An English exonym is a name in the English language for a place (a toponym), or occasionally other terms, which does not follow the local usage (the endonym). Exonyms and endonyms are features of all languages and other languages may have their own exonym for the English endonym, for example Llundain is the Welsh exonym for the English endonym "London".
An English exonym is typically a place name given by an English-speaking linguistic community to a topographic feature situated in a territory where English has no official status. British English traditionally uses the term "conventional name", but the more internationally accepted term is "exonym".
"For a toponym to be defined as an exonym, there must exist a minimum degree of difference between it and the corresponding endonym. ... Ĉkalovsk is not an exonym of the Russian city Чкаловск but simply the endonym written in a different script. The omission of diacritical marks usually does not turn an endonym into an exonym: Sao Paulo (for São Paulo); Malaga (for Málaga) or Amman (for 'Ammān) are not considered exonyms. However, in certain languages, diacritics enable names that are otherwise identical to be distinguished; in such cases, the omission of these diacritics could be regarded as generating exonyms. Thus, in Slovakia, Rovné and Rovne are different places, as are Brezany and Brežany. This is the reason for the broad definition of the term "exonym" in the Glossary." - United Nations Manual for the National Standardization of Geographical Names 2006
A less common form of exonym is usage for names and titles. Personal exonyms are typically limited to regnal names such as popes (John Paul II) or monarchs (Charles V); less commonly very well known non-modern authors (John Calvin, for French Jean Calvin) are referred to by exonyms.
Romanization, or transcription of a non-Latin alphabet endonym into a Latin alphabet, is not generally regarded as creating exonyms; "The application of any scientifically sound romanization system to a non-Roman endonym merely re-creates that original endonym in another legitimate form" (Päll, 2002). However old romanization systems, particularly pre-independence colonial-era romanization systems may leave a legacy of "familiar" spellings, as in the case of, for example, romanization of Burmese. This affects romanization of Arabic, romanization of Chinese, and many other non-Latin alphabet place names.
For convenience a non-exhaustive summary list of English exonyms is included below. Note that the list includes both current and historic exonyms. In many cases, modern English-language sources no longer use the traditional English spelling, or do so only in historical contexts. See the article on each individual place name for information on its usage.
The list includes more detailed and complete breakout lists for:
List of English exonyms for Dutch toponyms
List of English exonyms for German toponyms - some no longer current
List of English exonyms for Italian toponyms - some no longer current
English exonyms of Arabic speaking places
List of renamed Indian public places - some without current acceptence
The list does not include the list of English translated personal names.
Shqipëria
Tiranë : Tirana (not a true exonym, as Tirana is also the Albanian endonym for the city name with an indefinite article)
الجزاٮُر (Al-Jazā'ir)
Al-Jazā'ir (الجزاٮُر) : Algiers
Հայաստան (Hayastan)
Erevan (Երևան or Երեւան) : Yerevan
Uluru : Ayers Rock (archaic)
Parramatta : (used only in a historical context) Rose Hill
Österreich
Allgäuer Alpen : Allgäu Alps
Alpen : (the) Alps
Ammergebirge : Ammergau Alps
Bayerische Voralpen : Bavarian Prealps
Berchtesgadener Alpen : Berchtesgaden Alps
Bodensee : Lake Constance
Böhmische Masse or Böhmisches Massiv : Bohemian Massif
Brennerpass : Brenner Pass
Chiemgauer Alpen : Chiemgau Alps
Donau : (the) Danube
Drau : river Drava or Drave
Große Ungarische Tiefebene : Great Hungarian Plain
Kärnten : Carinthia>
Neusiedler See : Lake Neusiedl
Niederösterreich : Lower Austria
Nördliche Kalkalpen : Northern Limestone Alps
Oberösterreich : Upper Austria
Pannonische Tiefebene, Pannonisches Becken or Karpatenbecken : Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin
Rätische Alpen : Rhaetian Alps
Steiermark : Styria
Südliche Kalkalpen : Southern Limestone Alps
Tannheimer Berge : Tannheim Mountains
Wien : Vienna
Tirol : (the) Tyrol
Wettersteingebirge : Wetterstein (mountains)
Azərbaycan - using Turkish-based Azerbaijani alphabet since 1991
Bakı : Baku
Qafqaz : Caucasus
België / Belgique
Historically, English borrowed French names for many places in Dutch-speaking areas of Belgium. With few exceptions this practice is no longer followed by most sources. French placenames in Dutch-speaking areas are marked by an asterisk (*).
