# List of countries named after people

This is a list of countries and dependent territories named after people.

## Sovereign countries named after people

| Country | Source of name |
| Azerbaijan | Atropates (initially Atropatene in Ancient Greek, the name evolved to Azerbaijan in Persian) |
| Colombia | Christopher Columbus |
| Dominican Republic | Saint Dominic |
| El Salvador | Jesus |
| Eswatini (Swaziland) | King Mswati II |
| Georgia (country) | Saint George |
| Kiribati | Thomas Gilbert ("Kiribati" is the Gilbertese rendition of "Gilberts") |
| Marshall Islands | John Marshall |
| Mauritius | Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange |
| Mozambique | Mussa Bin Bique |
| Peru | Birú, a local ruler who lived near the Bay of San Miguel, Panama City, in the early 16th century. |
| Philippines | King Philip II of Spain |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Christopher |
| Saint Lucia | Saint Lucy |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Saint Vincent of Saragossa |
| San Marino | Saint Marinus |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Saint Thomas, and the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island's sugar crop were paid |
| Saudi Arabia | Saud bin Muhammad Al Muqrin |
| Seychelles | Jean Moreau de Séchelles |
| United States of America | Amerigo Vespucci (see Naming of America) |
| Uzbekistan | Öz Beg Khan |
| Venezuela (The Bolivarian Republic of) | Simón Bolívar (for the "Bolivarian Republic" part), the name Venezuela is derived from Venice (a city in northeastern Italy). See: Venezuela#Etymology |

### Countries named after legendary figures

| Country | Source of name |
| Afghanistan | Supposedly named after tribal chief Prince Afghana. |
| Armenia (Hayastan) | Hayk |
| Bangladesh | from "Bengal", which, according to one hypothesis, is named after Bang, son of Hind, son of Ham, son of Noah |
| Belarus | Rus |
| Cambodia | Sage Kambu Swayambhuva |
| Czech Republic | Čech |
| Denmark | Dan I of Denmark |
| Djibouti | "Djibouti" means "Land of Tehuti" or "Land of Thoth", after the Egyptian Moon God |
| Hungary | Hunor (or Magyarország — Magor) |
| Bhārat (India) | Dushyanta's son Bharata or Rishabha's son Bharata |
| Egypt | Misr in Arabic, Misrayim in Hebrew, named after the biblical figure Mizraim. |
| Israel | Jacob, who was also called Israel in the Bible |
| Éire (Ireland) | Éire (Ériu), a Celtic fertility goddess |
| Italy | Italus |
| Laos | possibly after Lava |
| Lechia (historical and/or alternative name of Poland) | Lech |
| Norway | Nór (although other etymologies are generally more widely accepted) |
| Romania | The name "Romania" is derived from "Rome" (the modern capital city of Italy) / "Roman", which possibly comes from Romulus |
| Russia | Rus |
| Solomon Islands | King Solomon of Israel and Judah |
| Somalia | Supposedly named after Samaale. |

### Former countries named after people

| Country | Source of name |
| Abbasid Caliphate | Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib |
| Achaemenid Empire | Achaemenes |
| Aghlabid Emirate | al-Aghlab ibn Salim, father of Ibrahim I ibn al-Aghlab |
| Principality of Antioch, now part of Turkey | Antiochus, father of Seleucus I Nicator |
| Arsacid Empire | Arsaces I |
| Artuqid State | Artuk Bey |
| Ayyubid Sultanate | Najm al-Din Ayyub |
| Buyid Emirate | Buya ibn Panah-Khusrow, father of Imad al-Dawla, founder of the emirate, and his brothers Rukn al-Dawla and Mu'izz al-Dawla |
| Kingdom of Dahomey and Republic of Dahomey, now part of Benin | Chief Dan, who was killed by Chief Dakodonu in a dispute after sarcastically saying "shall I open up my belly and build a palace inside it?"; Dan=chief, xo=Belly, me=Inside of |
| Fatimid Empire | Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Gupta Empire | Gupta |
| Hamdanid state | Hamdan ibn Hamdun |
| Hammadid Sultanate | Hammad ibn Buluggin |
| Idrisid Emirate of Asir | Idris I |
| Idrisid state | Idris I |
| Jabrids Emirate | Jabr ibn Mady |
| Jarwanid Emirate | Jarwan ibn Nasser |
| Lotharingia (Lorraine), now part of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands | Lothair II |
| Rhodesia (former name of Zimbabwe) | Cecil Rhodes |
| Samo's Empire | Samo, a Slavic king |
| Seljuk Empire | Seljuk, legendary founding warlord of the Seljuk Empire |
| Sultanate of Rum (Saljuqiyan-i Rum) | Seljuk, legendary founding warlord of the Seljuk Empire |
| Ottoman Empire | Osman I, founder of the empire |
| Umayyad Caliphate | Umayya ibn Abd Shams |
| Sasanian Empire | Sasan |
| Timurid Empire | Timur |
| Mirdasid state | Mirdas ibn Idris, father of Salih ibn Mirdas |
| Usfurid Emirate | Usfur ibn Rashid |
| Samanid Empire | Saman Khuda |
| Zirid state | Ziri ibn Manad |
| Marinid Sultanate | Marin ibn wartajin |
| Nasrid Kingdom of Granada | Nasr ibn al-Aḥmar |
| Safavid Empire | Safi-ad-din Ardabili |
| Seleucid Empire | Seleucus I Nicator |
| Ptolemaic Kingdom | Ptolemy I Soter |
| Qedarite Kingdom | Qedar, son of Ishmael |
| Mazyadid Emirate | Mazyad ibn Marthad |
| Rashidi Emirate | Rashid ibn Hamad |
| Numayrid Emirate | Numayr ibn Āmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿa |
| Uqaylid Emirate | Uqayl ibn Ka'b ibn Rabi'a ibn Āmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿa |
| Shah Mir Sultanate | Shah Mir |
| Tulunid Emirate | Tulun, father of Ahmad ibn Tulun |
| Sur Empire | Sher Shah Suri |

## Dependent territories named after people

| Territory | Source of name |
| Baker Island | Michael Baker |
| Bermuda | Juan de Bermúdez |
| Bouvet Island | Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier |
| Clipperton Island | John Clipperton |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Captain William Keeling |
| Cook Islands | Captain James Cook |
| Falkland Islands | Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland |
| Gibraltar | Tariq ibn Ziyad (from Jabal Ṭāriq, meaning 'Mountain of Tariq') |
| Jan Mayen | Jan Jacobszoon May van Schellinkhout |
| Jarvis Island | Edward, Thomas and William Jarvis |
| Johnston Atoll | Captain Charles J. Johnston |
| Kingman Reef | Captain W. E. Kingman |
| Isle of Man | Manannán mac Lir |
| Montserrat | Our Lady of Montserrat (Virgin Mary) |
| Norfolk Island | Wife of Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Mariana of Austria |
| Peter I Island | Peter the Great |
| Queen Maud Land | Maud of Wales |
| Pitcairn Islands | Robert Pitcairn (midshipman) |
| Saint Barthélemy | Saint Bartholomew |
| Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | Saint Helena of Constantinople and Tristão da Cunha |
| Saint Martin | Martin of Tours |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Saint Peter and Saint Michael |
| Sint Maarten | Martin of Tours |
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | George II of Great Britain and John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich |
| Virgin Islands | Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgins |
| Wake Island | William Wake |
| Wallis and Futuna | Samuel Wallis |