Arabic exonyms

This list of Arabic exonyms includes names which are significantly different from the names of the same places in other languages, as well as names of Arabic origin in countries (especially Spain) where Arabic is no longer spoken. Some of these exonyms are no longer in use.

Places not mentioned are generally referred to in Arabic by their respective names in their native languages, adapted to Arabic phonology as necessary.

Exonyms not related to the corresponding toponym in the local language

English	Arabic	notes
Montenegro	Jabal al-Aswad	meaning "Black Mountain"
Austria	النمسا an-Namsā, an-Nimsā	from a Slavic word meaning 'German'
Greece	اليونان al-Yūnān	related to Ionia
Faro	Bur al-Hārun	meaning Port of Aaron
	Ukhshūnuba	from Latin variant Ossonoba
Aguilar de la Frontera	Bulāya
Tours	Balāt ash-Shuhadā	meaning "Court of the Martyrs"
The Hague	Lāhāy	from French La Haye
Reggio Calabria	Rīvāh
Venice	al-Bunduqīyya
Ourem	Abd al-Ejaz	meaning "Servants of the Barrier"
Covadonga	Zahra Bilāy	meaning "Flower of Bilay"
Catania	Balāt al-Fīl	meaning "Court of the Elephant"; also Qātāniyyah
Gela	Madinah al-Amud	meaning "City of Columns"
Segura	War al-Abyād
Taormina	Madinah al-Muīzz	meaning "City of Al-Muizz"; also Tābarmīn`
Savoca	Qalāt az-Zabūd	meaning "Fort of Zabud"
Ciudad Real	Māslākha
Igualeja	Balāt al-Wālay	meaning "the Bent Court"
Isla de las Palomas	Jazīra al-Tārif	meaning "the Isle of Tarif"
Ciutadella de Menorca	Madinah al-Jazīra	meaning "City of the Island"
Navarre	Balāt al-Bashkans	meaning "Court of the Basque people"
Bay of Biscay	Bāhr al-Ahdar	meaning "Greenest Coast"
Germany	ألمانيا Almāniya	from the Alemanni (as in Spanish, among other languages)
Enna	Qasr al-Yahyā	meaning "Castle of John", a translation of its former name Castrogiovanni

