Klein Radischen
"Little radish"
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View detailsKlein Radischen meaning ‘little radish’, is likely refers to a small settlement (as indicated by "Klein") near an area historically known for growing radishes or similar vegetables ("Radieschen"). It’s possible that the area was known for growing radishes or other root vegetables, and this gave rise to the name which reflects a typical European practice of naming settlements based on agricultural or natural features.
Please note: the correct spelling for this type of radish in German is "Radieschen".
Å
"small river, water"
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View detailsThe name often comes from the Old Norse word Ár, meaning small river. The name is part of the Scandinavian tradition of naming places after natural features like rivers, lakes, and streams. In this case, it reflects the geographical and cultural importance of water sources in the development of the community. The village of Å is not only historically significant for its fishing industry but also stands out for its simplicity in naming, being one of the equal shortest place names in the world. There are multiple Norwegian villages named Å.
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Llanfairpwllgwyn-
gyllgogerychwyrn-
drobwllllanty-
siliogogogoch
"St. Mary’s church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool of St Tysilio of the red cave"
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View detailsThis Welsh place name is the longest in Europe and second longest in
the world.
Namlos
"nameless"
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View detailsNamlos a village high in Tyrol, might sound like it means “nameless,” but its true origin is rooted in local history. The name is likely to derive from an early settler named Amel, a shortened form of names like Amelfrid or Amalung. By 1427, records show the place referred to as “in Amles”. Through linguistic shifts, the "n" from the preposition "in" combined with the name, yielding Namles, which eventually formalised into Namlos under bureaucratic German standardisation. Despite a folk explanation suggesting it means "nameless" in German, this is a coincidence (derived from namenlos, the German adjective) but not connected to the settlement’s name origin.
Großklein
"Big-small"
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View detailsThe place name might seem unusual at first glance, since groß means "big" or "tall" in German, while klein means "small"—making it appear to translate as "big-small." However, this interpretation does not reflect the true origin. According to a German linguist, the -klein element most likely derives from a Slavic root, such as glina ("clay, loam") or kljun ("beak").
Can you find Kleinklein (Small-small) on the map?
Linsengericht
"lentil dish"
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View detailsThe name comes from the combination of "Linsen" (lentils) and “Gericht" (district or jurisdiction). It most likely refers to an area where lentils were an important agricultural product or were symbolically tied to local cuisine. The name reflects the economic and cultural ties to this legume, which was a common food staple in the past. It is an example of how many place names in Europe still carry echoes of the agricultural or economic history, even if the practices have changed today.
Katzenhirn
"cat’s brain"
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View detailsThe name stems from a symbolic, topographical or folkloric connection. Possible explanations for the name include topographical features resembling a cat’s head or brain, symbolic associations with cats representing wisdom or mysticism.
Sarilhos pequenos
"small trouble"
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View detailsThe word “sarilho” refers to a wooden device used in salt production. It served to mechanically open a noria (“water screw”), through which river water was slowly directed into enclosed basins (salt pans with margateiras – embankments about 1.5 meters high). After evaporation, salt remained. In Sarilhos Pequenos, smaller sarilhos were used – hence the place name “Small Sarilhos.”
Funchal
"fennel"
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View detailsFrom funcho (fennel), due to the wild fennel growing there.
Cariño
"affection, care with love"
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View detailsIt is a municipality in northern Galicia and its name is very curious in the rest of Spain because cariño means affection, love. It is frequently cited as the most beautiful toponym in Galicia.
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Äteritsiputeritsipuolilautatsijänkä
"The bog on which the storage hut standing on a single pillar and belonging to Paul, the son of Peter, the son of Andrew."
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View detailsÄteritsiputeritsipuolilautatsi-
jänkä (35 letters) is the name of an area in Lapland and meaning ’The bog on which the storage hut standing on a single pillar and belonging to ’Paul’, the son of ’Peter’, the son of ’Andrew’. This is a genuine placename in Savukoski in Northern Finland (not quite Lapland in today’s terms), reputedly the longest in Finland, and denotes a bog (’jänkä’). Many researchers have believed it to be originally something like a joke (there are lots of stories about local Saami’s in North Finland and Lapland just making up funny or obscene names in order to puzzle cartographers or linguists collecting toponyms).
Ii
"Night"
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View detailsIi is a municipality situated by the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of river Iijoki and it is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. According to one interpretation of the name, the name Ii might derive from the Sámi word for ’night’ iddja or ijje.
Hiljaistenmiestenlaakso
"Valley of silent men"
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Fugging
"***"
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View detailsThe small Austrian village Fucking (in Upper Austria, near Salzburg) became internationally famous because its name in English was a slang word. For decades, tourists kept stealing the place-name signs as souvenirs, and the village regularly appeared in humorous news and social media stories.
After years of frustration from locals, the town decided in 2021 to officially change its name to Fugging. The pronunciation in German is nearly the same, but the spelling avoids the unwanted jokes and thefts.
The name Fucking has very old roots and is not related to the English word. It comes from the personal name Focko, a Bavarian nobleman who lived around the 6th century. The suffix “-ing” in old Bavarian/German means “the people of” or “the place of.” So Fucking literally meant “the place of Focko’s people.”
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Y
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View detailsThe name most likely has its origins in ancient Gaulish or Latin words, potentially linked to the river or geographical features of the area. The single-letter name could have referred to a junction, intersection or simply a location near a river, making it a very direct and practical name. Despite being an unusual name by modern standards, single-letter place names like "Y" were more common in earlier times and have survived through history.
Riisipere
"Rice family"
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View detailsThe origins of the name are unclear. In German the name of the borough is Riesenberg despite the location only being 54 metres above sea level
Naissaar
"Island of women"
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View detailsAccording to some accounts, the island was inhabited by women who bore children with sailors or other creatures!
Himmelreich
"Kingdom of heaven"
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View detailsIt probably got its name from its scenic, peaceful or spiritual qualities inspiration. It rather appropriately lies at the edge of the Höllental ("Hell’s Valley"). It is so-called because of its wild, dangerous, and awe-inspiring landscape, often tied to historical hardship, geographic drama, and folkloric fear. The name reflects how people once experienced these valleys: as harsh, mysterious and sometimes terrifying.