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.
Abkhazia(Country)English From Russian Абхазия (Abkhaziya) from Georgian აფხაზეთი (Apxazeti), which is derived from აფხაზი (Apxazi), the Georgian name for the Abkhaz people... [more]
Abruzzo(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese From Late Latin Aprutium, itself probably from Praetūtium, which defined the territory in which the tribe of the Praetutii lived. This is the name of a region in southern Italy.
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]
Abyssinia(Country)English The name of Ethiopia until the early 20th century.
Accra(Settlement)English Derived from Akan nkran meaning "fire ant". This is the name of the capital city of Ghana.
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).
Adygea(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Адыгея (Adygeya), which is from Adyghe адыгэ (adyge), the endonym of the Circassian (Adyghe) people. The ethnic name is of uncertain meaning, though it may mean "mountain between seas" or "mountain by the sea"... [more]
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.
Aire(River)English The name of a river in Yorkshire in England which passes through Leeds. Of uncertain etymology, probably of Celtic origin.
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."
Aizawl(Settlement)Mizo, English The capital city of Mizoram in far eastern India.
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.
Alaska(Political Subdivision)English Derived from Russian Аляска (Alyaska), which in turn is derived from Aleut alaxsxaq meaning "object to which the action of the sea is directed". Alaska is the largest of the 50 American states, located northwest of the United States mainland and bordering Canada.
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.
Alberta(Political Subdivision)English Name of one of the 12 provinces in Canada, named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), the fourth daughter of Victoria, Queen of Canada, and Albert, Prince Consort.
Alboran Island(Island)English The island became a power base of Mustafa ben Yusuf al Mahmud ed Din, a Tunisian corsair in the Ottoman sultan's service whose attacks were so ferocious that he became known as Al-Borani, from the Turkish for "thunderstorm".
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.
Alderney(Island)English, Medieval Scandinavian One of the Channel Islands in England. It may be a corruption of 'adreni' or 'alrene', derived from Old Norse, meaning "island near the coast". Alternatively, it may come from other old Norse words; 'alda', meaning "swelling wave', 'renna', meaning "strong current', and -ey, meaning "island'.
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.
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.
Alsace(Political Subdivision & Region)French, English, English (American) From Old High German Ali-saz or Elisaz, meaning "foreign domain". Alternatively, from Germanic Ell-sass, meaning "seated on the Ill", a river in Alsace.... [more]
Altai(Political Subdivision & Mountain)Altai, Russian, Mongolian, Kazakh, English From the Turkic roots altun meaning "gold" and tag meaning "mountain". This is the name of a mountain range in Central and East Asia as well as two territories of Russia.
Altay(Political Subdivision & Mountain)Altai, Russian, Mongolian, Kazakh, English Altai, Russian, Mongolian and Kazakh alternate transcription of Altai as well as an English variant.
Altham(Settlement)English Meaning "river meadow of the swans" hamm elfitu.
Amherst(Settlement)English Name of a town in Massachusetts, and name of a college, UMass Amherst.
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.
Anglesey(Island)English An island and traditional county at the northwestern extremity of northern Wales. It is separated from Caernarfonshire on the mainland by a narrow stretch of water called the Menai Strait... [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.
Anjou(Other)English, French From the name of the former county/duchy/province centered around the city of Angers in the Loire Valley of western France, which is in the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire. It was the cradle of the House of Plantagenet who ruled England from the twelfth century, of whom the current royal family are descendants... [more]
Ankara(Settlement)Turkish, English Derived from Ancient Greek ἄγκυρα (ankura) meaning "anchor, hook". This is the name of the capital city of Turkey.
Anmer(Settlement)English Derived from the village of Anmer, in Norfolk. It stems from the Old English aened "duck" and mere "pool".
