The list contains the etymology of the names of countries and their capital cities. Some countries also have their autonomous regions, and at the end of the list there are states and other regions of some countries. The list is one possible definition of international borders, and the status of disputed borders is outside the scope of this page. Names consisting of multiple parts, like Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as São Tomé and Príncipe, are handled part by part without the word “and”.
Included are the English name and the names in official languages of each country (or at least the ones I happened to find), sometimes even those languages that are official in only a part of the country. The autonomous regions of China have the names in their respective minority languages even if they aren’t strictly official. The list does not include sign languages.
Place names not written in the Latin alphabet have been given a transcription, except if the name matches an already given spelling. Thus for example “Bulgaria, България (Bălgarija)”, but “Skopje, Скопје, Shkupi”, because Skopje and Скопје are read the same way. Chinese place names are only given the Pinyin transcription of Mandarin Chinese regardless of what language is usually used in each region. Likewise Arabic transcription doesn’t pay attention to local variants.
The languages have been categorized in either language families or smaller groups by what has felt suitable. I have tried to use such groups that are currently thought of as existing, but for example Niger–Congo languages is a bit of a questionable family. I have also used for lack of a better term the Khoisan languages even though it is now obsolete as a language family.
As sources I have used Wiktionary and Wikipedia (so don’t use this as a circular source for them), and I probably will never get to marking sources any better than that. The Wikis contain various theories about the origin of names, but different articles can contradict each other quite much. One origin may be stated as certain and then all of a sudden some other page shows quite different suggestions. I have tried to include relatively certain etymologies. The most certain ones are those that only have one option and there is no question mark or note after them. Best to still keep in mind that etymology is often uncertain.
Capital cities have been marked with ⌘.
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Greek / Semitic languages | wide face / west/hostage? | for example these have been suggested |
| Albania | Illyrian? | mountain land? | |
| Shqipëria | Latin / Albanian / Greek? | land of the clear speakers / eagle land / observer’s land? | |
| Tirana | Albanian < Greek < substrate language | city of Tyrrhenes, city of the tower people | |
| Andorra | Romance languages | earlier history unknown, many hypotheses have been offered | |
| Andorra la Vella | Romance languages | old Andorra < Andorra city | vella ‘old’ was probably originally vila ‘city’ |
| Austria | Latin < Germanic languages | eastern realm | formed from the Germanic name but reshaped to fit Latin |
| Österreich | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | eastern realm | |
| Vienna, Wien | Germanic languages < Latin < Celtic languages | forest (river)? | named after Wien River |
| Belarus, Беларусь (Byelarus) | Slavic languages + Germanic languages | white Rus’, white land of rowers | |
| Minsk, Мінск, Минск | Slavic languages | marketplace? | may also come from Menka River |
| Belgium, België, Belgique, Belgien | Celtic languages | land of the Belgae, land of the angry | |
| Brussels, Brussel, Bruxelles, Brüssel | Germanic languages | marsh dwelling | |
| Bosnia, Bosna, Босна | Illyrian? | land of Bosna River < running water? | |
| Herzegovina, Hercegovina, Херцеговина | Germanic languages + Slavic languages | duke’s land | |
| Sarajevo, Сарајево | Indo-Iranian languages + Turkic languages | palace city/palace plain | |
| Bulgaria, България (Bŭlgariya) | Turkic languages | land of the Bulgars, land of disturbers | |
| Sofia, София (Sofiya) | Greek < substrate language? | wisdom | the city was named after the Saint Sofia Church |
| Croatia | Latin < Greek < Slavic languages < Indo-Iranian languages? | many theories have been offered | |
| Hrvatska | Slavic languages < Indo-Iranian languages? | same origin as with Croatia but without going through Greek and Latin | |
| Zagreb | Slavic languages | hill/riverbank/embankment? | |
| Czechia, Česko | Slavic languages | land of the Czechs, land of people | |
| Prague, Praha | Slavic languages | burned (forest)/scorched (place)? | other alternatives have been offered |
| Denmark, Danmark, Danmørk, Danmarki | Germanic languages | borderland of the Danes, flat borderland? | |
| Copenhagen, København, Keypmannahavn | Germanic languages < Latin < substrate language? + Germanic languages + Germanic languages < substrate language? | merchants’ harbour | |
| Faroe Islands | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < substrate language? + Germanic languages < substrate language? + Germanic languages | sheep island islands | |
| Føroyar, Færøerne | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < substrate language? | sheep islands | |
| Tórshavn, Thorshavn | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < substrate language? | Thor’s harbour | |
| Greenland, Grønland | Germanic languages | green land | |
| Kalaallit Nunaat | Germanic languages? + Inuit–Yupik–Unangan languages | land of the Kalaallit, land of the fur wearers/poor/shouters? | kalaallit may be a Greenlandic form of the Germanic skrælingi whose origin is uncertain |
| Nuuk | Inuit–Yupik–Unangan languages | cape | |
| Godthåb | Germanic languages | good hope | history of håb before Germanic languages unknown |
| Estonia, Eesti | Germanic languages / Baltic languages? | respect/kiln/threshing barn / clearing? | various alternatives have been offered but origin unknown |
| Tallinn | Germanic languages + Finnic languages | city/castle of the Danes | this is considered most likely but the beginning could also come from the Uralic word for ‘winter’ or the Finnic word for ‘house’, ‘farm’ (which is a loan from some Indo-European language) |
| Finland | Germanic languages | land of the Finns/Sami, land of walkers/hunter-gatherers? | origin of the name of the people uncertain |
| Suomi, Suomâ, Suopma | Baltic languages? | land? | origin unknown but for example this has been suggested |
| Lääʹddjânnam | Sámi languages < Germanic languages + Sámi languages | land of the Finnish people, land of foreigners | the name for the Finnish people in Skolt Sami meant a foreigner or farmer in Proto-Sami and is of the same origin as the Germanic word land |
| Helsinki | Germanic languages | neck (of river = rapids)? | origin uncertain |
| Helsingfors | Germanic languages | Helsinge rapids, neck rapids? | |
| France | Latin < Germanic languages | land of the Franks, javelin land | |
| Paris | Latin < Celtic languages | swamp of the Parisii | the name of the Celtic tribe may come from ‘cauldron’, ‘commander’ or ‘spear’ |
| Germany | Latin < Celtic languages < ? | land of the Germani | the origin of the name of the people is unknown but it came to Latin if not from, at least via the Celtic languages |
| Deutschland | Germanic languages < substrate language? + Germanic languages | land of the people | |
| Berlin | Slavic languages | swamp? | origin uncertain |
| Greece | Greek | grey, venerable | origin uncertain but is probably based on the town name Graîa that has this meaning |
| Ελλάδα (Elláda), Ελλάς (Ellás) | Greek < substrate language? | maybe from the name of the tribe Helloi whose origin is uncertain | |
| Athens, Αθήνα (Athína) | Greek < substrate language? | origin unknown | |
| Hungary | Turkic languages | ten tribes | |
| Magyarország | Uralic languages | land of the Magyars, land of people | the beginning of magyar may come from Indo-Iranian languages and the beginning of ország from Turkic languages |
| Budapest | Buda + Pest | ||
| Buda | Slavic languages | origin uncertain; perhaps from a personal name or from ‘water’ | |
| Pest | Slavic languages | oven/cave? | |
| Iceland, Ísland | Germanic languages | ice land | |
| Reykjavík | Germanic languages | bay of smokes | |
| Ireland | Celtic languages + Germanic languages | land land | |
| Éire | Celtic languages | land | the modern pronunciation developing from the root *ɸīweriyū is unexplained |
| Dublin | Celtic languages | black pool | origin of the end part uncertain; perhaps from a substrate language |
| Baile Átha Cliath | Celtic languages | town of the hurdled ford | |
| Italy, Italia | Latin < Greek < Italic languages? | land of calves? | |
| Rome, Roma | unknown Indo-European language / Etruscan? | stream / teat? | for example these have been suggested; in the first option the name would have originally referred to the Tiber, in the second to the Romulus and Remus myth or the shape of the hills |
| Kosovo, Kosova, Косово | Slavic languages < substrate language? | blackbird field | originally the name of a polje in eastern Kosovo; the Battle of Kosovo of 1389 was fought there |
| Pristina, Prishtina, Приштина | Albanian / Slavic languages? | ford stone / water spring? | other alternatives have been offered, it may also come from a personal name |
| Latvia, Latvija | Baltic languages | stream? | perhaps from a river name |
| Riga, Rīga | Uralic languages < substrate language? | threshing barn? | other alternatives have been offered |
| Liechtenstein | Germanic languages | bright stone | the name of the country is based on the name of the ruling family, which comes from Liechtenstein Castle in Austria |
| Vaduz | Romance languages | aqueduct | |
| Lithuania, Lietuva | Baltic languages | stream? | perhaps from a river name |
| Vilnius | Baltic languages | surge | named after Vilnia River |
| Luxembourg, Lëtzebuerg, Luxemburg | Germanic languages | little castle | |
| Luxembourg, Lëtzebuerg, Luxemburg | |||
| Malta | Greek / Semitic languages? | honey land / haven? | |
| Valletta | Romance languages < Celtic languages | of Valette | named after Jean de Valette, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, whose family name comes from a Celtic place name of unknown meaning |
| Il-Belt Valletta | Semitic languages + Valletta | city of Valletta | |
| Moldova | Slavic languages / Germanic languages? | spruce (river) / dirt (river)? | the name of the country comes from Moldova River, whose origin is unknown |
| Chișinău | Romance languages / Uralic languages < Turkic languages / Turkic languages < Indo-Iranian languages? | new spring / small Jenő / grave? | Jenő is the name of a tribe and a personal name with meaning ‘adviser’ |
| Monaco | Greek | living alone? | the name was said to mean this in Ancient times, but it may originally come from Ancient Ligurian |
| Montenegro | Romance languages | black mountain | Venetian translation of the endonym |
| Crna Gora, Црна Гора | Slavic languages | black mountain | refers to Mount Lovćen |
| Podgorica, Подгорица | Slavic languages | under Gorica, under the hill | Gorica is a hill overlooking the city centre whose name means ‘hill’ |
| Cetinje, Цетиње | named after Cetina River for which I didn’t find an origin | ||
| Netherlands, Nederland | Germanic languages | low land(s) | |
| Holland | Germanic languages | woodland | |
| Amsterdam | Germanic languages | dam of Amstel River, dam at the wet place | beginning of Amstel perhaps from a substrate language |
| The Hague, Den Haag | Germanic languages | enclosure | |
| ’s-Gravenhage | Germanic languages | the count’s enclosure | |
| North Macedonia | Germanic languages + Greek | north + land of the tall ones/land of the highlanders | |
| Северна Македонија (Severna Makedonija) | Slavic languages + Greek | North Macedonia | |
| Maqedonia e Veriut | Greek + Albanian | North Macedonia | origin of the word veriut uncertain |
| Skopje, Скопје, Shkupi | Greek | observing place? | origin unknown but via at least Greek (and with Shkupi also Latin); may come from Illyrian |
| Norway, Norge, Noreg, Norga, Nöörje, Norja | Germanic languages | northern way | it has also been suggested that Norge and Norway are of different origins, and that Norge would mean ‘narrow way’ |
| Vuodna | Sámi languages < substrate language? | fjord | the Lule Sami name |
| Oslo, Oslove | Germanic languages | meadow of the Æsir / ridge meadow | |
| Poland | Slavic languages + Germanic languages | land of the Polans, land of the field dwellers | |
| Polska | Slavic languages | field | |
| Warsaw, Warszawa | Slavic languages | village of Warsz | Warsz is a diminutive of the personal name Warcisław that consists of the words ‘return’ and ‘glory’ |
| Portugal | Latin + Celtic languages? | port of Cale | origin of Cale unknown |
| Lisbon, Lisboa | Semitic languages < Latin | perhaps originally a name for Tagus River from a Celtic or substrate language | |
| Azores, Açores | Romance languages | goshawk | although there probably were no hawks on the islands when the Portuguese arrived |
| Angra do Heroísmo | Romance languages + Greek | bay of heroism | Queen of Portugal Maria II gave the end part of the name to commemorate the defence of Terceira Island against supporters of King Miguel who had usurped the throne |
| Horta | probably from the settler of Faial Island, Joost De Hurteren, whose surname was not given a meaning; the word horta ‘garden’ may have also contributed | ||
| Ponta Delgada | Romance languages | thin cape | |
| Madeira | Romance languages | wood | |
| Funchal | Romance languages | fennel field | while the suffix -al often refers to plantations, fennel grew naturally on the islands |
| Romania, România | Romance languages | land of the Romans | see also Italy: Rome |
