This is a list of submitted place names in which the usage is English or American.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Gambia(Country & River)English The name of the Country in West Africa. The Gambia is a small West African country, bounded by Senegal, with a narrow Atlantic coastline. It's known for its diverse ecosystems around the central Gambia River... [more]
Ganja(Settlement)English From Persian ganj meaning "treasure, treasury". This is the name of the third largest city of Azerbaijan.
Garland(Settlement)English (American) Possibly from the word “garland”, meaning a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material.
Gastonia(Settlement)English Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States.
Gateshead(Settlement)English A town in Northeast England. It most likely means 'goat's headland', implying that wild goats were a part of the local fauna.
General Salipada Khalid Pendatun(Settlement)English General Salipada K. Pendatun is a municipality in the Philippines. It is named for General Salipada K. Pendatun, who is a forerunner Mindanaoan Legislator and General during the Second World War.
Geneva(Settlement)English Geneva is the second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous city of the Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland.... [more]
George Town(Settlement)English, Malay Derived from the given name George, named in honour of British king George III. This is the name of a city in Malaysia as well as the capital city of the Cayman Islands.
Georgetown(Settlement)English The capital of Guyana, and is a port at the mouth of the Demerara River, pop. 133,000 (est. 2007)
Gettysburg(Settlement)English From the Irish surname Gettys and burg meaning "fortress, fortification, citadel". The city in Pennsylvania was named for colonist and influential landowner James Gettys... [more]
Gillette(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Gillette. The city in Wyoming is named for Edward Gillette, a surveyor for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.
Glaston(Settlement)English This name is derived from towns scattered around Europe. There are French towns named Glaston, and it also is similar to the famous town Glastonbury Tor, the predicted location of the Holy Grail.
Glen Burnie(Settlement)English Name of an unincorporated town in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It is named after Elias Glenn, who owned a property called Glennsburne.
Glendale(Other)English Named for the suburb in Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney, Australia. The name is Scottish in origin and is taken from two words which both mean "valley".
Glenside(Political Subdivision)English A city in Pennsylvania.
Gloucester(Settlement)English (British) from Glevo, a Celtic name meaning "bright place" (could be related to Old English gleaw "wise, prudent") and Old English ceaster "Roman town" - see Chester.... [more]
Gloversville(Settlement)English (American) Gloversville is the name of 2 settlements in the usa. One in Virginia and one in New york.... [more]
Goa(Political Subdivision)English, Portuguese From Konkani गोंय (Gõy), ultimately derived from Sanskrit गोमन्त (gomanta) possibly referring to an ancient kingdom or tribe. This is the name of a state in southwestern India.
Gobi(Region)English A desert in Mongolia and China. From Mongolian Говь Govʹ, referring to the same region.
Gonzales(Settlement)English (American) From the Spanish surname Gonzáles. A city in Texas, one of the first Anglo-American settlements in the state, was named for Rafael Gonzáles, the governor of Coahuila y Tejas.
Gressenhall(Settlement)English Derived from the Old English grēosn "gravel" or gærsen "grass" and the Anglian halh meaning "a nook of land". The name of a village in the county of Norfolk.
Groningen(Settlement)Dutch, English, German This is a city in the north of the Netherlands and the capital city of the Groningen province. The meaning and origin of the name "Groningen" is unknown, one theory is that "Groningen" meant among the people of Groni, which was derived from lake Gronesbeke... [more]
Grozny(Settlement)Russian, English Means "formidable, menacing, fearsome" in Russian. This is the name of the capital city of the Russian republic of Chechnya.
Guimaras(Political Subdivision & Island)Filipino, Hiligaynon, Tagalog, English From a Spanish corruption of the name Himal-us of uncertain origin and meaning. This is the name of an island province of the Philippines.
Gujarat(Political Subdivision & Region)Gujarati, English Gujarat as a name is derived from the Pratihar dynasty of gurjars, who ruled Gujarat in the 8th and 9th centuries CE.
Guttenberg(Settlement)English Name of a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. It was either named after Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press, or the German word for "good village".
Guyana(Country)English The name of the Country in South America. Guyana, a country on South America’s North Atlantic coast, is defined by its dense rainforest. English-speaking, with cricket and calypso music, it's culturally connected to the Caribbean region... [more]
Guymon(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Guymon. The city in Oklahoma was named for Edward T. "E.T." Guymon, president of the Inter-State Land and Town Company.
