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.
Mon(Political Subdivision)Mon, English, Thai From the Mon ethnic name မန် (mon) derived from the older name ရမာန် (raman), ultimately from Pali Rāmañña referring to the Mon homeland along the Burmese coast... [more]
Monaco(Country)English, French This is the name of a sovereign city-state and microstate bordering France on three sides and the Mediterranean Sea on one side.... [more]
Montego Bay(Settlement)English Possibly from Spanish manteca meaning "fat, lard", allegedly because lard, leather and beef were exported there during the Spanish period. This is the name of a city in Jamaica.
Monterrei(Political Subdivision)Spanish, English From Galician monte "mountain" and rei "king". This was the modern name of a municipality in Galicia, historically called Monterrey.
Montevideo(Settlement)English, Spanish All agree that "Monte" refers to the Cerro de Montevideo, the hill situated across the Bay of Montevideo, but there is disagreement about the etymological origin of the "video" part. This is name of Uruguay’s capital city.
Montreal(Settlement)English Name of a city in Canada, from French le mont Royal "mont royal". Jacques Cartier named it after the nearby mountain, but it is uncertain how royal became real... [more]
Moorhead(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Moorhead. The city in Minnesota is named for William Galloway Moorhead, an official of the Northern Pacific Railway.
Moose Jaw(Settlement)English, Cree The origin of Moose Jaw's name is debated. One theory suggests it comes from the Cree word "Moosoochapiskanis", meaning "warm place by the river", referring to the area's natural water sources. Another explanation is that the river bends in the shape of a moose's jaw, which led to the name... [more]
Moraga(Settlement)English Transferred use of the Spanish surname Moraga. The city in California was named for the rancher and local landowner Joaquín Moraga.
Morden(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English The city of Morden was named after Alvey Morden, an early settler and entrepreneur who played a role in developing the area. The name Morden is of Old English origin, likely derived from "mor" (marsh, moor) and "denu" (valley), meaning "valley near a moor".
Mordovia(Political Subdivision)English From Russian Мордовия (Mordoviya) derived from the name of the Mordvin (or Mordva) people. The name is thought to be derived from the Iranian root mard meaning "man". This is the name of a republic of Russia.
Mosul(Settlement)English Ultimately derived from Arabic الموصل (al-mawsil) meaning "the linking point, the junction" in reference to a bridge and ford over the Tigris river... [more]
Mount Everest(Mountain)English This is a 8848 meter tall mountain on the border of Nepal and China, it’s the highest mountain on Earth above sea level. The mountain was named after the British surveyor Sir George Everest, when the surveyor general of India Andrew Waugh couldn’t find a commonly used local name for the mountain.
Mount Pearl(Settlement)English The name Mount Pearl is believed to have been inspired by the scenic beauty of the area, possibly referring to a prominent hill (mount) and the pearl-like appearance of the region’s landscape or natural features, such as rivers and lakes... [more]
Muncie(Settlement)English (American) A city in Indiana named for the term Euro-American settlers used for local Lenape people, who speak the Munsee language.
Murrieta(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Spanish surname Murrieta. The city in California was named for its founder, the ranchero Juan Murrieta.
Muscat(Settlement)English, Danish, Dutch, Romanian, Tagalog From Arabic مسقط (Masqat) of disputed meaning, perhaps of Arabic or Old Persian origin. This is the name of the capital city of Oman.
Muskego(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Potawatomi mus-kee-guaac meaning "sunfish".
Muskoda(Settlement)English (American) A ghost town in Minnesota. From Ojibwe mashkode meaning "meadow, grassland, large prairie".
Nagorno-Karabakh(Country & Region)English Means "mountainous Karabakh" from Russian нагорный (nagorny) meaning "mountainous, highland" combined with the name of the region of Karabakh... [more]
Najaf(Settlement)Arabic, English Means "elevated place not reached by water, hill, dike" in Arabic. This is the name of a city in Iraq, considered one of the holiest cities of Shia Islam. It is reportedly the burial place of Ali ibn Abi Talib... [more]
Namekagon(River)English (American) A tributary of the St Croix River. From Ojibwe namekaagong-ziibi meaning "river abundant with sturgeons".
Nanaimo(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Coast Salish, English The name "Nanaimo" comes from the Hul’q’umi’num’ word Snuneymuxw, referring to the Snuneymuxw First Nation, whose traditional territory includes the area. The meaning is sometimes interpreted as "a great people" or "gathering place."