| Bucharest, București | Romance languages < Albanian/Dacian/Latin? | city of Bucur | probably based on a personal name Bucur that may mean ‘joy’ or ‘bullock’ |
| Russia, Россия (Rossiya) | Germanic languages | land of the Rus’, land of rowers | |
| Moscow, Москва (Moskva) | Slavic languages | wet/swamp (river)? | originally the name of Moskva River; it has also been suggested to come from the Uralic languages, in which case the meaning could be ‘hemp river’, ‘spring river’ or ‘black river’ |
| San Marino | Romance languages | Saint Marinus | the personal name comes from the word ‘sea’ |
| City of San Marino, Città di San Marino | Romance languages + San Marino | city of San Marino | |
| Serbia, Србија, Srbija | Slavic languages? | land of the Serbs, land of allies? | origin uncertain, also an Indo-Iranian origin has been suggested |
| Belgrade, Београд, Beograd | Slavic languages | white city | refers to the white limestone on top of which the city was built and of which the fortress walls were built |
| Slovakia | Slavic languages | land of the Slavs | origin of the name of the people unknown, perhaps from a river name |
| Slovensko | Slavic languages | land of the Slavs | same as Slovakia but with a different suffix |
| Bratislava | Slavic languages | Braslav’s castle | Braslav is a personal name of which I didn’t find information about the beginning, but the end part is ‘glory’; the name Břetislav influenced the name as well |
| Slovenia, Szlovénia | Slavic languages | land of the Slavs | origin of the name of the people unknown, perhaps from a river name |
| Ljubljana, Lubiana | Slavic languages | beloved place | it has also been suggested that the origin is in a personal name Ljubovid ‘lovely appearance’ |
| Spain, España | Latin < Semitic languages | land of rabbits? | other alternatives have been offered |
| Madrid | Latin / Celtic languages / Semitic languages? | stream / great ford / stream? | |
| Sweden | Germanic languages | land of the Swedes, land of our tribe? | the name of the tribe is probably based on the word ‘self’, ‘own’ |
| Sverige | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | realm of the Swedes, realm of our tribe? | |
| Stockholm | Germanic languages | log island | |
| Switzerland, Schweiz, Suisse, Svizzera, Svizra | Germanic languages? | swidden? | |
| Bern, Berne, Berna | Celtic languages? | cleft/raven? | origin uncertain; the word meaning raven may have come from a substrate language |
| Ukraine, Україна (Ukraina) | Slavic languages | borderland | |
| Kyiv, Київ | Slavic languages | pole? | origin uncertain; pole would refer to the palisade that surrounded the city |
| Crimea, Крим (Krym), Qırım, Къырым | Turkic languages | trench? | other alternatives have been offered |
| Simferopol, Сімферополь | Greek | useful city | |
| Aqmescit, Акъмесджит | Turkic languages + Semitic languages | white (= western) mosque | |
| United Kingdom | Latin + Germanic languages | united kingdom | |
| London | Germanic languages < Latin < Celtic languages | place that floods? | |
| Britain | Latin < Greek < Celtic languages | land of the Britons, land of the painted | |
| England | Germanic languages | land of the Angles, fish hook land/narrow land? | the name refers to Angeln peninsula at the border of modern Germany and Denmark, where the Angles originally lived, and probably means either ‘narrow’ (which would refer to the Schlei fjord) or ‘fish hook’ (which would refer to the shape of the peninsula) |
| Northern Ireland | Germanic languages + Celtic languages + Germanic languages | northern land land | |
| Tuaisceart Éireann | Celtic languages | northern land | origin of tuaisceart uncertain |
| Belfast, Béal Feirste | Celtic languages | mouth of River Farset | the name of the river means a sandbar; origin of béal uncertain |
| Scotland | Celtic languages? + Germanic languages | land of the Scots | origin of the name of the tribe unknown |
| Alba | Celtic languages | world < white | |
| Edinburgh, Edinburrie | Celtic languages + Germanic languages | hillfort of Eidyn | origin of Eidyn unknown |
| Dùn Èideann | Celtic languages | hillfort of Eidyn | |
| Wales | Germanic languages < Celtic languages | land of the Volcae, land of the hawk? | |
| Cymru | Celtic languages | countryman | |
| Cardiff, Caerdydd | Celtic languages | fort of River Taff | the name of the river is probably cognate with the Thames and perhaps means water and darkness |
| Guernsey | Germanic languages | Grani’s island/spruce island? | Grani would be a personal name |
| Saint Peter Port | Romance languages + Greek < substrate language + Latin | Saint Peter’s port | |
| Isle of Man | Romance languages + Celtic languages | mountain island | |
| Mannin | Celtic languages | mountain | |
| Ellan Vannin | Celtic languages | mountain island | |
| Douglas, Doolish | Celtic languages | deep river | |
| Jersey, Jèrri | Germanic languages | Geirr’s island? | the beginning has been suggested for example to be a personal name Geirr, which means ‘spear’ |
| St Helier, Saint Hélyi, Saint-Hélier | Romance languages | Saint Helier | the name of the saint was not given a meaning |
| Vatican (City) | Latin | origin unknown | |
| Città del Vaticano, Civitas Vaticana | Latin | city of Vatican |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | Anatolian languages < substrate language or Semitic languages? | muddy/sunrise/departing? | for example these have been suggested |
| Afghanistan, افغانستان (Afġānistān, Afġānestān) | Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Afghans, land of the faraway people? | there are also other theories for the origin of the name of the tribe |
| Kabul, کابل (Kābəl, Kābul) | Indo-Iranian languages | originally the name of Kabul River whose origin is unknown | |
| Armenia | Hurro-Urartian languages? | possibly based on the ancient name Arme whose meaning is unknown; other alternatives have been offered | |
| Հայաստան (Hayastan) | Hurro-Urartian languages? + Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Hittites? | the beginning could also be from Anatolian languages, in which case the meaning would be ‘metal land’ |
| Yerevan, Երևան | Hurro-Urartian languages? | conquest? | |
| Azerbaijan, Azərbaycan | Indo-Iranian languages | belonging to Atropates | Atropates (‘protected by fire’) was the satrap of Media |
| Baku, Bakı | Indo-Iranian languages? | origin unknown | |
| Bahrain, البحرين (al-Baḥrain) | Semitic languages | two seas | |
| Manama, المنامة (al-Manāma) | Semitic languages / Indo-Iranian languages | origin unknown | |
| Bangladesh, বাংলাদেশ (Bāṅlādēś) | Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Bengals | origin of the name of the people unknown |
| Dhaka, ঢাকা (Ḍhākā) | Indo-Iranian languages | dhak tree/dhak drum/watchtower? | |
| Bhutan | Tibeto-Burman languages + Indo-Iranian languages | end of Tibet? | |
| འབྲུག་ཡུལ (Druk yul) | Tibeto-Burman languages | dragon land | |
| Thimphu, ཐིམ་ཕུ | Tibeto-Burman languages | origin apparently unknown | |
| Brunei, بروني | Indo-Iranian languages | water/ocean/Varuna? | |
| Bandar Seri Begawan, بندر سري بݢاوان | Indo-Iranian languages | city of the shining and holy | seri begawan was the title given to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III after he abdicated in favour of his son |
| Cambodia, កម្ពុជា (Kâmpŭchéa) | Indo-Iranian languages? | land of the Kamboja | the Kamboja were an Iranian people, whose name is of unknown origin |
| Phnom Penh, ភ្នំពេញ (Phnum Pénh) | Austroasiatic languages | hill of Penh | Penh was an old lady who according to legend built Wat Phnom temple in the 14th century when statues of the Buddha and Vishnu were found in a river |
| China | Indo-Iranian languages < Sinitic languages? | Qin, grain | the name of the state of Qin (and the later dynasty) is written with a character that originally meant ‘grain’ |
| 中国, 中國 (Zhōngguó) | Sinitic languages | middle country | |
| Beijing, 北京, 北京 (Běijīng) | Sinitic languages | northern capital | the end part may also be borrowed from Austroasiatic languages |
| Guangxi, Gvangjsih, 广西, 廣西 (Guǎngxī) | Sinitic languages | western expanse | the part meaning west may also be borrowed from Austroasiatic languages |
| Nanning, Namzningz, 南宁, 南寧 (Nánníng) | Sinitic languages | southern peace | |
| Inner Mongolia | Germanic languages + Mongolic languages | inner Mongolia | |
| ᠦᠪᠦᠷ ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ (Öbör Mongɣol), өвөр монгол (Övör Mongol) | Mongolic languages | inner Mongolia | |
| 内蒙古, 內蒙古 (Nèi Měnggǔ) | Sinitic languages + Mongolic languages | inner Mongolia | |
| Hohhot, ᠬᠥᠬᠡᠬᠣᠲᠠ (Kökeqota), Хөх хот (Höh hot), 呼和浩特, 呼和浩特 (Hūhéhàotè) | Mongolic languages < Turkic languages? + Mongolic languages < Wanderwort | dark blue city | the end part is probably the same word as English cot but it is not known which language it originates from |
| Ningxia, 宁夏, 寧夏 (Níngxià) | Sinitic languages | peaceful Xia, peaceful summerland | |
| Yinchuan, 银川, 銀川 (Yínchuān) | Sinitic languages | silver river | |
| Xinjiang, شىنجاڭ (Shinjang), 新疆, 新疆 (Xīnjiāng) | Sinitic languages | new territory | |
| Ürümqi, ئۈرۈمچى (Ürümchi), 乌鲁木齐, 烏魯木齊 (Wūlǔmùqí) | Mongolic languages / Turkic languages + Sinitic languages? | beautiful pasture / white fortress? | |
| Tibet | Turkic languages / Tibeto-Burman languages? | mountains / upper Bod? | other alternatives have been offered |
| བོད (Bod) | Tibeto-Burman languages | land of speakers/mutterers? | perhaps originally from the name of a tribe whose meaning is uncertain |
| 西藏, 西藏 (Xīzàng) | Sinitic languages + Tibeto-Burman languages | western Tsang, western pure (land) | Tsang is one of the regions of Tibet (broader meaning than the autonomous region); west refers to the location of Tsang in relation to China; the part meaning west may also be borrowed from Austroasiatic languages |
| Lhasa, ལྷ་ས, 拉萨, 拉薩 (Lāsà) | Tibeto-Burman languages | goat place/enclosed place | |
| Hong Kong, 香港, 香港 (Xiānggǎng) | Sinitic languages | fragrant harbour | |
| Macao, Macau | Sinitic languages | platform of A-Má/harbour of A-Má | A-Má or Mazu (‘grandmother’) is the goddess of the sea, and the name probably refers to her temple from the 15th century |
| 澳门, 澳門 (Àomén) | Sinitic languages | inlet gate | there are similar words to the first part also in Austroasiatic languages, but it is uncertain which language it originates from |
| Cyprus, Κύπρος (Kýpros), Kıbrıs | Semitic languages | land of the great goddess? | origin uncertain but at least this has been suggested. The word copper comes from the name of the island. |
| Nicosia, Λευκωσία (Lefkosía), Lefkoşa | Greek < substrate language | white estate < ? | the original name was Lidir and it went through great sound changes when it was borrowed into Greek and it conformed to existing Greek words |
| Georgia | Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Gurğ | origin of the name of the tribe unknown; according to one hypothesis would come from a word meaning ‘wolf’ |
| საქართველო (Sakartvelo) | Kartvelian languages < Indo-European languages? | land of the Kartvelians | the name of the people may be based on an Indo-European word for ‘enclosure’, ‘fortress’ |
| Tbilisi, თბილისი | Kartvelian languages | warm place | after hot springs |
| Қарҭ (Kart) | Kartvelian languages | Kartli, Georgia | same word as in the middle of Sakartvelo |
| Abkhazia, აფხაზეთი (Apkhazeti) | Kartvelian languages < Northwest Caucasian languages | land of the Abkhaz, land of mortals? | |
| Аԥсны (Apsny) | Northwest Caucasian languages | land of the Abkhaz, land of mortals? | |
| Sukhumi, სოხუმი (Sokhumi) | Kartvelian languages | fortress/hornbeam? | may also come from the name of a tribe |
| Аҟәа (Aqwa) | Northwest Caucasian languages | stony shore? | |
| India | Indo-Iranian languages | land of Indus, river land | the name of the Indus means ‘river’ but its origin is unknown, perhaps from a substrate language |
| भारत (Bhārat) | Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Bharatas, land of the bearers | |
| New Delhi | Germanic languages + Indo-Iranian languages | new Delhi | |
| नई दिल्ली (Naī Dillī) | Indo-Iranian languages | new Delhi | origin of Delhi unknown, suggestions include ‘threshold’ and ‘hill’ |
| Indonesia | Indo-Iranian languages + Greek | Indian islands | |
| Jakarta | Indo-Iranian languages | victorious | to celebrate the expulsion of the Portuguese by the forces of Fatahillah in 1527 |
| Iran, ایران (Irān) | Indo-Iranian languages | land of Aryans | origin of the name of the people unknown |
| Tehran, تهران (Tehrān) | Indo-Iranian languages | bottom of mountain/abode of Tir/warm place? | the first option seems to be the most probable; Tir/Tishtrya was the god of rain and fertility |
| Iraq, العراق (al-‘Irāq), عێراق, ʿÊraq | Indo-Iranian languages / Semitic languages | lowland / shore/edge? | |
| Bagdad, بغداد (Baġdād) | Indo-Iranian languages | given by god? | has also been suggested to come from Semitic languages and to mean a place with channels |
| Israel, ישראל (Yīsrāʾēl) | Semitic languages | El rules/he wrestles with El | Ēl was the supreme god, later the only God of Jews |
| Jerusalem, ירושלים (Yərūšālayim) | Semitic languages | foundation of Shalem | Shalem (‘peace’) was the god of dusk |
| Tel Aviv, תל אביב (Tēl ʾĀvīv) | Semitic languages | spring mound | originally the name of a place near Babylon mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Ezekiel |
| Japan | Germanic languages < Malayo-Polynesian languages < Sinitic languages | sun’s origin | same word as Nihon but through various sound changes |
| 日本 (Nihon, Nippon) | Sinitic languages | sun’s origin | |
| Tokyo, 東京 (Tōkyō) | Sinitic languages | eastern capital | the end part may also be borrowed from Austroasiatic languages |