Arabic-derived names of non-Arabic-speaking places

English	Arabic	notes
Madrid	al-Mājrit	meaning "the Water Spring"
Granada	Girnātah	meaning "the Pomegranate"
Calatrava la Vieja	Qalāt ar-Rabāh	meaning "Fort of Rabah"
Cadiz	al-Qādis	meaning "the Judge's (City)"
Ubeda	Ubbayḏah	meaning "Servants of God"
Albacete	al-Basit	meaning "the Humble"
Alfarnate	al-Fārnit	meaning "the Flour mill"
Almáchar	al-Maysār	meaning "the Meadows"
Bari	al-Barī	meaning "the Creator", see Names of God in Islam
Albarracín	Banī al-Rāzin	meaning "the Sons of Razin"
Alicante	al-Laqant	meaning "the Bright"
Cáceres	Qasr al-Azād	meaning "the free Castle"
Albufeira	al-Bukhāra	meaning "the Lagoon"
Alburquerque	Abu al-Qūrq	meaning "Father of the Cork Oak"
Alpujarras	al-Būshārat	meaning "the Grasslands"
Axarquía	ash-Sharqiyya	meaning "The Eastern (Region)"
Aljezur	Al-Juzur	meaning "the Islands"
Valladolid	Balāt al-Walīd	meaning "Court of Walid"
Banyalbufar	Banī al-Būfar	meaning "Sons of Būfar"
Benalmádena	Banī al-Madinah	meaning "Sons of the Settlement"
Tavira	al-Tabīrah	meaning "the Hidden"
Algeciras	al-Jazīra al-Hadrā	meaning "the Green Island"
Almeria	al-Mariyyah	meaning "the Mirror (of the Sea)"
Gibraltar	Jabal al-Tarīq	meaning "Mountain of Tariq"
Ashgabat	Ishq Ābād	meaning "City of Light"
Braga	Bāb al-Ghārbiyyah	meaning "Gateway of the West" (obsolete)
Guadix	Wādi al-Ash	meaning "the Wadi of Life"
Benacazón	Banī al-Qassum	meaning "Sons of Qassum"
Mairena del Aljarafe	Makhrāna al-Shārāf	meaning "the Borough of the Shepherd"
Albaida	al-Bāyda	meaning "the White"
Getafe	al-Jādāfih	meaning "the Long"
Genalguacil	Jannat al-Wāzir	meaning "Garden of the Vizier"
Beja	Bājad az-Zayt	meaning "Oath to Zaid"
Cieza	Madinah al-Siyāsā	meaning "City of Rule"
Alcantarilla	Qāntara al-Asqabāh	meaning "the nearest Bridge"
Alhama de Murcia	Madinah al-Hammā	meaning "City of the Baths"
Guadalcanal	Wādi al-Khānnā	meaning "Valley of the Stalls"
Guadalcázar	Wādi al-Qasr	meaning "Valley of the Castle"
Guadalquivir	Wādi al-Qabīr	meaning "Great Valley"
Generalife	Jannat al-Arīf	meaning "Garden of the Architect"
Jaén	Jayyān	meaning "Crossroads (of caravans)"
Almadén	Hisn al-Mādin	meaning "Stronghold of the Mine"
Alcalá de los Gazules	Qalāt al-Yāzula	meaning "Fort of Yazula"
Algarve	al-Gharb	meaning "the West"
Alcañiz	al-Khanaīs	meaning "the Churches"
Alcacer do Sal	Qasr Abu Dānis	meaning "Castle of Abu Danis"
Calatayud	Qalāt Ayyūb	meaning "Fort of Ayyub"
Cuenca	Madinah Qunqa	meaning "City of Qunqa"
Benaguasil	Banī al-Wazir	meaning "Sons of the Vizier"
Medina-Sidonia	Madinah ash-Shadūna	meaning "City of Sidon"
Medina Azahara	Madinah az-Zāhra	meaning "The Magnificent City" or "City of the Flower"
Medinaceli	Madinah as-Salīm	meaning "City of Salim"
Marsala	Marsā Ali	meaning "Big Port" or "Port of Ali"
Guadalajara	Wādī al-Khajāra	meaning "Valley of Stones"
Regalbuto	Rākhbāl al-Abbūd	meaning "Farmhouse of Abbud"
Marsala	Marsā Ali	meaning "Big Port" or "Port of Ali"
Caltavuturo	Qalāt Abu Tawīr	meaning "Fort of Abu Tawir"
Almada	Qalāt al-Mādin	meaning "Fort of the Mine"
Macharaviaya	Māshār Abu Yahyā	meaning "Court of Abu Yahya"
Cartagena	Qārtājin al-Khalfa	meaning "Carthago of the Caliph"
Alcara li Fusi	al-Aqarāt	meaning "Little Fortress"
Caltagirone	Qalāt al-Janūm	meaning "Fort of the Jinns"
Caltanisetta	Qalāt al-Nīssa	meaning "Fort of the Women"