Nassau(Settlement)English Capital of the Bahamas, named after William the Orange who was a branch in the house of Nassau.
Natron(Body of Water)English (?) Name of a salt or alkaline lake in Africa. Natron is hydrated sodium carbonate, and Lake Natron has a high level of sodium carbonate, hence its name. The world Natron itself derives from the French cognate derived from the Spanish natrón through Latin natrium and the Greek nitron, ultimately deriving from the Ancient Egyptian word nṯrj.
Naypyidaw(Settlement)English From Burmese နေပြည်တော် (Nepyidaw) meaning "abode of the king" or "royal abode", from နေပြည် (ne pyi) meaning "abode" and တော် (taw) meaning "royal, sacred"... [more]
Neandertal(Other)German, English From the surname Neander and German Tal meaning "valley". The valley in Germany was named for Joachim Neander, a pastor and hymn writer.
Nebraska(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Otoe Ñí Brásge meaning "flat water".
Neenah(Settlement)English (American) A city in Wisconsin. From Hoocąk nįįňą meaning "water, running water".
Negeri Sembilan(Political Subdivision)Malay, English Means "nine states" from Malay negeri meaning "state, country" and sembilan meaning "nine". The name refers to the nine original villages founded by Minangkabau settlers from Sumatra. This is the name of a state in Malaysia.
Nemadji(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota. From Ojibwe ne-madji-tic-guay-och or nemanjitigweyaag meaning "left river".
Nent(River)English A river in the North Pennines. Its name is derived from Cumbric nent, meaning 'stream'. It is a tributary of the Tyne.
Nevada(Political Subdivision)English Means "snow-capped, snow-covered" in Spanish. This is the name of an American state.
Newark(Settlement)English (British) Newark-on-trent/Newark is a market town in the UK , Founded 1054 or 1123. Old names are Newarcha , Niweweorche and Newerche (in the book Domesday).... [more]
New Bern(Settlement)English New Bern was settled in 1710 by Swiss and Palatine immigrants led by Christoph von Graffenried. They named the settlement after Bern, the capital of Switzerland.
New Caledonia(Island)English According to James Cook (1728-1779), it is named after the Latin form of Scotland, Caledonia, with the added article new, as the northeast of the island reminded him of Scotland... [more]
Newcastle(Settlement)English A city in North-East England. It simply denoted the site of a New Castle, as this is where a castle was erected by William the Conquer in 1080.... [more]
Newfoundland(Country)English From 1907 to 1949, Newfoundland existed as the self-governing Dominion of Newfoundland. In 1949, Newfoundland joined Canada as a province.
New Glasgow(Settlement)English The name New Glasgow was given to several settlements by Scottish settlers in the 18th century in honor of Glasgow, Scotland, one of the major cities in the country... [more]
New Guinea(Island)English New Guinea is a large island in the South West Pacific region. It is the world's second-largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 785,753 km², and the largest wholly or partly within the Southern Hemisphere.
New York(Political Subdivision)English Name of a state in the United States, also the name of a city in that state, named after the then Duke of York, later King James II of England.
Niamey(Settlement)English, Armenian, Danish, Finnish, French, Italian, Slovak, Spanish Of uncertain origin; there are several theories on the origin of the name. It may be derived from a combination of Zarma words nia ("tree") and me ("shore where water is drawn"), or from the phrase "Wa niammané" ("take this city"), reportedly said by a Kalle clan chief... [more]
Nicaragua(Country)English The name of the Country in Central America. Nicaragua, set between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, is a Central American nation known for its dramatic terrain of lakes, volcanoes and beaches... [more]
Nice(Settlement)French, English Founded by Greek colonists and given the name Νίκαια (Nikaia), ultimately derived from Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". Nice is a city on the south east coast of France.
Nicosia(Settlement)English From a French corruption of Greek Λευκωσία (Lefkosia), which is of uncertain meaning. The most probable theory states that it is derived from the Greek phrase λευκό περιουσία (lefko periousia) meaning "white estate"... [more]
Nininger(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Nininger. The township in Minnesota was named for John Nininger, the brother-in-law of Alexander Ramsey, an early governor of Minnesota.
Nisswa(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. From Ojibwe nessawae meaning "in the middle, three".
Niue(Country & Island)English Niue is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean.
Nixa(Settlement)English Named after one of the towns first civic leaders, Nicholas A. Inman. Originally supposed to be called 'Nix' before the inclusion of Inman's middle initial.