| Jordan, الأردن (al-ʼUrdunn) | Semitic languages | land of River Jordan < flowing/descending? | the country got its name from the river whose origin is uncertain |
| Amman, عمان (ʿAmmān) | Semitic languages | city of Ammonites, city of forefathers | |
| Kazakhstan, Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, Казахстан | Turkic languages + Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Kazakhs | the origin of the name of the people has been suggested to be ‘wanderer’, ‘free’, ‘cart’ or ‘obtain’ |
| Astana, Астана | Indo-Iranian languages | capital | |
| Kyrgyzstan, Кыргызстан | Turkic languages | land of the Kyrgyz < forty tribes? | other alternatives have been offered |
| Bishkek, Бишкек | Indo-Iranian languages + Turkic languages? | frontier chief? | other alternatives have been offered, eg. ‘five chiefs’ of Turkic languages |
| (Democratic People’s Republic of) Korea | Sinitic languages + Korean? | high castle? | origin of the end part unclear |
| 조선(민주주의인민공화국) (Joseon (minjujuui inmin gonghwaguk)) | Korean/Sinitic languages? | origin unknown | |
| Pyongyang, 평양 (Pyeong'yang) | Sinitic languages | flat land | |
| (Republic of) Korea | Sinitic languages + korea? | high castle? | origin of the end part unclear |
| 대한(민국) (Daehan (min'guk)) | Sinitic languages | great Han | Han refers to the states Goguryeo, Paekche and Silla, but originally it was used of the earlier states Byeonhan, Jinhan and Mahan |
| 한국 (Han'guk) | Sinitic languages | Han state | |
| Soul, 서울 (Seoul) | Korean | capital | |
| Sejong, 세종 | Sinitic languages | (king) Sejong | the posthumous name of the 15th century king means ‘ancestor’ |
| Kuwait, الكويت (al-Kuwait) | Semitic languages | fortress? | at least this has been suggested |
| Kuwait, الكويت (al-Kuwait) | |||
| Laos, ລາວ (Lāo) | Kra–Dai languages? | people | Wiktionary and Wikipedia say the word was originally Austroasiatic, but the source they use doesn’t say which language family the word is from |
| Vientiane, ວຽງຈັນ (Wīangchan) | Austroasiatic languages + Indo-Iranian languages < Dravidian languages? | sandalwood city | or possibly ‘moon city’ |
| Lebanon, لبنان (Lubnān) | Semitic languages | white | originally the name of Mount Lebanon; apparently refers to the snow on the mountains |
| Beirut, بيروت (Bairūt) | Semitic languages | wells | |
| Maldives | Indo-Iranian languages | garland of islands/islands of Malé? | |
| ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ (Divehirājje) | Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Dhivehi, land of the islanders | |
| Malé, މާލެ (Māle) | Indo-Iranian languages | big blood | refers to the blood mixed with sea water after a great catch of fish; I didn’t find out if this is only a legend |
| Malaysia | Malayo-Polynesian languages | land of the Malays < accelerating? | the root word was perhaps a river name that perhaps had this meaning |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malayo-Polynesian languages | muddy confluence | |
| Putrajaya | Indo-Iranian languages | victorious son | refers to the first prime minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj |
| Mongolia | Mongolic languages | land of the Mongols, land of the descendants of Mugulü? | perhaps from chieftain Mugulü, whose name may have meant ‘bald’; the name came from Tuoba language, whose relation to Mongolian is uncertain |
| ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ (Mongɣol Ulus), Монгол Улс (Mongol Uls) | Mongolic languages + Turkic languages | state of Mongolia | |
| Ulaanbaatar, ᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨᠪᠠᠭᠠᠲᠤᠷ (Ulaɣanbaɣatur), Улаанбаатар | Mongolic languages + Mongolic languages < Turkic languages? | red hero | perhaps after revolutionary Damdin Sükhbaatar; origin of the word baatar is unclear |
| Myanmar, မြန်မာ (Mranma) | Tibeto-Burman languages / Indo-Iranian languages | land of people/land of barbarians / land of Brahma? | |
| Naypyidaw, နေပြည်တော် (Ne-pranytau) | Tibeto-Burman languages | abode of the king | |
| Nepal, नेपाल (Nepāl) | Indo-Iranian languages / Tibeto-Burman languages | abode at the foot of the mountain / land of cowherds? | |
| Kathmandu, काठमाडौँ (Kāṭhmāḍaũ) | Indo-Iranian languages + Indo-Iranian languages < substrate language? | wood pavilion | got its name from the building called Kasthamandap that according to a legend was built from a single tree without nails |
| Oman, عمان (ʿUmān) | Semitic languages | permanent settlement? | |
| Muscat, مسقط (Masqaṭ) | Semitic languages / Indo-Iranian languages? | anchorage / strong-scented? | other alternatives have been offered |
| Pakistan, پاکستان (Pākistān) | Indo-Iranian languages | Panjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh and Baluchistan; pure land | at the same time an acronym of the names of the regions, and derived from the word meaning pure |
| Islamabad, اسلام آباد (Islām ābād) | Semitic languages + Indo-Iranian languages | city of Islam | |
| Palestine | Latin < Greek < Semitic languages | history before Semitic languages unknown | |
| فلسطين (Filasṭīn) | Semitic languages < Greek < Semitic languages | same word as Palestine but via a different route | |
| Jerusalem | Semitic languages | foundation of Shalem | Shalem (‘peace’) was the god of dusk |
| القدس (al-Quds) | Semitic languages | holy (city) | |
| Ramallah, رام الله (Rām Allāh) | Semitic languages | hill of God | |
| Philippines, Pilipinas | Romance languages < Greek | (islands) of Philip | name of the country from Spanish but the name of King Philip II originally from Greek |
| Manila, Maynila | Malayo-Polynesian languages | place of indigo/place of Scyphiphora | the word for indigo is a loan from Indo-Iranian languages; the latter plant doesn’t seem to have a common English name |
| Qatar, قطر (Qaṭar) | Semitic languages | camel train? | may also come from a form of trade in which goods were purchased in sealed containers without weighing them |
| Doha, الدوحة (al-Dawḥa) | Semitic languages | round | according to the Ministry of Municipality of Qatar refers to the rounded bays on the coastline; Wiktionary also mentioned the meaning ‘great tree’ |
| Saudi Arabia | Semitic languages | land of the Arabs of the Saud family | Saud apparently means ‘happy’. Origin of the name of the people unknown; may for example come from a verb related to commerce. |
| السعودية (al-Suʿūdiyya) | Semitic languages | land of the Saud family | |
| Riad, الرياض (al-Riyāḍ) | Semitic languages | meadows | |
| Singapore, Singapura, Ciṅkappūr, 新加坡, 新加坡 (Xīnjiāpō) | Indo-Iranian languages < substrate language + Indo-Iranian languages | lion city | |
| Sri Lanka, ශ්රී ලංකා (Śrī Laṅkā) | Indo-Iranian languages | holy Lanka | origin of the end part unknown |
| இலங்கை (Ilaṅkai) | Indo-Iranian languages? | Lanka | |
| Kotte, කෝට්ටේ (Kōṭṭē), கோட்டை (Kōṭṭai) | Dravidian languages | fortress | |
| Sri Jayawardenepura, ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර (Śrī Jayavardhanapura), ஶ்ரீ ஜெயவர்தனபுர (Śrī Jeyavartaṉapura) | Indo-Iranian languages | resplendent city of growing victory | |
| Colombo, කොළඹ (Koḷamba), கொழும்பு (Koḻumpu) | Indo-Iranian languages? | harbour on the Kelani River/harbour with green mango trees? | |
| Syria, سوريا (Sūriyā) | Semitic languages | from the name of the city of Assur, which is the same as that of the god Assur; origin unknown | |
| Damascus, دمشق (Dimašq) | Semitic languages | origin unknown | |
| Taiwan, 臺灣, 台灣, 台湾 (Táiwān) | Formosan languages | land of the Taivoan? | apparently based on the name of the Taivoan people whose meaning is unknown |
| Taipei, 臺北, 台北, 台北 (Táiběi) | Formosan languages + Sinitic languages | North Taiwan | |
| Tajikistan, Тоҷикистон (Tojikiston), Таджикистан (Tadžikistan) | Semitic languages + Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Tajiks | the name of the Tajiks is based on an Arabic tribal name that was borrowed back and forth in Turkic and Indo-Iranian languages; meaning unknown |
| Dushanbe, Душанбе (Dušanbe) | Indo-Iranian languages + Semitic languages | Monday | literally ‘two (days) from Saturday/Sabbath’; refers to a large bazaar that operated on Mondays |
| Thailand | Kra–Dai languages + Germanic languages | land of the Thai, land of people | |
| ประเทศไทย (Pratheet Thai) | Indo-Iranian languages + Kra–Dai languages | land of the Thai, land of people | |
| Bangkok | Austroasiatic languages + Kra–Dai languages / Austroasiatic languages / Austronesian languages? | olive tree village / island village/highland village / crooked? | the last alternative would refer to the shape of rivers |
| กรุงเทพมหานคร (Krung Thep Mahanakhon) | Austroasiatic languages + Indo-Iranian languages + Indo-Iranian languages + Indo-Iranian languages < Dravidian languages? | realm of gods, grand city | the comma here doesn’t separate alternative translations but is a part of the translation |
| Timor-Leste | Malayo-Polynesian languages + Germanic languages | east east | |
| Timór Lorosa'e | Malayo-Polynesian languages | east east | |
| Dili, Díli | Trans–New Guinea languages? | cliff? | at least this has been suggested |
| Turkey, Türkiye | Turkic languages | strong? | other alternatives have been offered |
| Ankara | Anatolian languages? | may be of the same origin as the Hittite Ankuwaš, unless the Greek Ἄγκυρα (Ánkyra) ‘anchor’ was the original name | |
| Turkmenistan, Türkmenistan | Turkic languages + Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Turks, land of the strong? | |
| Ashgabat, Aşgabat | Indo-Iranian languages | city of Arsaces? | translated from Modern Persian the name means ‘city of love’, but that is considered a folk etymology; the king’s name Arsaces means ‘hero’ |
| United Arab Emirates | Latin + Semitic languages | united Arab emirates | |
| الإمارات العربية المتحدة (al-Imārāt al-‘arabiyya al-muttaḥida) | Semitic languages | united Arab emirates | |
| Abu Dhabi, أبو ظبي (ʾAbū Ẓabī) | Semitic languages | father of gazelle | |
| Uzbekistan, Oʻzbekiston, Ўзбекистон | Turkic languages + Indo-Iranian languages | land of the Uzbeks, land of the free/land of the chieftain? | uz and bek from Turkic languages, istan from Indo-Iranian languages; for example these meanings have been suggested |
| Tashkent, Toshkent, Тошкент | Turkic languages + Indo-Iranian languages / Indo-Iranian languages? | stone city / lake? | |
| Vietnam, Việt Nam | Sinitic languages | South Yue, south axe | |
| Hanoi, Hà Nội | Sinitic languages | inside rivers | refers to the location between Red River and Đáy River |
| Yemen, اليمن (al-Yaman) | Semitic languages | right side (= south side) | |
| Sanaa, صنعاء (Ṣanaʿāʾ) | Semitic languages | fortress | |
| Aden, عدن (ʻAdan) | Semitic languages < Sumerian? | lowland/steppe? |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | Latin < Semitic languages / Latin < Berber languages | dust land / cave land? | the second alternative would refer to the cave dwellings of the Berber people |
| Algeria, الجزائر (al-Jazāʾir), Lezzayer | Semitic languages | islands | the country got its name from the capital |
| Algiers, الجزائر (al-Jazāʾir), Lezzayer | Semitic languages | islands | shortened from Jazāʾir Banī Mazghanna ‘islands of the Mazghanna tribe’ which are now connected to the mainland |
| Angola | Bantu languages | king | |
| Luanda | Bantu languages | when the Portuguese arrived, the region was called Loanda but its meaning is unknown | |
| Benin | Niger–Congo languages | place of vexation | in the 13th century King Ọ̀rànmíyàn is said to have abdicated and called the country with this name because it was so hard to govern |
| Porto-Novo | Romance languages | new port | |
| Cotonou | Niger–Congo languages | mouth of the river of death | refers to slave trade |
| Botswana | Bantu languages | land of the Tswana | origin of the name of the people unknown |
| Gaborone | Bantu languages | does not fit badly? | after chief Gaborone |
| Burkina Faso, Burkĩna Faso, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮𞥅, ߓߙߎߞߌߣߊ߫ ߝߊ߬ߛߏ߫, Burukina Faso | Niger–Congo languages + Mande languages | upright fatherland | |
| Ouagadougou, Waogdgo, Wagadugu | Niger–Congo languages | home of the Wagu tribe | |
| Burundi, Uburundi | I didn’t find other information but that it is based on an earlier name Urundi | ||
| Gitega | I didn’t find information about the origin | ||
| Cameroon, Cameroun | Romance languages < Latin < Greek < substrate language | shrimp (river) | when the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century, there were so many Lepidophthalmus turneranus ghost shrimps in Wouri River that they named it shrimp river (Rio dos Camarões), and eventually the country got its name from the river |
| Yaoundé | Bantu languages | Yaunde people | named after the Yaunde (or Ewondo) people; apparently Germans heard the expression ya-ewondo ‘among the Ewondo’ as yaunde |
| Cape Verde, Cabo Verde | Romance languages | green cape | originally Cape Verde Islands, because they are located west of the Cap-Vert Peninsula in Senegal; the origin of the word verde before Latin is unclear |
| Praia | Romance languages | beach | |
| Central African (Republic), (République) centrafricaine | Romance languages + (Semitic languages / Berber languages) | central Africa | |
| (Ködörösêse tî) Bêafrîka | Sango (creole or Niger–Congo languages) + (Semitic languages / Berber languages) | heart Africa | bê literally means heart but apparently it is also used more generally to mean centre |
| Bangui, Bangî | Bantu languages | rapids | the city got its name from Ubangi River |
| Chad, Tchad, تشاد (Tšād) | Nilo-Saharan languages | lake | the country got its name from Lake Chad |
| N’Djamena, N’Djaména, انجمينا (Injamīnā) | Semitic languages | place of rest | |
| Comoros, Komori, Comores | Semitic languages | moon (islands)/south (islands)? | the moon etymology is considered unlikely but the south one doesn’t seem to be much more certain |
