Paris

desctree

→ English: Paris, Paree (humorous, deliberate misspelling), Parish, Parris, Parrish, Pares
→ Arabic: بارِيس (bārīs), بَارِيز (bārīz) — dated, پَارِيس (pārīs) — rare
→ Afar: Baaríis
→ Somali: Baaríis
→ Hindi: पेरिस (peris)
→ Urdu: پَیرِس (pairis)
→ Punjabi: پَیرَس (pairas)

Inherited from Old French Paris, from Late Latin name of an earlier settlement, Lūtētia Parīsiōrum (“Lutetia of the Parisii”), from Latin Parīsiī, a Gaulish tribe.

avec des si on mettrait Paris en bouteille

Paris est beaucoup moins bruyant en été

Paris est vraiment belle la nuit

Paris (the capital and largest city of France)


Avignon

From Occitan Avinhon, from Latin Aveniōnem.


Rennes

Rennes (the capital city of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, France; capital city of the region of Brittany)


Nancy

From the medieval name, Medieval Latin Nanciacum, from Old High German Nanzig.

Nancy (a city, the prefecture of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, Grand Est, France)


Nice

From the Roman name, Latin Nīcaea, from Ancient Greek Νίκαια (Níkaia), from νίκη (níkē, “victory”).

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur#English

Nice (a coastal city, the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeast France)


Sens

From Latin name Senones during Roman rule; originally the capital of the Gaulish people of the same name.


Valence

Valence (a city and commune, the capital of the department of Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, southeastern France)

Valence (a village and commune in the department of Charente, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France)

Valence (a town and commune in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, Occitania, southern France)


Vienne

→ Persian: وین (viyan)

Of disputed origin. Perhaps from the Roman name, Latin Vindobona, or possibly from a Celtic word *Veduna (“forest stream”), which would justify the phonetic evolution into the modern french form. Compare Proto-Celtic *widus (“woodland”).

Vienne (a city in the Isère department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France)


Cognac

From Medieval Latin Comniacum, from the name Cominius + Gallo-Roman suffix -acum, from Proto-Celtic *-ākom. The gens Cominius is an Italic family name; see Cominia for further details.

Cognac (a city in the Charente department, France)


Bordeaux

Inherited from Middle French Bordeaulx, from Occitan Bordèu, from Old Occitan Bordel, from Latin Burdigala, from a Proto-Celtic root.

Bordeaux (the capital city of the Gironde department, France; capital city of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine)


Albi

Albi (a city and commune, the prefecture of the Tarn department, Occitanie, France)


Lyon

English: Lyon, Lyons

From Latin Lugdūnum, from Gaulish *Lugudūnon (“fort of Lug”), from the Celtic deity Lugus, from Proto-Celtic *Lugus.

Lyon, Lyons (the capital city of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France)


Pompey

→ English: Pompey

Pompey (a city in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, France)


Rouen

Inherited from Old French Roem, from the Roman name, Latin Rotomagus, from the Gaulish name Ratumacos, from *rato- (of unclear origin - see Rouen) + *magos, from Proto-Celtic *magos (“field”).

Rouen (the capital city of Normandy, France on the Seine River)


Versailles

→ Persian: ورسای (versây)

Uncertain, but possibly from Latin versus (“slope”) or versor (“to dwell”), both from Proto-Indo-European *wértti (“to be turning around”).

inh

Versailles (a city, suburb of Paris and capital of Yvelines department, Île-de-France)


Marseille

From the Latin Massilia, Marsilia, Massalia, from Ancient Greek Μασσαλία (Massalía), possibly an Ancient Ligurian toponym or perhaps from Ancient Greek μάσσων (mássōn, “further”) + ἅλς (háls, “sea”), literally “(city) on far end of the sea” cf. Ancient Greek παραλία (paralía).

af

Meronyms: Belsunce, Canebière, Évêché, Frais-Vallon, La Timone, Sormiou

Marseille (the capital city of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, France; capital city of the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur)


Orléans

Inherited from Latin Aurelianum. Doublet of Aurélien.