Noblesville(Settlement)English From the English surname Noble and ville meaning "city". The city in Indiana was named for either James Noble, one of the first two Senators from Indiana, or Lavina Noble, the fiance of city founder Josiah Polk.
Nokomis(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. Its name derives from the Ojibwe nookomis meaning "my grandmother".
Nolita(Other)English A neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Derived from "NOrth of Little ITAly". Nolita is bounded on the north by Houston Street, on the east by the Bowery, on the south roughly by Broome Street, and on the west by Lafayette Street... [more]
North America(Region)English Combination of north and America, named after it’s geographic location. This is the name of a continent in the Northern Hemisphere.
Northampton(Political Subdivision)English From Ham tune, literally meaning "home town" in Old English. The prefix north was added later to distinguish it from other towns called Hampton.
North Carolina(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, Named after King Charles I of England.
North Dakota(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, also the name of indigenous people of the Great Plains, from the Dakota word dakhóta "friend".
Northern Cyprus(Region)English Northern Cyprus (Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, KKTC), is a de facto state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus... [more]
Northern Mariana Islands(Political Subdivision & Island)American (Hispanic) The "Northern Mariana Islands" is a U.S. commonwealth territory in the western Pacific Ocean. The name "Mariana" is derived from the Spanish Queen Mariana of Austria. The islands were named by Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century.
North Holland(Political Subdivision)English Combination of north and Holland 1, named after it’s geographic location. This is the name of a province of the Netherlands.
North Korea(Country)English North Korea (Korean: 조선, MR: Chosŏn; literally 북조선, MR: Pukchosŏn, or 북한/北韓, RR: Bukhan in South Korean usage), officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or DPR Korea; Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국, Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk), is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula... [more]
North Macedonia(Country)English North Macedonia (Macedonia until February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a country in the Balkans, southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia... [more]
Northumberland(Region)English From the much larger Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria, meaning 'land north of the Humber'.
Norwich(Settlement)English From Old English "north" and wic "trading center"/"harbor". Name of a city in the county of Norfolk.
Nottingham(Settlement)English Dervied from its Old English name "homestead of Snot's people"; the initial S was lost in the 12th century, due to the influence of Anglo-Norman French (the combination of sn- is alien to French). Name of a city in Nottinghamshire, from which the county gets its name.
Nouakchott(Settlement)French, English From Arabic نواكشوط (Nuwakshut), itself from Tamazight Nawākšūṭ meaning "place of the winds" or inua u-kshut meaning "made of wood, made of sticks". This is the name of the capital of Mauritania.
Null Island(Body of Water & Other)English Null Island is a point zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude, where the prime meridian and the equator intersect. Since there is no dry land, it is not an actual island, but there is a weather buoy marking the coordinates.... [more]
Nunavut(Political Subdivision)Inuit, English, French Means "our land" in Inuktitut. This is the name of a territory of Canada.
Nuremberg(Settlement)German, English Most popular is in the settlement in Bavaria region Germany.... [more]
Nur-Sultan(Settlement)Kazakh, English, Russian From the given name Nursultan. This is the name of the capital city of Kazakhstan, which was renamed in honour of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev (1940-)... [more]
Nusa Tenggara(Region & Political Subdivision)Indonesian, English Means "southeastern island" from Indonesian nusa meaning "island" and tenggara meaning "southeast". This is the Indonesian name for the archipelago of the Lesser Sunda Islands as well as the name of two Indonesian provinces (West and East Nusa Tenggara).
Oakland(Settlement)English This is name of places in the United States and Canada (including the one in California).... [more]
Ocala(Settlement)English A city in Florida. From Ocale, a Timucua village and kingdom.
Occitania(Region)English The name of a historical region in southern Europe where Occitan was historically the main language spoken. Not to be confused with Occitanie.
Occitanie(Region)French, English The name of a southernmost administrative region in France. Not to be confused with Occitania, the historical region which it is named after.
Ogeechee(River)English (African) A river in Georgia, USA. The name is possibly derived from a Muskogee term meaning "river of the Yuchi" (the Yuchi were a nation indigenous to the area).
Ogema(Settlement)English (American) A township in Minnesota. From Ojibwe ogimaa meaning "male leader, boss, chief, king".
Ohio(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, originally used of the river, from Seneca ohi:yo "good river".