Antwerpen/Anvers : Antwerp
Brugge/Bruges : Bruges*
Brussel/Bruxelles : Brussels
Gent/Gand : Ghent; historically also Gaunt
Ieper/Ypres : Ypres*
Kortrijk/Courtrai : historically Courtrai* or Courtray
Leuven/Louvain : historically Louvain*
Mechelen/Malines : historically Mechlin
Oostende/Ostende : Ostend
Vilvoorde/Vilvorde : historically Filford
Two main areas of Belgium:
Vlaanderen/Flandres : Flanders
Wallonië/Wallonie : Wallonia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosna i Hercegovina (Босна и Херцеговина)
Bosna (Босна) : Bosnia
Hercegovina (Херцеговина) : Herzegovina
България (Balgariya)
Dobrudzha (Добруджа) : Southern Dobruja, Bulgarian section of former Dobruja region
Dunav (Дунав) : Danube
Plovdiv (Пловдив) : (used only in a historical context) Philippopolis
Rodopi (Родопи) : Rhodopes
Sofiya (София) : Sofia
Stara Planina (Стара Планина) : Balkan Mountains
Trakiya (Тракия) : Thrace
Bama / Myanma
Yangon : Rangoon
Numerous places in the predominantly French speaking province of Quebec have historically had English exonyms; in most cases, the exonym was a straight translation of the place's French name, with only one major city which ever had an English exonym that was entirely different from its original French name. With a few exceptions, such as Quebec City, these exonyms are no longer widely used; in contemporary usage, English names for nearly all places in Quebec differ from the French names only in minor orthographic details, such as some writers using spaces instead of hyphens in a compound name such as Trois-Rivières, or not using diacritic marks in an accented name such as Montréal. As noted in the introduction, however, differences of this type are not deemed to turn an endonym into an exonym.
Exonyms are also commonly seen in regards to First Nations and Inuit peoples and communities; although government and media sources have evolved in recent years toward using these places' native endonyms, common usage may still favour the older exonyms.
Deline, NT: Fort Franklin (archaic)
Deux-Montagnes, QC: Two Mountains (archaic)
Eabametoong, ON: Fort Hope
Haida Gwaii, BC: Queen Charlotte Islands (now unofficial)
Igluligaarjuk, NU: Chesterfield Inlet
Iqaluit, NU: Frobisher Bay (archaic)
Iqaluktuuttiaq, NU: Cambridge Bay
Kangiqiniq, NU: Rankin Inlet
Kitchenuhmaykoosib, ON: Big Trout Lake
Montréal-Nord, QC: Montreal North
Mont-Royal, QC: Mount Royal
Neskantaga, ON: Lansdowne House
Nibinamik, ON: Summer Beaver
Québec, QC: Quebec City
Rivière-du-Loup, QC: Fraserville (archaic)
Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, QC: Saint Andrews (archaic)
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC: Saint John (archaic)
Tikirarjuaq, NU: Whale Cove
Trois-Rivières, QC: Three Rivers (archaic)
Tsiigehtchic, NT: Arctic Red River (archaic)
Tulita, NT: Fort Norman (archaic)
Ulukhaktok, NT: Holman (archaic)
Uqsuqtuuq, NU: Gjoa Haven
Cabo Verde
Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka / République centrafricaine
تشاد (Tšād) / Tchad
نجامينا (Nijāmīnā) / Ndjamena : N'Djamena
Rapa Nui / Isla de Pascua : Easter Island
Some of the apparent "exonyms" for China are the result of change in romanization of Chinese to modern pinyin, for example the change from "Tientsin" to "Tianjin". Other apparent exonyms are the result of the English name being based on one of the other varieties of Chinese besides Mandarin. Certain names which may now be considered exonyms actually preserve older Mandarin pronunciations which have changed in the intervening centuries.
Beijing : (used only in a historical context) Peking; the "k" preserves the Mandarin pronunciation prior to sound changes which began in the mid-17th century
Guangzhou : Canton, from the Portuguese pronunciation of the name of the province Guangdong in which the city Guangzhou is located
Nanjing : (used only in a historical context) Nanking
Xiamen : (used only in a historical context) Amoy, from the local Min Nan pronunciation
Chongqing : (used only in a historical context) Chungking
Shantou : (used only in a historical context) Swatow
Fuzhou : (used only in a historical context) Foochow
Shenyang : (used only in a historical context) Mukden or Mookden, used by geographers until 1945, from the Manchu language name
Zhangjiakou : (used only in a historical context) Kalgan, from the Russian rendition of the Mongolian language name QalƔan
Lüshun : (used only in a historical context) Port Arthur
Chang Jiang : Yangtze River
Cantonese Hoeng gong : Hong Kong
Cantonese Ou mun : Macau (matches Portuguese), historically also Macao
Northeast China / Dongbei : Manchuria
Taiwan : (used only in a historical context) Formosa (matches historically Portuguese)
Penghu islands : Pescadores
Kinmen / Jinmen : Quemoy
Hrvatska
Dalmacija : Dalmatia
Dubrovnik : Ragusa (historic)
Dunav : Danube
Istra : Istria
Slavonija : Slavonia
Zadar : Zara (historic)
Habana : Havana
Κύπρος (Kýpros) / Kıbrıs
Ammochostos/Gazimağusa : Famagusta
Keryneia/Girne : Kyrenia
Lemesos/Limasol : Limassol
Lefkosía/Lefkoşa : Nicosia
Česká republika (Česko)
Historically, English-language sources used German names for many places in what is now the Czech Republic. With few exceptions (such as the Elbe and Oder) this practice is no longer followed by most sources. German placenames are marked by an asterisk (*).