| جزر القمر (Juzur al-Qumur) | Semitic languages | moon islands/south islands? | |
| Moroni, Mroni, موروني (Mūrūnī) | Bantu languages | at the river | |
| (Democratic Republic of the) Congo, (République démocratique du) Congo | Bantu languages | Kongo people, gathering/hunter? | the country got its name from Congo River which got its name from the Kongo people whose name’s origin is uncertain |
| Kinshasa | Bantu languages | salt hill/market? | |
| (Republic of the) Congo, (République du) Congo | Bantu languages | Kongo people, gathering/hunter? | the country got its name from Congo River which got its name from the Kongo people whose name’s origin is uncertain |
| Brazzaville | Romance languages | city of Brazza | got its name from its founder Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza whose family name comes from the Brazzacco village in Moruzzo, Italy. The name of the village comes from Latin bracchium ‘arm’. |
| Djibouti, جيبوتي (Jībūtī) | Cushitic languages? | plate/upland? | the country got its name from the capital |
| Djibouti, جيبوتي (Jībūtī) | |||
| Egypt | Greek < Egyptian | temple of the ka of Ptah | Ptah is a god, ka means soul; originally the name of a temple in Memphis, then the name of the city of Memphis, and from Greek onwards the name of the whole country |
| مصر (Miṣr) | Semitic languages | two straits? | |
| Cairo, القاهرة (al-Qāhira) | Semitic languages | victorious | may refer to the planet Mars which was in the sky when the city was founded in the 10th century |
| Equatorial Guinea | Romance languages + Berber languages? | equatorial Guinea | history of equator before Latin unclear; see also Guinea |
| Guinea Ecuatorial, Guinée équatoriale, Guiné Equatorial | Berber languages? + Romance languages | equatorial Guinea | |
| Ciudad de la Paz | Romance languages | city of peace | |
| Eritrea, ኤርትራ (Ertra), إرتريا (Iritriyā) | Greek | red | refers to the Red Sea |
| Asmara, ኣስመራ (Asmära), أسمرة | Semitic languages | four women united them | according to oral tradition, the women of four villages suggested uniting the villages in 1507 to protect against attackers; the full original name was Arbate Asmara, so the word meaning “four (women)” is now missing |
| Eswatini, eSwatini | Bantu languages | land of Mswati | after King Mswati II |
| Mbabane | Bantu languages? | named after Mbabane River for which I didn’t find an origin | |
| Lobamba | Bantu languages? | I didn’t find information about the origin | |
| Ethiopia, ኢትዮጵያ (Ityop̣p̣ya), Itiyoppiya, Itiyoophiyaa, Itoobiya | Greek / Semitic languages? | burnt faces / incense? | a substrate language is also possible |
| Addis Ababa, አዲስ አበባ (Äddis Äbäba), ኣዲስ ኣበባ (Addis Abäba), Addis Abeba | Semitic languages | new flower | |
| Finfinnee | Cushitic languages | spring of hot mineral water | the Oromo name of Addis Abeba |
| Gabon | Romance languages | cloak | refers to the shape of the Komo River estuary; history of the word before Portuguese uncertain, may come from Latin, Arabic or Persian |
| Libreville | Romance languages | free town | people freed from a slave ship were settled in the city |
| The Gambia | Mande languages? | drum (river)? | the name of the country comes from the Mandinka name of Gambia River, which may be based on the sacred gamba drum; I don’t know which language the name of the drum comes from originally |
| Banjul | Mande languages | rope fibre? | for example this has been suggested; according to traditional history it would come from a man called Bandjougou who fled from attackers on the island where the city is located |
| Ghana | Semitic languages < Mande languages | warrior/chief? | |
| Accra | Niger–Congo languages | ant | refers to the many anthills in the region; Ghanaian peoples identify themselves with ants |
| Guinea, Guinée | Berber languages? | burnt (= black) people/mute (= foreign)? | a connection to the city of Djenné has also been proposed |
| Conakry | Mande languages? | under the palm? | Wikis didn’t say anything but this came up elsewhere |
| Guinea-Bissau, Guiné-Bissau | Berber languages? + Niger–Congo languages | Guinea of Bissau | includes the capital to differentiate from Guinea |
| Bissau | Niger–Congo languages | N'nssassun clan? | the name apparently came from the plural of the clan name, Bôssassun; the clan descends from Punguenhum, the sister of Bissau’s founder, King Mecau |
| Ivory Coast | Romance languages < Latin < Egyptian? + Romance languages | ivory coast | history of the word coast (and côte below) before Latin uncertain |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Romance languages + Romance languages < Latin < Egyptian? | ivory coast | |
| Yamoussoukro | Niger–Congo languages | town of Yamoussou | named after Queen Yamoussou |
| Abidjan | Niger–Congo languages | I’m just cutting leaves | according to traditional history a local man answered this when a European explorer asked for the name of the nearby village, and the European wrote it down as the name of the place |
| Kenya | Bantu languages | white mountain/ostrich mountain? | the country got its name from Mount Kenya |
| Nairobi | Nilo-Saharan languages | cold river | originally the name of Nairobi River; the name actually only has the part meaning ‘cold’ left |
| Lesotho | Bantu languages | land of the Sotho, land of people | |
| Maseru | Bantu languages | sandstone | |
| Liberia | Latin | free land | |
| Monrovia | Germanic languages + Celtic languages | city of Monroe | named after United States President James Monroe; the name Monroe means a person living by the River Roe; the name of the river means ‘roaring’ |
| Libya, ليبيا (Lībiyā) | Berber languages | land of the Libu | there is information about the tribe from at least the 13th century BCE; the meaning of the name is unknown |
| Tripoli, طرابلس (Ṭarābulus) | Greek | three cities | shared name for the cities Oea, Sabratha and Leptis Magna, of which the first one is the current Tripoli |
| Madagascar, Madagasikara | Malayo-Polynesian languages + Semitic languages / Afroasiatic languages? | island of the Malays / Mogadishu? | the name has been affected by the inaccuracy of old maps and the mixing up of various places, so there is no certainty about the origin |
| Antananarivo | Malayo-Polynesian languages | city of the thousand | Andrianjaka, King of Imerina conquered the region in the 17th century with a thousand soldiers |
| Malawi | Bantu languages | flames | refers to either the sunrise or the Maravi tribe whose name apparently means the same |
| Lilongwe | Bantu languages? | named after Lilongwe River, but I didn’t find information about the origin | |
| Mali, ߡߊߟߌ, 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, مالي (Mālī), ⵎⴰⵍⵉ | Mande languages | Mande people? | apparently of the same origin as the people’s name Mande, but it has also been suggested to mean ‘place where the king lives’ or ‘hippopotamus’ |
| Bamako, Bamakɔ, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮, باماكو (Bāmākū) | Mande languages | crocodile river | I guess it has to refer to the Niger River but its usual Bambara name is Jeluba |
| Mauritania, موريتانيا (Mūrītāniyā) | Latin < Greek | land of the Mauri/Moors | the Greek word may mean ‘dark’ and may be an Indo-European, Semitic or substrate word; alternatively may come from the Berber native name which could be based on the word ‘big’, or from the Semitic word ‘west’ |
| Nouakchott, نواكشوط (Nuwākšūṭ) | Berber languages | place of winds/having no ears? | |
| Mauritius, Maurice | Germanic languages < Latin < Greek | (islands of) Maurice | named after Maurice of Orange (Maurice of Nassau), stadtholder of the Dutch Republic; the name Maurice (Maurits in Dutch) is cognate to the name of the Moors, see the notes for Mauritania above |
| Port Louis, Port-Louis | Romance languages < Latin + Romance languages < Latin < Germanic languages | port of Louis | named after Louis XV, King of France; the name Louis means ‘famous in battle’ |
| Morocco | Romance languages < Semitic languages < Berber languages | hidden? | the name may come from a verb meaning ‘hide’ but I don’t know which form of it |
| المغرب (al-Maġrib), ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib | Semitic languages | west | |
| Rabat, الرباط (al-Ribāṭ), ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, Ṛṛbaṭ, ⴰⵕⴱⴰⵟ, Aṛbaṭ | Semitic languages | ribat, fortress | shortening of Ribāṭu al-Fatḥ ‘fortress of conquest/victory’ |
| Mozambique, Moçambique | Semitic languages | originally the name of Island of Mozambique off the coast whose name came from the ruler of the island, Mussa Bin Bique (various transcriptions exist) | |
| Maputo | named after the Maputo River, but I didn’t find an origin | ||
| Namibia | Khoisan languages | vast place/empty place/walkabout | the name comes from the Namib Desert which has at least these three suggestions for the meaning of the name |
| Windhoek | Germanic languages | wind corner | it is also possible that the name is derived from the Winterhoek Mountains in South Africa |
| Niger, Nijar | Berber languages? | river of rivers? | the name comes from Niger River whose name’s origin is uncertain |
| Niamey, Yamai | Niger–Congo languages / Nilo-Saharan languages? | place of the Gna tree / clear out here? | according to a traditional history the city was founded next to a landmark tree called Gna; another history states that the name would come from the chief’s order to build a settlement |
| Nigeria | Berber languages? | river of rivers? | the name comes from Niger River whose name’s origin is uncertain |
| Abuja | Wikis didn’t say anything but elsewhere it was claimed that the name means ‘light-skinned Abu’ and comes from the city’s founder; the name originally referred to another town but when the new capital wanted the name Abuja, the other town changed its name to Suleja | ||
| Rwanda, u Rwanda | Bantu languages | expansion | refers to the historical growth of the Kingdom of Rwanda before the Republic |
| Kigali | Bantu languages | wide | originally the name of Mount Kigali |
| São Tomé | Romance languages + Romance languages < Latin < Greek < Semitic languages | Saint Thomas | the island was found on St Thomas’s Day, 21st December; Thomas means ‘twin’ |
| Príncipe | Romance languages | prince | the original name of the island was Santo Antão because it was found on St Antony’s Day, 17th January, but the name was changed in honour of the Prince of Portugal |
| São Tomé | |||
| Senegal, Sénégal | Berber languages / Niger–Congo languages? | Zenaga people / water of Roog Sene? | originally the name of Senegal River; Zenaga/Sanhaja is the name of a people; Roog Sene is the supreme god of the Serer religion |
| Dakar | Niger–Congo languages? | tamarind? | |
| Seychelles, Sesel | Romance languages | (islands of) Séchelles | named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, controller-general of finances of France |
| Victoria | Latin | victory | named after Queen Victoria of Britain |
| Sierra Leone | Romance languages + Semitic languages? | lion mountains | after the Lion Mountains near the capital |
| Freetown | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | free town | freed slaves were settled in the city |
| Somalia, Soomaaliya, الصومال (al-Ṣūmāl) | Cushitic languages | land of the Somali | the name of the people may come from the common ancestor of several Somali clans, Samaale; it may also come from words meaning ‘go to milk’, or Arabic for ‘rich’ |
| Mogadishu, Muqdisho, مقديشو (Maqadīšū) | Cushitic languages / Semitic languages / Indo-Iranian languages + Semitic languages? | blinder/slaughtering place / holy place / seat of the Shah | at least these have been suggested; blinder would refer to the beauty of the city |
| South Africa, Suid-Afrika | Germanic languages | South Africa | all the names for the country mean ‘South Africa’, and the language group column only has the origin of the word meaning south |
| Afrika Borwa | Bantu languages | ||
| iSewula Afrika | Bantu languages | ||
| iNingizimu Afrika | Bantu languages | the word meaning south is literally ‘many cannibals’ | |
| Afrika-Dzonga | Bantu languages | ||
| Afurika Tshipembe | Bantu languages | ||
| uMzantsi Afrika | Bantu languages | ||
| Cape Town | Romance languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | cape town | the name comes from the Cape of Good Hope |
| Kaapstad | Romance languages + Germanic languages | cape town | |
| iKapa | Romance languages | cape | |
| Pretoria, Pitori, iPitoli | Latin? | city of Pretorius | Marthinus Pretorius named after his father Andries Pretorius; I’m assuming the name comes from the Latin word praetor ‘praetor’, ‘leader’ |
| Bloemfontein | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Romance languages | flower fountain | |
| Mangaung | Bantu languages | place of cheetahs | the Sotho name of Bloemfontein |
| South Sudan | Germanic languages + Semitic languages | South Sudan | |
| Juba | Nilo-Saharan languages? | I didn’t find information about the origin, but there was originally a village of a Nilotic people with the same name in the place of the city | |
| Sudan, السودان (al-Sūdān) | Semitic languages | land of the blacks | |
| Khartoum, الخرطوم (al-Ḫarṭūm) | Nilo-Saharan languages / Semitic languages? | confluence / safflower? | other alternatives have been offered |
| Tanzania | Bantu languages + Indo-Iranian languages | Tanganyika + Zanzibar | Tanganyika apparently means ‘sail in the wilderness’ and Zanzibar ‘coast of the blacks’ |
| Dodoma, دودوما (Dudumā) | Bantu languages | sunken | |
| Dar es Salaam, دار السلام (Dār al-Salām) | Semitic languages | abode of peace | |
| Togo | Niger–Congo languages | shore | |
| Lomé | Niger–Congo languages | in the alo plants | I got the impression that alo refers to aloes |
