Aceh(Political Subdivision)Indonesian From Acehnese Acèh of uncertain meaning. A popular belief is that it is derived from the backronym Arab, Cina, Eropa, Hindia meaning "Arab, China, Europe, Indies", referring to the major regions that have historically influenced Aceh... [more]
Amahai(Political Subdivision & Settlement)English, Indonesian The name of a village and administrative district on the south coast of the Indonesian island of Seram, in Central Maluku Regency.
Ambon(Island & Settlement)Indonesian Meaning uncertain, perhaps derived from Ambonese bong or ombong meaning "dew", so named because the mountain peaks on the island are often covered in dew. Alternately it may come from the Dutch name Amboina of Papiamentu origin... [more]
Azerbaijan(Country, Political Subdivision & Region)English, Basque, Indonesian, Malay From Persian آذربایجان (azarbayjan), which is from Middle Persian Ādurbādagān referring to Atropates, an ancient Persian governor under the Achaemenid Empire... [more]
Baliᬩᬮᬶ, ꦧꦭꦶ(Political Subdivision & Island)Indonesian, Balinese, Javanese, English Derived from Sanskrit बलि (bali) meaning "offering, tribute". This is the name of an island and province in Indonesia.
Balikpapan(Settlement)Indonesian The name of a city in Indonesia, meaning uncertain.
Banda Aceh(Settlement)Indonesian Means "port of Aceh" from Indonesian bandar meaning "port, harbour" (of Persian origin) and Aceh. This is the name of the capital city of the Indonesian province of Aceh.
Bandar Lampung(Settlement)Indonesian From Indonesian bandar meaning "harbour, port" (of Persian origin) and Lampung. This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Bandungᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese From Indonesian bendung or bendungan meaning "dam, dike", given in reference to the area in relation to the nearby Citarum River. Local sources also relate the name to the phrase Nga-Bandung-an Banda Indung, which is considered sacred in Sundanese culture... [more]
Banjarmasin(Settlement)Indonesian, Banjar Possibly a corruption of Bandar Masih meaning "Port Masih", referring to a local ruler named Patih Masih (likely a nickname). This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Bantenᮘᮔ᮪ᮒᮨᮔ᮪, ꦨꦤ꧀ꦠꦼꦤ꧀(Country & Political Subdivision)Indonesian, Sundanese, Javanese Meaning uncertain. It may be derived from the Sundanese and Bantenese phrase katiban inten meaning "struck down by diamonds", which was used to describe the spead of Islam in the region in the 15th century... [more]
Batam(Island & Settlement)Indonesian, Malay Meaning uncertain. This is the name of an island and city in Indonesia.
Batavia(Region & Settlement)English, Dutch, Indonesian From Latin Batavia, itself from Proto-Germanic Batawjō meaning "good island", derived from bataz meaning "good" and awjō meaning "island". This is the name of a historical and geographical region located in what is now the Netherlands... [more]
Bengkulu(Political Subdivision)Indonesian Possibly from the name Bangkahulu meaning "upstream carcasses", derived from Indonesian bangkai meaning "carcass" and hulu meaning "upstream". This is the name of a province and city in Indonesia.
Bogorᮘᮧᮌᮧᮁ(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Means "sugar palm" (a type of tree) in Indonesian. This is the name of a city in West Java province, Indonesia.
Boyolaliꦧꦺꦴꦪꦭꦭꦶ(Political Subdivision)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Javanese aja lali meaning "don't forget". This is the name of a regency of the Indonesian province of Central Java.
Bukittinggiبوكيق تيڠڬي(Settlement)Indonesian, Minangkabau Means "tall hill" from Indonesian bukit meaning "hill" and tinggi meaning "high, tall". This is the name of a city in West Sumatra province, Indonesia.
Ciamis(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Sundanese, Indonesian From Sundanese cai meaning "water" and either Javanese amis meaning "rancid, fishy" or Sundanese amis meaning "sweet". This is the name of a regency and city in Indonesia.