Hackney(Settlement)English A district of London. It possibly derives from Old English Haka’s ey, meaning 'Haka's Island'.
Hadley(Settlement)English Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,325 at the 2020 census. The name means “heather field.” and it was renamed for Hadleigh, Suffolk
Haiphong(Settlement)English From Vietnamese Hải Phòng derived from Sino-Vietnamese 海 (hải) meaning "sea, ocean" and 防 (phòng) meaning "defend, protect, guard"... [more]
Haiti(Country)English The name of the Country in the Caribbean. Haiti is a Caribbean country that shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic to its east. Though it’s still recovering from a 2010 earthquake, many of Haiti's landmarks dating to the early 19th century remain intact... [more]
Hakha(Settlement)English From Burmese ဟားခါး (Hahka) possibly derived from Shan ဟား (ha) meaning "requesting, begging" and ခါး (hka) meaning "bitterness, without sweetness", referring to the residents of the historical village who had to pay taxes to the village's original founders... [more]
Half Moon Bay(Settlement)English Refers to a crescent-shaped bay that lies north of the city. This is the name of a city in California.
Halifax(Settlement)English Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. The city was named after George Montagu-Dunk, the 2nd Earl of Halifax, a market town in West Yorkshire, England... [more]
Hallow(Settlement)English Hallow is a village and civil parish beside the River Severn.
Hamhung(Settlement)English, Korean From Korean 함흥 (Hamheung) derived from Sino-Korean 咸 (ham) referring to the city's former name, Hamju, combined with 興 (heung) meaning "thrive, prosper, flourish". This is the name of a city in North Korea, also used as an alternate transcription of Korean 함흥 (see Hamheung).
Hammond(Settlement)English Transferred use of the English surname Hammond. The city in Indiana was named for George H. Hammond, the owner of a nearby meat-packing plant.
Hampshire(Other)English Name of numerous places in England, foremost a large county in South England, from the name Hampton + Old English scir "division", "district".
Hampton(Other)English Name of numerous places in England, from Anglo-Saxon ham "homestead " or hamm "water meadow" + tun "enclosure" "settlement".
Hanoi(Settlement)English From Sino-Vietnamese 河內 (Hà Nội), which is derived from Chinese 河內 (Hénèi) meaning "inside the river", from 河 (hé) meaning "river, stream" and 内 (nèi) meaning "inside", so named because of the area's location within the Red River... [more]
Harbin(Settlement)Manchu, English From a dialectal name meaning "(place of) drying fishnets" in Manchu, so named because the area was once a small fishing village. This is the name of a city in China.
Harrisburg(Settlement)English After a person bearing the surname Harris. In the case of the capital city of the US state of Pennsylvania, the city was named after founder John Harris Sr.
Hartford(Settlement)English Variant of Hertford, from the union of the words heorot ("hart, stag") and ford. This spelling is mostly used in the United States, most famously by the capital city of the State of Connecticut.
Havana(Settlement)English From Spanish Habana, derived from Habaguanex, the name of a Taíno chief who controlled the area. This is the name of the capital city of Cuba.
Havasu(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American), Indigenous American Means “blue” in the Mojave language. In July 2024, a 4 month old baby died of heat exposure while her negligent parents partied on Lake Havasu (California-Arizona border).... [more]
Hawaii(Island)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, of uncertain origin. Theories from Proto-Polynesian hawaiki which possibly means place of the gods" or from Proto-Polynesian sawaiki "homeland", or possibly named for Hawaiʻiloa, legendary discoverer of the Hawaiian islands.
Hawley(Settlement)English The name of various settlements in England, all suffixed with Old English leah meaning "woodland", but with different initial elements... [more]
Hebron(Settlement)English From Hebrew חֶבְרוֹן (Ḥevrōn), ultimately from northwest Semitic ḥbr meaning "unite, colleague, friend, alliance". Several sites in the United States were named for the city in Palestine.
Helena(Settlement)English Name of the capital city of Montana. Form the given name Helena
Helmsley(Settlement)English A small market town in Northern England. It's name derives from the Old English Helm, a personal name and leah, which means 'clearing, field'.
