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]
Kelso(Settlement & Mountain)English Transferred usage of the surname Kelso or Kelsall, used for various settlements in English-speaking countries... [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".
Kennebecasis(River)Maliseet, English The name Kennebecasis comes from the Maliseet (Wolastoqey) word Kenepekachiachk, meaning "little long bay" (kenebek = "long bay," asis = "little"). It describes the widening sections of the river, which flow into the Saint John River... [more]
Kennebunk(Settlement)English (American) A town in Maine. The name is said to be derived from an Algonquian phrase meaning "the long-cut bank".
Kennesaw(Settlement)English (American) A city in Georgia. The name is derived from the Cherokee word gah-nee-sah, meaning "cemetery, burial ground".
Kennewick(Settlement)English (American) A city in Washington. Possibly from a phrase meaning "grassy place" in an unknown Native American language, or derived from the surname Chenoythe, which belonged to a member of the Hudson's Bay Company.
Kenorland(Region)English Named after the Kenoran orogany. The name of a supercontinent from the Neoarchean era
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.
Kewanee(Settlement)English (American) Various cities in the United States. The name is derived from a Winnebago word meaning "greater prairie-chicken".
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'.
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]
Kinnickinnic(River)English (American) A river in Wisconsin. The name is derived from the word kinnikinnick, referring to a kind of mixture of herbs used for smoking by various Native American peoples.
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]
Kisco(Settlement)English (American) A river and several settlements in New York. The name derives from the Algonquin word cisqua meaning "muddy place".
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.
Kissimmee(Settlement & River)English (American) A city, river, and lake in Florida. Possibly from a Jororo word, or from Atissimi, the name of a Spanish mission in the area.
Kitchener(Settlement)English Originally named Berlin due to its predominantly German population in the 19th century. The name was changed to Kitchener in 1916 during World War I, following anti-German sentiment in Canada... [more]
Kitch-iti-kipi(Body of Water)English (American) The largest freshwater spring in Michigan. The name derives from the Ojibwe language, and is said to mean "mirror of heaven".
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.
Kokomo(Settlement)English (American) Various settlements in the United States. The city in Indiana is named for Ma-Ko-Ko-Mo, also known as Kokomo, a semi-legendary member of the Miami people.
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 (Kievŭ) of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally attributed to the given name Кий (Kyy) 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.
Labrador City(Settlement)English The name Labrador City is directly associated with the Labrador region of Newfoundland and Labrador. The term Labrador itself is believed to have originated from the Portuguese word "lavrador," meaning "farmer" or "landholder", likely referring to early exploration in the area by Portuguese navigators... [more]
Laccadive(Political Subdivision, Body of Water & Other)English Probably an Anglicized version of Lakṣadvīpa.
Lackawanna(Settlement, Body of Water & River)English (American) A city in New York, a river in Pennsylvania, and a lake in New Jersey. The name may be derived from a phrase in a Lenape language meaning "stream that forks".
Laconia(Settlement)English Laconia is a place in New Hampshire.
Lac Qui Parle(Body of Water)English (American) A lake, river, 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.
Lakeview(Settlement)English The name Lakeview is a straightforward English toponym (place name) derived from the words "lake" and "view," indicating a scenic location overlooking a lake. Many communities with this name were established near lakes or bodies of water, making the name descriptive of the area's geography.... [more]
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''.
Lantana(Settlement)English (American) A town in Florida, named for plants of the genus Lantana which grew in the area.
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]
Latium(Region)Latin, English Latin form of Lazio. It is the name of a historical region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire.
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]
Lazio(Political Subdivision)Italian, English (American), English (British) From the Latin name Latium, which has been suggested to derive from the Latin word latus, meaning "wide, broad". This is the name of one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy.
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.
Leesburg(Settlement)English A town in Virginia named after the Lee family, who had helped lead the settlement during early colonial times.
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]
Lethbridge(Settlement)English (Canadian) The name Lethbridge comes from the surname of the original landowner, William Lethbridge, an Englishman. He was a prominent figure in the development of the area. Lethbridge is located in southern Alberta, Canada.