| Tunisia, تونس (Tūnis) | Berber languages / Semitic languages? | encampment / Goddess Tanit? | the country got its name from the capital; there is no difference in the names in Arabic |
| Tunis, تونس (Tūnis) | |||
| Uganda | Bantu languages | land of the Ganda | the name of the people may mean ‘family’, ‘clan’ |
| Kampala | Bantu languages | impala hill | originally referred to a hill that was a hunting reserve of the King of Buganda |
| Zambia | Bantu languages | land of the Zambezi | the country got its name from Zambezi River whose name may have come from a people called M'biza/Bisa, or it could mean ‘fish river’ or ‘great river’ |
| Lusaka | Bantu languages | the name apparently comes from a chief called Lusaaka | |
| Zimbabwe | Bantu languages | stone houses/venerated houses | originally the name of the now ruined city of Great Zimbabwe |
| Harare | Bantu languages | who does not sleep? | Wikipedia says it was the nickname of a chief, Wiktionary says it refers to a waterfall |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| America | Latin < Romance languages < Germanic languages < (Germanic languages + Celtic languages) | land of Amerigo | the first name of Amerigo Vespucci consists of the words ‘hard work’ and ‘ruler’; the name America has also been suggested to come from the Amerrisque Mountains in Central America or from the English merchant Richard Amerike |
| Antigua | Romance languages | old | named after the icon La Virgen de la Antigua in Seville |
| Barbuda | Romance languages | bearded | probably refers to either the beards of the inhabitants or to fig trees; cf. Barbados |
| St. John’s | Romance languages + Semitic languages | Saint John’s (city) | |
| Argentina | Romance languages | silvery | refers to a legend that there would be large amounts of silver in South America |
| Buenos Aires | Romance languages + Romance languages < Latin < Greek | good airs | named after the statue of Virgin Mary in Sardinia that explorers of South America believed to have given fair winds on the travel. The statue was located on a hill called Bonaria, because the air smelled better there than in the city downhill. |
| The Bahamas | Arawakan languages | large upper middle island? | originally the name of Grand Bahama; the often stated Spanish baja mar ‘shallow sea’ is probably a folk etymology |
| Nassau | Germanic languages | wet flood plain | named after King of Britain William III, of the House of Orange-Nassau which has its origin in the city of Nassau in Germany |
| Barbados | Romance languages | the bearded ones | probably refers to either the beards of the inhabitants or to fig trees; cf. Antigua and Barbuda |
| Bridgetown | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | Bridge’s town, bridge town | named after Sir Tobias Bridge, but the area was already known as Indian Bridge after the old bridge built by native people that was found there |
| Belize | Mayan languages | way to Itzá/muddy water? | originally the name of Belize River |
| Belmopan | Mayan languages + Mayan languages? | Belize + Mopan | the names of two rivers; I didn’t find information about the origin of Mopan River, but it is also the name of a Maya people |
| Bolivia, Mborivia, Puliwya, Wuliwya | Basque | land of Bolívar | named after the revolutionary Símon Bolívar; the surname comes from the Basque words ‘windmill valley’ |
| Sucre, Sukri | (city of) Sucre | named after the revolutionary Antonio José de Sucre; I don’t know where the surname comes from | |
| Chuquisaca | Quechuan languages | pile of silver | |
| La Paz | Romance languages | the peace | |
| Chuqi yapu | Aymaran languages | gold farm | cf. Chuquisaca; I’d assume the word for precious metals was borrowed to either direction but I didn’t find information about this |
| Brazil, Brasil | Romance languages | land of brazilwood | the name of the tree is based on the word brasa ‘ember’ whose history before Latin is uncertain; it may have come from Germanic languages or a substrate language |
| Brasília | Romance languages | land of brazilwood | |
| Canada | Iroquoian languages | village | |
| Ottawa | Algic languages | Ottawa people, traders | the city got its name from Ottawa River which got its name from the people |
| Chile | Quechuan languages? | cold? | this is only one of several suggestions |
| Santiago | Romance languages + Semitic languages | Saint James | James is the patron sain of Spain |
| Valparaíso | Romance languages + Indo-Iranian languages | paradise valley | |
| Colombia | Latin < Greek? < substrate language? | land of Columbus | after Christopher Columbus whose surname comes from Latin ‘dove’, whose origin is uncertain |
| Bogotá | Chibchan languages | many theories have been suggested; probably has something to do with fields | |
| Costa Rica | Romance languages + Romance languages < Germanic languages < Celtic languages | rich coast | history of costa before Latin uncertain |
| San José | Romance languages + Semitic languages | Saint Joseph | |
| Cuba | Arawakan languages | fertile land/great place? | |
| Havana, La Habana | Arawakan languages | perhaps from a chief’s name Habaguanex, which apparently is from ‘savanna’ | |
| Dominica | Latin | Sunday | Columbus saw the island on a Sunday |
| Roseau | Romance languages < Germanic languages | reeds | the French had a tradition of naming places after what they found there; history of the word before Germanic languages uncertain |
| Dominican (Republic) | Latin | dedicated to Dominic | after Saint Dominic de Guzmán |
| Santo Domingo | Romance languages | Saint Dominic | like the country |
| Ecuador | Romance languages | equator | history before Latin unclear |
| Quito | Barbacoan languages | Quitu tribe, centre of the world | |
| El Salvador | Romance languages | saviour | name of the country came from the capital |
| San Salvador | Romance languages | holy saviour | |
| Grenada | Semitic languages / Latin | hill of strangers/hill of pilgrims / pomegranate/red? | probably named after the Spanish city of Granada, whose name comes from Arabic (and to Arabic possibly from Latin) but its meaning is unknown; at least these have been suggested |
| St. George’s | Romance languages + Greek < substrate language + Greek | Saint George’s (city) | the name George means ‘farmer’ |
| Guatemala | Uto-Aztecan languages / Mayan languages | land of the woodpile / land of many trees | originally the name of the city of Iximche; Wiktionary and Wikipedia offered different origins |
| Guatemala City | (Uto-Aztecan languages / Mayan languages) + Romance languages | Guatemala city | |
| Ciudad de Guatemala | Romance languages + (Uto-Aztecan languages / Mayan languages) | Guatemala city | |
| Guyana | Cariban or Arawakan languages? | land of many waters | |
| Georgetown | Greek < substrate language + Greek + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | George’s town | after King of Britain George III; the name George means ‘farmer’ |
| Haiti, Ayiti, Haïti | Arawakan languages | land of high mountains | |
| Port-au-Prince, Pòtoprens | Romance languages < Latin | prince’s port | it is not known which prince it refers to |
| Honduras | Romance languages | depths | refers to either the deep waters off the northern coast or the words of Columbus “Thank God we have departed from those depths” when the ship escaped a storm |
| Tegucigalpa | Uto-Aztecan languages | meaning unknown, many theories have been suggested | |
| Jamaica | Arawakan languages | land of wood and water/land of springs? | |
| Kingston | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | king’s town | may have been named after William III or Kingston upon Thames |
| Mexiko, México | Uto-Aztecan languages | place in the navel of the moon/agave place? | at least these have been suggested |
| Mexico City | Uto-Aztecan languages + Romance languages | Mexico city | |
| Ciudad de México | Romance languages + Uto-Aztecan languages | Mexico city | |
| Nicaragua | Uto-Aztecan languages | Ānāhuac is here/here surrounded by water? | |
| Managua | Uto-Aztecan languages / Oto-Manguean languages | adjacent to water / place of the chief? | |
| Panama, Panamá | Chocoan languages / Chibchan languages? | many butterflies / distant? | origin unknown but at least these have been suggested |
| Panama City | (Chocoan languages / Chibchan languages?) + Romance languages | Panama city | |
| Ciudad de Panamá | Romance languages + (Chocoan languages / Chibchan languages?) | Panama city | |
| Paraguay, Paraguái | Tupian languages | river of the Payaguá tribe? | originally the name of Paraguay River; other theories have been suggested |
| Asunción | Romance languages | assumption | the fort that preceded the city was established on the day of Assumption of Mary, 15th August |
| Paraguái | in Guarani, Asunción and Paraguay have the same name | ||
| Peru, Perú, Piruw | perhaps from a local ruler called Birú; it wasn’t told what language the name comes from | ||
| Lima | Quechuan languages | speaker | the name of an oracle that was first given to Rímac River and then the city |
| Saint Kitts | Romance languages + Greek | Saint Christopher | in 17th century English Kit was a common nickname for Christopher |
| Nevis | Romance languages | snows | apparently the white clouds covering a mountain reminded someone of a miracle connected to Virgin Mary where snow fell in Rome during summer |
| Basseterre | Romance languages | low land | history of basse before Latin uncertain |
| Saint Lucia | Romance languages + Latin | Saint Lucy | according to legend, French sailors were shipwrecked on the island on Saint Lucy’s day, 13th December, but this is probably not true |
| Castries | Latin | fortress | named after Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries; that Castries is a commune in southern France |
| Saint Vincent | Romance languages | Saint Vincent | Columbus saw the island on the feast day of Saint Vincent, 22nd January |
| Grenadines | Semitic languages / Latin | small Grenadas | Wikipedia says both Grenada and the Grenadines are named after Granada, but I supposed it’s not wrong to derive the Grenadines from Grenada |
| Kingstown | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | king’s town | I didn’t find out which king the city was named after |
| Suriname | Arawakan languages | river of the Surinen tribe | originally the name of Suriname River |
| Paramaribo | Tupian languages | Paramaribo tribe, inhabitans of the river | |
| Trinidad | Romance languages | trinity | |
| Tobago | Arawakan languages / Semitic languages | tobacco | after the shape of the island or the use of tobacco by the inhabitants; origin of the word is uncertain |
| Port of Spain | Latin + Semitic languages | port of Spain | translation of the Spanish name Puerto España |
| United States (of America) | Latin | united states | |
| Washington | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | town of Hwæssa’s family | named after President George Washington, whose surname probably means this; origin of the name Hwæssa unclear |
| District of Columbia | Latin + Latin < Greek? < substrate language? | district of Columbia (< dove) | Columbia is a poetic name or a personification of the United States; the name comes from Christopher Columbus, see also Colombia |
| Uruguay | Tupian languages? | bird river? | originally the name of Uruguay River; other theories have been suggested |
| Montevideo | Romance languages + ? | hill + ? | several theories have been offered for the end part |
| Venezuela | Romance languages < Celtic languages | little Venice? | according to this theory, the name would come from stilt houses; it is also possible that it comes from the name of a native people |
| Caracas | apparently from the name of a native people |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oceania | Greek < substrate language? | ocean land | |
| Australia | Latin | southern land | |
| Canberra | Pama–Nyungan languages | meeting place/breasts? | other theories have been suggested; breasts (or the space between them) would refer to Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie |
| Fiji, Viti, Fijī | Malayo-Polynesian languages | east | from the name of the largest island, Viti Levu (‘great east’) |
| Suva | Malayo-Polynesian languages | mound | |
| Kiribati | Celtic languages + Germanic languages | Gilbert (islands) | named after captain Thomas Gilbert; the surname consists of the words ‘pledge’ and ’famous’ |
| South Tarawa | Germanic languages + Malayo-Polynesian languages | south Tarawa < passage | there is an unusually large ship channel leading to the lagoon of Tarawa Atoll |
| Tarawa Teinainano | Malayo-Polynesian languages | passage down of the mast | refers to the sail-like shape of the atoll |
| Marshall Islands | Germanic languages | Marshall islands | named after captain John Marshall; the surname means ‘marshal’ < ‘groom’ |
| M̧ajeļ | Germanic languages | Marshall | |
| Majuro, Mājro | Malayo-Polynesian languages? | the Wikis didn’t mention an origin; elsewhere I saw a possibility that it would mean ‘two openings’ and would refer to the two passages of the atoll | |
| Micronesia | Greek < substrate language? | small islands | both parts of the compound word may be from either a substrate language or Indo-European languages |
| Palikir | Malayo-Polynesian languages? | I didn’t find information about the origin | |
| Nauru, Naoero | Malayo-Polynesian languages | I go to the beach? | |
| Yaren | Malayo-Polynesian languages? | I didn’t find information about the origin | |
| New Zealand | Germanic languages | new Zeeland | after the Zeeland province of the Netherlands |
| Aotearoa | Malayo-Polynesian languages | long white cloud | apparently originally referred only to North Island; could have come from what the mountainous land looked like from the sea |