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.
Hennepin(Political Subdivision)English (American), French The name of a county in Minnesota, from the French surname Hennepin, after Louis Hennepin, a Belgian Catholic priest and missionary.
Herefordshire(Political Subdivision & Region)English May mean "county of the army river crossing", deriving from the Old English for "army", here, and "river crossing", ford, making Hereford, and sċīr, from Proto-West Germanic *skīru meaning "county”... [more]
Herkimer(Settlement)English (American) Herkimer is a small settlement in new york USA. Herkimer was founded in 1788.... [more]
Herzegovina(Country, Political Subdivision & Region)English From German herzog meaning “duke’s land.” It is a geographical region part of the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Hesse(Political Subdivision)English From the name of a Germanic tribe originally called Chatti, later Chassi, and from the 8th century called Hassi or Hessi. Hesse is a state in Germany. Possibly derived from Old Germanic *hatjaną "to hunt down, pursue; to rush, incite, attack", or from *hattuz "hat, head covering".
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.
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".
Ho Chi Minh(Settlement)English From the name of Vietnamese revolutionary and politician Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969; natively HồChíMinh in Vietnamese)... [more]
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".
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.
Houma(Settlement)English (American) A city in Louisiana. From the name of the Houma Native American people.
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.
Huron(Body of Water)English One of the Great Lakes of the United States of America, so named because it has fresh water, a rarity around the world.
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]
Iceland(Country & Island)English From Icelandic Ísland, which is derived from Old Norse íss meaning "ice" and land meaning "land, country". This is the name of a Nordic island country in the Atlantic Ocean.
Idaho(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, of uncertain origin, possibly from Shoshone term ee-da-how, meaning "gem of the mountains" or "the sun comes from the mountains".
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".
Illinois(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the modern French spelling of the Algonquian people who called themselves Inoca or Ilinouek.
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.
Independence(Settlement)English Name of a city in Missouri, it is named after the Declaration of Independence.
Indian(Body of Water)English Name of an ocean, they named it that because it was by India.
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. 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.
Ingushetia(Political Subdivision)English Means "(place) of the Ingush", from the Russian name for the Ingush people. The Russian name is believed to be derived from Ангушт (Angusht), the Ingush name of the village of Tarskoe located in present-day North Ossetia–Alania... [more]
Inniswood(Other)English Part of the name of Inniswood Metro Gardens formed from the estate of Mary and Grace Innis.
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]
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.
Iowa(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, possibly from Dakota ayuxba "sleepy ones".
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.
Irrawaddy(River)English From Burmese ဧရာဝတီ (Eyawadi), ultimately derived from Sanskrit इरावती (iravati) meaning "gaining drink or refreshment, satiating, endowed with provisions". This is the name of a river in Myanmar.
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.
Isle Of Man(Island)English Means "mountain isle" in English, from Old Irish mana, a cognate of Celtic isles having mountains, itself from Proto-Celtic *moniyos "mountain". This is the name of an island and crown independency of the United Kingdom and a rural locality in Scotland.
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]
Itasca(Body of Water)English Lake Itasca in north central Minnesota.... [more]
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]
Ivory Coast(Country)English Calque of French Côte d'Ivoire meaning "coast of ivory", a reference to the historical ivory trade prominent in that region. This is the name of a country in western Africa, sometimes also referred to by its French name.
Jacklin(Body of Water)English Jacklin Lake is located in Wisconsin. Some of its native creatures are the northern pout, the pike, and the panfish.
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.
Jacksonville(Political Subdivision)English Name of a city in Florida, named in honor of Andrew Jackson who was the first military governor of the Florida Territory and seventh President of the United States.
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]
Jamestown(Settlement)English Jamestown, named after King James, was a settlement in Virginia, one of the original thirteen colonies.
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.
