# List of Mapudungun placenames

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

## A

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments |
| Abtao | end/limit of the territory | Los Lagos | channel, island | contested (pro con) |
| 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 | Los Lagos | volcano | |
| Antimahuida | sun/light mountain | Los Lagos | village | |
| Antuco | sun and water | Bío-Bío | volcano | |

## B

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type |
| 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 |

## C

| 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 | Bío-Bío | valley | |
| Cau-Cau | kawkaw 'seagull' | Los Ríos | river | |
| Chacay | Discaria serratifolia | 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 | |

## D

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments |
| Dalcahue | place of canoes | Los Lagos | city/town | |
| Dollinco | mussel water | Los Lagos | river | |

## F

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type |
| Futalafquén | big lake | Chubut | lake |
| Futaleufú | big river | Chubut, Los Lagos | river |
| Futrono | from Futronhue: place of smoke | Los Ríos | town/city |

## G

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments |
| Guafo | from Wafün: tusk | Los Lagos | island | |

## H

| 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 | |
| Huilquilemu | bosque de zorzales (thrush wood) | Maule Region | villa cultural, declarada Monumento Histórico en 1986 | |

## L

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type |
| 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 |

## M

| 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 | |
| Maule | river of tears | Maule Region | region, river, commune, valley | The river marked the southern boundary of the Inca empire; the region is now Chile’s leading wine-making region |
| Melipeuco | | Araucanía | city/town | |
| Melipulli | four hills | Los Lagos | city/town | |
| Mulchén | people of the west | Bío-Bío | city/town, river | |

## N

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type |
| 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 |

## P

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type |
| Panguipulli | hill of the puma | Los Ríos | city/town, lake |
| Pellaifa | | Los Ríos | lake |
| Peñalolén | fraternal meeting place | Santiago | city/town |
| Pencahue | lugar de zapallos (place of pumpkins) | Maule Region | pueblo y comuna |
| 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 |

## Q

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type |
| 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 | Bio-Bio | hill/river |
| Quilicura | three stones | Santiago | commune/city |

## R

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type |
| 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 |

## T

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type |
| 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 |

## V

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments |
| Vitacura | big stone | Santiago | city/town | |

## Y

| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) | Type | Comments |
| Yelcho | carry foam | Los Lagos | lake, river | |