| Wellington | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | named after Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington; that Wellington is a town in Somerset, England, whose name’s first part is either a personal name or ‘trap’ and the end part is ‘estate’, ‘town’ | |
| Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara | Malayo-Polynesian languages | the great harbour of Tara | Tara, the son of chief Whatonga, started a settlement in the area |
| Palau, Belau | Malayo-Polynesian languages | village/indirect answers? | the latter option refers to the creation myth where a giant wasn’t replied directly when she asked why firewood was gathered at her feet; the islands of Palau were formed from the body parts of the burned giant |
| Ngerulmud | Malayo-Polynesian languages | place of fermented angelfish | refers to the hill where fermented angelfish was offered to gods |
| Papua | Malayo-Polynesian languages / West Papuan languages | curly/below sunset / not united? | the first one would refer to the hair of the inhabitants, the third one to the island being difficult to unite because it was too far from the Sultanate of Tidore |
| New Guinea, Niugini | Germanic languages + Berber languages? | new Guinea | because the inhabitants resembled Guineans, see also Guinea in Africa |
| Matamata Guinea | Malayo-Polynesian languages + Berber languages? | new Guinea | |
| Port Moresby, Pot Mosbi | Latin + Greek + Germanic languages | Moresby’s port | Captain John Moresby named after his father, Admiral Fairfax Moresby; the surname means Maurice’s village; Maurice is cognate to the name of the Moors, see also Mauritania in Africa |
| Samoa, Sāmoa | Malayo-Polynesian languages | holy centre/chicken place? | can also come from the name of a chief |
| Apia | Malayo-Polynesian languages? | I didn’t find information about the origin | |
| Solomon Islands | Semitic languages + Germanic languages | Solomon’s islands | Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, the first European to visit the islands, found gold which the Europeans connected with King Solomon’s mines; origin of the name Solomon unknown but it is often thought to come from ‘peace’ |
| Honiara | Malayo-Polynesian languages | place of the east wind | |
| Tonga | Malayo-Polynesian languages | south | is located south from Samoa |
| Nukuʻalofa | Malayo-Polynesian languages | abode of love | |
| Tuvalu | Malayo-Polynesian languages | eight standing together | eight of the islands were originally inhabited |
| Funafuti | Malayo-Polynesian languages | funa apparently means ‘chief’ but the end part wasn’t explained | |
| Vanuatu | Malayo-Polynesian languages | land | the end part means ‘to stand’ but I don’t know how it should be taken in the translation |
| Port Vila, Port-Vila | Romance languages + Malayo-Polynesian languages | port of Vila | Vila is apparently cognate to the name of Ifira island that is located off the city coast; no meaning was mentioned |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic | Greek | north, bear | after the constellation Ursa Major (Great Bear) |
| Antarctic | Greek | opposite to Arctic |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Åland | Germanic languages < substrate language? + Germanic languages | water land? | origin and relation to the Finnish word uncertain |
| Ahvenanmaa | Germanic languages < substrate language? + Uralic languages | water land/island land? | |
| Mariehamn, Maarianhamina | Semitic languages + Germanic languages < substrate language? | port of Maria | named after Russian empress Maria Alexandrovna |
| Häme | Baltic languages? | land? | origin unknown but probably cognate to Suomi and Sámi, see also Finland: Suomi |
| Tavastland | Germanic languages | land of the laggard Estonians? | the word for Estonians can also be of Baltic origin |
| Kainuu | Germanic languages? | opening/passage/lowland? | |
| Kajanaland | Germanic languages? + Germanic languages | land of Kajaani | first part cognate with Kainuu |
| Karjala, Karelen, Karelia | Germanic languages? | cattle place/army place? | could also come from a personal name |
| Kymenlaakso | Finnic languages + Baltic languages | Kymi valley | history of the name of Kymi River unknown, possibly related to the name of Kemi River and possibly from a substrate language |
| Kymmenedalen | Finnic languages + Germanic languages < substrate language? + Germanic languages | Kymi mouth valley | the name Kymmene includes the word for mouth but it has still come to be the name for the whole river |
| Lappi | Uralic languages / Germanic languages? | periphery / patch? | the latter could also refer to a possible Sámi endonym based on the word for patch |
| Lappland, Lapland | (Uralic languages / Germanic languages?) + Germanic languages | land of the Lapps | |
| Pirkanmaa | Germanic languages + Uralic languages | land of Pirkkala | named after the municipality of Pirkkala whose name may come from a personal name or from the birkarls, an unofficially organised group collecting taxes |
| Birkaland | Germanic languages | land of Pirkkala | |
| Pohjanmaa | Finnic languages + Uralic languages | north land | pohja may be a loan from Indo-European languages |
| Österbotten | Germanic languages | east bottom | I couldn’t figure out what bottom means in this context, Wikipedia also mentioned the meaning ‘bay’; what is the relation to the Finnish name (pohja can also mean bottom)? |
| Satakunta | (Indo-Iranian languages / Germanic languages) + (Uralic languages / Germanic languages) | first part ‘100’ or ‘landing place’, end part ‘community’ or ‘100’ | |
| Savo | Uralic languages / Sámi languages | clay / stream pool | shortened from Savoinlahti; may also come from a personal name like Sauvo |
| Savolax | (Uralic languages / Sámi languages) + Baltic languages | clay bay / stream pool bay | the Swedish lax is from the Finnish lahti/laksi, which is a loan from Baltic languages |
| Uusimaa | Uralic languages | new land | the area was new to the Swedish people when they arrived in the 13th and 14th century |
| Nyland | Germanic languages | new land |
If there are parts separated by a semicolon in the meaning column, the first part tells the literal meaning of the current spelling and the second part tells the original meaning of the name.
The list doesn’t show the type of prefecture that belongs at the end of each prefecture’s name. The types are 都 to ‘metropolis’ (only Tokyo), 道 dō ‘circuit’ (only Hokkaido, always part of the name), 府 fu ‘urban prefecture’ (Osaka and Kyoto) and 県 ken ‘prefecture’ (all others). Likewise in the end of the capital cities, there always is the word 市 shi ‘city’. For example the capital city of 愛知県 Aichiken is 名古屋市 Nagoyashi.
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aichi, 愛知 | Sinitic languages; Japanese? | love + wisdom; ayu pool/land of spring water/land of east wind? | origin unknown but at least these have been suggested; ayu (sweetfish) is a species of fish |
| Nagoya, 名古屋 | Japanese + Sinitic languages + Japanese; Japanese | famous old house; calm/calm valley/huts at the foot of the mountain? | |
| Akita, 秋田 | Japanese | autumn field; chin? | the name apparently comes from a jaw-shaped formation at the mount of Omono River, but I didn’t find out how the name is formed |
| Akita, 秋田 | |||
| Aomori, 青森 | Japanese | green forest | apparently refers to a forest on a hill that fishers used to locate the city |
| Aomori, 青森 | |||
| Chiba, 千葉 | Japanese | thousand leaves | |
| Chiba, 千葉 | |||
| Ehime, 愛媛 | Sinitic languages + Japanese | beautiful woman | in the Kojiki in the creation myth of Japan, Iyo Province is told to have this name |
| Matsuyama, 松山 | Japanese | pine mountain | |
| Fukui, 福井 | Sinitic languages + Japanese | lucky well; lucky abode? | the name was originally written 福居 and I guess it could have that latter meaning |
| Fukui, 福井 | |||
| Fukuoka, 福岡 | Sinitic languages + Japanese | lucky hill | the daimyo Kuroda Nagamasa named his new castle after Fukuoka in Bizen Province, the homeplace of Kuroda Clan |
| Fukuoka, 福岡 | |||
| Fukushima, 福島 | Sinitic languages + Japanese | lucky island | |
| Fukushima, 福島 | |||
| Gifu, 岐阜 | Sinitic languages | steep mound | the daimyo Oda Nobunaga formed the name from the Japanese readings of two Chinese placenames: 岐山 Qíshān/Gizan (place from where China was unified) and 曲阜 Qūfù/Kyokufu (place where Confucius was born) |
| Gifu, 岐阜 | |||
| Gunma, 群馬 | Sinitic languages + Japanese < Wanderwort | group of horses | Gunma has a long history with horses, but the name apparently is at least partly a corruption of an earlier name, 車 Kuruma ‘cart’ |
| Maebashi, 前橋 | Japanese | front bridge; stable bridge | corrupted from earlier name, 厩橋 Umayabashi ‘stable bridge’ |
| Hiroshima, 広島 | Japanese | wide island | name comes from either the island between the branches of Ōta River delta where daimyo Mōri Terumoto built Hiroshima Castle, or it is combined from the personal names Ōe no Hiromoto (ancestor of Mōri Clan) and Fukushima Motonaga (one of the people who selected the building place) |
| Hiroshima, 広島 | |||
| Hokkaidō, 北海道 | Sinitic languages | north sea road | “road” or “circuit” here means a type of administrative division |
| アイヌモシㇼ (Aynumosir) | Ainu | land of the Ainu, land of people | |
| Sapporo, 札幌 | Ainu | patch + canopy; dry big (river) | the characters were chosen only because their reading resembles the Ainu name; originally the name of Toyohira River |
| サッ・ポロ・ペッ (Sat poro pet) | Ainu | dry big river | |
| Hyōgo, 兵庫 | Sinitic languages | armoury | during the reign of Emperor Tenji in the 7th century there was an armoury in the area |
| Kōbe, 神戸 | Japanese | houses of gods | from 神戸 kanbe which means the settlement that supported a shrine (Ikuta-jinja) with taxes |
| Ibaraki, 茨城 | Japanese + Koreanic languages | thorn castle | according to legend, thorny bushes, or a castle made from them, was used to ward off bandits; the name may have also meant a place where thorny bushes grow |
| Mito, 水戸 | Japanese | water door | refers to the city’s importance in water transport on the Naka River |
| Ishikawa, 石川 | Japanese | stone river | named after Tedori River whose earlier name was Ishikawa; the current name, ‘hand-holding river’, is said to come from soldiers holding each other’s hands not to slip in the flooding river when they were crossing it after Battle of Kurikara Pass in 1183 |
| Kanazawa, 金沢 | Japanese | gold stream | according to legend, Imohori Tōgorō (yam-digger Tōgorō) was washing yams at a stream and found gold |
| Iwate, 岩手 | Japanese | boulder hand | according to legend, the spirits of three boulders flown from a volcano shackled a demon who was harassing people to these stones until it promised to leave the people alone. It pressed a hand mark on one of the boulders as a token of the promise. It is still said that you can see the mark after rain. |
| Morioka, 盛岡 | Japanese | hill rising (to prosperity) | |
| Kagawa, 香川 | Japanese | fragrant river | I didn’t find out what the name refers to, apparently there is no river by this name |
| Takamatsu, 高松 | Japanese | tall pine | |
| Kagoshima, 鹿児島 | Japanese | fawn island | consists of the characters deer + child + island, but the original first part of the name has probably been something else, perhaps a dialectal word for a cliff |
| Kagoshima, 鹿児島 | |||
| Kanagawa, 神奈川 | Japanese | river without upstream | name apparently comes from a short river called 上無川 Kaminashigawa, which probably got its name because its source was uncertain; the river doesn’t exist anymore as there is now a road in its place; the current spelling probably only describes the reading |
| Yokohama, 横浜 | Japanese | horizontal sandbar | |
| Kōchi, 高知 | Sinitic languages; Japanese | high + wisdom; between rivers | the city and the prefecture got their name from Kōchi Castle which was located between rivers that flooded often; the original spelling of the castle’s name was 河中山城 Kōchiyamajō ‘castle of the mountain between rivers’ |
| Kōchi, 高知 | |||
| Kumamoto, 熊本 | Japanese | bear + origin; ? | I didn’t find out anything but the original spelling 隈本, where the first character is ‘corner’; the name was changed because the character has within it the character for being afraid |
| Kumamoto, 熊本 | |||
| Kyōto, 京都 | Sinitic languages | capital city | Kyoto city was the capital of the empire 794–1868 |
| Kyōto, 京都 | |||
| Mie, 三重 | Japanese | triple | according to legend, Yamato Takeru was returning from his journey to the east, and at the place where Mie is now located said that his legs felt like bent three times and that he was extremely tired |
| Tsu, 津 | Japanese | harbour | the original name was 安濃津 Anotsu, but the place was such an important harbour that the name was shortened |
| Miyagi, 宮城 | Japanese + Koreanic languages | imperial castle | I didn’t find information about the origin and I don’t know if the translation imperial fits in this context |
| Sendai, 仙台 | Sinitic languages | hermit up high; thousand generations, eternity | original spelling 千代 has the latter meaning; current spelling came from a Chinese poem |
| Miyazaki, 宮崎 | Japanese | imperial cape | I didn’t find information about the origin and I don’t know if the translation imperial fits in this context |
| Miyazaki, 宮崎 | |||
| Nagano, 長野 | Japanese | long field | apparently refers to the alluvial fan accumulated by Susobana River |
| Nagano, 長野 | |||
| Nagasaki, 長崎 | Japanese | long cape | |
| Nagasaki, 長崎 | |||
| Nara, 奈良 | Japanese | plain/oak? | plain is thought to be the most plausible etymology, but other theories have been offered; the spelling only shows the reading |
| Nara, 奈良 | |||
| Niigata, 新潟 | Japanese | new tidal flat | |
| Niigata, 新潟 | |||
| Ōita, 大分 | Japanese | many fields | chronicles from the 8th century say Emperor Keikō shouted this when he visited the area; current spelling mostly shows the reading |