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 Means "place of gods" from Tibetan ལྷ (lha) meaning "god, deity" and ས (sa) meaning "place, location, land". The name may have originally been ར་ས (ra-sa) meaning "place of goats" in Old Tibetan, which evolved into ལྷ་ས (lha-sa) over time... [more]
Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins(Political Subdivision)English, Spanish Means "Liberator General Bernardo O'Higgins" in Spanish, referencing the Chilean independence leader Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (1778-1842). This is the name of a region in Chile, often shortened to O'Higgins.
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]
Lindisfarne(Island)English (British) The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is located off the northeast coast of England in Northumberland. It is known for being accessible by a causeway twice a day.... [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.
Ljubljana(Settlement)Slovene, Croatian, English The origin of the city's name is unclear. In the Middle Ages, both the river and the town were also known by the German name Laibach. This name was in official use as an endonym until 1918, and it remains frequent as a German exonym, both in common speech and official use... [more]
Lloydminster(Settlement)English Lloydminster was named after George Lloyd, an Anglican priest and settlement leader. It was founded in 1903 as a temperance colony by British settlers. The suffix "-minster" is derived from the Old English word for a church or monastery, often used in British place names... [more]
Lodi(Settlement)English (American), Italian A city in Caliornia, likely named for the city in Italy, which in turn is likely derived from Latin laude, "praise".
Lomita(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Spanish lomita meaning "little hill".
Lompoc(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Chumash Purisimeño lumpo'o̥ meaning "in the cheeks".
Los Gatos(Settlement)English Means "the cats" in Spanish, named after the wild cats that used to live in the area. This is the name of a city in California.
Louisville(Settlement)English Named in honor of King Louis XVI of France, whose soldiers were aiding the Americans during the Revolution. This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the lagrest city in the state of Kentucky.
Loveland(Settlement)English This is the name of multiple cities in different English speaking countries. One is the city in Colorado.
Lubbock(Settlement)English City in Texas. Named after Texas Ranger Thomas Saltus Lubbock, whose surname denotes someone from Lübeck in northern Germany.
Lucknow(Settlement)English Anglicised form of Hindi लखनऊ (Lakhnau) of uncertain meaning, perhaps from Sanskrit लक्ष्मणपुरी (lakshmanapuri) meaning "city of Lakshmana" or लक्ष्मणवती (lakshmanavati) meaning "fortunate"... [more]
Luton(Settlement)English (British) A settlement in the United Kingdom , situated on the River Lea. Luton was founded in the 6th century by the Anglo-Saxons.... [more]
Luxor(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From a corruption of Arabic الأقصر (al-'uqsur) meaning "the palaces". This is the name of a governorate and city in Egypt.
Luzon(Island)Filipino, Tagalog, Ilocano, Pampangan, English Of uncertain meaning, probably from Tagalog lusong meaning "mortar (for pounding rice)". This is the name of the largest island in the Philippines.
Lyd(River)English The name of a river in Devon, England, perhaps derived from a Celtic source such as Lludd, though the usual derivation is Old English hlȳde "noisy stream" - which the Saxons may have assumed was the river's name.
Lydbrook(Settlement)English This is a village in the Forest of Dean, Old English for "dwell by the river"
Machelonia(Country, Political Subdivision & Region)Ancient Greek, English, Italian Derived from Μαχελονία (Machelonia), the ancient Greek name for a region and satrapy of the Sasanian Empire. It was named after the Colchian (i.e. Kartvelian) tribe that lived there, who were known to the ancient Greeks as the Μαχελῶνες (Machelones) or the Μαχελονοι (Machelonoi)... [more]
Madison(Settlement)English Named after James Madison (1751–1836), Founding Father and fourth President of the United States. This is the name of several settlements, including the capital city of the State of Wisconsin.
Madison Heights(Settlement)English (American) Madison Heights ranked as fifth highest populated City in South Oakland County. The first City Hall was located at 26305 John R Road, the former township offices. On April 5, 1963, a new municipal building was constructed which is on the present location at 300 West Thirteen Mile Road.
Madras(Settlement)English, Hindi Meaning uncertain, possibly from the name of a fishing village. This is the former name of the Indian city of Chennai.
Magalia(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From Latin magalia meaning "little dwellings, huts, tents".
Maguindanao(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Cebuano, Tagalog, English From Spanish Maguindanao, a corruption of Magindanaw, the endonym of the Maguindanao people. The ethnic name means "people of the flood plains" or "people of the lake" from the word danao meaning "lake"... [more]
Magway(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From Burmese မကွေး (magwe) of uncertain meaning. This is the name of an administrative division of, as well as a town in, Myanmar.
