevolent" and 川 (cheon) meaning "river, stream". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Independence(Settlement)English Name of a city in Missouri, it is named after the Declaration of Independence.
Indianapolis(Settlement)English Union of "Indiana", itself meaning "Land of the Indians" in Latin, and the Greek suffix polis. This is the name of the capital city of the US state of Indiana.
Indio(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. The name is derived from the Spanish word Indio, meaning "Indian, Native American".
Ingoldisthorpe(Settlement)English From the Old Norse "Ingjaldr's" þorp "outflying farmstead". The name of a village in Norfolk.
Invercargill(Settlement)English (New Zealand) This is a city in New Zealand. Invercargill is the Southernmost city in the country, about 20 minutes from Bluff, where ferries to Stewart Island arrive and leave from.... [more]
Inverness(Settlement)Scottish A coastal city in northern Scotland. From Scottish Gaelic Inbhir, meaning 'estuary, confluence'and nis, the Gaelic name of the River Ness.
Iola(Settlement)English Transferred use of the English given name Iola. The city in Kansas is named for Iola Colborn, the wife of Josiah Colborn, one of the town's founders.
Ipoh(Settlement)Malay, English From Malay ipuh meaning "upas" (a type of poisonous tree). This is the name of the capital city of the Malaysian state of Perak.
Irondequoit(Settlement)English (American) A town in New York. The name is derived from the Iroquois language, and is said to mean "where the land meets the water".
Ísafjörður(Settlement)Icelandic Means "ice fjord" from Icelandic ís meaning "ice" and fjörður meaning "fjord". This is the name of a town in Iceland.
Iselin(Settlement)English (American) Transferred usage of the surname Iselin. The community in New Jersey is named for Adrian Iselin, a banker and philanthropist who funded the establishment of a finishing school and a train station in the area.
Isfahan(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From Persian اصفهان (Esfahan) ultimately derived from Old Persian spādānah meaning "connected with the army" or spādānām meaning "of the armies", from 𐎿𐎱𐎠𐎭 (spādaʰ) meaning "army"... [more]
Islamabad(Settlement)English, Hindi From Urdu اسلام آباد (Islam Abad) meaning "city of Islam" from the name of the religion and Urdu آباد (abad) meaning "inhabited place, city". This is the name of the capital city of Pakistan.
Issaquah(Settlement)English (American) A city in Washington, USA. The name is derived from the Southern Lushootseed word sqʷáxʷ, meaning either "the sound of birds", "snake", or "little stream".
Istanbul(Settlement)English, Arabic From Turkish İstanbul, which comes from a misinterpretation of the Medieval Greek phrase εἰς τὴν Πόλιν (eis ten polin) meaning "to the City", a colloquial name for the city of Constantinople (reflecting its status as the only major city in the vicinity)... [more]
Itabashi(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 板 (ita) meaning "plank, board" and 橋 (hashi) meaning "bridge". This is the name of a special ward of Tokyo.
Italica(Settlement)Ancient Roman Named after the Italic veterans of the founder.
Ivinghoe(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English Means "promontory belonging to Ifa 1", from the Old English given name Ifa, the suffix -ing denoting possession and hoh meaning "promontory"... [more]
İzmir(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Turkish From Greek Σμύρνη (Smyrna) ultimately derived from the given name Myrrha. This is the name of a province of, as well as a city in, Turkey.
Jabarsá(Settlement)Medieval Arabic The name of a city in "1001 Arabian Nights", which was also called the city of Japheth. The people there were fire-worshippers. The palace of Japheth was there and housed a sword-spear hybrid which was said to have been used by Japheth.
Jackson(Settlement)English After a person bearing the surname Jackson, such as Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), seventh President of the United States. This is the name of several settlements in the United States, such as the capital city of the State of Mississippi.
Jaipur(Settlement)English, Punjabi, Telugu From Hindi जयपुर (Jaypur) derived from the given name Jay 2 (so named for the city's founder, 18th century ruler Jai Singh II) and Sanskrit पुर (pura) meaning "fortress, city"... [more]
Jalalabad(Settlement)Afghan "Jalalabad" is a city in eastern Afghanistan. The name "Jalalabad" means "City of Glory" in Persian, derived from "jalal" meaning glory or grandeur, and "abad" meaning city or settlement.
Jamestown(Settlement)English Jamestown, named after King James, was a settlement in Virginia, one of the original thirteen colonies.
Janakpur(Settlement)Nepali, Maithili From the name of the mythological character Janaka combined with Sanskrit पुर (pura) meaning "city, fortress"... [more]
Janesville(Settlement)English From the English surname Janes and ville, meaning "city". The city in Wisconsin is named after the settler and city planner Henry F Janes.
Jaunjelgava(Settlement)Latvian The name of a town on the Daugava River in Latvia, which means "new Jelgava" (Jelgava being another Latvian city which is believed to derive its name from Livonian jālgab meaning "town on the river").
Jayapura(Settlement)Indonesian Derived from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest" and पुर (pura) meaning "city". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Jeddah(Settlement)English, Danish, Dutch, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Swedish, Tagalog From Arabic جدة (Jiddah) derived from the word جَدَّة (jaddah) meaning "grandmother", perhaps referencing the folk belief that the Tomb of Eve (who is considered the 'grandmother' of humanity) is located there... [more]
Jeju(Settlement, Island & Political Subdivision)Jeju, Korean From Sino-Korean 濟 (je) meaning "to cross (a river)" and 州 (ju) meaning "state, province". This is the name of an island province and city in South Korea.
Jeonju(Settlement)Korean Combination of 全 (전, jeon, "perfect") and 州 (주, ju, "province"), thus "perfect province". This is the name of a city in South Korea.
Jepara(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Javanese para meaning "share, part, division", so named for the division of fish caught by local fishermen. This is the name of a regency of, as well as a town in, the Indonesian province of Central Java.