| Ōita, 大分 | |||
| Okayama, 岡山 | Japanese | hill mountain | originally the name of the small hill on which Okayama Castle was built |
| Okayama, 岡山 | |||
| Okinawa, 沖縄 | Japanese | sea rope | current spelling refers to a narrow island or a string of islands, but the original meaning is unknown |
| Naha, 那覇 | Japonic languages | fishing place/mushroom | Japanese Wikipedia says fishing place, but the English Wikipedia says there was a large mushroom-shaped stone which over time wore away and became buried; current spelling only shows the reading |
| Ōsaka, 大阪 | Japanese | big hill | |
| Ōsaka, 大阪 | |||
| Saga, 佐賀 | Sinitic languages; Japanese | help + congratulation; prosperity? | other theories have been suggested |
| Saga, 佐賀 | |||
| Saitama, 埼玉 | Japanese | cape jewel | original reading was Sakitama and apparently even the meaning was originally something else |
| Saitama, さいたま | the city name is written in hiragana and the prefecture name in kanji | ||
| Shiga, 滋賀 | Japanese | stone place/sand place? | for example these have been suggested; current spelling only shows the reading |
| Ōtsu, 大津 | Japanese | big harbour | |
| Shimane, 島根 | Japanese | island root | the name is said to come from the myth where the god Yatsukamizu-Omizunu-no-mikoto pulls more land to the islands |
| Matsue, 松江 | Japanese | pine inlet | |
| Shizuoka, 静岡 | Japanese | calm hill | |
| Shizuoka, 静岡 | |||
| Tochigi, 栃木 | Japanese | horse chestnut tree/10 chigi? | for example these have been suggested; chigi means the forked roof finials of a shrine |
| Utsunomiya, 宇都宮 | Japanese | the name comes from Utsunomiya shrine, and I didn’t find out the meaning | |
| Tokushima, 徳島 | Sinitic languages + Japanese | virtue island | I didn’t find out if this is the original meaning |
| Tokushima, 徳島 | |||
| Tōkyō, 東京 | Sinitic languages | eastern capital | capital of the empire from 1868 |
| Shinjuku, 新宿 | Sinitic languages | new stage station | because Shinjuku is a special ward and not a city, its full name is 新宿区 Shinjukuku (and not Shinjukushi) |
| Tottori, 鳥取 | Japanese | bird catching | |
| Tottori, 鳥取 | |||
| Toyama, 富山 | Sinitic languages + Japanese; Japanese | wealthy mountain; near mountain? | perhaps from placename 外山 Toyama ‘mountain near a settlement’, but other theories have been suggested |
| Toyama, 富山 | |||
| Wakayama, 和歌山 | Sinitic languages + Japanese; Japanese | poem mountain; youth mountain | the name apparently came from a wordplay where the placename Wakanoura was written with the character meaning youth, but because poetry was important to the area, the spelling was changed |
| Wakayama, 和歌山 | |||
| Yamagata, 山形 | Japanese | mountain shape; beside the mountain | |
| Yamagata, 山形 | |||
| Yamaguchi, 山口 | Japanese | mountain mouth, entrance to the mountains | |
| Yamaguchi, 山口 | |||
| Yamanashi, 山梨 | Japanese | mountain pear; mountain plain? | the current spelling is the species name of Japanese pear (nashi), but it was probably chosen for the name only because of its positive connotation |
| Kōfu, 甲府 | Sinitic languages | capital of Kai | refers to Kai Province that preceded the prefecture; the name of the province may have meant a gorge or referred to the location in the crossing of two roads |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Muskogean languages | Alabama people, herb gatherers/thicket clearers | originally the name of Alabama River; meaning of the name of the people uncertain |
| Montgomery | Romance languages + Germanic languages | Gumaric’s hill | named after General Richard Montgomery who died in the Revolutionary War; the surname comes from a French placename; Gumaric is a personal name and means ‘ruler of men’ |
| Alaska, Alas'kaaq, Alaaskaq, Anáaski, Alaskaq | Inuit–Yupik–Unangan languages | mainland | |
| Juneau | Romance languages | young | named after the city’s founder Joseph Juneau, whose surname means this |
| Dzántik'i Héeni | Na-Dene languages | flounder river | Tlingit name of Juneau |
| Arizona | Uto-Aztecan languages / Basque? | small spring / good oak? | |
| Phoenix | Greek | phoenix | symbolises the founding of a new city on the ruins of an old civilisation (Hohokam); history of the word before Greek unclear |
| Arkansas | Romance languages < Algic languages < Siouan languages | Akansa people (= Quapaw people), people of the south wind? | originally the name of Arkansas River; the name used by Algic speakers and the French is cognate to the people’s name kansa, see also Kansas |
| Little Rock | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Latin < substrate language? | little rock | refers to a rock formation that was a landmark in Arkansas River |
| California | probably comes from the island paradise California in the novel Las sergas de Esplandián by the Spanish Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, published in 1510; may have come from the Arabic word ‘caliph’ and/or get influenced by the place name Califerne in Song of Roland | ||
| Sacramento | Romance languages | sacrament, Eucharist | the Spanish thought the place was so beautiful that just being there was like the Eucharist |
| Colorado | Romance languages | red | originally the name of Colorado River and refers to the colour of the silty river |
| Denver | Germanic languages | crossing of the Danes/valley bank | named after governor of Kansas Territory, James W. Denver; the surname may mean either of these |
| Connecticut | Algic languages | long river | originally the name of Connecticut River |
| Hartford | Germanic languages | hart ford | named after Hertford, England, the home of founder Samuel Stone |
| Delaware | Romance languages | De La Warr’s land | originally the name of Delaware River and Delaware Bay; named after Thomas West, Baron De La Warr and governor of Virginia; history before Romance languages unknown, may have come form Latin or Celtic or Germanic languages |
| Dover | Celtic languages | waters | named after Dover, England |
| Florida | Romance languages | flowery | a lot of flowers grew in the area when the Spanish arrived |
| Tallahassee | Muskogean languages | old town | the Creek probably named the place this because they found traces of Apalachee habitation when they arrived after being driven out of their homeland by the Europeans |
| Georgia | Greek < substrate language + Greek | land of George | named after King of Britain George II; the name George means ‘farmer’ |
| Atlanta | Greek < Indo-European/substrate language | Atlantic | named after Western and Atlantic Railroad |
| Hawaii, Hawaiʻi | Malayo-Polynesian languages | homeland | originally only the name of the largest island |
| Honolulu | Malayo-Polynesian languages | sheltered harbour | |
| Idaho | claimed to be from Uto-Aztecan languages and to mean ‘gem of the mountains’, but no such word exists; according to another theory would come from Na-Dene languages and mean the Comanche people, but even that is uncertain | ||
| Boise | Romance languages < Latin < Germanic languages | woods | |
| Illinois | Algic languages | Illinois people, speaks the regular way | |
| Springfield | Germanic languages | spring field | I didn’t find out if spring here is the season or the water source; the name comes from Spring Creek flowing through an area called Kelly’s Field (I didn’t find out if field here is the crop type or just open land in general) |
| Indiana | Indo-Iranian languages | Indian land | because the word Indian comes from the name India, this too is originally based on the Indus River, whose name may have come to the Indo-Iranian languages from a substrate language |
| Indianapolis | Indo-Iranian languages + Greek | Indiana city | |
| Iowa | Siouan languages | Iowa people, sleepy ones | originally the name of Iowa River |
| Des Moines | Algic languages? | Moingona people, at the road? | often translated from the French (‘(river) of the monks’) and connected with monks that would have lived in the area |
| Kansas | Algic languages < Siouan languages | Kansa people, people of the south wind? | |
| Topeka | Siouan languages | good place to dig potatoes | |
| Kentucky | Iroquoian languages / Algic languages | prairie / fatherland? | |
| Frankfort | Germanic languages | Frank’s ford | named after Stephen Frank who died in a confrontation with Native Americans; the surname means ‘French’ and is based on the name of the Franks, from the word ‘spear’ |
| Louisiana, Louisiane | Romance languages < Latin < Germanic languages | land of Louis | named after King of France Louis XIV; the name Louis means ‘famous in battle’ |
| Baton Rouge, Bâton-Rouge | Romance languages < Latin < Greek? < substrate language? + Romance languages | red stick | when the French arrived, they found a boundary mark between Houma and Bayogoula lands, a pole that was painted red |
| Maine | Romance languages < Latin < Celtic languages | Cenomani tribe | probably named after the French province Maine, whose name came from the Celtic tribe (the ce in the beginning was left out when it was thought to be the pronoun ‘this’) |
| Augusta | Latin | venerable | named after Pamela Augusta Dearborn, daughter of General Henry Dearborn |
| Maryland | Semitic languages + Germanic languages | Maria’s land | named after Queen of Britain Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I |
| Annapolis | Semitic languages + Greek | Anne’s town | original name Anne Arundel’s Towne came from Anne Calvert, née Arundel, wife of Cecil Calvert, Baron Baltimore; later the name was changed to Annapolis after Princess Anne of Denmark, who would later become Queen of Britain |
| Massachusetts | Algic languages | Massachusett people, at the great hill | refers to Great Blue Hill 15 km south of Boston |
| Boston | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | Botolph’s town | named after Boston, England, where some of the settlers came from; the meaning may also be ‘Botolph’s stone’, in which case the name would be all Germanic; Botolph is the name of a saint |
| Michigan | Algic languages | great lake | refers to Lake Michigan; according to another theory comes from the name of the Mishiiken people |
| Lansing | Germanic languages? | named after Lansing, New York; if based on the surname Lansing, would mean ‘son of Lanzo’; Lanzo is a shortening of Germanic names containing land as the first part | |
| Minnesota | Siouan languages | clear water/cloudy water | originally the name of Minnesota River |
| Saint Paul | Romance languages + Latin | Saint Paul | originally called Pig’s Eye Landing or Pig’s Brown Eye, after the nickname of bootlegger Pierre Parrant, who was blind in one eye; priest Lucien Galtier built a chapel for Saint Paul and demanded the name of the town is changed |
| Mississippi | Algic languages | great river | originally the name of Mississippi River |
| Jackson | Semitic languages + Germanic languages | Jack’s son | named after General Andrew Jackson, who would later become President of United States |
| Missouri | Algic languages | Missouria people, those who have dugout canoes | originally the name of Missouri River |
| Jefferson City | Germanic languages + Romance languages | Jefferson’s city | named after President Thomas Jefferson; the surname probably consists of the words ‘Geat’ and ‘peace’, ‘sanctuary’, but there are also other suggestions for the first part |
| Montana | Romance languages | mountain | |
| Helena | Greek | named after Helena, Minnesota (which was named after Helen of Troy) and Helena, Arkansas (which was probably named after the daughter of the first white settler of the area, Sylvanus Phillips) | |
| Nebraska | Siouan languages | flat water | Native name of Platte River |
| Lincoln | Celtic languages < substrate language? + Latin | Lindum Colonia | named after President Abraham Lincoln, whose assassination happened two years before the naming of the town; Lindum means ‘pool’, ‘lake’ |
| Nevada | Romance languages | snowy | named after snow-capped mountains, perhaps Sierra Nevada in Spain or California |
| Carson City | Celtic languages? + Germanic languages + Romance languages | Carson’s city | named after Kit Carson, who was a guide on the mapping expedition of John C. Frémont; the surname probably means Carr’s son, where Carr is a Celtic personal name meaning ‘fort’ |
| New Hampshire | Germanic languages | new Hampshire | named after Hampshire county, England, whose name means ‘(South)hampton shire’, and Hampton means ‘home town’ |
| Concord | Latin | concord | refers to the ending of a boundary dispute with the neighbouring town of Bow |
| New Jersey | Germanic languages | new Jersey | named after Jersey in the Channel Islands, whose name has an unknown origin, but the end part means an island and the first part may for example be the personal name Geirr which means ‘spear’ |
| Trenton | Celtic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | Trent’s town | after merchant William Trent, who platted a settlement around his home, which came to be known as Trent’s Town; meaning of the surname uncertain but is based on Celtic river names |
| New Mexico | Germanic languages + Uto-Aztecan languages | new Mexico | see also the country Mexico |
| Nuevo México | Romance languages + Uto-Aztecan languages | new Mexico | |
| Santa Fe | Romance languages | holy faith | |
| New York | Germanic languages + Celtic languages | new York | named after Duke of York, who would later become King of Britain James II; the name of the city of York means ‘yew place’ |
| Albany | Celtic languages | even the capital is named after James II, who also had the Scottish title Duke of Albany; Albany comes from the Gaelic name of Scotland, Alba (‘world’ < ‘white’) | |
| North Carolina | Germanic languages | northern land of Charles | King of Britain Charles II named after his father, Charles I; the name Charles means ‘(free) man’ |