Ojai(Settlement)English Derived from a hispanicized form of the Ventureño Chumash word ʼawhaʼy which meant "moon". This is the name of a city and valley in Southern California.
Okemos(Settlement)English (American) A city in Michigan, named after Chief John Okemos of the Ojibwe people. The surname Okemos is an anglicized form of Ojibwe ogimaans meaning "little chief".
Oklahoma(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from Choctaw okla "people" "tribe" "nation" + homma "red".
Okmulgee(Settlement)English (American) A city in Oklahoma. From Muskogee okimulgi meaning "boiling waters".
Olathe(Settlement)English This is the name of Kansas's fourth largest city, said to be derived from a Shawnee word meaning "beautiful".
Onalaska(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) Various cities in the United States and a lake in Wisconsin. After Unalaska, a volcanic island in Alaska which was mentioned in the poem "The Pleasures of Hope" by the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell.
Onamia(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) A city and lake in Minnesota. From Ojibwe onamanii-zaaga'iganiing, which itself is derived from onaman meaning "red ochre, vermilion" and zaaga'igan meaning "lake".
Oneida(Settlement)English (American) A city in New York. From the name of the Oneida people, who are indigenous to the area.
Oneka(Body of Water)English (American) A lake in Minnesota. From Dakota onakan meaning "strike, knock off", referring to the practice of gathering wild rice by knocking it into a canoe.
Onslow(Settlement)English Meaning, "a place within the liberty of Shrewsbury, in Salop', the original and still confusingly used, name for the county of Shropshire.
Ontario(Region)English, French (Quebec), Iroquois The name Ontario comes from the Iroquoian word ontarí:io, meaning "great lake" or "beautiful water." It originally referred to Lake Ontario, which is one of the five Great Lakes in North America... [more]
Opa-locka(Settlement)English (American) A city in Florida. From Seminole opa-tisha-wocka-locka or opatishawockalocka meaning "wooded hummock, hot and dry hummock".
Opelika(Settlement)English Derived from Muscogee (Creek) opilwa lako meaning "large swamp". This is the name of a small city in the American state of Alabama.
Opelousas(Settlement)English (American) A city in Louisiana. From the Opelousa people, who were indigenous to the area.
Oran(Settlement)English, French From the Arabic name وهران (Wahran), which is ultimately derived from the Berber root hr meaning "lion". This is the name of a city in Algeria.
Oregon(Political Subdivision)English (American) Name of a state in the United States, from the name of a large river in the west of North America, possibly from Algonquin wauregan "beautiful".
Orinda(Settlement)English A transferred use of the given name Orinda. The city in California was likely named for the Anglo-Welsh poet Katherine Philips, who wrote under the pen name Orinda.
Orinoco(River)English, Spanish, Italian The name of a river in Venezuela and Colombia, one of the longest rivers in South America.
Orlando(Political Subdivision)English Name of a city in Florida, named in honor of Orlando Reeves who died in 1835 during a supposed attack by Seminoles in the Second Seminole War.
Osawatomie(Settlement)English (American) A city in Kansas. Its name derives from a portmanteau of Osage and Potawatomi, two Native American nations indigenous to the area.
Oshawa(Settlement)English (Canadian) A city in Ontario. From Ojibwa aazhawe, meaning "a cross, the crossing place".
Oshkosh(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Menominee name Oshkosh meaning "claw". The city in Wisconsin is named for Chief Oshkosh, a leader of the Menominee Native Americans who are indigenous to the area.
Oskaloosa(Settlement)English (American) A city in Iowa. Meaning "black rain", from Mvskoke-Creek oske "rain" and lvste "black". A local legend claims that Ouscaloosa was the Creek wife of Seminole chief Osceola... [more]
Ossetia(Country, Political Subdivision & Region)English From Russian Осетия (Osetiya), from Georgian ოსეთი (oseti) derived from ოსი (osi) meaning "Ossetian". The name comes from As, the self-designation of the historic Alan people... [more]
Oswego(Settlement & River)English (American) Various locations in the United States. From Iroquois os-we-go meaning "pouring out place."
Otaheite(Island)English From the misinterpretation of Tahitian 'o Tahiti, meaning "the Tahiti". This was the obsolete form of Tahiti.
Otsego(Settlement)English (American) From Mohawk or Oneida otsego, meaning "place of the rock". The city in Minnesota is named for the county in New York.
Overbrook(Settlement)English This place name meaning "over the brook" is the name of a city in Kansas.