Cilacapꦕꦶꦭꦕꦥ꧀, ᮎᮤᮜᮎᮕ᮪(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese, Sundanese Derived from Javanese tlacap meaning "corner, point, end", so named for the sharp angle made by the end of a local bay. This is the name of a regency and city in Indonesia.
Cilegonᮎᮤᮜᮨᮌᮧᮔ᮪(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Derived from Sundanese cai meaning "water" and legon meaning "arch, bay, cove". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Cimahiᮎᮤᮙᮠᮤ(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese From the name of a river derived from Sundanese cai mahi meaning "enough water". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Cirebonᮎᮤᮛᮨᮘᮧᮔ᮪, ꦕꦶꦉꦧꦺꦴꦤ꧀(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese, Javanese Either derived from Javanese caruban meaning "mixed, assorted" (likely a reference to the region's mixed cultural influences) or from Sundanese cai meaning "water" and rebon meaning "shrimp, prawn"... [more]
Demakꦢꦼꦩꦏ꧀(Country, Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Meaning uncertain, possibly either of Javanese or Arabic origin. This is the name of a sultanate that existed between the 15th and 16th centuries in northern Java. It is also the name of a regency of, as well as a city in, the modern-day Indonesian province of Central Java.
Denpasar(Settlement)Indonesian From Balinese ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ (dénpasar) possibly meaning "north market". This is the name of the capital city of the Indonesian province of Bali.
Depok(Settlement)Indonesian From an acronym of Dutch De Eerste Protestantse Organisatie van Christenen (DEPOC) meaning "First Protestant Christian Organisation", referring to a 17th-century congregation established by Dutch merchant Cornelis Chastelein (1657-1714) to convert indigenous Indonesians to Christianity... [more]
Flores(Island & Body of Water)Indonesian Means "flowers" in Portuguese, from the Portuguese name for the eastern half of the island, Cabo das Flores. This is the name of an island as well as a small sea in Indonesia.
Gorontalo(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian From Gorontalo Hulontalo, meaning uncertain. This is the name of a province of and city in Indonesia.
Jayapura(Settlement)Indonesian Derived from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest" and पुर (pura) meaning "city". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Jeddah(Settlement)English, Danish, Dutch, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Swedish, Tagalog From Arabic جدة (Jiddah) derived from the word جَدَّة (jaddah) meaning "grandmother", perhaps referencing the folk belief that the Tomb of Eve (who is considered the 'grandmother' of humanity) is located there... [more]
Jeparaꦗꦼꦥꦫ(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Javanese para meaning "share, part, division", so named for the division of fish caught by local fishermen. This is the name of a regency of, as well as a town in, the Indonesian province of Central Java.
Kalimantan(Political Subdivision, Island & Region)Indonesian, Banjar Means "burning weather (island)" from Sanskrit काल (kala) meaning "time, season" and मन्थान (manthana) meaning "churning, agitating, stirring". This is the name of the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, though it is used to refer to the entire island in Indonesian... [more]
Komodo(Settlement & Island)Indonesian Meaning uncertain, possibly from the name of a local ethnic group. This is the name of an island and village in eastern Indonesia.
Kudusꦏꦸꦢꦸꦱ꧀(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese From the name of 16th-century Javanese Islamic saint Sunan Kudus, whose name was derived from Quds, the Arabic name for Jerusalem... [more]
Kupang(Settlement)Indonesian The name of a city in Indonesia, derived from the name of a local king, Nai Kopan or Lai Kopan.
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]
Lampung(Political Subdivision)Indonesian From the name of the 7th-century kingdom of Tolang Pohwang, itself derived from Lampungese to meaning "people" and Lang Pohwang, an old name for the region, which is of uncertain origin and meaning... [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.
Lhokseumawe(Settlement)Indonesian From the Acehnese name Lhôk Seumaw'è from lhôk meaning "deep" and Seumaw'è referring to the swirling water in the sea along the coast of eastern Aceh. This is the name of a city in the Indonesian province of Aceh.