| Raleigh | Germanic languages | deer clearing | named after Sir Walter Raleigh |
| North Dakota | Germanic languages + Siouan languages | north + Dakota people < ally | |
| Bismarck | Germanic languages < substrate language? + Germanic languages | bulrush land? | named after Chancellor of the German Empire Otto von Bismarck, because the railroad company hoped it would attract German settlers and investors |
| Ohio | Iroquoian languages | good river/great river | originally the name of Ohio River |
| Columbus | Latin < Greek? < substrate language? | dove | named after Christopher Columbus |
| Oklahoma, Oklahumma, ᎣᎦᎳᎰᎹ (Ogalahoma) | Muskogean languages | red people | Choctaw Nation Chief Allen Wright suggested the name in 1865 thinking of a Native American state |
| Oklahoma City | Muskogean languages + Romance languages | city of the red people | |
| Oregon | many suggestions have been made but origin unknown | ||
| Salem | Semitic languages | peace? | named after the Biblical Salem, which is usually thought of as referring to Jerusalem |
| Pennsylvania | Celtic languages + Latin | Penn’s forest land | King of Britain Charles II settled his debt to the late Admiral William Penn by giving land to his son; the younger William wanted to name the area Sylvania, but the king added the admiral’s surname; one possible origin for the surname means ‘hilltop’ |
| Harrisburg | Germanic languages | Harris’s fort | founder of the town John Harris, Jr. named after his father, trader and landowner John Harris, Sr. |
| Rhode Island | Germanic languages | red island? | possibly from a Dutch name with this meaning; would refer to autumn colours or the colour of the soil; originally referred only to one island whose name is still Rhode Island, but also Aquidneck Island |
| Providence | Latin | providence | founder of the town Roger Williams fled from religious persecution from Massachusetts and believed that the Providence of God led him to this place |
| South Carolina | Germanic languages | southern land of Charles | King of Britain Charles II named after his father, Charles I; the name Charles means ‘(free) man’ |
| Columbia | Latin < Greek? < substrate language? | land of the dove | Columbia is a poetic name or a personification of the United States; the name comes from Christopher Columbus, see also the country Colombia |
| South Dakota | Germanic languages + Siouan languages | south + Dakota people < ally | |
| Dakȟóta itókaga | Siouan languages | south + Dakota people | |
| Pierre | Greek < substrate language | rock | named after fur trader Pierre Chouteau, Jr. |
| Tennessee | Iroquoian languages < Yuchi? | place where waters meet? | |
| Nashville | Germanic languages + Romance languages | Nash’s town | named after politician Abner Nash or his brother, General Francis Nash; the surname means ‘at the ash tree’ |
| Texas | Caddoan languages | friend | originally referred to the Caddo people |
| Austin | Romance languages | venerable | named after Stephen F. Austin, who had an important role in the colonisation and independence of Texas |
| Utah | Na-Dene languages? | Ute people, mountain people | origin of the name of the people uncertain |
| Salt Lake City | Germanic languages + Romance languages | salt lake city | named after Great Salt Lake |
| Vermont | Romance languages | green mountains | refers to the Green Mountains range; history of vert before Latin unclear |
| Montpelier | Romance languages + Latin | woad mountain | named after Montpellier in France (note the difference in spelling); history of the end part before Latin doesn’t seem to be clear |
| Virginia | Romance languages? | virgin’s land? | according to this theory would come from the Virgin Queen of Britain, Elizabeth I, but it has also been suggested that the name would be derived from some Algic words; history of the word virgin before Latin uncertain |
| Richmond | Germanic languages < Celtic languages + Germanic languages | powerful hill | founder of the city William Byrd II named after Richmond in London, because the landscape of James River reminded him of River Thames; that Richmond got its name from Earl of Richmond, King of Britain Henry VII; the earldom is from Richmond, Yorkshire |
| Washington | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | town of Hwæssa’s family | named after President George Washington, whose surname probably means this; origin of the name Hwæssa unclear |
| Olympia | Greek < substrate language? | after Olympic Mountains which were named after Mount Olympus in Greece | |
| West Virginia | Germanic languages + Romance languages? | west Virginia | separated from the Confederate state of Virginia during the Civil War; see also Virginia |
| Charleston | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | Charles’s town | probably named after the father of Colonel George Clendenin; Charles means ‘(free) man’ |
| Wisconsin | Algic languages | it lies red/red stone/good place? | for example these have been suggested; originally the name of Wisconsin River; red would refer to the sandstone on the river banks |
| Madison | (Semitic languages / Germanic languages) + Germanic languages | named after President James Madison who died in the year the city was founded; the surname means either ‘Matthew’s son’ or ‘Maddy’s son’ (Maddy may be a shortening of Matilda or Madeleine) | |
| Wyoming | Algic languages | big river flat | named after Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania |
| Cheyenne | Siouan languages | Cheyenne people, speakers of foreign language? | name of the people was given by the Dakota, but its meaning is uncertain; it may also mean ‘little Šahíya’ and refer to some other people |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Germanic languages | noble and bright | named after the daughter of Queen of Britain Victoria, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, whose husband John Campbell was Governor General of Canada |
| Edmonton | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | Ēadhelm’s town | named after Edmonton, London; Ēadhelm is a personal name meaning ‘rich helmet’ |
| British Columbia | Celtic languages + Latin < Greek? < substrate language? | British Columbia | region got its name from Columbia River that got its name from the ship Columbia Rediviva that got its name from Columbia, a name referring to America, from Christopher Columbus |
| Colombie-Britannique | Latin < Greek? < substrate language? + Celtic languages | British Columbia | |
| Victoria | Latin | victory | named after Queen of Britain Victoria |
| Manitoba | Algic languages / Siouan languages | spirit strait / prairie lake | originally the name of Lake Manitoba; the first option refers to the Narrows in the middle of the lake |
| Winnipeg | Algic languages | muddy waters | originally the name of Lake Winnipeg |
| New Brunswick | Germanic languages + Latin | new Braunschweig | named after King of Britain George III, prince-elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Brunswick/Braunschweig means either ‘Bruno’s village’ or ‘brown village’ (the personal name Bruno also comes from the word meaning brown), or possibly ‘burned village’ (village whose area has been cleared by burning) |
| Nouveau-Brunswick | Romance languages + Germanic languages + Latin | new Braunschweig | |
| Fredericton | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | Frederick’s town | named after the son of George III, Prince Frederick; the name Frederick means ‘peaceful ruler’ |
| Newfoundland | Germanic languages | newfound land | in 1499 King of Britain Henry VII referred to the region explored two years previously by Sebastian and John Cabot using the words new founde land |
| Terre-Neuve | Romance languages | new land | |
| Labrador | Romance languages | landowner, farmer | named after Portuguese explorer João Fernandes, who was also called Lavrador |
| St. John’s | Romance languages + Semitic languages | Saint John’s (city) | |
| Northwest Territories | Germanic languages + Latin | northwest territories | |
| Territoires du Nord-Ouest | Latin + Germanic languages | northwest territories | |
| ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᖅ, Nunatsiaq | Inuit–Yupik–Unangan languages | beautiful land | |
| Yellowknife | Germanic languages | Yellowknife people, yellow knife | the people used knives made of copper |
| Sǫǫ̀mbak'è | Na-Dene languages | where the money is | |
| Nova Scotia, Nouvelle-Écosse | Latin + Celtic languages? | new Scotland | history of the word meaning Scotland unknown |
| Halifax | Germanic languages | grassy corner | named after President of the Board of Trade George Montagu-Dunk, Earl of Halifax; the Halifax in England is located in Yorkshire |
| Nunavut, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ | Inuit–Yupik–Unangan languages | our land | |
| Iqaluit, ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ | Inuit–Yupik–Unangan languages | many fish | |
| Ontario | Iroquoian languages | great lake/beautiful water | |
| Toronto | Iroquoian languages | where trees stand in water | originally referred to the strait between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching where the Wendat planted tree saplings to corral fish |
| Prince Edward Island | Romance languages + Germanic languages | Prince Edward’s island | named after Prince Edward, the father of Queen of Britain Victoria; the name Edward means ‘guard of wealth’ |
| Île-du-Prince-Édouard | Romance languages + Germanic languages | Prince Edward’s island | history of the word île before Latin unknown, possibly from a substrate language |
| Charlottetown | Germanic languages + Germanic languages < Celtic languages | Charlotte’s town | named after Queen Charlotte, mother of Prince Edward and wife of King George III; the name Charlotte is a female version of Charles which means ‘(free) man’ |
| Quebec, Québec | Algic languages | narrows | refers to the place next to the capital where Saint Lawrence River becomes narrower; the province got its name from the city |
| Quebec City | Algic languages + Romance languages | Quebec city | |
| Ville de Québec | Romance languages + Algic languages | Quebec city | |
| Saskatchewan | Algic languages | fast flowing river | originally the name of Saskatchewan River |
| Regina | Latin | queen | named after Queen of Britain Victoria; the one to suggest the name was Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise whose husband John Campbell was Governor General of Canada |
| Yukon | Na-Dene languages | white water river | originally the name of Yukon River; refers to the glacial runoff in the river |
| Whitehorse | Germanic languages | white horse | apparently refers to the rapids of Yukon River that resembled the mane of a white horse; the rapids don’t exist anymore after the construction of a dam; history of the word horse uncertain, may also be a loan from Indo-Iranian languages |
| name | language group | approximate meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Latin | Australian capital territory | |
| Canberra | Pama–Nyungan languages | meeting place/breasts? | other theories have been suggested; breasts (or the space between them) would refer to Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie |
| Jervis Bay Territory | Germanic languages? + Romance languages < Latin < (Iberian / Basque?) + Latin | Jervis Bay territory | the territory got its name from the bay that was named after Admiral John Jervis; origin of the surname unknown |
| New South Wales | Germanic languages + Celtic languages | new South Wales | |
| Sydney | Germanic languages | wide island | originally the name was given to the bay called Sydney Cove, after British Home Secretary Thomas Townshend, Baron Sydney; the nobility name comes from a surname that comes from a placename in Surrey |
| Northern Territory | Germanic languages + Latin | northern territory | |
| Darwin | Germanic languages | dear friend | captain of HMS Beagle John Clements Wickham named the harbour in 1839 after Charles Darwin, who had sailed with him on the previous journey; the town was first called Palmerston but the name was changed to Darwin in 1911 |
| Queensland | Germanic languages | queen’s land | Queen of Britain Victoria separated Queensland from New South Wales as a crown colony in 1859 |
| Brisbane | Celtic languages + Germanic languages | bone breaker | originally the name of Brisbane River, after Governor of New South Wales Sir Thomas Brisbane; the surname was apparently originally a nickname for a person who often got into fights, although other origins have been suggested |
| South Australia | Germanic languages + Latin | southern southern land | |
| Adelaide | Germanic languages | noble nature | named after Queen Adelaide, wife of King of Britain William IV |
| Tasmania | Germanic languages | Tasman’s land | named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman; the surname means ‘pouch man’, and the history of the first part before Germanic languages is unknown |
| Hobart | Germanic languages | bright mind | named after British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Robert Hobart; the surname is a variant of the given name Hubert |
| Victoria | Latin | victory | named after Queen of Britain Victoria when the crown colony was separated from New South Wales in 1851 |
| Melbourne | Germanic languages | mill stream | named after British Prime Minister William Lamb, Viscount Melbourne; that Melbourne is located in Derbyshire |
| Western Australia | Germanic languages + Latin | western southern land | |
| Perth | Celtic languages | copse | named after Perth in Scotland in honour of British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Sir George Murray who was from Perthshire |
Rauli Häyrynen, 2026.