Centre-Val de Loire
Centre-Val de Loire#English

Orleans (the capital city of the Loiret department, France; capital city of the region of Centre-Val de Loire)


Le Havre

A city on the north coast of Normandy, France


Lille

Inherited from Old French l'Isle (“the Island”), from Latin Īnsula, from īnsula (“island”), whence also île. The name was resegmented (like its Dutch counterpart Rijsel): in à l'Isle (“at the Isle”), the definite article came to be considered part of the name, and it was thus interpreted as à Lille.

inh+

Meronyms: Bois-Blancs, Faubourg de Béthune, Fives, Hellemmes-Lille, Lille-Moulins, Lomme, Saint-Maurice Pellevoisin, Vauban-Esquermes, Wazemmes

Lille (the department capital of the Nord department, France; regional capital of Hauts-de-France)


Caen

Inherited from Old French Caem, Cahom, likely inherited from Latin *Catumagus, from Gaulish *catu-, a word used to describe military activity (see Proto-Celtic *katus), + *magos (“field”).

Caen (a city and commune, the prefecture of the department of Calvados, France)


Brest

From earlier Bresta, from Proto-Celtic *brixs (“hill”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ-. Cognate with Scottish Gaelic bre (“hill”).


Strasbourg

Strasbourg (the capital city of the Bas-Rhin department, France; capital city of the region of Grand Est)


Dijon

From the Roman name, Latin Diviōnem, from the name Divius (“godly, divine”); see divus.

Dijon (the capital city of the Côte-d'Or department, France)


Angers

Inherited from Latin Civitas Andecavorum, from Andecavi.

Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire#English

Angers (a city, the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire, France)


Toulouse

→ English: Toulouse

Previously Thoulouse; from Latin Tolōsa, probably of Gaulish origin (Volcae Tectosages), or possibly from an Iberian or Aquitanian name.

Toulouse (the capital city of the Haute-Garonne department, France; capital city of the region of Occitanie)


Grenoble

Inherited from Old French Graignovol, ultimately from Late Latin Grātiānopolis, named after the emperor Gratian.

Grenoble (a city, the prefecture of the department of Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France)


Montpellier

From Medieval Latin mōns (“mountain”) Pessulanus, Pestellarius, pislerius, pistillarius, variant of pastellus (“woad, dye”).
The municipality of Québec is named after postmaster Louis Beaulieu, dit Montpellier.

Montpellier (a city in the Hérault department, Occitania, France)


Nantes

From Latin Portus Namnetum, from the name of the Namnetes, a local Gaulish tribe.

Nantes (the capital city of the Loire-Atlantique department, France; capital city of the region of Pays de la Loire)


Mulhouse

Borrowed from Alemannic German Milhüsa or its source Middle High German Mülnhūsen, from Old High German Mulinhūson; compare German Mülhausen (literally “mill house”).

cog

Mulhouse (a city in the Haut-Rhin department, Grand Est, France)


Cherbourg

Inherited from Old French Chieresburg, probably from Old Norse kjarr (“thicket”) + borg (“fort”). Compare Old English Kiǣresburh.

Cherbourg, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (a city in the Manche department, Normandy, France)


Cannes

Inherited from Old French Canua, possibly related to cane (“reed”). Or, possibly from a pre-Indo-European substrate toponym *kan ("tall, height").


Troyes

→ English: Troyes

Inherited from Latin Tricassae, from (Augustobona) Tricassium, named after the Tricasses, a Celtic tribe.


Tours

From Latin Turonum, from Turones, the name of the area's Gaulish inhabitants in antiquity.

Tours (a city, the prefecture of the Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire, France)


Toulon

From the Roman name, Latin Telō Mārtius. The first word could be from Telo, a Celtic spring deity, from Proto-Celtic *telo (“water hole, spring”), or from the obsolete tol (“hill”), from Proto-Celtic *tullon, *tullos (“hole”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- (“to push, hit”) (Welsh twll, Breton toull, Irish toll).

der

Toulon (a city, the prefecture of the Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France)


Metz

Metz (the capital city of the Moselle department, France)


Dunkerque

Meronyms: Malo-les-Bains, Petite-Synthe, Rosendaël, Saint-Gilles

Dunkirk (a city in the Nord department, in northern France)


Laval

LL-Q150 (fra)-Benoît Prieur-hôtel de la Croix-Laval.wav

From la (“the”) + val (“vale (valley)”).
* (Mayenne): From being situated at a valley
* (surname): Derived from the placename in Mayenne
* (Quebec municipality): Derived from the surname of an early settler
* (Quebec island): Derived from the name of the city located on the island

A prefecture and commune, the capital of the Mayenne department, France


Reims

Named after the Belgic (Gaulish-speaking) tribe, the Remi.