Owatonna(Settlement)English (American) From the Dakota name for the nearby Straight River, Wakpá Owóthaŋna.
Oxford(Settlement)English This is the name of a city in England meaning 'ford of the oxen'. It is well known for being the location Oxford University.
Pacific Ocean(Body of Water)English From Portuguese pacífico meaning "peaceful, calm", ultimately derived from Latin pacificus "peacemaking".
Pahang(Political Subdivision & River)Malay, English Uncertain meaning, possibly from mahang, the Malay name for a type of tree native to the area (genus Macaranga), or from Khmer ប៉ាហាំង (paahang) meaning "tin". This is the name of a Malaysian state as well as a river that flows through the region.
Pakokku(Settlement)English From Burmese ပခုက္ကူ (pahkukku), meaning uncertain. This is the name of a city in Myanmar.
Palau(Country)English Palau is an archipelago in Oceania. The flag is a yellow circle in the middle of a blue background, and the country is locally known as Belau.
Palo Alto(Settlement)English Name of a city in California, from Spanish palo "(tree) stick" + alto "tall".
Pangasinan(Political Subdivision)Filipino, Pangasinan, Ilocano, Tagalog, English From the name of the Pangasinan people meaning "place of salt" or "land of salt", derived from Pangasinan pang- meaning "for", asin meaning "salt" and the place marker suffix -an... [more]
Pannotia(Region)English From Greek “pan” all and “notos” south meaning “all southern land” this is the name of a supercontinent from the Ediacaran period about 600 Myr.
Pasadena(Settlement)English Name of a city in California, from Ojibwe pa-sa-de-na, meaning "valley of the valley" "crown of the valley" "key of the valley" or "hill of the valley"... [more]
Pasir Gudang(Settlement)Malay, English From Malay pasir meaning "sand" and gudang meaning "warehouse, barn, deposit". This is the name of a city in Malaysia.
Patagonia(Region)Spanish, English A geographical region in South America. From the Spanish word patagón, referring to a legendary race of giants, which the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan used to describe the peoples indigenous to the area.
Pattaya(Settlement)English From Thai พัทยา (Phattaya) itself from a shortened form of ทัพพระยา (thap Phraya) meaning "army of the Phraya", referring to King Taksin... [more]
Pembroke(Settlement)English From the Cantref of Penfro, which was one of the seven cantrefi of the former Kingdom of Dyfed in what is now Wales; which is in turn derived from pen, meaning "head" or "end", and bro, meaning "region", "country", or "land"; therefore, Penfro could be interpreted to mean either "land's end" or "headland".
Penge(Settlement)English A suburb of London, England. Originally named Penceat, it appears to derive from Brythonic *penno, 'head, edge' and *ceid, 'forest, wood', so likely meant 'settlement on the forest's edge'.
Penistone(Settlement)English (British) Penistone is a market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, which had a population of 22,909 at the 2011 census. ... [more]
Pennsylvania(Political Subdivision)English Name of a state in the United States, literally "Penn's woods". Penn comes from Pennaeth, the welsh word for "head" "top" and Latin silvania (from Latin silvia) "wood, forrest"... [more]
Penrith(Settlement)English A town in Northern England. Its name derives from the Cumbric pen, 'hill, top, summit' (Welsh pen) and rith, 'ford, crossing', (Welsh ryd).
Penshaw(Settlement)English A village in Northern England. The first element seems to be Cumbric pen, which means 'summit, head'. The most obvious explanation for the second is Old English sceaga, meaning 'woods'... [more]
Pen-y-ghent(Mountain)English, Old Celtic A mountain in Yorkshire, Northern England. In the Cumbric Language, the element pen, exactly as in Welsh, meant 'head, top, summit', and y, also as in Welsh, meant the definite article 'the'... [more]
Pepperell(Settlement)English Transferred use of the English surname Pepperell. The town in Massachusetts was named for Sir William Pepperell, a colonial soldier who led the Siege of Louisbourg during the French and Indian War.
Perak(Political Subdivision)Malay, Tamil, English Means "silver" in Malay, given in reference to the region's abundance of tin. This is the name of a state of Malaysia.