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]
Ansonia(Political Subdivision)English An eponymous city in Connecticut's Naugatuck River Valley named for founder Anson Green Phelps. In the 19th and early 20th centuries Ansonia was an manufacturing hub; one successful business was the Ansonia Clock Company, which sold world-wide... [more]
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]
Antigua and Barbuda(Country)English The history of Antigua and Barbuda can be separated into three distinct eras. In the first, the islands were inhabited by three successive Amerindian societies. The islands were neglected by the first wave of European colonization, but were settled by England in 1632... [more]
Aonia(Country)English This was an ancient name of the country of Boeotia in Greek legend, allegedly derived from that of the hero Aon. Aonia was a region sacred to the Muses, whom the English poet Alexander Pope called the "Aonian maids".
Aotearoa(Country)Māori, English (New Zealand) While the original intended meaning of the name is not entirely clear, it is commonly translated as "Long White Cloud" today. It is not known whether it is intended to be made of the words ao ("cloud; dawn; daytime; world"), tea ("white; clear; bright"), and roa ("long; tall"), or Aotea (one of the canoes on which the original Māori arrived to New Zealand in) and roa ("long; tall")... [more]
Appalachia(Region)English Appalachia is the name of a cultural region in the Eastern United States. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it is ultimately of Native American origin, as the region was named after a Native American tribe.
Apperley(Settlement)English Means "apple clearing". From æppel "apple" and leah "woodland, clearing"
Apulia(Political Subdivision)English, Ancient Roman, Polish, Spanish From Latin Apulia, itself of unknown origin, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep-, meaning "water". This is the name of a region in southern Italy.
Arkansas(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the French pronunciation of the Quapaw people who lived on the Arkansas River.
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’.
Asheboro(Political Subdivision)English Asheboro is a city in North Carolina.
Asheville(Political Subdivision)English Asheville is a city in North Carolina.
Ashford(Other)English (British) The name of several places in England. All but one of these derive the second element of their name from Old English ford meaning "ford" - for the one in North Devon, it is derived from Old English worō or worth meaning "enclosure".... [more]
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]
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.
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.
Atlanta(Settlement)English Name of a city in Georgia, named by J. Edgar Thomson, Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad.
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.
Austin(Settlement)English Named after several people bearing the first name Austin or its surname counterpart Austin... [more]
Australasia(Region)English Means "south of Asia" from Latin australis meaning "southern" combined with Asia. This is the name of a region in Oceania consisting of Australia, New Zealand, and other neighbouring islands.
Ayeyarwady(River & Political Subdivision)English Variant of Irrawaddy. This spelling is also used as the name of a region of Myanmar.
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.
Azerbaijan(Country, Political Subdivision & Region)English, Basque, Indonesian, Malay From Persian آذربایجان (azarbayjan), which is from Middle Persian Ādurbādagān referring to Atropates, an ancient Persian governor under the Achaemenid Empire... [more]
Azores(Political Subdivision & Region)English, Greek, Spanish From Portuguese Açores meaning "goshawks", the plural of açor meaning "goshawk". This is the name of an archipelago located in the North Atlantic Ocean and one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal.
Bacolod(Settlement)Hiligaynon, Tagalog, English Derived from Hiligaynon bakolod meaning "hill, mound". This is the name of a city in the Philippines.
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]
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.
Bahamas(Country)English The name of the Country in the Caribbean. The Bahamas is a coral-based archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Its 700-plus islands and cays range from uninhabited to packed with resorts. The northernmost, Grand Bahama, and Paradise Island, home to many large-scale hotels, are among the best known... [more]
Bahia(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, English Literally "bay" in Portuguese, this name comes from the Bay of All Saints (Baía de Todos os Santos), for which a Portuguese captaincy was named. This is the name of a state in Brazil.
Baikal(Body of Water)Russian, English From Buryat Байгал (Baygal) of uncertain origin, perhaps from the Turkic roots baj meaning "rich" and kol meaning "lake" or from Mongolian байгалийн нуур (baigaliin nuur) meaning "natural lake"... [more]
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]
Bali(Political Subdivision & Island)Indonesian, Balinese, Javanese, English Derived from Sanskrit बलि (bali) meaning "offering, tribute". This is the name of an island and province in Indonesia.