Reims (a city in the Marne department, Grand Est, France)


Le Mans

English: Le Mans

From Old French Celmans, from Vulgar Latin *Cenomanus, from Latin Cenomanorum, ultimately named after the Celtic tribe Cenomani. The first syllable was later reanalyzed as cel (“this”) and replaced with le (“the”).

Je vais aller au Mans

Le Mans (a city, the prefecture of the Sarthe department, Pays de la Loire, France)


Limoges

Inherited from Latin Lemovices (adjective Lemovicinus), name of a Gaulish tribe in central France, most likely a reference to their elm bows and spears, of same ultimate origin as elm.

Limoges (a city, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)


Bayonne

English: Bayonne

Galician: Baiona

Portuguese: Baiona

Bayonne (a city and commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)


Orly

Orly (a city and commune of the department of Val-de-Marne, region of Île-de-France, France)


Besançon

Ultimately from the Latin name of the city, Vesontiō (accusative Vesontiōnem).

Besançon (a commune, the capital of the Doubs department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France)


Béziers

From Old Occitan [Term?], from Latin Betarra, Baeterrae.

Béziers (a city in the Hérault department, France)


Bonifacio

Borrowed from Italian Bonifacio, from Late Latin Bonifātius, named after Boniface II of Tuscany. Doublet of Boniface.

Bonifacio (a city and commune of Corse-du-Sud, Corsica)


Pau

Possibly related to pieu (“stake, post”), or possibly related to pieux (“pious”), referring to a nearby ford named by the church. Or, possibly from a pre-Indo-European toponym *pal, *bal referring to its location at the foot of the mountains.


Amiens

Amiens (the capital city of the Somme department, Hauts-de-France region, France)


Colmar

Possibly from a Roman name Latin collis Martis or collis Marius, or from Frankish/Germanic elements corresponding to English coal market, or from Latin columba (“pigeon”).

A city in central Alsace, eastern France


Belfort

From Old French Belfort, from bel (“beautiful”) + fort. Doublet of beaufort.

Territoire de Belfort
Territoire de Belfort#English

Belfort (a city and commune, the prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France)


Auxerre

Auxerre (a city and commune of the Yonne department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France)


Annecy

Inherited from Middle French Anasseu, from the Gallo-Roman name, Latin Anneacum, Anericiacum, Anicius, Aniciacus, Aniciaca, "belonging to Anecius," from a Germanic personal name Anerik (Latinized Annarigus).

Annecy (a city, the capital of the Haute-Savoie department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France)


Saint-Malo

Said to be named after Saint Malo of Wales, whose name could be from Old Breton machlou, from mach (“hostage, warrant”) + lou (“beautiful, bright, brilliant”) (probably from the same source as Gaulish leux (“light, brilliance”)).


Ajaccio

Borrowed from Italian Ajaccio, from Corsican Aiacciu, Old Italian Addiazzo, from Latin Adiacium, possibly from Tuscan Italian agghiacciu (“sheep pen”), or from a derivative of Byzantine Greek ἀγαθός (agathós, “good fortune, mooring”); related to Agde.

Ajaccio (the capital and largest city of Corsica, France)


Poitiers

English: Poitiers

Inherited from Middle French Poictiers, from Old French Peitiers, from Latin Pictāva, Pictāvium, Pictāvis, after the Pictones, the Gaulish tribe inhabiting the region.

Poitiers (a city, the capital of the Vienne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)


Nîmes

→ English: Nîmes

Previously Nismes, from Middle French Nismes, ultimately from Latin Colonia Nemausus, from the name of a Gaulish god.

Holonym: Gard

Meronyms: Pissevin-Valdegour, Vaquerolles

Nîmes (a city in the Gard department, Occitanie, France)


Arles

→ English: Arles

*(Bouches-du-Rhône): Borrowed from Occitan Arle; from Latin Arelate.
*(Pyrénées-Orientales): Borrowed from Catalan Arles; from Latin Arulas.

