Names That Mean Country

An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.

The name Persia derives from Avestan Parsa, the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran in about 1000 BCE. Persis or Persea, the feminine form of Perseus, feel more namelike.

A word that carries a broad range of connotations across Europe, all of which ultimately derive from the Roman term for a country estate. Villa is well established as a surname, especially in Spanish-speaking countries, and has also occasionally been used as a first name for girls.

A patriotic Persian name occasionally given to American girls.

A patriotic choice for parents with a connection to the West African nation. The name Nigeria was coined by colonialists in 1897, after the Niger River which flows through the country. The river name is of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Saharan language. As a girl name in the USA, it had a low-key wave of popularity in the 1990s and 2000s.

The smallest Scandinavian country, Denmark has a reputation today as one of the happiest countries in the world — would you expect anything less from the land of hygge (and Lego)? With parents using country names from Ireland and Scotland to Kenya and Malaysia, Denmark could be a potential addition. It even sounds namelike: Denis meets Mark.