Russia – The Land of Rowers; and more country name origins
1. Canada – “Village” Misinterpretation
When French explorer Jacques Cartier arrived in what is now Canada, he encountered the indigenous Iroquois people who used the word kanata, meaning “village” or “settlement.” Cartier took kanata to mean not just the local village but the entire landmass. The name stuck, and now, what started as a term for a small village defines the second-largest country in the world.
2. Argentina – A Land of Silver That Didn’t Deliver
Argentina got its name from the Latin word argentum, meaning “silver.” Spanish and Portuguese explorers believed the region was rich in silver after they were shown silver objects by indigenous peoples. So, they named the land after this hoped-for treasure. However, there wasn’t much silver to be found, making it a lasting tribute to the explorers’ misjudged ambitions.
3. Iceland and Greenland – A Branding Misdirection
Iceland and Greenland may be history’s greatest case of geographical irony. Vikings, known for their strategic deception, named Iceland Ísland (Iceland) despite it being quite green, especially in summer. Meanwhile, Erik the Red, an exiled Norseman, named the ice-covered island Greenland to lure settlers. The Greenlander branding ploy worked, as many Norsemen were convinced to join him, even though the land was anything but green.
4. Spain – The Land of Rabbits?
Spain, or España, is thought to have roots in the Phoenician word I-Shaphan-im, which translates to “land of rabbits.” The Phoenicians, ancient seafarers from the Middle East, encountered many rabbits when they landed on the Iberian Peninsula. They mistook them for small animals called shaphanim that lived in the Levant, hence the name. This name was later Latinized to Hispania, evolving into España.
5. Papua New Guinea – Big Hair Inspiration
When Portuguese explorer Jorge de Meneses arrived on the island’s shores in the early 1500s, he called it Ilhas dos Papuas – the “Islands of the Fuzzy-Haired People,” based on the distinctive curly hairstyles of the island’s inhabitants. Later, the name “New Guinea” was added by the Spanish, who thought the indigenous people bore a resemblance to the natives of Guinea in West Africa.
6. Venezuela – Little Venice on Stilts
When Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci sailed along the northern coast of South America in 1499, he spotted indigenous villages on stilts, perched above the water. He thought it looked like a “Little Venice” and called it Venezuela, or “little Venice” in Italian. The resemblance may have been a stretch, but the name has endured.
7. Australia – Inspired by an Imaginary Continent
The name Australia comes from Terra Australis Incognita, Latin for “Unknown Southern Land.” Early mapmakers, convinced there was a massive landmass to balance the world, imagined Terra Australis as a mysterious southern continent. When Europeans finally reached the land now known as Australia, they borrowed from the myth, and “Australia” was born from centuries of speculation.
8. France – Land of the Franks (Not the French)
France derives its name from the Germanic tribe known as the Franks. The Franks ruled the land following the fall of the Roman Empire, and their name was derived from franca, meaning “free” in their language. So, ironically, the French are “Franks,” who weren’t exactly the original people of Gaul but an invading tribe that shaped the country’s future.
9. Brazil – Named for a Tree
Brazil got its name not from any famous explorer or revered ruler but from a tree. Early Portuguese settlers named the region after pau-brasil, a tree that produced a rich red dye and was highly valued in Europe. The tree was abundant in the region, and soon, Brazil was supplying Europe with tons of pau-brasil wood, making it both the country’s namesake and one of its first exports.
10. Russia – The Land of Rowers
The name Russia is thought to come from the ancient Rus’ people, a group of Viking traders and settlers. The origin of Rus likely comes from an old Norse word for “rowers” or “men who row,” a nod to the Viking method of river transport. As the Rus’ settled and expanded into the Slavic lands, they lent their name to the vast territory we now call Russia.
11. China – Named after a Dynasty
The name China is believed to have come from the Qin (pronounced “Chin”) Dynasty, which unified much of the region. When traders and explorers first encountered the Qin Dynasty’s territories, they used this name to describe the entire land. The Qin Dynasty left a lasting legacy, and over time, the name evolved into the “China” we know today.
12. Japan – Originating from a Neighbor’s Perspective
Japan, or Nihon/Nippon in Japanese, means “origin of the sun.” This name likely originated in China, where Japan was called Rìběn, meaning “sun’s origin,” as it lay to the east of China, in the direction of the sunrise. The Japanese adopted this name, which transformed into the present-day Nihon or Nippon. The Western word “Japan” derives from Marco Polo’s accounts, which transliterated the name as Cipangu.