Baltic Sea(Body of Water)English Meaning uncertain. Possibly derived from Latin balteus "belt". The Baltic Sea is a sea in Northern Europe. The name was first used, as Mare Balticum, by Adam of Bremen in the 11th century... [more]
Baltimore(Settlement)English Baltimore is an independent city in the state of Maryland within the United States.
Baltistan(Region)Urdu, English From the ethnic name بلتی (Balti) combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the name of a region in Pakistan.
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]
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.
Barbados(Country)English The name of the Country in the Caribbean. Barbados is an eastern Caribbean island and an independent British Commonwealth nation. Bridgetown, the capital, is a cruise-ship port with colonial buildings and Nidhe Israel, a synagogue founded in 1654... [more]
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.
Bashkiria(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Башкирия (Bashkiriya) which is from башкир (bashkir), the Russian name for the Bashkir people. This is another name for Bashkortostan, a republic in Russia.
Basilicata(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese The origin of the name is uncertain: it may come from the Greek term βασιλικός (basilikos), a title given to the Byzantine governors of the region; it may be derived from the church of Acerenza, whose bishop had jurisdiction over the territory; or it may be connected to Basil II Porphyrogenitus, Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025.... [more]
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]
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]
Bedfordshire(Political Subdivision & Region)English From Old English Bedanfordscir, meaning the shire or county of Bedford, itself meaning "Beda's river crossing".... [more]
Bedok(Settlement)English, Malay Derived from Malay beduk meaning "drum", referring specifically to a type of drum used to signal prayer times. This is the name of a planning area and town in Singapore.
Beirut(Settlement)English The capital of Lebanon. It is derived from Hebrew be'erot which means "the wells".
Belgrade(Settlement)English, French From Serbian Београд (Beograd) meaning "white city", derived from the Slavic root beli or beo meaning "white" combined with grad meaning "city, town". This is the name of the capital city of Serbia.
Bellefontaine Neighbors(Settlement)English Bellefontaine Neighbors is an inner-ring suburb city in the U.S. In 1804, a treaty was made with the Sac and Fox Indians that led to the establishment of a trading post on the south bank of the Missouri River... [more]
Belleville(Settlement)English Name of a city in Canada and various others in America. Means "beautiful town" from the French belle (beautiful) and ville (city or town).
Bellevue(Settlement)English Means "beautiful view", from French "belle" meaning "beautiful" and "vue" meaning "view", the name of several cities in the United States.
Bengeo(Settlement)English Bengeo means ridge over the River Beane, or settlement on the River Beane.
Bennington(Settlement)English Derived from the Old English personal name Beonna combined with -ing-, a connective particle denoting association, and tūn "farmstead, settlement". Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, in the United States.
Berestia(Region)History, English This is the name of a historical region in Eastern Europe. Its territory was located in what is now Belarus, Poland and Ukraine. The region was named after the Belarusian city of Brest, which was at its centre.
Berkshire(Political Subdivision & Region)English From a wood of box trees in the area called Bearroc, a Celtic word meaning "hilly", with Old English sċīr, from Proto-West Germanic *skīru. meaning "county" or "shire".... [more]
Bermuda(Political Subdivision)English Derived from the surname of Juan de Bermúdez, a 16th-century Spanish navigator alleged to have discovered the archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. Bermúdez is a surname meaning "son of Bermudo".
Bikini Atoll(Island)English From Marshallese Pikinni "surface of coconut". Bikini is an island located in the Marshall Islands, famous for being a place the United States formerly did nuclear tests.
Bir Lehlou(Settlement)English Derived from Hassaniya Arabic bir lehlou meaning "sweet water well". Bir Lehlou is an oasis town in the Polisario-controlled region in northeastern Western Sahara.
Birmingham(Settlement)English A city in central England. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon words meaning 'the farm of Beormund's people', from the personal name Beormund, ingas, meaning 'people' and ham, meaning 'farm'.