Beskydy : Beskids
Čechy : Bohemia (refers to only the western half of the modern Czech Republic)
České Budějovice : Budweis*
České Švýcarsko : Bohemian Switzerland
Česko : Czechia (recent coinage in English for Bohemia plus Moravia and Czech Silesia)
Český kras : Bohemian Karst
Český les : Upper Palatine Forest
Český ráj : Bohemian Paradise
Františkovy Lázně : Franzensbad*
Haná : Hanakia
Karlovy Vary : Carlsbad*
Krkonoše : Giant Mountains
Krušné hory : Ore Mountains
Labe : Elbe*
Lašsko : Lachia
Mariánské Lázně : Marienbad*
Morava : Moravia
Odra : Oder*
Plzeň : Pilsen*
Praha : Prague
Slezsko : Silesia (also used for the Polish part of Silesia)
Slovácko : Moravian Slovakia
Smrčiny : Fichtel Mountains*
Sudety : Sudeten* or Sudetes
Sudety : Sudetenland*
Šumava : Bohemian Forest
Valašsko : Moravian Wallachia
Danmark
Fyn : Funen
Helsingør : Elsinore
Jylland : Jutland
København : Copenhagen
Sjælland : Zealand
Skagen : The Scaw
Slesvig : Sleswick, Schleswig (matches German)
مصر (Mişr)
Būr Sā'id (بور سعݐد) : Port Said
Al-Ğīzah (الجݐزة) : Giza
Al-Iskandariyya (الإسکندرݐة) : Alexandria
An-Nīl (النݐل) : Nile
Al-Qāhira (القاهرة) : Cairo
As-Suways (السوݐس) : Suez
Al-Uqşur (الاقصر) : Luxor
Eesti
Peipsi järv : Lake Peipus
Faroe Islands
Føroyar / Færøerne
Finland
Suomi
Occasionally Swedish-based Latin names are used for historical provinces. Many provinces have different Finnish and Swedish names (Finnish / Swedish):
Häme / Tavastland: Tavastia
Karjala / Karelien: Karelia
Lappi / Lappland : Lapland (Finland), also Laponia or Lapponia
Pohjanmaa / Österbotten: Ostrobothnia
Savo / Savolax: Savonia
Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland: Finland Proper
Satakunta and Uusimaa (Finnish) and Åland (Swedish) are known with their own names in English.
Alpes : Alps
Bretagne/Breizh : Brittany
Bourgogne : Burgundy
Calais : though the spelling has been retained, older literature often pronounced it as /kælɨs/ (rhymes with "Alice")
Corse : Corsica, English uses local Corsican and Italian name
Côte d'Azur : The French Riviera
Dunkerque : Dunkirk
Flandre : Flanders
Gascogne : Gascony
Golfe de Gascogne : Bay of Biscay
Lyon : (used only in a historical context) Lyons
La Manche : The English Channel
Marseille : (used only in a historical context) Marseilles
Normandie : Normandy
Ouessant : island of Ushant, also Ouessant
Picardie : Picardy
Pyrénées : Pyrenees
Reims : Rheims
Rhin : Rhine
Savoie : Savoy
საქართველო (Sakartvelo)
Kavkasioni (კავკასიონი) : Caucasus
Tbilisi (თბილისი) : (used only in a historical context) Tiflis
Deutschland
This list does not include German place names with ß such as Gießen, commonly written Giessen in English sources.
Aachen : (used only in a historical context) Aix-la-Chapelle
Alpen : (the) Alps
Bayerischer Wald : (the) Bavarian Forest
Bayern : Bavaria
Beetzsee-Riewendsee-Wasserstraße : Beetzsee-Riewendsee waterway
Berchtesgadener Alpen : Berchtesgaden Alps
Bodensee : Lake Constance
Braunschweig : (used only in a historical context) Brunswick
Calenberger Bergland : Calenberg Uplands
Chiemgauer Alpen : Chiemgau Alps
Chiemsee : Lake Chiem
Deutsche Bucht : (the) German Bight, (the) German Bay
Donau : (the) Danube
Eggegebirge: Egge Hills
Erzgebirge : Ore Mountains
Fichtelgebirge : Fichtel Mountains
Flensburger Förde : Flensburg Firth
Franken : Franconia
Frankenalb or Frankenjura : Franconian Jura
Frankenwald : Franconian Forest
Frankfurt am Main : (used only in a historical context) Frankfort
Fränkische Schweiz : Franconian Switzerland
Friesische Inseln : (the) Frisian Islands
Greifswalder Bodden : Greifswald Bodden or Bay of Greifswald
Hameln : Hamelin
Hannover : Hanover
Harz : (the) Harz Mountains
Haßberge : Haßberge Hills
Helgoland : Heligoland
Helgoländer Bucht : Heligoland Bight or Helgoland Bight
Hessen : Hesse or Hessia
Hocheifel: High Eifel
Hochrhein : High Rhine
Holsteinische Schweiz : (the) Holstein Switzerland
Hohwachter Bucht : Hohwacht Bay
Jadebusen : (the) Jade Bay
Kaufunger Wald : Kaufungen Forest
Koblenz : Coblenz, (used only in a historical context) Coblence