Perlis(Political Subdivision)Malay, English Of unclear origin, possibly from the Thai phrase พร้าวลอย (phrao loi) meaning "floating coconut" or "coconut washed ashore", a reference to the many coconuts once found along the shores of the region... [more]
Peshawar(Settlement)English From Pashto پېښور (Pekhawar) ultimately derived from Sanskrit पुरुषपुर (purushapura) meaning "city of men", from पुरुष (purusha) meaning "man, person" combined with पुर (pura) meaning "city"... [more]
Peterborough(Settlement)English This is the name of 2 cities, one in Cambridgeshire (UK) and Ontario (Canada), and 3 towns, one in New Hampshire (US), Victoria & South Australia (Australia).... [more]
Phnom Penh(Settlement)English, French From Khmer ភ្នំពេញ (Phnum Pin) meaning "Penh's hill", from ភ្នំ (phnum) meaning "hill, mountain" and ពេញ (pin), the name of a legendary woman who supposedly founded the city in 1372... [more]
Phoenix(Settlement)English (American) Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona state in the United States of America.
Piedmont(Political Subdivision & Region)English From Italian piemonte, itself derived from Medieval Latin Pedemontium, ultimately from Latin ad pedem montium, literally "at the foot of the mountains".... [more]
Pierre(Settlement)English This is a city in South Dakota, USA. It comes from the given name Pierre.
Pittsburgh(Settlement)English From the English surname Pitt and burg meaning "fortress, citadel". The city in Pennsylvania was named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, a Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Plymouth(Settlement)English The name of a port city in the south-western English county of Devon as well as dozens of locations in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, notably the one in Massachusetts.... [more]
Pocatello(Settlement)English (American) A city in Idaho named for the Shoshone leader Tondzaosha, who was called Pocatello in American military accounts. The name Pocatello is of unclear etymology and does not appear to be derived from the Shoshoni language.
Pokegama(Body of Water & River)English (American) A lake and river in Minnesota. From Ojibwe bakegamaa meaning "the water which juts off from another water".
Polynesia(Region)English From Ancient Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much, many" and νῆσος (nesos) meaning "island". This is the name of a subregion in Oceania.
Pomme De Terre(River)English (American) A river in Minnesota, from French pomme de terre meaning "potato, root vegetable", but in this case referring to the prairie turnip commonly grown in the area by the Dakota people.
Pomona(Settlement)English Various cities are named for Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit.
Pondicherry(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English Derived from Tamil புதுச்சேரி (putuccēri) meaning "new town". Pondicherry (Puducherry) is the capital city of an Indian state of the same name.
Pontefract(Settlement)English From Latin ponte fracto, meaning 'broken bridge'.
Pontiac(Settlement)English Various cities in Canada and the United States. After the Odawa chief Pontiac, also known as Obwaandi'eyaag.
Poquoson(Settlement)English (American) A city in Virginia. From the English word "pocosin", which refers to a type of wetland and is derived from an unknown Algonquian word, possibly Abenaki pôgwaso meaning “very shallow”.
Port Dalhousie(Political Subdivision)English (Canadian) Port Dalhousie is named after George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, Governor General of British North America.... [more]
Portland(Settlement)American In America, it is most likely used as a place name in reference to Portland, Oregon.
Portsmouth(Settlement)English Meaning unknown. This is the name of a port city in Hampshire County, UK.
Potenza(Settlement)Italian, English, French From Latin Potentia, itself from the Latin adjective potens, meaning "powerful", "mighty". This is the name of the capital city of the southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Potomac(Settlement)English A river and various cities in the United States. From the name of the Patawomeck people, who are indigenous to the river area.
Poughkeepsie(Settlement)English (American) From Munsee u-puku-ipi-sing meaning "the reed-covered lodge by the little-water place".
Poway(Settlement)English (American) A city in California. Likely from Kumeyaay pawii "arrowhead" or paguay "watering hole".
Prater(Settlement)English Taken directly from the surname Prater. This is the name of a community in Virginia.
Prato(Settlement)Italian, English, French, Esperanto, German, Spanish, Dutch Italian for "meadow". This is the name of a city in northern Italy, which was probably chosen because the city was founded on a meadow.
Prestwick(Settlement)English a place in Lancashire (now Greater Manchester) derived from Old English preost "priest" and wic "outlying settlement" or from other places with the same derivation.
Pridnestrovye(Political Subdivision & Region)Russian, English Another name for Transnistria, using the Russian derivation instead of the Romanian derivation.
Prince Albert(Settlement)English Prince Albert is named after Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the husband of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The name was given in 1866 by Rev. James Nisbet, a Scottish Presbyterian missionary who established a settlement in the area... [more]
Prince Edward Island(Political Subdivision)English (Canadian) Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province. It was named for Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767–1820), Queen Victoria's father.