13. Mexico – Place of the Mexica or Place at the centre of the moon
Mexico takes its name from the Mexica people, a dominant indigenous group in what is now Mexico City. The name Mexica is thought to have originated from the Aztec god Mextli (a god of war and storms) or from the word metztli, meaning “moon,” combined with xictli, meaning “navel” or “center,” hence “place at the center of the moon.”
14. Guatemala – Place of many trees
Guatemala is derived from the Nahuatl word Quauhtlemallan, meaning “place of many trees.” This name was used by the Mexica soldiers who accompanied the Spanish conquest of the region, who thought it was an appropriate name given the region’s dense forests. Over time, the Spanish adapted it to Guatemala.
15. America – Named After an Explorer (But Not Columbus)
Despite Columbus’ historic voyage, America was actually named after an Italian explorer named Amerigo Vespucci. In 1507, German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller printed a world map in which he labeled the “New World” as America, after Vespucci, who was one of the first Europeans to suggest that the lands Columbus reached were not Asia, but a separate continent. Waldseemüller chose “America” as the feminine version of Americus, the Latinized version of Amerigo, to match other continental names like Europa.
But where does the name Amerigo come from?
The name Amerigo originates from the Medieval Italian form of the name Emmerich, which itself derives from the Proto-Germanic elements amal meaning “work” and ric meaning “ruler” or “power” . Therefore, Amerigo can be interpreted to mean “work ruler” or “home ruler” .
16. Britain – Land of the painted people
The name Britain is thought to come from the ancient Celtic word Pritani, which the Greeks later modified to Pretani (meaning “painted people”) in reference to the Britons’ tradition of body painting or tattooing. The Romans, upon invading the islands, called it Britannia, adapting the Celtic term. Over time, this evolved into “Britain,” which became the common name for the whole island.
17. Ireland – The Land of Éire (abundance)
The name Ireland derives from the ancient Irish word Éire, which is the Old Irish name for the island. In Irish mythology, Éire is also the name of a goddess who represents sovereignty and the land itself. Éire comes from an older Celtic word meaning “land of abundance.” When the Vikings arrived, they called it Írland, adapting Éire into their language. English speakers later anglicized this to “Ireland.”
18. Wales – “Land of Foreigners” (According to the English)
Wales is derived from the Old English word wealh, which means “foreigner” or “outsider.” Anglo-Saxon settlers used wealh to refer to the indigenous Celtic people they encountered upon arriving in Britain, as the Welsh were culturally and linguistically distinct. Interestingly, the Welsh call their country Cymru, which comes from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning “fellow countrymen” or “compatriots.” So, while they refer to themselves as “countrymen,” the English have historically called them “foreigners.”
19. Scotland – The Land of the “Scots” (Who Came from Ireland)
The name Scotland derives from the Latin word Scoti, which originally referred to the Gaelic-speaking people of Ireland. In the early Middle Ages, a group of Scoti (later called the Scots) migrated from Ireland to what is now Scotland, establishing the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata in the west. Over time, the term Scotland was used to describe the lands controlled by the Scots in the northern part of Britain, solidifying as the nation expanded and unified under Scottish kings.
Did the Scottish accent come from these Irish settlers?
While the original Gaelic-speaking settlers contributed significantly to the foundation of the accent, Scottish accents as we know them today evolved over centuries and were influenced by multiple languages, including Old Norse (from the Vikings), Latin (via the Christian church), Norman French, and of course, Old English and Middle English. The Lowland Scots dialect, which evolved from Old English and is quite distinct from Gaelic, also played a big role in shaping the modern Scottish accent.
20. Germany – Land of Many Tribes
Germany’s name varies dramatically depending on the language, reflecting the complex history of the region. The English name Germany comes from the Latin Germania, which the Romans used to refer to the lands inhabited by Germanic tribes across the Rhine. The origins of Germania itself are unclear, though it likely came from a Celtic term. In German, the country is called Deutschland, which comes from the Old High German word diutisc, meaning “of the people,” to describe the language and culture distinct from Latin-speaking Romans.
Allemagne = all man
The French call it Allemagne, after the Alemanni, a prominent Germanic tribe. The name Alemanni is thought to derive from the Proto-Germanic words ala- (meaning “all”) and manniz (meaning “men” or “people”). So Alemanni roughly translates to “all men” or “a confederation of people.” This name was fitting, as the Alemanni were a coalition of Germanic tribes rather than a single tribe, united against the Romans.