Magway(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From Burmese မကွေး (Magwe) derived from a corruption of မြစ် (myit) meaning "river" and ကွေ့ (gwe) meaning "turn, curve, bend", referring to the city's location along a bend of the Irrawaddy River... [more]
Magwe(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From Burmese မကွေး (Magwe) derived from a corruption of မြစ် (myit) meaning "river" and ကွေ့ (gwe) meaning "turn, curve, bend", referring to the city's location along a bend of the Irrawaddy River... [more]
Mahnomen(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnnesota. From the Ojibwe manoomin meaning "wild rice".
Mahtomedi(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. Its name is derived from Dakota mathó, "bear", and bdé, "lake".
Maine(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, possibly from French Maine, a region in France (named for the river that runs through it, which has a name of Gaulish origin).
Majapahit(Country & Settlement)Indonesian, Malay, English Means "bitter maja", from Javanese maja referring to the bael tree (genus Aegle) and Malay pahit meaning "bitter, acrid". This was the name of a kingdom (as well as its capital city) based on the island of Java that existed from 1293 to 1527.
Majorca(Island)English Majorca is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The local language, as on the rest of the Balearic Islands, is Catalan, which is co-official with Spanish.
Makati(Settlement)Tagalog, English Derived from the phrase makati na, kumakati na meaning "ebbing tide". This is the name of a city in the Philippines.
Makuria(Country & Region)History, English Derived from Μακουρια (Makouria), which is the hellenized form of the autochthonous name of a Nubian kingdom that existed from the 5th century AD to the late 15th century AD. The original Nubian name is unknown, as is its meaning... [more]
Malacca(Country, Political Subdivision, Settlement & Body of Water)English From Malay Melaka, probably derived from the Malay name for the Indian gooseberry (genus Phyllanthus), a type of tree. This is the name of a state in southern Malaysia as well as a city (Malacca City) and a narrow body of water between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra (the Strait of Malacca)... [more]
Malaya(Country & Region)English From the name of the Malay people, meaning uncertain (see Malaysia).... [more]
Malden(Political Subdivision & River)English Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex county, Massachusetts. It is near the Malden river.
Maldives(Country)Catalan, English, French, Greek, Malay Uncertain, possibly means "Malé islands" from Dhivehi މާލެ (māle) referring to Malé, the capital city of the Maldives, combined with Sanskrit द्वीप (dvīpá) meaning "island"... [more]
Malibu(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. The name is derived from the Chumash word humaliwo meaning "the surf sounds loudly", which was the name of a pre-colonial Chumash settlement in the area.
Maluku(Region & Political Subdivision)Indonesian, English Meaning uncertain. This is the name of an archipelago in eastern Indonesia, the Maluku Islands, as well as the name of two Indonesian provinces, Maluku and North Maluku.
Mamaroneck(Settlement)English (American) A river and town in New York, USA. Possibly from the Unami word mehëmalunèk meaning "place to dance", but more likely from the Munsee word maamaalahneek meaning "striped stream".
Manama(Settlement)Arabic, English Means "place of sleep, place of rest" in Arabic. This is the name of the capital city of Bahrain, usually written with the definite article: المنامة (al-Manama) in Arabic.
Manchester(Settlement)English A large city in North-West England. Manchester is an Anglicization of the town's Latin name Mancunium. This was likely derived from an earlier name in a language similar to Welsh. It may have derived from words equivalent to Welsh mamau, meaning 'mother', in reference to a local river goddess... [more]
Manchuria(Region)English, Indonesian, Malay, Spanish, Tagalog Likely from a Dutch calque of Japanese 満州 (Manshū) derived from the name of the Manchu people, ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ (manju), of uncertain origin. The ethnic name is probably derived from the name of the bodhisattva Manjushri in Buddhist tradition... [more]
Mandalay(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From Burmese မန္တလေး (mandale) of unclear origin, possibly from Sanskrit मण्डल (mandala) meaning "circle, disk". This is the name of an administrative division of Myanmar as well as its regional capital.
Mandan(Settlement)English (American) The city in North Dakota was named for the Mandan people, who are indigenous to the area.
Manhattan(Island)English (American) It is named after the Algonquin tribe from whom the Dutch settlers claimed to have bought the island in 1626.