Kieler Bucht: Bay of Kiel
Kleve : (used only in a historical context) Cleves
Knüllgebirge : Knüll or Knüllgebirge
Köln : Cologne
Konstanz : Constance
Lausitz/Łužica/Łužyca : Lusatia
Leinebergland : Leine Uplands
Leipziger Tieflandsbucht : Leipzig Bay or Leipzig Basin
Lübecker Bucht : Bay of Lübeck
Lüneburg : Lunenburg
Lüneburger Heide : (the) Lüneburg Heath
Mecklenburger Bucht: (the) Bay of Mecklenburg
Meldorfer Bucht : Bay of Meldorf
Mitteldeutschland : Middle Germany
Mittellandkanal : (the) Mittelland Canal
Mittelrhein : (the) Middle Rhine
Mosel : Mosella
München : Munich
Niederbayern : Lower Bavaria
Niederbayerisches Hügelland : Lower Bavarian Upland
Niederlausitz : Lower Lusatia
Niedersachsen : Lower Saxony
Niederschlesien : Lower Silesia
Nordbaden : North Baden
Norddeutschland : North(ern) Germany
Norddeutsche Tiefebene or Norddeutsche Tiefland : North German Plain or Northern Lowland
Nordeifel : North Eifel
Nordfriesische Inseln : (the) North Frisian Islands
Nordfriesland : North Frisia or Northern Friesland
Nordostseekanal : (the) Kiel Canal
Nordpfälzer Bergland : North Palatine Uplands
Nordrhein-Westfalen : North Rhine-Westphalia
Nürnberg : Nuremberg
Oberbayern : Upper Bavaria
Oberhessen : Upper Hesse
Oberpfalz : Upper Palatinate
Oberrheinische Tiefebene : (the) Upper Rhine Plain
Oberschlesien : Upper Silesia
Oldenburger Münsterland : Oldenburg Münsterland
Ost-Berlin : East Berlin
Ostdeutschland : East Germany
Ostfriesische Inseln : (the) East Frisians
Ostfriesland : East Friesland or East Frisia
Ostpommern : Eastern Pomerania
Ostpreußen : East Prussia
Ostsee : (the) Baltic Sea
Pareyer-Verbindungskanal : Parey Junction Canal
Partnachklamm : Partnach Gorge
Pfalz : (the) Palatinate, also Lower (Rhine) Palatinate
Pfälzerwald: (the) Palatinate Forest or Palatine Forest
Pommern : Pomerania
Pommersche Bucht : (the) Bay of Pomerania
Preußen : Prussia
Regensburg : (used only in a historical context) Ratisbon
Rhein : Rhine
Rheingau : (the) Rhinegau
Rheinhessen : Rhinehessen or Rhenish Hesse
Rheinisches Schiefergebirge : (the) Rhenish Slate Mountains
Rheinland : (the) Rhineland
Rheinland-Pfalz : Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhein-Main-Donau-Kanal : Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
Ruhrgebiet : (the) Ruhr (District)
Sachsen-Anhalt : Saxony-Anhalt
Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha : Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Sächsische Schweiz : Saxon Switzerland
Sachsen : Saxony
Sächsische Schweiz : Saxon Switzerland
Schwaben : Swabia
Schwarzwald : Black Forest
Starnberger See : Lake Starnberg
Stettiner Haff : Bay of Szczecin
Südwürttemberg-Hohenzollern : South Württemberg-Hohenzollern
Teutoburger Wald : (the) Teutoburg Forest
Thüringen : Thuringia
Thüringer Becken : (the) Thuringian Basin
Thüringerwald : Thuringian Forest
Trier : (used only in a historical context) Treves
Unterfranken : Lower Franconia
Vorpommern : Western Pomerania or Hither Pomerania
Weserbergland : (the) Weser Uplands, (the) Weser Mountains
West-Berlin : West Berlin
Westdeutschland : West Germany
Westfälische Pforte : (the) Porta Westfalica or Westphalian Gate
Westfalen : Westphalia
Westpreußen : West Prussia
Wismarbucht or Wismarer Bucht : Bay of Wismar
Ελλάδα (Elláda) or Ἑλλάς (Ellás)
Athina (Αθήνα) : Athens
Attiki (Αττική) : Attica
Dhodhekanisa (Δωδεκάνησα) : Dodecanese
Evvia (Εύβοια) : Euboea
Ikaria (Ικαρία) : Icaria
Ionia Nisia (Ιόνια Νησιά) : Ionian Islands
Ipeiros (Ήπειρος) : Epirus
Irakleio (Ηράκλειο) : Heraklion or Iraklion
Kríti (Κρήτη) : Crete
Kerkyra (Κέρκυρα) : Corfu
Korinthos (Κόρινθος) : Corinth
Kykladhes (Κυκλάδες) : Cyclades
Makedonía (Μακεδονία) : Macedonia
Mesologgi (Μεσολόγγι) : Missolonghi
Nafpaktos (Νάυπακτος) : Naupactus or, historically, Lepanto
Patrai (Πάτρα) : Patras
Peiraeas (Πειραιάς) : Piraeus
Peloponnisos (Πελοπόννησος) : Peloponnese
Pylos (Πύλος) : (used only in a historical context) Navarino
Rodhopi (Ροδόπη) : Rhodopes
Rodos (Ρόδος) : Rhodes
Samothraki (Σαμοθράκη) : Samothrace