Daroca	Qalāt al-Dawrajāh	meaning "Fort of the Portal"
Bagheria	Bab al-Gherīb	meaning "Gate of the Winds"
Alì	al-Ali	meaning "the Big"
Alcamo	Manzīl al-Qāmāq	meaning "Messuage of Qamaq"
Alcántara	al-Qāntara	meaning "the Bridge"
Alzira	Jazīra Shuqr	meaning "Graceful Island"
Algarrobo	al-Gherīb	meaning "the Winds"
Kalsa	al-Khalīsa	meaning "the Purest"
Zisa	al-Azīz	meaning "the Magnificent"
Mineo	Qasr al-Minā	meaning "Castle of Mina"
Misilmeri	Manzīl al-Amīr	meaning "Messuage of the Emir"
Cassaro	al-Qasr	meaning "the Castle"
Canicattì	Hāndāq at-Tīn	meaning "Gravel pit"
Caltabellotta	Qalāt al-Bālud	meaning "Castle of the Oaks"
Calamonaci	Qalāt al-Mānākha	meaning "Castle of the Farm"
Puebla de Almenara	Gharīp al-Mānārah	meaning "Village of the Minaret"
Alcazarén	al-Qasraīn	meaning "the Two Castles"
Íscar	Hisn al-Asqār	meaning "Stronghold of the Soldier"
Zamora	Madinah az-Zemurah	meaning "City of the Turquoise"
Almazán	Madinah al-Māzān	meaning "the Fortified City"
Calatañazor	Qalāt al-Nāzur	meaning "Castle of the Hawk"
Alcatraz	al-Qātras	meaning "the Sea Eagle"
Tenerife	Tīn al-Arīf	meaning "Gravel of the Architect"
Torre Alháquime	Burj al-Hākīm	meaning "Tower of the Wise"
Benarrabá	Banī Arab	meaning "Sons of the Arab"
Alhaurín de la Torre	Madinah al-Hāwrīn	meaning "Divine City"
Guadalevín	Wadī al-Labāl	meaning "Valley of Milk"
Alcaucín	al-Qāwtīn	meaning "the Arches"
Mazara del Vallo	al-Māzār	meaning "the Grave"
Lucena	al-Yussāna	meaning "the Blessed"
Acireale	al-Yāq	meaning "the Bull"
Cuevas del Almanzora	Qaīfa al-Mānsur	meaning "Caves of the Victorious"
Palma de Mallorca	Madinah al-Mayūrqah	meaning "City (Capital) of Mallorca"
Marratxí	al-Murāqshī	meaning "(People from) Marrakech"
Algaida	al-Ghaīda	meaning "the Wood"
Binissalem	Banī Salīm	meaning "Sons of Salim"
Deià	Qasr al-Daīa	meaning "Castle of the Field"
Tarifa	Tarīfah	meaning "(City of) Tarif"
Almensilla	al-Manzīl	meaning "the Messuage"
Alcalá de Guadaíra	Qalāt al-Jabīr	meaning "Castle of Jabir"
Fátima	Fātīmah	meaning "(City of) Fatima"
Almeirim	Madinah al-Māryām	meaning "City of Saint Mary"
Faraján	al-Fārkhān	meaning "the Joyful"
Arriate	ar-Rīyadh	meaning "the Orchards"
Benadalid	Banī Walīd	meaning "Sons of Walid"
Bufalí	Abu Ali	meaning "Father of the Great"
Alimena	al-Imān	meaning "the Righteous"
Lascari	Madinah al-Asqāri	meaning "City of the Soldiers"
Albalá	al-Balād	meaning "the Village" or "the Court"
Alcuéscar	al-Qāwāsqar	meaning "the Canyons"
Benahavís	Banī Khāvis	meaning "Sons of the Abyssinian"
Nájera	al-Nājarrah	meaning "(City) Among the Rocks"
Azofra	az-Zujrah	meaning "the Tribute"
Alberite	Gharīp al-Bāldah	meaning "Village of the Post"
Bujalance	Burj al-Hānis	meaning "Tower of the Strongholds"
Borghetto	al-Burjātah	meaning "(City) of the little Tower"
Castillo de Locubín	Hisn al-Uqbīn	meaning "Stronghold of the Eagle"
Alquézar	Qasr al-Barbītaniyyah	meaning "Castle of Barbastro"
Aliminusa	Rakhbal al-Mīnusa	meaning "Farmhouse of Minusa"
Ardales	Ard Allah	meaning "Turf of God"
Almuñecar	Hisn al-Munākhar	meaning "Stronghold of the Dale"
Guadasequies	Wadi al-Sukkār	meaning "the Blind Valley"
Zafra	az-Zāfarah	meaning "the Harvest"
Badajoz	Bayt al-Jaws	meaning "House of the Exigent"
Trafalgar	Tārf al-Gharb	meaning "Cape of the West"
Calatafimi-Segesta	Qalāt al-Fīmī	meaning "Castle of Euphemius"

See also

• English exonyms of Arabic speaking places