Manila(Settlement)Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Maranao, English, Spanish From Tagalog Maynila, which is derived from the term may-nila meaning "where indigo is found", ultimately from Sanskrit नील (nila) referring to the indigo plant as well as indigo dye... [more]
Manistee(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A city, lake, and river in Michigan. The name may be derived from the Ojibwe word ministigweyaa meaning "river with islands at its mouth", or another Ojibwe phrase, possibly meaning "spirit of the woods".
Manitoba(Political Subdivision)English Name of a province in Canada, from Cree manitou-wapow or Ojibwa manidoobaa, both meaning "straits of Manitou, the Great Spirit",
Manitowoc(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe manidoowaak meaning "spirit spawn", "spirit woods" or "spirit land".
Mankato(Settlement)English (American) From a typographic error of Mahkato, from the Dakota name for the Blue Earth River, Makato Osa Watapa, meaning "the river where blue earth is gathered".
Manour(Settlement)English (British) The town was granted its name by a group of British explorers who stumbled upon the area during their quest for hidden treasures. As they journeyed through the lush countryside, they came upon a serene valley adorned with majestic manor houses, each more grandiose than the last.
Manteca(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. From a typo of the name Monteca, coinciding with manteca, Spanish for "lard".
Mantua(Settlement)English, Dutch, German, Ancient Roman, Spanish A city in Italy, the birthplace of the famous Ancient Roman poet Vergil. Etymology uncertain; possibly from the name of the Etruscan god Mantus.
Mapleton(Settlement)English The name Mapleton is derived from the old English words of maple and tūn. The word maple plainly refers to the deciduous species of tree native to the area, with tūn being a descriptive term for an enclosure, a farmstead, a village or an estate.
Mariana Trench(Body of Water)English From the Mariana Islands nearby, derived from the given name Mariana in honor of the Spanish Queen Mariana of Austria. This is the name of the deepest oceanic trench on Earth.
Marinduque(Island & Political Subdivision)Filipino, Tagalog, English From a Spanish corruption of Tagalog malindig meaning "elegant, tall", also referring to a volcano on the island. This is the name of an island province of the Philippines.
Marion(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Marion. The city in Iowa was named after Francis Marion, a hero of the Revolutionary War.
Markham(Settlement)English Named after William Markham, the Archbishop of York (1719–1807), by John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.... [more]
Marlborough(Other)English Originating from the name of a market town in Wiltshire. Legend has it that the Mound is the burial site of Merlin and that the name of the town, Marlborough comes from Merlin's Barrow.... [more]
Marmara(Body of Water)English (Modern, Rare) Place name; the Sea of Marmara is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea in Turkey.
Marquette(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) Transferred use of the French surname Marquette. A city in Michigan and a lake in Minnesota were named for Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary.
Marrero(Settlement)English (American) Transferred usage of the surname Marrero. The community in Louisiana is named for Louis H Marrero, its founder.
Marrowbone(Other)English Marrowbone is a census-designated place in Cumberland County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 217. The Marrowbone Historic District, which includes three properties, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Marseille(Settlement)French, English From the name of the ancient Greek colony and city of Μασσαλία (Massalia), of uncertain meaning. It may have been derived from Ligurian mas meaning "spring" or from Greek meaning "(city) on the far end of the sea", derived from μάσσων (masson) meaning "further" and ἅλς (hals) meaning "sea"... [more]
Marshall Islands(Country)English The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Marshallese: Aolepān Aorōkin M̧ajeļ), is an island country near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the International Date Line and an Associated state of the United States... [more]
Maryland(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I of England.
Mashpee(Settlement)English (American) A city in Massachusetts. From Wampanoag mass-nippe meaning "greater cove, great pond, land near great cove", itself from mass meaning "great, greater" and nippe meaning "water".
Mashriq(Region)Arabic, English From Arabic المشرق (al-Mashriq) meaning "the place of the sunrise, the east". This is the name used for the eastern part of the Arab world west of Egypt and Sudan. In Arabic the name is usually written with the definite article: المشرق (al-Mashriq).
Massachusetts(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, named for the Algonquian native people who lived around the bay, from Algonquian massachusett "at the large hill," in reference to Great Blue Hill, southwest of Boston.