Thessalia (Θεσσαλία) : Thessaly
Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη) : Thessalonica or, historically, Salonica
Thiva (Θήβα) : Thebes
Thraki (Θράκη) : Thrace
Viotía (Βοιωτία) : Boeotia
Zakynthos (Ζάκυνθος) : Zakynthos or Zante
Greenland
Kalaallit Nunaat
Nuuk : historically Godthab
Paamiut : historically Frederikshab
Qaanaaq : historically Thule
Civitas Vaticana : Vatican City
Magyarország
Duna : Danube
Kárpátok : Carpathians
Iceland
Ísland
Vestmannaeyjar : Westman Islands
Place (and personal) names containing the letters þ (thorn) and ð (eth) are often spelt with th and dh (and sometimes incorrectly with p and d) in English; whether this creates true exonyms is debatable
Bhārat
Bengaluru in Kannada language : still Bangalore in English
Chennai in Tamil language and now English :Traditionally Madras
Jaipur : (used only in a historical context) Jaypore
Kanpur : (used only in a historical context) Cawnpore
Kolkata in Bengali language : Traditionally Calcutta
Lakshadweep : (used only in a historical context) the Laccadive Islands
Mumbai in Marathi language and now English : Traditionally Bombay
Pune : (used only in a historical context) Poona
Shimla : (used only in a historical context) Simla
Varanasi : (used only in a historical context) Benares
اݐران (Iran)
Bushehr (بوشهر) : Bushire (old-fashioned)
Eşfahān (اصفهان) : Isfahan
Mashhad (مشهد) : Meshed
Tehran (تهران) : Teheran (regarded by some as historic; 'Tehran' is also often used)
العراق (Al-Irāq)
Dijla (دجله) : Tigris
Al-Furāt (الفرات) : Euphrates
Al-Mawşil (الموصل) : Mosul
Ireland
Éire
The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicisations, or phonetic renderings, of Irish language names. However, some names come directly from the English language. When the Irish Free State gained independence from the United Kingdom, some placenames were reverted to their Irish or anglicised forms. This includes:
Bagenalstown, which became Muine Bheag
Charleville, which became Ráth Luirc
Kingstown, which became Dún Laoghaire
King's County, which became County Offaly
Philipstown, which became Daingean
Queenstown, which became Cobh
Queen's County, which became County Laois
Maryborough, which became Port Laoise
יִשְֹרָאֵל (Yisrael)
The below listing is only a summary. Modern Israeli transcription systems (romanization of Hebrew) vary from the familiar spellings of many hundreds of place names of Ancient Israel adopted by Bible translations - both Christian, such as the King James Version (1611) and also Jewish versions such as the JPS (1917). For example, modern 'v' on road signs in Israel corresponds to 'w' or 'b' in traditional English naming.
Akko (עַכּוֹ) : Acre (from Greek, pronunciation later anglicized to match the word "acre")
Be'er Sheva (בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע): Beersheba
Ha-Galil (הַגָּלִיל) : Galilee (from Latin)
Kfar Nahum (כְּפַר נֵחוּם) : Capernaum (from Latin)
Natzrat (נָצְרַת) : Nazareth (from Greek)
Tzfat (צְפַת) : Safed (from Arabic)
Tverya (טְבֶריָה) : Tiberias (from Latin)
Yafo (יָפוֹ) : Jaffa (from Arabic)
Yerushalayim (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם) : Jerusalem (from Latin)
Italia
Valle d'Aosta : Aosta Valley
Alpi : Alps
Appennini : Apennine Mountains
Puglia : Apulia
Campidoglio : Capitoline Hill
Dolomiti : Dolomites
Ercolano (present day): Herculaneum (ancient city)
Firenze : Florence, English uses the French name
Genova : Genoa
Gianicolo : Janiculum, English uses the Latin name
Lazio : Latium, especially when dealing with classical history.
Livorno : Leghorn (old-fashioned)
Lombardia : Lombardy
Mantova : Mantua
Marche : The Marches (old-fashioned)
Milano : Milan
Monferrato : Montferrat, English uses the French name
Napoli : Naples
Padova : Padua
Piemonte : Piedmont, Piemont in local Piemontèis
Pompei : Pompeii
Roma : Rome
Rubicone : Rubicon
Sardegna : Sardinia
Sicilia : Sicily
Siena : Sienna (old-fashioned)
Siracusa : Syracuse
Tevere : Tiber
Torino : Turin
Toscana : Tuscany
Trento : Trent (old-fashioned)
Tirolo : Tyrol.