Java(Political Subdivision & Island)English, Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish From Indonesian Jawa, which is of uncertain origin. It is most likely derived from Sanskrit यव-द्वीप (yava-dvipa) meaning "island of barley", though it may have come from Javanese ꦗꦸꦮꦮꦸꦠ꧀ (juwawut) meaning "foxtail millet (a type of plant)" or Malay jauh meaning "far, distant"... [more]
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]
Jersey(Political Subdivision & Island)English, Medieval Scandinavian One of the Channel Islands in England. Also a name of a state in the United States. May be derived from the Old Norse jarð meaning "earth" or jarl meaning "earl", or maybe from the given name Geirr... [more]
Johnstown(Settlement)English The are 27 settlements in the world named Johnstown. They can be found in the USA and Ireland.... [more]
Johor(Political Subdivision)Malay, English Derived from Arabic جوهر (jawhar) meaning "jewel, precious stone", ultimately of Persian origin. This is the name of a state in southern Malaysia.
Johor Bahru(Settlement)Malay, English From Johor and Malay bahru meaning "new". This is the name of a city in Malaysia.
Joilet(Settlement)English (American) It was renamed in 1845 for Louis Jolliet, the French Canadian explorer who visited the site in 1673. Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, near Chicago.
Joliet(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Joliet. The city in Illinois was named for Louis Joliet, one of the first Europeans to map the Upper Mississippi area.
Jolo(Settlement & Island)Filipino, Tagalog, English Probably derived from Hokkien 好儂 (hó lâng) meaning "good people", named by Chinese traders to reflect how they perceived the native people of the region. This is the name of an island in the southern Philippines as well as the capital city of the province of Sulu.
Judea(Region)Biblical, English From a Greek and Roman adaptation of the name Judah, ultimately from Hebrew Yehudah. This was/is the name of a mountainous southern part of the region of Palestine.
Judice(Settlement)English Judice is an unincorporated community in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States.
Juneau(Settlement)English The capital city of Alaska, it is named after Canadian miner Joe Juneau.
Jurupa(Settlement)English (American) From a Native American word of uncertain meaning. Jurupa Valley is a town in the inland empire of California that is currently getting gentrified due to its proximity to bougier Riverside
Kabardino-Balkaria(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Кабардино-Балкария (Kabardino-Balkariya) comprised of the names of the Kabardian and Balkar people. This is the name of a republic of Russia.
Kabekona(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe gabekana meaning "end of the trail".
Kabetogama(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe gaa-biitoogamaag-zaaga'igan meaning "the lake that lies parallel with another lake, the lake that doubles with another lake, the place where there is one lake after another."
Kabul(Settlement)English From Pashto کابل (Kabel) which may have been derived from Kambuja or Kamboja, the name of an ancient Indo-Iranian tribe and kingdom. The name is of uncertain meaning, possibly from Sanskrit काम (kama 1) meaning "love, desire" and भुज् (bhuj) meaning "use, possess, rule"... [more]
Kachin(Political Subdivision, Region & Mountain)Bengali, Assamese, English (British) The well known British English pronunciation of Ga Hkyeng, which means ‘red soil’ in Jingpho.
Kachin(Political Subdivision & Region)Burmese, English From a collective term for various ethnolinguistic groups that inhibit the Kachin Hills in northern Myanmar, itself of unclear origin. This is the name of a state of Myanmar, as well as a geographical region in the northeastern part of the country.
Kajang(Settlement)Malay, English Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Temuan kajang referring to an art of weaving pandanus leaves. Alternately it could be from Buginese berkajang meaning "camp, accommodation". This is the name of a city in Malaysia.
Kalahari(Region)English (African) A desert in southern Africa. From Tswana kgala meaning "the great thirst", or kgalagadi meaning "a waterless place".
Kalamazoo(Settlement)English (American) The city in Michigan and other places are named after the Kalamazoo River. There are several theories as to the etymology of Kalamazoo. One is that it comes from Potawatomi negikanamazo meaning "otter tail" or kikalamezo meaning "boiling pot, place where the water boils"... [more]
Kalmykia(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Калмыкия (Kalmykiya) ultimately from хальмг (xal'mg), the native name of the Kalmyk people. The ethnic name is of probably Mongolian origin meaning "the people moving away", from Mongolian халих (khalikh) meaning "overflow, flood", referring to how the Kalmyk people were originally Mongolians who "leaked away" from their ancestral homeland... [more]
Kandiyohi(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Dakota kandi, "buffalo fish" and ohi, "arrive in".