Bishkek(Settlement)Kyrgyz, English, Russian Meaning uncertain. One theory suggests that it comes from a word meaning "whorl, whisk" in Kyrgyz, referring to a tool used to prepare kumis, a traditional dairy product. It could also mean "five heights" from Kyrgyz беш (besh) meaning "five" and бийик (biyik) meaning "tall, high", or it could mean "five chiefs" from беш (besh) meaning "five" and the Turkish title beg meaning "chieftain, master"... [more]
Blackheath(Political Subdivision)English English place name which may be a corruption of "bleak heath", or simply mean "dark heath" from Old English blæc "black" and hǣth (see also Heath)... [more]
Blackpool(Settlement)English A coastal town in Lancashire. Literally means 'black pool', so named from a nearby drainage stream which ran through a peat bog, discharging discoloured water into the nearby Irish Sea. (Compare Dublin).
Blythburgh(Settlement)English (British) Blythburgh is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of the English county of Suffolk. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Southwold and 5 miles (8.0 km) south-east of Halesworth and lies on the River Blyth... [more]
Boise(Settlement)English Most likely from French, but of uncertain ultimate origin. One account states that it may come from a story of a French-speaking person who yelled "Les bois! Les bois!" ("The woods! The woods!"); another account is that the name comes from the phrase la rivière boisée ("the wooded river").... [more]
Bolton(Settlement)English (British) A town in Greater Manchester, England. Derived from the Old English bothl-tun
Bombay(Settlement)English (Archaic), Dutch, French, Spanish From Portuguese Bombaim, which may have been derived from the phrase bom baim meaning "good little bay" or from the Marathi name मुंबई (Mumbai). This is an older English name for Mumbai, officially used until 1995... [more]
Bosnia(Country)English Named after the river Bosna, which flows through Bosnia. It is the third longest river in the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina(Country)English Bosnia and Herzegovina, abbreviated BiH or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country of South and Southeast Europe, located within the Balkans. Sarajevo is the capital and largest city.
Boughton Malherbe(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English (British) From Boughton, which means "farmstead where the beech-tree grows" from Old English boc meaning "beech tree" and tun "enclosure, farmstead", combined with Malherbe, a manorial affix taken from the 13th-century owner Robert de Malherbe, distinguishing the village from others with the same name (all of which Domesday Book records as Boltune or Boltone).... [more]
Boulder(Settlement)English Name of a city in Colorado, from Middle English bulderston, from a Scandinavian source akin to Swedish dialectal bullersten "noisy stone", (Swedish buller "rumbling noise" + sten "stone".
Bozeman(Settlement)English (American) A settlement in Montana.Originally was travelled through by indigenous people like Shoshone and Blackfeet.... [more]
Brampton(Settlement)English A city in the Great Toronto-Hamilton area of Ontario, Canada. From the surveyor of the same name.
Bridge(Settlement)English Bridge is a city in Texas.
Bridgemont(Settlement)English This very old and rare medieval English surname is almost certainly locational and derives from a now "lost" medieval village called "Bridgemont". Meaning, "mount of the bridge."
Broughton(Settlement)English Broughton (Welsh: Brychdyn) is a district in Flintshire, Wales, close to the Wales–England border, located to the west of the City of Chester, England.
Brussels(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English Union of Proto-Germanic elements brōk, "marsh", and sali, "building, room"; influenced by Dutch Brussel. This is the name of the capital city of Belgium.
Bucharest(Settlement)English Meaning uncertain. Traditional etymologies state that the city's name is derived from Bucur, the name of a prince, outlaw, fisherman, shepherd, or hunter (depending on the specific legend), whose name is derived from Romanian bucurie meaning "joy, happiness", probably of Dacian origin... [more]
Bucharest(Settlement)English, Malay, Tagalog From Romanian București, which is believed to be derived from the given name Bucur (referring to a figure in Romanian legend) combined with the suffix -ești used for place names... [more]
Buckinghamshire(Political Subdivision & Region)English From Old English, meaning "the county of Bucca's home", from Buckingham, named after its 12th-century landowner, Bucca, with sċīr, from Proto-West Germanic *skīru... [more]
Bukhara(Settlement)English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Kazakh, Russian, Ukrainian From Uzbek Buxoro, itself derived from Persian بخارا (bokhara) of uncertain meaning, possibly from Sogdian βuxārak meaning "place of good fortune". Alternately it may have come from Sanskrit विहार (vihara) referring to a Buddhist monastery... [more]
Bukit Merah(Settlement)Malay, English Means "red hill" in Malay from bukit meaning "hill" and merah meaning "red", referring to the red-coloured soil of a hill in the area. This is the name of a planning area and town in Singapore, also called Redhill.