Venezia : Venice
Vesuvio : Vesuvius
日本 (Nihon / Nippon)
南西諸島 (Nansei-shotō) or 琉球諸島 (Ryūkyū-shotō) : Ryukyu Islands
小笠原群島 (Ogasawara Guntō) : Bonin Islands
火山列島 (Kazan Rettō) : Volcano Islands
الاردن (Al-'Urdunn)
North and South Korea have different names for their own country, and each other. Romanization of Korean has also produced many name variations which are common in English, but simply variations in romanization systems. For example, Cheju Island is an older romanization of Jeju Province. In some cases the older romanizations have been retained in English sources. Some even older names, not now retained in English, are the result of Japanese pronunciation of Korean names during the colonial period.
조선 (Chosŏn) : Korea
금강산 Kŭmgangsan : Mount Kumgang, Diamond mountain
압록강 Amnok gang : Yalu River, Chinese endonym used in English, as it forms the western portion of the border
두만강 Tuman gang : Tumen River, Chinese endonym used in English, as it forms the eastern portion of the border
한국 (Hanguk) : Korea
대한민국 Daehanminguk : Republic of Korea
Kosova
Latvija
Kurzeme : Courland
Latgale : (used only in a historical context) Lettgallia
Rīga : Riga, per Russian, with removal of Latvian alphabet long ī.
Zemgale : Semigallia (old-fashioned)
لبنان (Lubnān)
Ṣaydā (صيدا) : Sidon
Ṣūr (صور) : Tyre
Ṭarābulus (طرابلس) : Tripoli, Lebanon
ليبيا (Libiyā)
Barqah (برقة) : Cyrenaica
Fizzān (فزان) : Fezzan
Miṣrātah (مصراتة) : Misrata
Sirt (سرت) : Sirte
Ṭarābulus (طرابلس) : Tripoli, also Tripolitania
Lietuva
Mažoji Lietuva : Lithuania Minor
Nemunas : Neman or historically Niemen
Suvalkija : Sudovia (old-fashioned)
Žemaitija : Samogitia
Македонија (Makedonija)
Melaka : Malacca
Pulau Pinang : Penang Island
Ciudad de México : Mexico City
Puerto Peñasco: Rocky Point
Chişinău : (used only in a historical context) Kishinev (from Russian Кишинёв/Kishinyov)
Монгол улс (Mongol uls)
Црна Гора (Crna Gora)
المغرب (Al-Maghrib)
Ad-Dār Al-Beiḍāʼ (الدار البيضاء) : Casablanca
Fās (فاس) : Fez
Ṭanjah (طنجة) : Tangier
Netherlands
Nederland
Brielle (also: Den Briel): Brill (old-fashioned)
Den Haag (also: 's-Gravenhage) : The Hague
Dordrecht : historically Dort
Gelderland : (used only in a historical context) Guelders
Hoek van Holland : Hook of Holland
Leiden : Leyden (old-fashioned)
Maas : Meuse
Rijn : Rhine
Rijswijk : Ryswick
Vlissingen : old name Flushing (old-fashioned)
New Zealand
Aotearoa / New Zealand
Whanganui : Wanganui
Norge, Noreg
Nordkapp (Norwegian); Davvenjárga (Northern Sami) : North Cape
Bjørnøya : Bear Island
Ariha (أريحا) : Jericho
Bayt Lehm (بيت لحم) : Bethlehem
al-Ḫalīl (الخليل) : Hebron
al-Quds (القُدس) : Jerusalem
Yahudia (يهودا) : Judea
Poland
Polska
Beskidy : Beskids
Gdańsk : Danzig (archaic, from German)
Galicja : Galicia (Eastern Europe)
Karkonosze : Giant Mountains
Karpaty : Carpathians
Kaszuby/Kaszëbë : Kashubia
Kraków : Cracow (archaic)
Kujawy : Kuyavia
Małopolska : Lesser Poland
Mazowsze : Mazovia
Mazury : Masuria
Nizina Śląska : Silesian Lowlands
Odra : Oder, English uses the German name
Oświęcim : Auschwitz, English uses the German name
Przedgórze Sudeckie : Sudeten Foreland
Pomorze : Pomerania
Sudety : Sudeten or Sudetes
Śląsk : Silesia
Dolny Śląsk : Lower Silesia
Górny Śląsk : Upper Silesia
Warmia : Warmia
Warszawa : Warsaw
Wielkopolska : Greater Poland
Wisła : Vistula
Açores : Azores (from Spanish)
Bragança : Braganza (from Spanish)
Lisboa : Lisbon
Porto : Oporto (old fashioned)
Tejo : Tagus (from Latin)
România
București : Bucharest
Carpați : Carpathians (from Latin)
Carpați Meridionali : Southern Carpathians
Dobrogea : Northern Dobruja, Romanian section of former Dobruja region
Dunărea : Danube
Iași : (used primarily in historical contexts) Jassy
Transilvania : Transylvania
Țara Românească / Valahia : Wallachia
Россия (Rossiya)
Arkhangel'sk (Архангельск) : (used only in a historical context) Archangel
Kavkaz (Кавказ) : Caucasus
Komsomol'sk-na-Amure (Комсомольск-на-Амуре) : Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Moskva (Москва) : Moscow