Massapequa(Settlement)English (American) A hamlet in New York. The name is derived from an Algonquian language, and allegedly means "great water land".
Mattoon(Settlement)English (American) Transferred usage of the surname Mattoon. The city in Illinois is named for William B. Mattoon, the chief construction engineer for the Terre Haute and Alton Railroad.
Maui(Island)Hawaiian, English Likely from the name of the Hawaiian trickster god Māui. This is the name of an island in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Maumee(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and city in Ohio, as well as a former proglacial lake that preceded Lake Erie. The name is an Anglicization of Maamii, the Ottawa name for the Miami people.
Mawlamyine(Settlement)English From Burmese မော်လမြိုင် (mawlamyaing) derived from Mon မတ်မလီု (motmalam) meaning "damaged eye", ultimately from မတ် (mot) meaning "eye" and လီု (lam) meaning "spoiled, damaged, ruined"... [more]
Mayfair(Other)English Mayfair was named after the May Fair, an annual event. It took place in the area, on the site that now plays host to today's popular Shepherd Market. It comes from Old English mæg, of Germanic origin, from a base meaning ‘have power’; related to Dutch mogen and German mögen and Old English fæger ‘pleasing, attractive’, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fagar.
Mecca(Settlement)English, Italian, Romanian From Arabic مكة (Makka) which is from بكة (bakka), an ancient name for the region. The name is of uncertain origin and meaning; it may be from Arabic بكى (baka) meaning "to cry, to mourn" or Ge'ez ምኵራብ (məkʷrab) meaning "temple, sanctuary"... [more]
Medicine Hat(Settlement)English (Canadian) A city in Alberta, Canada. The name is from the Siksiká 'saamis', the word for the eagle tail feather headdress worn by medicine men.
Meknes(Settlement)English From French Meknès, itself from Arabic مكناس (Maknas) ultimately derived from Miknasa (Imeknasen), the name of a Berber tribe. This is the name of a city in Morocco.
Mekong(River)English From Thai แม่โขง (Mae Khong), a contraction of แม่น้ำโขง (Mae Nam Khong) from แม่น้ำ (mae nam) meaning "river" (literally "mother of waters") and โขง (khong) derived from Proto-Austroasiatic ruŋ meaning "river"... [more]
Melilla(Settlement)Spanish, English The etymology of Melilla is uncertain. Since Melilla was an active beekeeping location in the past, the name has been related to honey; this is tentatively backed up by two ancient coins featuring a bee as well as the inscriptions RSADR and RSA... [more]
Menahga(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Ojibwe miinikaa meaning "there are blueberries".
Menasha(Settlement)English (American) A city and town in Wisconsin. The name is derived from the Winnebago language, and likely means "island".
Mendota(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. Its name is derived from the Dakota word bdóte, which refers to the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers.
Menifee(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the given name Menifee. The city in California was named for Luther Menifee Wilson, a local miner.
Menomin(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Wisconsin. The name is derived from the Ojibwe place name manoominikaani-zaaga'igan, meaning "lake abundant with wild rice".
Menomonee(Settlement & River)English (American) A river and town in Wisconsin, both named for the Menominee people, who are indigenous to the area.
Menomonie(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin, named for the Menominee people, who are indigenous to the area.
Mequon(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Ojibwe emikwaan or miguan meaning "ladle", or possibly Menominee mēkon meaning "feather".
Merrimack(Settlement)English (American) A river and several settlements in the United States, of unknown etymology but likely from a Native American language.
Mesa(Settlement)English, Spanish From Spanish mesa, literally "table", referring to a flat-topped elevation. This is the name of a city in the US state of Arizona.
Mesabi(Region)English (American) A mining district and mountain range in Minnesota. From Ojibwe misaabe-wajiw meaning "giant mountain".
Mesopotamia(Region)English This is the name of a historical region in the Middle East. Its name is derived from the Greek words μέσος (mesos) meaning “middle” and ποταμός (potamos) meaning “river”.
Metairie(Settlement)English (American) A census-designated place in Louisiana, from the French term métairie, referring to a type of tenant farm from the French sharecropping system.
Methuen(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Methuen. The city in Massachusetts was named for Sir Paul Methuen, an English diplomat and politician.
Metuchen(Settlement)English (American) A city in New Jersey, named for Matouchin, a leader of the Raritan people.