Kandy(Settlement)English From Tamil கண்டி (Kanti) of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from Sinhala කන්ද උඩරට (kanda urarata) meaning "upland" or කන්ද උඩ පාස් රට (kanda ura pas rata) meaning "mountain pass country"... [more]
Kansas(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named after Kanas river, from French variant of Kansa, native name of the Siouan people who lived there.
Kapaa(Settlement)English (American) A city in Hawaiʻi. From Hawaiian kapaʻa meaning "the solid one".
Karaganda(Settlement)English, Russian From Kazakh Қарағанды (Qaraghandy), which is derived from қараған (qaraghan) meaning "caragana" (a type of flower). This is the name of a city in Kazakhstan.
Karakalpakstan(Political Subdivision)English, Russian From Karakalpak Қарақалпақстан (Qaraqalpaqstan), itself from the name of the Karakalpak people combined with the Persian suffix ستان (stan 2) meaning "land of"... [more]
Karamea(Settlement)Maori, English Means "speargrass" in Maori, peobably from a corruption of kakara taramea meaning "sweet-scented gum (of speargrass leaves)". This is the name of a town in New Zealand.
Karelia(Political Subdivision & Region)English From Russian Карелия (Kareliya), which is from Karelian and Finnish Karjala derived from Finnish karja meaning "cattle, livestock" combined with the suffix -la denoting location... [more]
Kargil(Settlement)English, Urdu Most likely derived from Tibetan དཀར (dkar) meaning "white, pure, bright" and སྐྱིལ (skyil) meaning "expanse" or འཁྱིལ ('khyil) meaning "mountainous amphitheater, place where water flows"... [more]
Kashmir(Region)Hindi, Urdu, Dogri, Persian, English Derived from Sanskrit कश्मीर (kashmira) of uncertain meaning. It could be derived from the name of the sage Kashyapa combined with Sanskrit मीर (mira) meaning "ocean, sea" or मेरु (meru) referring to the legendary Mount Meru in Hindu and Buddhist tradition... [more]
Kathmandu(Settlement)Nepali, English From the name of Kasthamandap, a Hindu temple and shrine in Nepal. The name means "wooden pavilion" from Sanskrit काष्ठ (kashtha) meaning "wood" combined with मण्डप (mandapa) meaning "pavilion, hall, square"... [more]
Kayah(Political Subdivision)English From the name of the Kayah (Karenni) people, derived from Burmese ကယား (kaya). This is the name of a state of Myanmar.
Kayin(Political Subdivision)Burmese, English From the Burmese name for the Karen people, ကရင် (Kayin), which is of uncertain origin and meaning. This is the name of a state of Myanmar.
Kazbek(Mountain)Russian, English From Arabic قاضي (qadi) meaning "judge, arbiter" combined with the Turkish military title beg meaning "chieftain, master". This is the name of a dormant stratovolcano and mountain located in the central Caucasus.
Kearsley(Settlement)English Derived from the words cærse "watercress" and either hlaw "mound, small hill" or leah "woodland, clearing"
Kedah(Political Subdivision)Malay, English Derived from Arabic قتح (qataha), itself from Tamil கடாரம் (kadaram) possibly meaning "boiler, stockpot, cauldron". This is the name of a Malaysian state.
Kego(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe kego meaning "fish".
Keighley(Settlement)English Means "Cyhha's clearing", a combination of the Old English name Cyhha and Old English leah "woodland clearing". Keighley is city in Britain.
Kelantan(Political Subdivision)Malay, English Meaning uncertain, possibly from Malay gelam hutam meaning "cajeput" (a type of tree), kilatan meaning "lightning, flash" or kolam tanah meaning "dirt pool". Alternatively, it may be from Tamil கோலம் (kolam) referring to an art form from the Indian subcontinent consisting of stylised designs made of powder... [more]
Kenitra(Settlement)English, Spanish, Italian English, Spanish and Italian name for a city in northwestern Morocco, derived from Arabic القُنَيْطَرَة (al-Qunayṭara) meaning "the little bridge".
Kenosha(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From the Ojibwe kinoje meaning "pike, pickerel".
Kentucky(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, originally the name of a river, which possibly derived from the Iroquoian word wyandot, meaning meadow.