Lombok(Island & Body of Water)Indonesian Derived from Sasak lomboq meaning "straight, honest". This is the name of an island in Indonesia as well as a strait connecting the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.
Madinah(Settlement)Arabic, Indonesian, Malay Alternate transcription of Arabic مدينة (see Madina), as well as the Indonesian and Malay form.
Maduraꦩꦢꦸꦫ(Island)Indonesian, Javanese Either from Indonesian madu meaning "honey" combined with dara meaning "maiden, girl" or from Sanskrit मथुरा (mathura) referring to the Indian city of Mathura (which is believed to be the birthplace of the Hindu god Krishna)... [more]
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.
Makassar(Settlement)Indonesian, Buginese From the Makassarese phrase akkasaraki nabbiya meaning "appearance of the prophet", taken from a legend in which a 16th-century king was supposedly approached by Muhammad himself... [more]
Makkah(Settlement)Arabic, Indonesian, Malay, Urdu Alternate transcription of Arabic مكة or Urdu مکہ (see Makka), as well as the usual Indonesian and Malay form.
Malangꦏꦸꦛꦩꦭꦁ(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Meaning uncertain, possibly from Malangkuçeçwara, the name of a legendary temple meaning "God has destroyed vanity". This is the name of a regency of, as well as a separately administered city in, the Indonesian province of East Java.
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.
Manado(Settlement)Indonesian From Sangir manaro meaning "on the far coast, in the distance", referring to the farther of two islands that can be seen from the mainland. This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Manamah(Settlement)Arabic, Indonesian, Urdu Arabic and Urdu alternate transcription of Manama as well as the Indonesian form. In Arabic it is usually written with the definite article: منامة (al-Manamah), which is also used in Indonesian.
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]
Maninjauمانينجاو(Body of Water)Minangkabau, Indonesian Means "observation, overlook" in Minangkabau, from the word tinjau meaning "to observe, to watch". This is the name of a lake in Indonesia.
Mataramꦩꦠꦫꦩ꧀(Settlement & Country)Indonesian, Javanese Meaning uncertain, perhaps derived from Sanskrit मातरम् (mataram) meaning "mother" or "motherland". Other theories include माता (mata) meaning "mother" or मत्त (mata) meaning "joy, excitement, passion" combined with आराम (arama) meaning "pleasure, delight".... [more]
Medan(Settlement)Indonesian, Malay, Batak Meaning uncertain. It may be derived from Batak Karo madan meaning "healed, blessed, recovered" or Malay medan meaning "field" (ultimately of Iranian origin). This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Merapiꦩꦼꦫꦥꦶ(Mountain)Indonesian, Javanese From Sanskrit मेरु (Meru), the name of a legendary mountain in Buddhist and Hindu mythology, combined with Indonesian api meaning "fire". This is the name of a volcano on the island of Java in Indonesia.
Nusantaraꦤꦸꦱꦤ꧀ꦠꦫ(Region & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Old Javanese nūsāntara meaning "outer islands" or "other islands", from nūsa meaning "island" and antara meaning "interval, interspace, between, other" (both of Sanskrit origin)... [more]
Nusantaraꦤꦸꦱꦤ꧀ꦠꦫ(Region & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Old Javanese nūsāntara meaning "outer islands" or "other islands", from nūsa meaning "island" and antara meaning "interval, interspace, between, other". In Indonesia this term is used to refer to the Indonesian Archipelago, while outside of Indonesia it has been used to represent the broader Malay Archipelago... [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).
Padangڤادڠ(Settlement)Indonesian, Minangkabau Means "field, plain" in Indonesian. This is the name of the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra.