Arles (a city in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France)


Perpignan

Inherited from Latin Perpenniānum, from the given name Perpenna, an Etruscan name.

Holonym: Roussillon

Meronyms: Bas-Vernet, Château-Roussillon, Clos Banet, Mailloles, Mas Guérido, Moulin-à-Vent, Saint-Assiscle, Saint-Gaudérique, Saint-Martin

Perpignan (a city in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, France)


Saint-Denis

Saint-Denis (the capital and largest city of Réunion, France)


La Rochelle

→ English: La Rochelle, Rochelle

⇒ English: New Rochelle

→ French: New Rochelle → La Nouvelle-Rochelle (calque)

Literally, “the Little Rock”, from Old French rochelle. Equivalent to roche + -elle.

La Rochelle (a port city and commune of the Charente-Maritime department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)


Pavie

→ English: Pavie

Pavie (a city in the Gers department, France)


Chartres

Modern French pronunciation of Latin Carnūtēs, name of a Gaulish tribe, from a Celtic root for “rock, stone”.

Chartres (a town, the department capital of Eure-et-Loir, Centre-Val de Loire, France)


Roubaix

Probably of Frankish origin, from *rausa (“reed”) + *baki (“brook”), from Proto-Germanic *rauzą + *bakiz. For the first element see roseau (“reed”).

Volume 24 of the Collected Works of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. New York, International Publishers
Extract from article “Two Model Town Councils” written by Frederick Engels, originally published in The Labour Standard No. 8 on June 25, 1881

1989, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Collected works: Marx and Engels, 1874-83, page 394

Shortly before the establishment of the Labour Standard, there was a strike of factory operatives in the town of Roubaix, close on the Belgian frontier.
(please add an English translation of this quotation)


Périgueux

Roman name, from Latin Petrocorii, Gaulish tribe name, from *petru (“four”) + *corii (“tribes”), from Proto-Celtic *kʷetwores (“four”) + *koryos (“army, tribe”). Compare Old Irish cuire.

Périgueux (a commune, the capital of the department of Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France).


Bergerac

From the Old French and Frankish form Bragayrac, from Vulgar Latin *Bracariacum, a diminutive of the Latin or Gaulish name *Braccius, which could have evolved in meaning from bracchium (“arm”).

Bergerac (a city in the Dordogne department, France)


Angoulême

Holonym: Angoumois

Angoulême (a city in the Charente department, France)


Nanterre

LL-Q150 (fra)-Bastenbas (Bastenbas (Lingua))-Nanterre.wav

From the Roman name, Latin Nemetodurum, a Gaulish name from Proto-Celtic *nemetom (“sanctuary”) and Gaulish *durom (“door”) (the second element found also in Augustodurum), from Proto-Celtic *dwār, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwṓr.

Nanterre (a city in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France, France)


Boulogne

Boulogne, Boulogne-sur-Mer (a coastal city and commune in Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France, France)


Blois

Inherited from Old French Blais, Bleis, from Late Latin Blesēnses, Blesensibus, Blesis (Merovingian), from Gallo-Roman *Blesu, a Celtic/Gaulish name possibly meaning "wolf," from Proto-Celtic *bledyos (“wolf”).

Blois (a city and commune, the prefecture of the Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire, France)


Aix-en-Provence

From the Roman name, Latin Aquae Sextiae (“waters of Sextius”), from aqua + Sextius, a gens derived from sextus (“sixth”).

Aix-en-Provence, Aix (a city and commune of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France)


Beauvais

From Late Latin Bellovacum, named after the Celtic tribe Bellovaci.

Beauvais (a city and commune of the Oise department, Hauts-de-France, France)


Bourges

Either from a Germanic derivative of German Burg or a Gallo-Latin pronunciation of Bituriges.


Biarritz

Biarritz (an elegant seaside city and commune on the Bay of Biscay in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)


Hyères

Inherited from Middle French Eyras, Eras, through Occitan from Latin area.

Hyères (a city and commune of the Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France)


Foix

→ English: Foix

Foix (the capital city of the Ariège department, France; capital city)


Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne (a city in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France).