Kerala(Political Subdivision)English From Malayalam കേരളം (Keralam) of uncertain meaning. One theory suggests that it means "land of coconuts", derived from Malayalam കേരം (keram) meaning "coconut" and അളം (alam) meaning "place"... [more]
Ketchikan(Settlement & River)English (American) The city in Alaska is named for the nearby Ketchikan Creek, which itself comes from Tlingit kichx̱áan, of disputed meaning.
Khakassia(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Хакасия (Khakasiya) derived from the name of the Khakas people, which is of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a republic of Russia.
Kielder(River)English A river and reservoir in Northern England. It's name could come from Celtic words cognate with Welsh clou, 'fast' and dwr 'river'.
Kiev(Settlement)Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian, German, English The name Kiev comes from a medieval legend about the founding of the city told by a Chronicler of Rus-Ukraine. It was three brothers, Kie, Shchek and Khoriv, and their sister Lebid, who were the founders.
Kildare(Region)Irish, English From Irish Cill Dara meaning "church of the oak".
Kinabalu(Mountain)Malay, English Meaning uncertain, possibly from Kadazan-Dusun Aki Nabalu or Ki Nabalu, derived from aki meaning "ancestor, grandfather" or ki meaning "have, exist" and nabalu possibly meaning "mountain" or "spirit"... [more]
King's Lynn(Settlement)English Derived from the Celtic lin meaning "lake" or "pool", referring to the tidal pool on the River Ouse. It became known at Bishop's Lynn in the 12th Century, when Bishop Herbert de Losinga of Thetford began the first Medieval town there... [more]
Kirghizia(Country & Political Subdivision)English (Rare) Anglicization of Kirgiziya, the Russian name for the country of Kyrgyzstan. In the Anglophone world, this name was primarily used during the Soviet era... [more]
Kiska(Island)English The name of a volcanic island of southwestern Alaska; the largest and westernmost of the Rat Islands, a group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
Klang(Settlement & River)Malay, English Meaning uncertain, possibly of Aslian or Old Malay origin. This is the name of a city and river in Malaysia.
Kluang(Settlement)Malay, English From Malay keluang meaning "flying fox, megabat", so named for the formerly large population of these bats in the area. This is the name of a city in Malaysia.
Kochi(Settlement)Malayalam, English, Hindi Possibly from Malayalam കൊച്ച് (kochu) meaning "small" and അഴി (azhi) meaning "lagoon, pond". This is the name of a city in India, formerly known as Cochin.
Kolkata(Settlement)Bengali, English From the name of the historical village of কলিকাতা (Kolikata) of uncertain meaning. It may be derived from the name of the Hindu goddess Kali 1 combined with Bengali ক্ষেত্র (khetro) meaning "field, region, area" or ঘাট (ghat) meaning "pier, quay"; from কিলকিলা (kilkila) meaning "flat area" or from খাল (khal) meaning "canal" combined with কাটা (kata) meaning "cut, chop"... [more]
Kota Bharu(Settlement)Malay, English Means "new city" in Malay, from kota meaning "city, town, fort" and baharu meaning "new". This is the name of the capital city of the Malaysian state of Kelantan.
Kota Kinabalu(Settlement)Malay, English From Malay kota meaning "town, city" and Kinabalu referring to Mount Kinabalu. This is the name of a city in Malaysia.
Krakatoa(Mountain)English From Indonesian Krakatau of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a volcano in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra.
Krung Thep(Settlement)Thai, English Means "city of gods" from Thai กรุง (krung) meaning "city" and เทพ (thep) meaning "god, deity". This is a Thai name for Bangkok, used as a shortened form of Krung Thep Maha Nakhon... [more]
Kuala Lumpur(Settlement)Malay, English Means "muddy confluence" from Malay kuala meaning "confluence" and lumpur meaning "mud". This is the name of the capital city of Malaysia.
Kuala Terengganu(Settlement)Malay, English From Malay kuala meaning "confluence" and the name Terengganu. This is the name of the capital city of the Malaysian state of Terengganu.
Kuantan(Settlement)Malay, English Uncertain, possibly from the name of a Sumatran village or of Chinese origin. The name was first mentioned by writer Munshi Abdullah (1796-1854) around 1851 or 1852. This is the name of the capital city of the Malaysian state of Pahang.
