Irish exonyms explained

This is a list of Irish language exonyms for places outside of Ireland. The tables contain both endonyms and exonyms of places around the world, with the exonyms written in Irish and the endonyms in their regional language(s).

Algeria

an Ailgéir
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Algiers	Cathair na hAilgéire	Al Jāza'ir (الجزائر)	Standard Arabic
		Dzayer	Berber

Belgium

an Bheilg
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Antwerp	Antuairp	Antwerpen	Dutch
Brussels	an Bhruiséil	Brussel	Dutch
		Bruxelles	French
Flanders	Flóndras	Vlaanderen	Dutch
Leuven	Lováin	Leuven	Dutch	Site of St Anthony's College, Leuven, a centre of Irish learning and culture on the Continent
Ostend	Ostainn	Oostende	Dutch
Wallonia	an Vallúin	Wallonie	French
		Walonreye	Walloon

Canada

Ceanada
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Labrador	(Leithinis) Labradar	Labrador	English, French
		Nunatsuak	Inuttitut
Newfoundland	Talamh an Éisc	Ikkarumikluak	Inuttitut	Irish name means "fishing grounds"; Newfoundland was settled by large numbers of Irish emigrants
		Newfoundland	English
		Terre-Neuve	French
Nova Scotia	Albain Nua	Alba Nuadh	Scottish Gaelic
		Nouvelle-Écosse	French
		Nova Scotia	English

China

an tSín
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Beijing	Bésing	Beijing (北京)	Mandarin
Tibet	Tibéid	Bhö (བོད)	Tibetan

Croatia

an Chróit
English name	Irish name	Endonym	Notes
Dalmatia	an Dalmáit	Dalmacija
Zagreb	Ságrab	Zagreb

Cyprus

an Chipir
English name	Irish name	Endony		Notes
		Name	Language
Nicosia	an Leafcóis; an Nicóis	Lefkosía	Greek
		Lefkoşa	Turkish

Czech Republic

an tSeic
English name	Irish name	Endonym	Notes
Bohemia	an Bhohéim	Čechy
Prague	Prág	Praha

Denmark

an Danmhairg
English name	Irish name	Endonym	Notes
Copenhagen	Cóbanhávan	København
Jutland	an Iútlainn	Jylland
Zealand	an tSéalainn	Sjælland

France

an Fhrainc
English name	Irish name	French place		Notes
		Name	Language
Bordeaux	Bordghal	Bordeaux	French
		Bordèu	Gascon	From Latin Burdigula^[1]
Brittany	an Bhríotáin	Breizh	Breton
		Bretagne	French
Burgundy	an Bhurgúin	Bourgogne	French
Corsica	an Chorsaic	Corse	French
		Corsica	Italian
Lorraine	an Lorráin	Lorraine	French
		Lottringe	West Franconian
		Louréne	Lorrain
Normandy	an Normainn	Normandie	French
		Normaundie	Norman
Paris	Páras	Paris	French

Germany

an Ghearmáin
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Bavaria	an Bhaváir	Bayern	German
Berlin	Beirlín	Berlin	German	^[2]
Saxony	an tSacsain	Sachsen	German
		Saggsn	Upper Saxon
		Sakska	Upper Sorbian

Great Britain

and Crown dependencies: an Bhreatain Mhór
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Aberdeen	Obar Dheathain	Obar Dheathain	Scottish Gaelic
Bristol	Briostó	Bristol	English
Cardiff	Caedydd	Caerdydd	Welsh
Carlisle	Cathair Luail	Carlise	English
Coatbridge	Drochaid an Chóta	Drochaid a' Chòta	Scottish Gaelic
Cornwall	an Chorn	Kernow	Cornish
	Corn na Breataine
Douglas	Dúlais	Doolish	Manx
Glasgow	Glaschú	Glaschu	Scottish Gaelic
Dundee	Dún Déagh	Dùn Dèagh	Scottish Gaelic
Edinburgh	Dún Éideann	Dùn Èideann	Scottish Gaelic
England	Sasana	England	English	From Old Irish Saxain (“Saxons, England”).^[3] ^[4]
Guernsey	Geansaí
Hebrides	Inse Ghall	na h-Innse Gall	Scottish Gaelic
Inverness	Inbhear Nis	Inbhir Nis	Scottish Gaelic
Isle of Man	Manainn	Mannin	Manx	Translation Oileán Mhanann (from) also used
Isle of Wight	Inis Iocht	Isle of Wight	English
Jersey	Geirsí
Liverpool	Learpoll, Learpholl	Liverpool	English
London	Londain	London	English
Manchester	Manchain	Manchester	English	From Latin Mancunia
Orkney	Inse Orc	Arcaibh	Scottish Gaelic
Oxford	Áth na nDamh	Oxford	English	Calque, literally "ford of the oxen"
Perth	Peairt	Peairt	Scottish Gaelic
Scotland	Albain	Alba	Scottish Gaelic	See Alba
Stirling	Sruighle	Sruighlea	Scottish Gaelic	English name also used in Irish
Strathclyde	Srath Chluaidh	Srath Chluaidh	Scottish Gaelic
Wales	an Bhreatain Bheag	Cymru	Welsh	Literally "Little Britain."^[5]
York	Eabhrac	York	English	From the Latin Eboracum.