Vincennes

Vincennes (a city and commune of Val-de-Marne, Île-de-France, France)


Sada

A city in the Mayotte department, France


Milhouse

(obsolete) Alternative spelling of Mulhouse


Verdun

[vaɛ̯ʁ̥.dœ̃˞]

Inherited from Latin Virodunum, from Gaulish.

Verdun (a small city in the Meuse department, Grand Est, France)


Ernée

A city in France, a town in the department of Mayenne


Agen

Borrowed from Occitan Agen, from Latin Aginnum.

Agen (a city and commune, the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)


Petit-Noir

Petit-Noir (a city in the Jura department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France)


Bozouls

Bozouls (a city in the Aveyron department, France)


Encausse

Encausse (a city in the Gers department, France)


Bagnères-de-Luchon

→ English: Bagnères-de-Luchon

Borrowed from Occitan Banhères de Luishon.

bor+

Bagnères-de-Luchon (a city in the Haute-Garonne department, France)


Les Sables-d'Olonne

Les Sables d’ Olonne (canonical masculine plural)

→ English: Les Sables-d'Olonne

Les Sables-d'Olonne
Les Sables-d'Olonne#English

Les Sables-d'Olonne (a city in the Vendée department, France)


Mirepoix

→ English: Mirepoix

Mirepoix (a city in the Ariège department, France)


Stains

→ English: Stains

Stains (a city in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, France)


Mazingarbe

→ English: Mazingarbe

Mazingarbe (a city in the Pas-de-Calais department, France)


Atton

Atton (a city in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, France)


Nérac

→ English: Nérac

Nérac (a city in the Lot-et-Garonne department, France)


Bruniquel

Bruniquel (a city in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, France)


Marval

Marval (a city in the Haute-Vienne department, France)


Mireval

Mireval (a city in the Hérault department, France)


Breitenbach

Borrowed from German Breitenbach, from Alemannic German Braitebàch.

Breitenbach (a city in the Bas-Rhin department, France)


Breitenbach-Haut-Rhin

Breitenbach-Haut-Rhin (a city in the Haut-Rhin department, France)


Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois

→ English: Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois

Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois (a city in the Essonne department, France)


Tarascon-sur-Ariège

→ English: Tarascon-sur-Ariège

Borrowed from Occitan Tarascon d'Arièja.

Tarascon-sur-Ariège (a city in the Ariège department, France)


Saint-Priest

→ English: Saint-Priest

Borrowed from Franco-Provençal Sant-Priést.

Saint-Priest (a city in the Lyon Metropolis department, France)


Cargèse

A city and commune of Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France


Bar-le-Duc

Holonym: Meuse

Bar-le-Duc (the capital of the Meuse department, France)


Montlhéry

Montlhéry (a city in the Essonne department, France)


Besac

(informal) Besançon (a city and commune, the prefecture of the Doubs department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France)


Tsingoni

Meronyms: Combani, Hachénoua, Mandani, Mirereni, Mrowalé

A city in the Mayotte department, France


Razès

→ English: Razès

City in Haute-Vienne: Borrowed from Occitan Rasès.
Region of Aude: Borrowed from Occitan Rasés.

Razès (a city in the Haute-Vienne department, France)


Limoux

→ English: Limoux

Holonym: Razès

Limoux (a city in the Aude department, France)


Limours

→ English: Limours

Limours (a city in the Essonne department, France)


Jouy-en-Josas

→ English: Jouy-en-Josas

Holonym: pays de Josas

Jouy-enJosas (a city in the Yvelines department, France)


Arpajon

→ English: Arpajon

Holonym: pays de Châtres

Arpajon (a city in the Essonne department, France)


Créteil

Créteil (a city and commune of the department of Val-de-Marne, region of Île-de-France, France)


Aulnay

Inherited from Latin Aunaium, with later addition of the spurious silent letter -l-.

Aulnay (short for Aulnay-sous-Bois, a city and commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, Île-de-France, France)


Sainté

Clipping of Saint-Étienne (“Saint-Étienne”)

clipping

(informal) Clipping of Saint-Étienne (a city in France).


Sarcelles

Sarcelles (a commune and city in Val-d'Oise, Île-de-France, France)