Pripyat(River & Settlement)Russian, English Russian form of the Ukrainian name Прип'ять (Prypyat) of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Belarus. It is also the name of an abandoned Ukrainian city that was evacuated after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Providence(Settlement)English Name chosen by Puritan minister Roger Williams, in honor of "God's merciful Providence". This is the name of several settlements in the United States, including the capital city of the state of Rhode Island.
Provo River(River)English (American) River in Utah, named after the French-Canadian trapper Etienne Provost. The river inspired the name of the city to which it belonged, Provo.
Puchong(Settlement)Malay, English Likely from Malay pucung meaning "heron (bird)", so named for the many herons in the area. This is the name of a town in Malaysia.
Pudsey(Settlement)English This name is of Anglo - Saxian origin.... [more]
Puducherry(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English From the Tamil name புதுச்சேரி (Putucheri) meaning "new town", derived from புது (putu) meaning "new" and சேரி (cheri) meaning "slum, town". This is the name of a union territory and city in India... [more]
Pueblo(Settlement)English (American) A city in Colorado. From Spanish pueblo meaning "town, people".
Pulaski(Settlement)English (American) Transferred use of the Polish surname Pulaski. The city in Virginia was named for Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish-born hero of the American Revolutionary War.
Punjab(Political Subdivision & Region)English From Punjabi پنجاب or ਪੰਜਾਬ (Panjab) from Persian پنجاب (panjab) meaning "five rivers" or "five waters", derived from پنج (panj) meaning "five" and آب (ab) meaning "water, river"... [more]
Putrajaya(Settlement)Malay, English Derived from Malay putra or putera meaning "prince", ultimately from Sanskrit पुत्र (putra), combined with jaya meaning "victory", ultimately from Sanskrit जय (jaya)... [more]
Pyay(Settlement)English From Burmese ပြည် (pyi) meaning "country", referring to the main city of the Pyu city-states that existed from the 2nd to 11th centuries. This is the name of a town in Myanmar.
Pyongyang(Settlement)Korean, English From Sino-Korean 平 (pyeong) meaning "flat, level, plane" and 壤 (yang) meaning "soil, land". This is the name of the capital city of North Korea.
Qinghai(Body of Water & Political Subdivision)Chinese, English From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green" and 海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean". This is the name of a lake in as well as a province of China (the province is directly named after the lake).
Quamba(Settlement)English (American) A city in Minnesota. The name was claimed to derive from a Native American word meaning "mud-hole", and most likely derives from the Ottawa word zhashkwiimbaakmigaa or azhashki-wiimbaakamigga meaning "be a muddy hole in the ground".
Quetta(Settlement)English Anglicised form of Urdu کوئٹہ (Ko'eṭa), itself possibly derived from Pashto کولکوټ (kwalkōṭ) meaning "fortress". This is the name of a city in Pakistan.
Quezon(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Filipino, Tagalog, English From the surname Quezon. This is the name of both a province and city in the Philippines, which were named in honour of Manuel Quezon (1878-1844), the second president of the Philippines.
Quincy(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American) Transferred usage of the English surname Quincy. The city in Massachusetts is named for John Quincy, the grandfather of former US First Lady Abigail Adams.
Quirindi(Settlement)English (Australian) Quirindi is believed to have originated from an Aboriginal word, though the exact meaning is uncertain. Quirindi is a town in New South Wales, Australia, located in the north-western part of the state... [more]
Quispamsis(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Maliseet, English The name Quispamsis comes from the Maliseet (Wolastoqey) word qospemsis, meaning "little lake" (qospem = "lake," sis = diminutive suffix). This refers to the Kennebecasis River and surrounding waterways, which were important to Indigenous peoples for travel and sustenance... [more]
Rabat(Settlement)English, French, Spanish From Arabic الرباط (ar-Ribat) meaning "the ribat", referring to a type of fortification used during the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb. It is also used as a shortened form of the city's Arabic nickname, رباط الفتح (ribatu l-fath), which means "fortification of conquest, fortification of victory"... [more]
Racine(Settlement)English, French Means "root" in French. It is the name of a large city in Wisconsin.
Rakhine(Political Subdivision)English From Arakanese ရခိုင် (rahkaing), the name of the Rakhine (or Arakanese) people, which is believed to be derived from Pali Rakkhapura or Rakkhita meaning "land of the Rakshasas" (the name of a legendary creature in Hindu mythology)... [more]
Raleigh(Settlement)English Name of the capital in North Carolina, named for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.