Miami(Settlement)English Name of a city in Florida. The name was first mentioned by Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, a captive of Indians in southern Florida for 17 years, when he referred to what is now Lake Okeechobee as the "Lake of Mayaimi, which is called Mayaimi because it is very large"... [more]
Miamisburg(Settlement)English (American) A city in Ohio. The name is derived from the name of the Miami people and the suffix burg meaning "fort, fortress".
Michigan(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, originally applied to Lake Michigan, perhaps from Old Ojibwa (Algonquian) meshi-gami "big lake".
Micronesia(Country & Region)Dutch, English, Italian, Spanish, Tagalog From Greek μικρός (mikrós) meaning "small, little" and νῆσος (nesos) meaning "island". This is the name of a subregion of Oceania as well as an island country... [more]
Middlesex(Political Subdivision)English Middlesex is a city in New Jersey. It is also the name of a county in Massachusetts and a historic one in England.
Milky Way(Other)English (Modern) The Milky Way Galaxy is the Galaxy containing Sol and by extension, Earth.... [more]
Mille Lacs(Political Subdivision & Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From the French mille lacs meaning "thousand lakes".
Milpitas(Settlement)English Means "little cornfields" from a diminutive of Spanish milpa meaning "cornfield". This is the name of a city in California.
Milton(Settlement)English Name of a town in Ontario, Canada.
Milwaukee(Settlement)English From Algonquian millioke, meaning "good", "beautiful" and "pleasant land". This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the largest city in the state of Wisconsin.
Mindanao(Island)Filipino, Cebuano, Tagalog, English From a Spanish corruption of Magindanaw, the endonym of the Maguindanao people. The ethnic name means "people of the flood plains" or "people of the lake" from Maguindanao danao meaning "lake"... [more]
Minneapolis(Political Subdivision)English Name of a city in Minnesota, from Dakota mni "river, stream" + Ancient Greek polis "city".
Minnehaha(River)English (American) The name of several places and bodies of water in the United States and Canada, derived from Dakota mniȟáȟa meaning "waterfall, rapid water". A popular but false legend translates the name as "laughing water".
Minneiska(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota; the name, which is derived from the Dakota name for the nearby Whitewater River, means "white water".
Minnesota(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, originally the name of a river, from Dakota (Siouan) mnisota, literally "cloudy water", "milky water", from mni "river, stream" + sota "slightly clouded".
Minnetonka(Settlement)English Name of a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, means "great water" from Dakota mni "river, stream" and tanka "freat".
Minot(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the surname Minot. The city in North Dakota is named for Henry Minot, an ornithologist and investor in the Great Northern Railway, around which the city was built.
Minquier(Island)Breton, Norman, English An island chain in the Channel Islands, England. Could be from Breton 'minihi', meaning "sanctuary, or from 'minkier' meaning "seller of fish".
Minsk(Settlement)Belarusian, English, Russian From Old East Slavic Мѣньскъ (Menisku), which was derived from a river named Men. This is the name of the capital city of Belarus.
Miramichi(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Mi'kmaq, French, English The name Miramichi is believed to have originated from the Mi'kmaq word Maissime'jg, meaning "he who gathers" or "place of gathering", referring to the area's historical importance for Indigenous peoples... [more]
Mishawaka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Illinois. The name may be derived from Potawatomi mšwakig meaning "at the firewood-tree land" or Miami-Illinois mihswaahkwahkiki meaning "it is firewood-tree land". A local legend states that the name is derived from the name of the daughter of a Shawnee chief.
Missouri(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Illinois mihsoori, "dugout canoe".
Mizpah(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. The name is derived from Hebrew מִצְפָּה (miṣpāh, mitspah), meaning "watchtower".
Mocha(Settlement)English, Arabic (Anglicized) Variant of Mokha, from Arabic المُخا (al-Mukhā), the name of a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Long known for its coffee trade, the city gave its name to mocha coffee.
Mokena(Settlement)English (American) A city in Illinois. The name may be derived from the Anishinaabemowin word mikinaak or the Potawatomi word mkenak, both meaning "snapping turtle".
Molise(Political Subdivision)Italian, English, French Most likely derived from the Norman family de Moulins of Moulins-la-Marche. Rodolphe de Moulins, forefather of the family, became count of Bojano in 1053, which would go on to form the County of Molise.... [more]