Kuching(Settlement)Malay, English Probably either derived from Malay kucing meaning "cat" or from Cochin (or Kochi), the name of a city in India. Other theories suggest that the name comes from Malay mata kucing, the name of a type of fruit, or from Chinese 古 (gǔ) meaning "past, classic, old" combined with 井 (jǐng) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit"... [more]
Kyiv(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Ukrainian, English, Danish, Indonesian, Malagasy, Malay, Norwegian, Tagalog From Old East Slavic Киевъ (Kievu) of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally attributed to the given name Кий (Kyi) referring to one of the three legendary founders of the city, although another theory suggests that it is derived from Ukrainian кий (kyi) meaning "stick, pole" (so named because the city was palisaded by poles)... [more]
Laayoune(Settlement)English, Slovene From French Laâyoune derived from Arabic اَلْعَيُون (al-ʿayūn) meaning "the springs". This is the name of the capital city of the disputed territory of Western Sahara, though it is administered by Morocco.
Laccadive(Political Subdivision, Body of Water & Other)English Probably an Anglicized version of Lakṣadvīpa.
Laconia(Settlement)English Laconia is a place in New Hampshire.
Lac Qui Parle(Body of Water)English (American) A lake and city in Minnesota. From French lac qui parle meaning "lake which speaks".
La Crosse(Settlement)English (American) From French la crosse, meaning "crozier". The city in Wisconsin was named for a game played by the Native Americans living in the area, which used sticks resembling, in the eyes of Euro-American colonists, a bishop's crozier.
Ladakh(Region & Political Subdivision)English, Persian From Persian لداخ (ladakh), itself derived from Tibetan ལ་དྭགས (la dwags) meaning "land of high passes", from the words ལ (la) meaning "hillside, mountain pass" and དྭགས (dwags) meaning "open place"... [more]
Lafayette(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Lafayette. Several places in the United States are named Lafayette after the the French general Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Lagos(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Western African, Hausa, Igbo, English From Portuguese lagos meaning "lakes". This is the name of a city in Nigeria as well as a state of the same name.
Laguna(Political Subdivision & Body of Water)English, Filipino Means "lake" or "lagoon" in Spanish. In the Philippines, it refers to a lake (Laguna de Bay) or a province which is adjacent to the lake.
Lahaina(Settlement)English, Hawaiian A city in Hawaiʻi. From the Hawaiian language, but of uncertain etymology.
Lakeland(Region, River & Other)English (Rare) The Lake District, a rural area in northwest England.... [more]
Lakeside(Settlement)English Lakeside means "at the side of the lake". Multiple cities have this name in the United States.
Lakewood(Settlement)English This place name meaning "lake by the wood" is a very common city name in the United States.
Lakshadweep(Political Subdivision)English A union territory of India. An Anglicized form of Sanskrit लक्षद्वीप (lakṣadvīpa) meaning "hundred thousand islands", from लक्ष (lakṣa) meaning “hundred thousand” and द्वीप (dvīpa) meaning "island".
Lamar(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Lamar. The city in Colorado is named for Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, author of the Mississippi Ordinance of Secession, and soldier for the Confederacy in the American Civil War.
Lampert(Settlement)English A tiny hamlet in Northumberland, near the border with Cumbria. Despite this location's small size, several theories have emerged relating to the etymology of this unique name, which was first recorded in c.1290 as Lythel Lampard.... [more]
Lanao(Political Subdivision & Body of Water)Filipino, Tagalog, English From Maranao ranaw meaning "lake, body of water". This is the name of a lake and two provinces in the southern Philippines.
Lanchester(Settlement)English Derived from the words lang "long" and chester "camp, fortress".
Langkawi(Island)Malay, English Meaning uncertain, possibly from a colloquial name for the brahminy kite (a type of eagle), derived from Malay helang meaning "eagle" and kawi referring to a reddish-brown chalk. This is the name of an island and archipelago in Malaysia.
Lansing(Settlement)English The English usage is a place name originally derived from the town of Lancing in West Sussex (and which has also given names to other towns such as Lansing, Michigan and Lansing, New York). ''Lancing'' comes from the Old English personal name ''Wlanc'', meaning ''proud, imperious'', with the added suffix ''-ing'', indicating ''family of or follower of''.
Laramie(Settlement, River & Mountain)English (American) From the French surname Laramie. Several places in the United States were named for Jacques LaRamie, a French or French-Canadian trapper who was one of the first people of European descent to come to the Wyoming area.