Bukit Panjang(Settlement)Malay, English Means "long hill" in Malay, from bukit meaning "hill" and panjang meaning "long". This is the name of a planning area and town in Singapore.
Bukit Timah(Settlement)Malay, English Literally means "tin hill" in Malay, from bukit meaning "hill" and timah meaning "tin". However, the name is more likely a corrupted form of the original Malay name Bukit Temak meaning "temak hill", from bukit meaning "hill" and temak referring to a type of tree (genus Shorea)... [more]
Burgundy(Political Subdivision & Region)English From the ethnonym for the Burgundians, an East Germanic people who moved westwards beyond the Rhine during the late Roman period.... [more]
Burlington(Settlement)English Burlington is a city in Vermont and other states, it could be named this from Richard Boyle, the third Earl of Burlington, or a family with he surname Burling.
Buryatia(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Бурятия (Buryatiya), itself from буряад (buryaad), the name of the Buryat people. The ethnic name is of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly from Buryat буртэ (burte) meaning "wolf"... [more]
Butte(Settlement)English This is a city in Montana, USA.
Buzzards Bay(Body of Water)English Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
Caernarfon(Settlement)English, Welsh From the Welsh words caer "fort", yn "in" and Arfon "opposite Môn (Anglesey)", therefore altogether translating to "the fort in the land opposite Anglesey"... [more]
Calabria(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, Finnish, Galician, Spanish From Ancient Greek Καλαβρία (Kalabría), itself derived from the name of a local Oscan tribe. This is the name of a region in southern Italy.
Callifae(Settlement)English From the name of a town in ancient Italy, of uncertain origin. It was mentioned only by the Roman historian Livy, and may correspond to the village Calvisi, at the foot of the Monte Matese.
Cam(River)English The River Cam is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England.... [more]
Cambodia(Country)English From French Cambodge taken from Khmer កម្ពុជា (Kampuchea). The name comes from Sanskrit कम्बोजदेश (Kambujadesha), derived from काम्बोज (kamboja), the name of an ancient tribe and kingdom described in Hindu literature, combined with देश (desha) meaning "kingdom, country"... [more]
Cambridge(Settlement)English Cambridge is a university city and the county town of Cambridgeshire, England, on the River Cam approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of London.... [more]
Cameroon(Country)English The name of the Country in Central Africa. Cameroon, on the Gulf of Guinea, is a Central African country of varied terrain and wildlife. Its inland capital, Yaoundé, and its biggest city, the seaport Douala, are transit points to ecotourism sites as well as beach resorts like Kribi – near the Chutes de la Lobé waterfalls, which plunge directly into the sea – and Limbe, where the Limbe Wildlife Centre houses rescued primates.
Campania(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, Galician, Spanish, Ancient Roman From Latin Campania, itself from campania felix, denoting the fertile countryside around Mount Vesuvius. This is the name of a region in southern Italy.
Campobasso(Settlement)Italian, English, French, German, Spanish Literally "low field"; derived from Latin Campus Vassorum, denoting that the city was host to vassals. This is the name of the capital city of the southern Italian region of Molise.
Canary Islands(Region)English English form of Spanish Islas Canarias which is derived from Latin Canariae Insulae "islands of the dogs". This is the name of a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of northwestern Africa.
Canberra(Settlement)English From the city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
Cape Verde(Country)English From the name of the Senegalese peninsula Cap-Vert meaning "green cape" in Portuguese. Cape Verde is an island country spanning an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean.
