The following is a listing of placenames from the Mapudungun language, generally from Chile and southwestern Argentina.
Note: this list includes only currently used placenames that have a Mapudungun etymology for at least part of their name
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abtao | end/limit of the territory | Los Lagos | channel, island | contested (pro[1] con[2] [3]) | |
| Achao | sandy and protected harbour | Los Lagos | beach, channel, city/town | ||
| Aconcagua | place of heathers | Valparaíso, Mendoza | mountain, river | ||
| Allipén | Araucanía, Bío-Bío | river | |||
| Ancud | to dry | Los Lagos | city/town, gulf | ||
| Anticura | sun stone | Los Lagos | river, village | ||
| Antihue | sunny place | Los Lagos | hamlet | ||
| Antillanca | sun/light green quartz[4] | Los Lagos | volcano | ||
| Antimahuida | sun/light mountain | Los Lagos | village | ||
| Antuco | sun and water | Bío-Bío | volcano |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchupureo | Big Wave | Limit between VII & VIII Regions, Chile | |||
| Bariloche | from Furiloche: people from the other side of the mountain | Los Lagos, Río Negro | city/town, mountain pass | ||
| Bío-Bío | Araucanía, Bío-Bío | river | |||
| Boldo | from folo, a shrub (Peumus boldus) | La Araucanía | |||
| Bucalemu | big forest | Valparaíso | |||
| Butacura | big stone | Los Lagos | hamlet |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caburgua | dug with a spoon | Araucanía | lake, waterfall | ||
| Calafquén | lake like a sea | Araucanía, Los Ríos | lake | ||
| Calbuco | blue waters | Los Lagos | channel, city/town, peninsula, volcano | ||
| Caleufú | Neuquén | river | |||
| Callaqui | Bío-Bío | volcano | |||
| Calle-Calle | lot of Iridaceaes | Los Ríos | river | once called Guadalfquén | |
| Carahue | the city that was | Araucanía | city/town | ||
| Carelmapu | green territory | Los Lagos | headland | ||
| Carirriñe | green chusquea coleou cane | Los Ríos, Neuquén | mountain pass, river | ||
| Carrenleufú | Chubut | city/town | |||
| Catirai | callyíi, to cut, and raigheii, the flower of the trees, meaning short flowers[5] | Bío-Bío | valley | ||
| Cau-Cau | kawkaw 'seagull' | Los Ríos | river | ||
| Chacay | Discaria serratifolia[6] | Atacama | valley | ||
| Chacao | protected harbour | Los Lagos | bay, channel, village | ||
| Chapelco | chapel (a local bush) water | Neuquén | mountain, river | ||
| Chiguayante | "chiguay" fog "antu" sun | Bío-Bío | city | - | |
| Chillán | Bío-Bío | city | |||
| Chiloé | chille 'small seagull' and -we 'place' | Los Lagos | archipelago, island | ||
| Chimbarongo | crooked head or place between fogs | O'Higgins | city/town | ||
| Choshuenco | yellow water | Los Ríos | city/town, volcano | ||
| Cochamó | confluence/estuary | Los Lagos | bay, river, village | ||
| Conguillío | water with Araucaria araucana pine nuts | Araucanía | lake | ||
| Copahue | Bío-Bío | volcano | |||
| Colhué Huapi | red island | Chubut | lake | ||
| Concón | place of owls | Valparaíso | city/town | ||
| Coñaripe | way of the warrior | Los Ríos | city/town | ||
| Cucao | Pteroptochus | Los Lagos | bay, lake, river | ||
| Curarrehue | Araucanía | city/town | |||
| Curicó | kurü 'black' and ko 'water' | Maule | city/town | ||
| Curimón | kurü 'black' and man (abbreviation of mañke) 'black condor' | Valparaíso | town, village | ||
| Curiñanco | kurü 'black' and ñamko 'red-backed hawk' | Los Ríos | beach, village |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalcahue | place of canoes | Los Lagos | city/town | ||
| Dollinco | mussel water | Los Lagos | river |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Futalafquén | big lake | Chubut | lake | ||
| Futaleufú | big river | Chubut, Los Lagos | river | ||
| Futrono | from Futronhue: place of smoke | Los Ríos | town/city |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornopirén | snow oven | Los Lagos | village, volcano | once called Quechucaví; five districts | |
| Huahum | Los Ríos, Neuquén | mountain pass, river | |||