Ramona(Settlement)English Transferred use of the given name Ramona. The settlement in California was named for Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona, which was set in southern California.
Rancho Cucamonga(Settlement)English From the name of a 19th-century land grant (rancho) given to Mexican merchant Tiburcio Tapía (1789-1845), who turned it into a winery. The name was derived from Tongva kukamonga meaning "sandy place"... [more]
Rangoon(Settlement)Danish, Dutch, Swedish, English (Archaic) Historical English form of Yangon based on the Arakanese pronunciation of the city's name. It is also the standard Danish, Dutch and Swedish form.
Rantoul(Settlement)English Transferred use of the surname Rantoul. The city in Illinois was named for Robert Rantoul, Jr., a a U.S. representative from Massachusetts, and a director of the Illinois Central Railroad.
Rawalpindi(Settlement)English From Punjabi راولپنڈی (Ravalpindi) meaning "village of rawals", derived from راول (raval), a variant of Sanskrit title राज (raja) meaning "king", and پنڈ (pind) meaning "village"... [more]
Red(River)English The Red River goes through the southern states of the USA.
Red Deer(Settlement)English (Canadian) The name Red Deer is derived from the color of the local river, which is called the Red Deer River. The river itself was named by early European settlers. The city of Red Deer is located in central Alberta, Canada, and is one of the province's larger urban centers.
Reedley(Settlement)English (American) A city in Fresno County, California. Named for Thomas Law Reed, a veteran of the Union Army in the Civil War who donated most of his land to the city.
Reggio Calabria(Settlement)Italian, English, German, Dutch From Latin Regium, itself from Ancient Greek Ῥήγιoν (Rhéghion), of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a city in southern Italy.... [more]
Reggio Emilia(Settlement)Italian, English, Dutch, German, Spanish From Latin Regium, abbreviation of Regium Lepidi, named after Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, who oversaw the construction of the Via Aemilia. This is the name of a city in northern Italy.... [more]
Regina(Settlement)English (Canadian) Capital of Saskatchewan, Canada. Meaning "queen", named in honour of Queen Victoria.
Retford(Settlement)English Retford, also known as East Retford, is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England, and one of the oldest English market towns having been granted its first charter in 1105
Revere(Settlement)English (American) A city in Massachusetts named after American Revolutionary War patriot Paul Revere. Revere is an English word meaning "to admire".
Rhinelander(Settlement)American The name of a town in Oneida County, Wisconsin and the home of the Hodag, a cryptid with the head of a frog, the face of an elephant, and the body of a dinosaur. It was named after Frederic W. Rhinelander.
Rhode Island(Island & Political Subdivision)English Name of a state in the United States, said to have been named by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano when he passed through in 1524, based on an imagined similarity between modern Block Island and the Greek Isle of Rhodes, or possibly from Dutch Roodt Eylandt, literally "red island", a name given by Dutch explorer Adriaen Block.
Richfield(Settlement)English Various cities in the United States and Canada. From the English words "rich" and "field".
Richland(Settlement)English Means "Rich's land". This is the name of a city in Washington as well as several other places in the United States.
Riga(Settlement)English, Russian From Latvian Rīga, origin disputed. It may be derived from Livonian ringa meaning "loop", referring to an ancient harbor formed by the tributary loop of the Daugava river, from Riege, the German name of the Rīdzene (a tributary of the Daugava), or from Latvian rija meaning "threshing barn"... [more]
Rio de Janeiro(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Portuguese, English The name of a state and city in Brazil, meaning "river of January" in Portuguese. The city was named after the nearby Guanabara Bay, which was first discovered by Europeans on January 1, 1502.
Rio Grande do Norte(Political Subdivision)Portuguese, English Literally "Great River of the North" in Portuguese, referring to the mouth of the Potenji River. This is the name of a state of Brazil.
Rio Grande Do Sul(Political Subdivision)Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, English Literally "Great River of the South" in Portuguese. This name comes from the Lagoa dos Patos, which was thought to be the mouth of the Rio Grande by Dutch explorers. This is the name of a state in Brazil.
Riverside(Settlement)English This place name meaning "by the side of the river", this the name of multiple cities in the United States.
Riverton(Settlement)English Riverton means "river town", and several cities in the United States have this name.