Caribbean(Region)English The name of the Region. The Caribbean is a region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands and the surrounding coasts. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.
Carperby(Settlement)English A village in Yorkshire, England. The second element is Old Norse -byr, 'farm'. The first element is possibly the Old Gaelic personal name Cairpre. This seems to indicate a farm of an Irish or Scottish Viking, who settled in England... [more]
Carson(Settlement)English (American) Carson City is the capital of the American state of Nevada.
Carson City(Settlement)English It was named after American frontiersman Kit Carson, this is the capital city of the US state of Nevada.
Carthage(Settlement)English Carthage is a city in Missouri, and another city with the same name is in Texas.
Carveth(Settlement)English From Cornish Karvergh ("fort of horses"), from kar ("fort") and mergh ("horse"). This is the name of a village in Cornwall.
Casablanca(Settlement)English, French, Spanish Means "white house" in Spanish. The name comes from a Spanish translation of the Arabic name الدار البيضاء (ad-Dar al-Bayda'), which in turn was derived from a calque of the Portuguese name Casa Branca... [more]
Casper(Settlement)English From the name of Fort Caspar named after United States army officer Caspar Collins (see Caspar). Casper is city in Wyoming, USA.
Castleblayney(Settlement)English "Castle", referring to the castle outside the town, + "Blayney", after Sir Edward Blayney, whom the British Crown granted land in the area to.
Catania(Settlement)Italian, English, German, Sicilian, Spanish From Ancient Greek Kατάvη (Katánē), itself either from Sicel katane ("grater"), due to its proximity to Mount Etna and the resulting rough earth, or from Proto-Italic katina ("basin"), owing to the wide valley around the town... [more]
Catanzaro(Settlement)Italian, English, French, Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, German From Latin Catanciarium, itself derived from Catacium, ultimately from Ancient Greek Καταρτάριοι, meaning "silk spinners". This is the name of a city in southern Italy, the second city in Calabria, as well as its capital city.
Caucasus(Mountain)English From Greek Καύκασος (Kaúkasos), which is of uncertain origin; it may be derived from Scythian *xrohukäsi meaning "ice-shining" or "white snow". Alternatively, it may be from Greek κήξ (kḗx) meaning "sea swallow (a kind of bird)" and κάσος (kásos) possibly meaning "mountain" or "rock"... [more]
Cavite(Political Subdivision, Settlement & Other)English (Hispanicized), Filipino (Hispanicized) Hispanicized form of Tagalog kawit, meaning hook. This name originally referred to a peninsula where Cavite City is located in, but usage eventually expanded to the entire province.
Cebu(Political Subdivision, Settlement & Island)Filipino, Tagalog, English From Cebuano Sugbo, derived from Old Cebuano sibu or sibo meaning "trade", itself a shortened form of the phrase sinibuayng hingpit meaning "place for trading". This is the name of an island, province and city (Cebu City) in the Philippines.
Ceuta(Settlement)English, Spanish, Portuguese The settlement below Jebel Musa was later renamed for the seven hills around the site, collectively referred to as the "Seven Brothers". In particular, the Roman stronghold at the site took the name "Fort at the Seven Brothers"... [more]
Ceylon(Country)English Previous name of the country Sri Lanka. The name Ceylon most likely traces its roots back to the Sanskrit Sinha, meaning "lion". As lions are not native to Sri Lanka, another possible interpretation of the name is "lion-like man" or "hero".
Ceylon(Country)English (Archaic) The former name of Sri Lanka, derived from Portuguese Ceilão, which was in turn derived from Persian سیلان (seylan), ultimately from Sanskrit सिंहल (sinhala) meaning "lionlike".
Champa(Country)Cham, Khmer, Lao, English From Vietnamese Chăm Pa ultimately derived from Sanskrit चम्पक (champaka) referring to a type of flowering tree (genus Magnolia). This is the name of a collection of ancient kingdoms that existed between the 2nd and 17th centuries in what is now central and southern Vietnam.