| Huapi | island | Los Ríos | island | ||
| Huechuraba | clay birthplace | Santiago | commune/city | ||
| Huerquehue | place of messengers | Araucanía | mountains | ||
| Huilo-Huilo | Los Ríos | waterfall |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lácar | place of landslides | Neuquén | lake | ||
| Lebu | river | Bío-Bío | city | ||
| Licán Ray | rock flower | Araucanía | city/town | ||
| Limay | clear/clean | Neuquén, Río Negro | river | ||
| Liquiñe | Los Ríos | town, river, hot springs | |||
| Llaima | blood veins | Araucanía | volcano | ||
| Llanquihue | hidden place | Los Lagos, Los Ríos | city/town, lake, river | ||
| Lolol | land of crabs and holes | O'Higgins | commune/town | ||
| Loncoche | head of an important person | Araucanía | city/town | ||
| Loncomilla | gold of the lonco | Maule | river | ||
| Lonquimay | summit | Araucanía | city/town, volcano |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Máfil | hugged between rivers | Los Ríos | town | ||
| Maihue | wooden glass | Los Ríos | lake | ||
| Maipo | Mendoza, Santiago | river, valley, volcano | |||
| Malalcahuello | Araucanía | hot springs | |||
| Mamuil Malal | corral of wooden sticks | Araucanía, Neuquén | mountain pass, village | ||
| Mapocho | river of the Mapuche | Santiago | river | ||
| Melipeuco | Araucanía | city/town | |||
| Melipulli | four hills | Los Lagos | city/town | ||
| Mulchén | people of the west | Bío-Bío | city/town, river |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nahuelbuta | big puma | Araucanía, Bío-Bío | mountain range | ||
| Nahuelhuapi | island of the puma | Neuquén, Río Negro | lake | ||
| Nahuel Rucá | house of the puma | Buenos Aires | city/town | ||
| Neuquén | sweep away | Neuquén, Río Negro | city/town, river |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panguipulli | hill of the puma | Los Ríos | city/town, lake | ||
| Pellaifa | Los Ríos | lake | |||
| Peñalolén | fraternal meeting place | Santiago | city/town | ||
| Pichilemu | little forest | O'Higgins | city/town | ||
| Pillanleufú | river of the devil/spirit | Los Ríos | river | ||
| Pilolcura | hollow stone | Los Ríos | beach, bay | ||
| Pirihueico | snowy curvy water | Los Ríos | lake | ||
| Pucón | entrance | Araucanía | city/town | ||
| Puduhuapi | island of the pudu | Los Lagos | island | ||
| Puelo | east | Chubut, Los Lagos | lake, river | ||
| Pullinque | Los Ríos | lake, river | |||
| Puyehue | place of sweet water fishes | Los Lagos, Los Ríos, Neuquén | lake, mountain pass, volcano | ||
| Punucapa | black/fertile earth for legumes | Los Ríos | village |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quellón | from Queldon; Aristotelia chilensis | Los Lagos | city/town | ||
| Quemchi | red/pottery earth | Los Lagos | city/town | ||
| Quetrupillán | sleeping pillán | Araucanía, Los Ríos | volcano | ||
| Quiapo | originally Cuyapu or Cuyamapu, meaning cuya, weasel and mapu land [7] | Bio-Bio | hill/river | ||
| Quilicura | three stones | Santiago | commune/city |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahue | place of gray clay | Los Lagos, Neuquén | city/town, river, village | ||
| Rancagua | place of canes | O'Higgins | city/town | ||
| Ranco | Los Ríos | city/town, lake | |||
| Reloncaví | valley district | Los Lagos | estuary, sound | ||
| Riñihue | place of Chusquea coleou | Los Ríos | city/town, lake | ||
| Rupanco | shaked waters | Los Lagos | lake |
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talca | thunder | Maule | city/town | ||
| Talcahuano | from tralcam wenu; thundering sky | Bío-Bío | city | ||
| Temuco | from "Temu" (Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii)and "Co" water | Araucanía | city/town | ||
| Tinguiririca | round/shining quartz | O'Higgins | city/town, river, volcano | ||
| Tolhuaca | Araucanía | volcano | |||
| Traful | Neuquén | lake | |||
| Tralcan | thunder | Los Ríos | mountain | ||
| Tromén | Neuquén | lake, volcano | |||
| Tucapel | take by force | Bío-Bío | town |