Oryol (Орёл) : (used only in a historical context) Orel
Pskov (Псков) : Plescow
Rostov-na-Donu (Ростов-на-Дону) : Rostov-on-Don
Sankt-Peterburg (Санкт-Петербург) : Saint Petersburg
السعودية (As-Saʿūdīyah)
Jiddah (جدة) : Jeddah
Al-Madīnah (المدينة) : Medina
Makkah (مکة) : Mecca
Ar-Riyāḍ (الرياض) : Riyadh
Србија (Srbija)
Beograd (Београд) : Belgrade (from French)
Dunav (Дунав) : Danube
Stara Planina (Стара Планина) : Balkan Mountains
Slovensko
Beskydy : Beskids
Biele Karpaty : White Carpathians
Dunaj : Danube
Gerlachovský štít : Gerlach Peak
Javorníky : Maple Mountains
Karpaty : Carpathians
Kysucké Beskydy : Kysuce Beskids
Malá Fatra : Little/Lesser Fatra
Malé Karpaty : Little/Lesser Carpathians
Nízke Beskydy : Low/Lower Beskids
Nízke Tatry : Low Tatras
Oravské Beskydy : Orava Beskids
Podunajská nížina : Danubian Lowland
Podunajská pahorkatina : Danubian Hills
Podunajská rovina : Danubian Flat
Slovenské rudohorie : Slovak Ore Mountains
Slovenské stredohorie : Slovak Central Mountains
Stredné Beskydy : Central Beskids
Veľká Fatra : Great/Greater Fatra
Východné Beskydy : Eastern Beskids
Východoslovenská nížina : Eastern Slovak Lowland
Vysoké Tatry : High Tatras
Slovenija
Alpe: Alps
Dolenjska: Lower Carniola
Gorenjska: Upper Carniola
Karavanke: Karawanks
Koroška: Carinthia
Kras: Karst
Notranjska: Inner Carniola
Primorska: Slovenian Littoral
Štajerska: Styria
Suid-Afrika
Many South African towns have multiple names due to the diversity of languages.
Alexanderbaai : Alexander Bay
Aliwal-Noord : Aliwal North
Grahamstad : Grahamstown
Kaapstad : Cape Town
Mooirivier : Mooi River (Vaal), Mooi River (KwaZulu-Natal) and Mooi River (town)
Plettenbergbaai : Plettenberg Bay
Simonstad : Simon's Town
Vishoek : Fish Hoek
España
English uses Spanish exonyms for some well known places in non-Spanish (Catalan, Valencian, Basque, Galician) speaking regions.
Andalucía : Andalusia
Aragón : Aragon in historical context, also Aragón referring to modern Spain
País Vasco : Basque Country
Castilla : Castile
Catalunya / Cataluña : Catalonia
Córdoba : Cordova (obsolescent)
Galician: A Coruña / Spanish: La Coruña : Corunna (obsolescent) : The Groyne (obsolete)
Duero : river Douro, English uses the Portuguese name
Gran Canaria : Grand Canary (obsolete)
Islas Baleares : Balearic Islands
Islas Canarias : Canary Islands
Mallorca : Majorca, compare French Majorque, Italian Maiorca
Menorca : Minorca English uses the Italian spelling, also Menorca
Navarra / Nafarroa : Navarre, English uses the French name
Pamplona : Pampeluna, compare French "Pampelune"
Pireneos / Pirineus / Pirinioak : Pyrenees
Sevilla : Seville
Tajo : Tagus
Tenerife : Teneriffe (obsolescent)
Vizcaya / Bizkaia : Biscay
Zaragoza : Saragossa (obsolescent)
ශ්රී ලංකා (Shri Lanka) / இலங்கை (Ilaṅkai)
Galla (ගාල්ල) / Kali (காலி) : Galle
Halawata (හලාවත) / Cilāpam (சிலாபம்) : Chilaw
Kolamba (කොළඹ) / Kolumpu (கொழும்பு) : Colombo
Madakalapuwa (මඩකලපුව) / Maṭṭakkaḷappu (மட்டக்களப்பு) : Batticaloa
Mahanuwara (මහනුවර) / Kanti (கண்டி): Kandy
Meegamuwa (මීගමුව) / Nirkolompu (நீர்கொழும்பு) : Negombo
Modara (මෝදර) / Mukattuvāram (முகத்துவாரம்) : Mutwal
Thrikunamalaya (ත්රිකුණාමළය) / Tirukōṇamalai (திருகோணமலை) - Trincomalee
Yapanaya (යාපනය) / Yalpanam (யாழ்ப்பாணம்) : Jaffna
السودان (As-Sūdān)
Al-Ḫarṭūm (الخَرطوم) : Khartoum
An-Nīl (النيل) : Nile
Umm Durmān (أُم درمان) : Omdurman
Sverige
Dalarna : Dalecarlia
Göteborg : Gothenburg
Norrbotten : North Bothnia
Skåne : Scania
Västerbotten : West Bothnia
Switzerland
Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera
Historically, English-language sources borrowed French names for some places in German-speaking Switzerland. This practice is no longer universally followed, and many sources now use German names for most Swiss German-speaking places. Most guidebooks also now use "Basel" instead of the traditional "Basle." French placenames in German-speaking areas are marked by an asterisk (*).