Charlotte(Settlement)English Name of a city in North Carolina, named in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who had become the Queen of Great Britain just seven years before the town's incorporation.
Chattogram(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Bengali, English Alternate transcription of Bengali চট্টগ্রাম (see Chottogram) officially used by the government of Bangladesh.
Chechnya(Political Subdivision)Russian, English Means "(place) of the Chechens", derived from the Russian name for the Chechen people. The exonym is of uncertain meaning, with Russian folk etymologies suggesting that it originates from the name of a village; on the other hand, it may be derived from the Kabardian name Шашан (Shashan)... [more]
Cheltenham(Settlement)English (British) First recorded in 803, as Celtan hom; the meaning has not been resolved with certainty, but latest scholarship concludes that the first element preserves a pre-British noun cilta, 'steep hill', here referring to the Cotswold scarp; the second element may mean 'settlement' or 'water-meadow'... [more]
Chennai(Settlement)Indian, Tamil, English Most likely from the name of 17th-century Telugu monarch Damarla Chennapa Nayaka (or Chennappa Naicker). This is the name of the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which was officially called Madras until 1996.
Cheviot(Mountain)English The name of a mountain and the surrounding mountains on the Anglo-Scottish border. The name is thought to be Celtic and to derive from Brythonic *ceμ-, *cejn 'ridge, spine' (Welsh chefn, 'back, ridge'), and -ed, which might have meant 'having the quality of-'.
Cheyenne(Settlement)English The capital of Wyoming, in the United States.
Chiang Mai(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Thai, English Means "new city" from Thai เชียง (chiang) meaning "(walled) city" and ใหม่ (mai) meaning "new". This is the name of a province of and city in Thailand.
Chicago(Settlement)English Name of a city in Illinois, from town founded in 1833, named from a Canadian French form of Algonquian sheka:ko:heki "place of the wild onion," or Ojibwa shika:konk "at the skunk place".
Chippenham(Settlement)English One possibility for its naming may have been from Cyppa's Hamme which comes from the words ce-ap meaning market, and Hamme meaning enclosed by the river or an enclosed water meadow both of which Chippenham was.... [more]
Chittagong(Settlement)Bengali, English The etymology of Chittagong is uncertain. One explanation credits the first Arab traders for shatt ghangh, where shatt means "delta" and ghangh stood for the Ganges. The Arakanese chronicle states that a king named Tsu-la-taing Tsandaya, after conquering Bengal, set up a stone pillar as a trophy or memorial at the place since called Tst-ta-gaung as the limit of conquest... [more]
Chittagong(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From Bengali চট্টগ্রাম (Chottogram) of uncertain meaning. This is the name of an administrative division of, as well as a city in, Bangladesh (officially named Chattogram).
Chorasmia(Region & Political Subdivision)Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English, Greek Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman name for the region of Khwarazm in Central Asia. It was named after the Chorasmians, a local Iranian tribe who were known as Χωράσμιοι (Chorasmioi) to the Greeks and as Chorasmii to the Romans.... [more]
Christchurch(Region)English Christchurch is a New Zealand city that was founded in 1850. The name was given in 1848 before the city even existed. It was given by J R Godley of the Canterbury Associtaion who went to Christ Church College in teenagehood.
Christmas Island(Island)English (Australian) Name of an Island in Australia, it was named Christmas Island because of the date it was found (December 25)
Chukotka(Political Subdivision)Russian, English Derived from the Russian name Чукчи (Chukchi), referring to the native people who originally inhabited the area. The word Chukchi is derived from Chukchi Chauchu meaning "rich in reindeer", used by the Reindeer Chukchi people to distinguish themselves from the Maritime Chukchi (the Anqallyt meaning "sea people")... [more]
Chuvashia(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Чувашия (Chuvashiya), derived from the name of the Chuvash people. The ethnic name чӑваш (chavash) is of uncertain meaning, possibly from Turkic yabal meaning "quiet, peaceful, slow", from a Turkic root meaning "friendly, peaceful" or from Tabghach, the Old Turkic name for the Tuoba, a Xianbei clan in Imperial China... [more]
Cicero(Settlement)English Name of a town in Cook County, Illinois, named after Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Cincinnati(Political Subdivision)English Means "curly-haired", from Latin cincinnatus (see Cincinnatus). This is the name of a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States which was named in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati, named after the Roman consul Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (born c. 519 – c. 430 BC).