Palabuhanratuᮕᮜᮘᮥᮠᮔ᮪ᮛᮒᮥ(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Means "queen's harbour" from Sundanese palabuhan meaning "harbour" and ratu meaning "queen". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Palembang(Settlement)Indonesian Meaning unclear, possibly from the prefix pa- denoting location combined with Malay limbang meaning "to pan gold, to wash rice" or lembang meaning "to cause (water) to flow" or "lowland basin, valley" (a reference to the area's geography as a wetland)... [more]
Palu(Settlement)Indonesian Uncertain, possibly from Mandarese topalu'e meaning "raised land" or Kaili bolovatu or volovatu referring to a type of local bamboo. This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Pantai Gading(Country)Indonesian From Indonesian pantai meaning "beach, coast" and gading meaning "ivory". This is the Indonesian name for Ivory Coast.
Parahyanganᮕᮛᮠᮡᮍᮔ᮪(Region)Indonesian, Sundanese Means "abode of hyangs", from hyang referring to a type of supernatural spirit or deity in Indonesian mythology. This is the name of a mountainous region in the western part of Java.
Parepare(Settlement)Buginese, Indonesian The name of a city in Indonesia, derived from the Buginese phrase bajiki ni pare meaning "ports in this region are good".
Pariamanڤريامن(Settlement)Indonesian, Minangkabau From Arabic بر أمان (barr 'aman) meaning "safe land, secure land". This is the name of a town in West Sumatra province, Indonesia.
Pasuruanꦥꦱꦸꦫꦸꦃꦲꦤ꧀(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Indonesian, Javanese, Madurese Derived from Javanese pasuruhan meaning "place where betel grows", from the word suruh referring to the betel plant (genus Piper). This is the name of a city in Indonesia as well as a regency in the Indonesian province of East Java.
Payakumbuh(Settlement)Indonesian, Minangkabau From the Minangkabau name Payokumbuah derived from payo meaning "swamp" and kumbuah referring to a type of grass. This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Pekanbaru(Settlement)Indonesian, Malay Means "new market" from Indonesian pekan meaning "market" and baru meaning "new". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Pontianak(Settlement)Indonesian From the name of a female ghost in Indonesian folklore that is said to be the spirit of a woman who died pregnant. This is the name of a city in Indonesia, so named because the region was once believed to be inhabited by pontianaks.
Puncak Jaya(Mountain)Indonesian Means "summit of victory" from Indonesian puncak meaning "top, summit, peak" and jaya meaning "victory". This is the name of a mountain located on the island of New Guinea, sometimes referred to as the Carstensz Pyramid.
Purbalinggaꦥꦸꦂꦧꦭꦶꦁꦒ(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Indonesian purba meaning "ancient" or "east" (from Sanskrit पूर्व (purva)) and lingga meaning "lingam", referring to a type of abstract representation of the Hindu god Shiva (from Sanskrit लिङ्ग (linga))... [more]
Purwakartaᮕᮥᮁᮝᮊᮁᮒ(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Derived from Sanskrit पूर्व (purva) meaning "beginning, ancient, old" and Sanskrit कृत (krta) meaning "done, accomplished". This is the name of a regency and town in Indonesia.
Rangkasbitungᮛᮀᮊᮞ᮪ᮘᮤᮒᮥᮀ(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Derived from Sundanese rangkas meaning "cut, broken" and awi bitung referring to a type of bamboo (genus Dendrocalamus). This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Riau(Political Subdivision)Indonesian Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Portuguese rio meaning "river" or Malay riuh meaning "thunderous, frenzied, blaring". This is the name of two provinces in Indonesia (Riau and Riau Islands) as well as an archipelago in the same region.
Semarangꦱꦼꦩꦫꦁ(Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese From Indonesian asam meaning "tamarind" and jarang meaning "rare, seldom", a reference to the tamarind trees in the area that rarely grew close together. This is the name of the capital city of the Indonesian province of Central Java.
Serang(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian Means "rice field" in Sundanese. This is the name of a city in Indonesia as well as a regency of the Indonesian province of Banten.