Alpen/Alpes/Alpi : Alps
Basel : Basle/Basel
Bern : Berne*/Bern
Genève/Genf : Geneva
Luzern : Lucerne*
Rhein : Rhine
Rheinfall : (the) Rhine Falls or (the) Schaffhausen Falls
Wallis: Valais*
Zürich : Zurich*
سورية (Sūrīyah)
Dimašq (دمشق) : Damascus
Al-Furāt (الفرات) : Euphrates
Ḥalab (حلب) : Aleppo
Al-Lāḏiqīyah (اللاذقية) : Latakia
Thailand
ประเทศไทย (Prathet Thai)
Krung Thep Maha Nakon (กรุงเทพมหานคร) : Bangkok
Songkhla (สงขลา) : (used only in a historical context) Singora
تونس (Tūnis)
Qābis (قابس) : Gabès
Şafāqus (صفاقس) : Sfax
Sūsah (سوسة) : Sousse
Türkiye (endonym)
İstanbul : Istanbul, normally spelled without dotted "İ" in English, even in Turkish-font-enabled English sources which use otherwise use capital İ for towns like İzmir and İznik such as the Lonely Planet guides. Jordan, Adamič, and Woodman (Vienna 2007) consider "Istanbul," alone among Turkish city names, to be an English exonym of İstanbul.
Alaşehir : historically Philadelphia
Anamur: historically Anemurium
Antakya : historically Antioch
Antalya: historically Adalia
Aydın : historically Tralles
Bergama : historically Pergamon
Bodrum : historically Halicarnassus
Bursa : historically Prusa
Edirne : historically Adrianople
Istanbul : historically Constantinople and Byzantium
Karadeniz Ereğli : historically Heraclea Pontica
Kayseri : historically Caesarea
Gelibolu : historically Gallipoli
Giresun : historically Kerasous
İskenderun : historically Alexandretta
İzmir : historically Smyrna
Izmit : historically Nicomedia
Iznik : historically Nicaea
Karaman : historically Laranda
Konya : historically Iconium
Manisa : Magnesia ad Sipylum
Mut : historically Claudiopolis
Silifke : historically Seleucia
Şanlıurfa (also Urfa) : historically Edessa
Trabzon : historically Trebizond
Üsküdar : historically Scutari
Bozcaada : historically Tenedos
Gökçeada : historically Imbros
Boğaziçi : Bosphorus
Çanakkale Boğazı : Dardanelles
Dicle town
Dicle nehri : still River Tigris
Fırat nehri : still River Euphrates
Kapadokya : Cappadocia
Kilikya : Cilicia
Trakya : Thrace
Україна (Ukrayina)
Many Ukrainian place names in English historically match the Russian spelling/pronunciation. For example:
Chornobyl (Чорнобиль) : Chernobyl
Horlivka (Горлівка) : Gorlovka
Kharkiv (Харків) : Kharkov
Kryvyi Rih (Кривиі Ріг) : Krivoy Rog
Kyiv (Київ) : Kiev
Ukrainian regions corresponding to historical subdivision:
Krym (Крум) : Crimea
Halychyna (Галичина) : Galicia
Karpats'ka Ukrayina (Карпатська Україна) : historically Carpathian Ukraine or Carpatho-Ukraine
Pidkarpats'ka Rus' (Підкарпатська Русь) : historically Subcarpathian Ruthenia
Zakarpats'ka Ukrayina (Закарпатська Україна) : historically Transcarpathian Ukraine
Zakarpattya (Закарпаття) : Transcarpathia
Scotland
Alba
NOTE: These places are all in the Hebrides, where Scottish Gaelic is predominant.
Cymru
See also: Welsh exonyms and Welsh placenames
NOTE: English is the most frequently spoken language in some of the locations listed below. In others Welsh is predominant.
NOTE: In the United States some places have names in English and various native languages.
Ohio: Allegheny River
joe'hesta: Red House
Việt Nam Several towns have English or French names joining the two syllables:
Hà Nội : Hanoi, French Hanoï
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh : Ho Chi Minh City
Sài Gòn : Saigon (still used for district), French Saïgon
Chợ Lớn : Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City
Hải Phòng : Haiphong, French Haïphong
Đà Lạt : Dalat
Đà Nẵng : Danang, French Tourane (obsolete from Chinese)
Hội An : former name Faifo (obsolete from Japanese pronunciation of port at Hôi-an phô)
Dãy Trường Sơn : Annamite Range
Ngũ Hành Sơn : Marble Mountains (Vietnamese name more accurately is "Five elements mountains")
Mê Kông : Mekong River
Vịnh Bắc Bộ : Gulf of Tonkin