Circassia(Country & Region)English, Italian From Turkish Çerkes or Russian Черкес (Cherkes) referring to the Circassian (Adyghe) people. The name is of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from Kerkety, the name of a Circassian tribe, or from Persian چهار کس (čahâr kas) meaning "four people"... [more]
Ciscaucasia(Region)English, Italian, Spanish Means "on this side of the Caucasus", derived from Latin cis meaning "on this side of" combined with the latinized Greek noun Caucasia meaning "the Caucasus" (both the mountains and their namesake region)... [more]
Claddagh(Settlement)Irish, English The name of an ancient village in Ireland, where the tradition of the Claddagh ring developed.
Clare(Settlement)English Possibly derives from Latin clarus, meaning "clear, bright", describing the clear nature of the Chilton Stream that flows through the town. The name first appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Clara.... [more]
Cleveland(Settlement & Other)English This is the name of several settlements, mainly in the United States, as well as a geographical region in Yorkshire, England; in both cases, the name comes from the combination of the Middle English words cleve ("cliff") and land.... [more]
Colombo(Settlement)English Probably from the old Sinhalese word kolamba meaning "ferry" or "port". It is popularly believed to be derived from Sinhalese කොලොන් තොට (kolon tota) meaning "port on the river Kelani" or කොල අඹ (kola amba) meaning "leafy mango grove", altered with influence from the name of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus or Latin columba meaning "dove"... [more]
Colorado(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named after the Colorado river, from Spanish colo + "colored" rado "reddish", "ruddy".
Columbus(Settlement)English Named after famous Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the capital city of the state of Ohio.
Conception Bay(Body of Water)English Calque of Medieval Portuguese Baía da Conceição, "Bay of the Conception," named for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Connecticut(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the name of the Connecticut river, from Algonquian quinnitukqut "at the long tidal river," from kwen "long" + ehtekw "tidal river" + enk "place".
Connellsville(Political Subdivision)English Connellsville is a city in Pennsylvania.
Coquet(River)English A river in Northumberland, England. Its name originates from words of a local Brythonic-Celtic language, equivalent to the Welsh coched, meaning 'red, brown'.
Cornwall(Political Subdivision & Region)English, Dutch An English county or country, a place next to Devon at the bottom of southwestern England, derived from Old English Cornwealas which eventually turned into Cornwall... [more]
Corpus Christi(Settlement)English The name of a city in Texas, it translates from Body of Christ from Latin.
Cotabato(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Tagalog, English From Maguindanao Kutawatu meaning "stone city", from kuta meaning "city, fort" and wato meaning "stone, rock". This is the name of both a province and a city in the southern Philippines.
Courtaney(Settlement)English Courtenay is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
Crete(Island)English From Ancient Greek Κρήτη (Krete) of uncertain meaning. It may come from Krus, a mythological hero, whose name is unexplained. Another theory is that it is derived from Luwian kursawar meaning "island" or kursattar meaning "cutting, sliver"... [more]
Crimea(Country, Political Subdivision & Region)English, Italian, Spanish From Crimean Tatar Qırım, which is of uncertain origin. It may have been derived from a corruption of Latin Cimmerium or Greek Κιμμερικόν (Kimmerikon), the name of an ancient city, from Old Turkic qurum meaning "protection, defense" or qirum meaning "fosse, trench", or Ancient Greek κρημνοί (kremnoi) meaning "cliffs"... [more]
Crompton(Settlement)English From Old English crumbe ("bent") + tun ("town"), referring to its location on a river bend. It is the name of a former town now part of Shaw and Crompton.