Seychelles(Country)French, English, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Malay, Maltese, Romanian, Spanish, Tagalog From the name of Jean Moreau de Séchelles (1690-1761), a French politician who served as Minister of Finance during the reign of King Louis XV. This is the name of an East African island country in the Indian Ocean.
Sukabumiᮞᮥᮊᮘᮥᮙᮤ(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Derived from Indonesian suka meaning "like, love" (ultimately from Sanskrit सुख (sukha) meaning "pleasant, happy") and bumi meaning "earth, soil" (from Sanskrit भूमि (bhumi))... [more]
Sulawesi(Political Subdivision & Island)Indonesian Probably means "iron island" in an uncertain South Sulawesi language, from sula (cognate with Indonesian pulau) meaning "island" and mesi (compare Indonesian besi) meaning "iron"... [more]
Sumatra(Political Subdivision & Island)Indonesian, Acehnese, Minangkabau, Malay, English From Sanskrit समुद्र (samudra) meaning "sea, ocean". This is the name of an island in Indonesia as well as three Indonesian provinces.
Sumbawa(Island & Political Subdivision)Indonesian From a Portuguese corruption of the name Sambawa, which is most likely derived from Sanskrit शम्भु (shambhu) meaning "beneficent, benevolent" (also a name for the Hindu god Shiva)... [more]
Surabayaꦯꦸꦫꦧꦪ(Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese From Javanese ꦯꦸꦫꦧꦪ (shurabaya), itself derived from ꦯꦸꦫ (shura) meaning "white shark" and ꦧꦪ (baya) meaning "crocodile". The name refers to 12th-century Javanese monarch Jayabaya, who supposedly saw a vision of a fight between a white shark and crocodile (which may have been a prediction of the Mongol invasion of Java in the late 13th century)... [more]
Surakartaꦱꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ, ꦯꦸꦫꦑꦂꦡ(Settlement)Indonesian, Javanese From Sanskrit शूर (shura) meaning "brave, heroic" and कृत (krta) meaning "done, made, accomplished". This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Tangerangᮒᮍᮨᮛᮀ(Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Derived from Sundanese tengger or tanggeran meaning "sign, marker". The name comes from a monument that was built in the 17th century to mark the boundary between the Sultanate of Banten and a neighbouring territory to the east controlled by the Dutch East India Company (VOC)... [more]
Tanjungpinang(Settlement)Indonesian, Malay From Indonesian and Malay tanjung meaning "cape, headland" and pinang meaning "betel nut", so named for the betel nut trees in the area that jut into the sea. This is the name of a city in Indonesia.
Tasikmalayaᮒᮞᮤᮊ᮪ᮙᮜᮚ(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Sundanese Meaning uncertain, most likely of Sundanese origin. This is the name of a regency of and city in Indonesia.
Tegalꦡꦼꦒꦭ꧀(Settlement & Political Subdivision)Indonesian, Javanese Derived from Javanese tetegal meaning "fertile land, field". This is the name of a city in Indonesia as well as a regency of the Indonesian province of Central Java.
Ubudᬳᬸᬩᬸᬤ᭄(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian, Balinese From Balinese ubad meaning "medicine", so named because the area was a rich source of medicinal herbs and plants. This is the name of a district and town in Bali, Indonesia.
Vistula(River)English, Amharic, Indonesian, Romanian, Swahili Borrowed from Latin, likely originating from the Indo-European root *weys- meaning "to flow". It is the longest river in Poland and has significant connections to Polish history and culture.
Weh(Island)Indonesian The name of an island in Indonesia, derived from Acehnese wèh meaning "move, go away, leave". The name probably refers to either the splitting of the original island into separate, smaller islands or the island's break off from Sumatra.
Yogyakarta(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Indonesian From Javanese ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ (ngayogyakarta), itself derived from Sanskrit अयोध्या (ayodhya) meaning "unconquerable, irresistible" (also referring to the mythical city of Ayodhya mentioned in Hindu texts such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata) and कृत (krta) meaning "done, made, accomplished"... [more]