Greece

an Ghréig
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Language	Notes
Athens	an Aithin
Crete	an Chréit
Rhodes	Ródas
Thessaloniki	Teasaloinicé

India

an India, an Ind
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Delhi	Deilí
Kolkata	Calcúta

Israel

an Iosrael
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Jerusalem	Iarúsailéim	Al-Quds	Arabic	From Latin Ierusalem. The earliest Irish form is Old Irish Hierosalem, from the 8th-century poems of Blathmac mac Con Brettan.
		Yerushalayim (ירושלים)	Hebrew

Italy

an Iodáil
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Florence	Flórans
Lombardy	an Lombaird
Milan	Milan/ Milano^[6]
Piedmont	Píodmant
Rome	an Róimh
Sardinia	an tSairdín
Sicily	an tSicil
Tuscany	an Tuscáin
Venice	an Veinéis

Palestine

an Phalaistín
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Bethlehem	Beithil	بيت لحم (Beit Lahm)	Arabic
		בֵּית לֶחֶם (Bet Leḥem)	Hebrew
Jerusalem	Iarúsailéim	القُدس‎ (Al-Quds)	Arabic	From Latin Ierusalem. The earliest Irish form is Old Irish Hierosalem, from the 8th-century poems of Blathmac mac Con Brettan.
		יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yershuláyim)	Hebrew
Nazareth	Nazarat	النَّاصِرَة (an-Nāṣira)	Arabic
		נָצְרַת‎ (Natsrat)	Hebrew
		ܢܨܪܬ, (Naṣrath)	Imperial Aramaic

Portugal

an Phortaingéil
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Lisbon	Liospóin	Lisboa	Portuguese
Madeira	Maidéara

Russia

an Rúis
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Moscow	Moscó	Moskva	Russian
Saint Petersburg	Cathair Pheadair	Sankt Peterburg	Russian
Siberia	an tSibéir
Ural	an Úrail

Spain

an Spáinn
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
A Coruña	an Choróin			Obsolete
	Cathair na Cruinne
Aragon	an Aragóin
Galicia	an Ghailís
Mallorca	Mallarca
Menorca	Mionarca
Seville	Seville

Sweden

an tSualainn
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Götaland	an Ghotlann	Götaland	Swedish
Stockholm	Stócólm	Stockholm	Swedish

Switzerland

an Eilvéis
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Geneva	an Ghinéiv	Genf	German
		Genève	French

Ukraine

an Úcráin
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Crimea	an Chrimé
Kyiv	Cív	Kyiv	Ukrainian

United States

Stáit Aontaithe
English name	Irish name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Boston	Bostún	Boston	English
Ellis Island	Oileán an Choraintín	Ellis Island	English	Meaning ‘Quarantine Island,’ reflecting the fact that Irish arrivals in New York were seen as carriers of infections and obliged to spend periods of quarantine there.
Hawai'i	Haváí	Hawai'i	English, Hawaiian
New York City	Nua-Eabhrac	New York City	English	From the Latin Eboracum, the old name for York, England.

References

• téarma.ie – Téarma – the National Terminology Database for Irish, developed by Fiontar (Dublin City University) in collaboration with An Coiste Téarmaíochta (Foras na Gaeilge)

See also

• List of European exonyms

Notes and References

1. Book: Molloy, Cian. The Story of the Irish Pub. The Liffey Press. 2002. 14.
2. Web site: berlin - Aistriúchán Gaeilge ar berlin (An Foclóir Nua Béarla-Gaeilge) . 2022-11-20 . www.focloir.ie.
3. Web site: Rerum Britannicarum Medii Ævi Scriptores, Or, Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland During the Middle Ages. September 18, 1887. Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans and Roberts. Google Books.
4. Web site: Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History: Delivered at the Catholic University of Ireland, During the Sessions of 1855 and 1856. Eugene. O'Curry. July 20, 1878. William A. Hinch. Google Books.
5. News: In a Word . . . Wales. Patsy. McGarry. The Irish Times.
6. Web site: Milan. tearma.ie - Dictionary of Irish Terms - Foclóir Téarmaíochta. Fiontar. 8 February 2016.