Las Vegas(Settlement)English, Spanish Means "the meadows" in Spanish, from vega meaning "meadow". This is the name of a city in the American state of Nevada.
Latina(Settlement)Italian, English, Finnish, French Derived from the former name Latinia, itself adopted in 1944 to replace the name Littoria, which had been chosen by the Fascist government upon the inauguration of the city in 1932... [more]
Laurel(Settlement)English From the English word "laurel". The city in Montana was named for a laurel shrub which was growing in the area.
Lausanne(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English, English (British), French From Latin Lausanna or Lausonium, ultimately from Proto-Celtic lausa meaning “slab.” This is the name of the fourth most populated city of Switzerland... [more]
Lea(River)English (British) Lea is a river in the UK. It's found in southeast England and flows from the Chiltern Hills and flows to the river Thames at Bow Creek.... [more]
Lebanon(Country & Mountain)English, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai Derived from the Pro-West Semitic root laban meaning "white". This is the name of a country and mountain range in Western Asia.
Leh(Settlement)English, Hindi, Urdu Possibly derived from Tibetan གླེ (gle) meaning "grove, small uncultivated island". This is the name of a city in India.
Leominster(Other)English (British) The first recorded name was “Llanllienni” a Welsh name meaning Church in a Place of Streams. Renamed by the Saxons, after Leofric Earl of Hereford and husband of Lady Godiva. It appears as “Leofminstrein” in the Domesday Book... [more]
Lesbos(Island)Ancient Greek, English Meaning uncertain, possibly "wooded, forested". This is the name of a Greek island in the northeastern Aegean Sea - the third largest island in Greece. In the 7th century BC, it was home to a circle of young girl lovers including Sappho.
Lesotho(Country)English The name of the Country in Southern Africa. Lesotho, a high-altitude, landlocked kingdom encircled by South Africa, is crisscrossed by a network of rivers and mountain ranges including the 3,482m-high peak of Thabana Ntlenyana... [more]
Lewisville(Political Subdivision)English A city in Denton county, Texas.
Lexington(Settlement)English A place name meaning "Leaxa's town" in Old English.
Lhasa(Settlement)Tibetan, English Probably from Tibetan ལྷ་ས (lha sa) meaning "land of gods", derived from ལྷ (lha) meaning "deity, god" and ས (sa) meaning "land, earth". Alternatively, it may have been an alteration of Old Tibetan ར་ས (ra sa) meaning "land of goats" or "fortified land" from ར (ra) meaning "goat" or "enclosure" and ས (sa) meaning "land, earth"... [more]
Limerick(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Irish, English Possibly derives from loimeanach, meaning "bare marsh" or "spot made bare by feeding horses". Other potential derivations connect with luimnigthe "cloaked" and luimnechda, meaning "shielded"... [more]
Lindley(Settlement)English This is the name of several places located in England, United States and South Africa.... [more]
Linley(Settlement)English This is the name of a hamlet, located in Shropshire in England.... [more]
Linz(Settlement)English From *lentos (“bend” in Proto-Celtic), describing the bend in the Danube where the original Celtic settlement was placed.
Lisbon(Settlement)English From Portuguese Lisboa derived from Latin Olisīpō, which is of uncertain meaning. Folk etymologies state that it comes from the name Odysseus or Ulysses, though it may have been derived from Phoenician ʿlyṣ ʿbʾ or ʿaliṣ-ʿuboʾ meaning "safe harbour"... [more]
Liss(Other)English The place name, Liss, originally Lyss, was first recorded in the Domesday Book. The meaning of 'Liss' is unknown.
Little Rock(Settlement)English From the name of a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River, used as a landmark by early river traffic. This is the name of the capital city of the US state of Arkansas.
Liverpool(Settlement)English, Welsh A port city in western England on the mouth of the River Mersey. Uncertain origin. Possibly derived from Cumbric words equivalent to the Welsh leidiau, meaning 'mud' and pwll, meaning 'pool', or else the Old English formation *Liferpōl, 'thick, muddy pool'.
Livingston(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Livingston. The city in Montana was named for Johnston Livingston, a Northern Pacific Railway stockholder and director.