Swedish exonyms
Below is list of Swedish language exonyms for places in non-Swedish-speaking areas of the world. Not included are spelling changes and translations of non-proper nouns.
In general
Diacritical marks (such as ´ ` ^ etc above letters) are generally stripped, except that Å, Ä, Ö, are kept, and usually also Ü and É (but È and Á are written E and A). Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic and Faroese Æ and Ø are often written as AE or Ä and Ö, especially in the press.
Foreign place names containing a direction such as South or Upper are often translated, e.g.:
- East Timor – Östtimor
- Northern Ireland – Nordirland
- South Africa - Sydafrika
but U.S. states nowadays keep their English names in Sweden:
- e.g. South Carolina and West Virginia
Argentina
Argentina Argentina | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Patagonia | Patagonien | Patagonia | |
Tierra del Fuego | Eldslandet | Tierra del Fuego |
Belgium
Belgium Belgien | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Bruges | Brygge | Brugge | Dutch | |
Brussels | Bryssel (Brüssel) | Brussel | Dutch | |
Bruxelles | French | |||
Ostend | Ostende | Oostende | Dutch | |
Ypres | Ypern | Ieper | Dutch |
Bulgaria
Bulgaria Bulgarien | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Balkan Mountains | Balkanbergen | Stara Planina | |
Danube | Donau | Dunav | |
Thrace | Thrakien | Trakiya |
China
China Kina | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Beijing | Peking | Běijīng | Mandarin | Endonym also used |
Great Wall of China | Kinesiska muren | Chángchéng | Mandarin | |
Guanghzou | Kanton | Guangzhou | Mandarin | |
Hong Kong | Hongkong | Hong Kong | English | |
Tiananmen Square | Himmelska fridens torg | Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng | Mandarin |
Croatia
Croatia Kroatien | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Dalmatia | Dalmatien | Dalmacija | |
Danube | Donau | Dunav | |
Istria | Istrien | Istra | |
Czechia
Czechia Tjeckien | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Bohemia | Böhmen | Čechy | Czech | |
Elbe | Elbe | Labe | Czech | |
Moravia | Mähren | Morava | Czech | |
Prague | Prag | Praha | Czech | |
Silesia | Schlesien | Slezko | Czech |
Denmark
Denmark Danmark | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Aabenraa | Åbenrå | Aabenraa | |
Aalborg | Ålborg | Aalborg | |
Aarhus | Århus | Aarhus | |
Elsinore | Helsingör | Helsingør | |
Copenhagen | Köpenhamn | København | |
Peberholm | Pepparholm | Peberholm | |
Zealand | Själland | Sjælland |
Newspapers in Sweden usually write all æ as ä or ae and all ø as ö, because of the lack of æ and ø on the Windows keyboard layout for Swedish, and historically because of the lack of them on Swedish typewriters. Swedish newspapers normally write aa as å. Aa is the traditional spelling of the "aw" sound in Danish, but this spelling does not exist for this sound in Swedish. Both spellings of the sound exist in Danish, aa in some names, but å always being correct.
Swedish Wikipedia writes Danish place names using the original æ and ø, except for those listed above.
Egypt
Egypt Egypten | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Egypt | Egypten | Miṣr, Maṣr | Arabic | |
Alexandria | Alexandria | al-Iskandariyya | Standard Arabic | |
Cairo | Kairo | al-Qāhira | Standard Arabic | |
Luxor | Luxor | al-Uqṣur | Standard Arabic |
Estonia
Estonia had a significant indigenous Swedish-speaking population until the mid-20th Century, so many of these names are not really exonyms in the strict sense of the word.
Estonia Estland | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Haapsalu | Hapsal | Haapsalu | ||
Hiiumaa | Dagö | Hiiumaa | ||
Kärdla | Kärrdal | Kärdla | ||
Osmussaar | Odensholm | Osmussaar | ||
Pakri | Rågö | Pakri | ||
Pärnau | Pernau | Pärnau | ||
Ruhnu | Runö | Ruhnu | ||
Saaremaa | Ösel | Saaremaa | ||
Tallinn | Lindanäs, Räffle, Reval | Tallinn | ||
Tartu | Dorpat | Tartu | ||
Vormsi | Ormsö | Vormsi |
Finland
Swedish is one of the two official languages of Finland, so the Swedish names of places in Finland are not exonyms.
France
France Frankrike | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Aquitaine | Akvitanien | Aquitaine | French | |
Ardennes | Ardennerna | Ardennes | French | |
Burgundy | Burgund | Bourgogne | French | |
Corsica | Korsika | Corse | French | |
Normandy | Normandie(t) | Normandie | French | |
Pyrenees | Pyrenéerna | Pyrénées | French | |
Rhine | Rhen | Rhin | French |
Germany
Germany Tyskland | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Gottorp | Gottorp | Gottorf | German | |
Rhine | Rhen | Rhein | German |
Greece
Greece Grekland | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Athens | At(h)en | Athina | |
Attica | Attika | Attiki | |
Boeotia | Boiotien | Viotia | |
Corfu | Korfu | Kerkyra | |
Corinth | Korinth | Korinthos | |
Crete | Kreta | Kriti | |
Cyclades | Kykladerna | Kyklades | |
Dodecanese | Dodekaneserna, Tolvöarna | Dodekánisa | |
Epirus | Epirus | Ipeiros | |
Euboea | Euboia | Evvia | |
Heraklion | Heraklion | Iraklio | |
Ionian Islands | Joniska öarna | Ionia nisia | |
Missolonghi | Messolonghi | Mesolongi | |
Naupactus | Naupaktos | Nafpaktos | |
Patras | Patras | Patra | |
Pireus | Pireus | Peiraiás | |
Rhodes | Rhodos | Rodos | |
Samothrace | Samothrake | Samothraki | |
Sparta | Sparta | Sparti | |
Thebes | Thebe | Thivai | |
Thessaloniki | Thessaloniki, Saloniki | Thessaloniki | |
Thessaly | Thessalien | Thessalia | |
Thrace | Thrakien | Thraki |
Iceland
Iceland Island | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Heimaey | Hemön | Heimaey | |
Reykjavík | Reykjavik | Reykjavík | |
Vestmannaeyjar | Västmannaöarna | Vestmannaeyjar |
Iraq
Iraq Iraq | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Euphrates | Eufrat | al-Furāt | Arabic | |
Tigris | Tigris | Dijla | Arabic |
Israel
Israel Israel | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Acre | Akko | 'Akkā | Arabic | |
'Ako | Hebrew | |||
Capernaum | Kafarnaum (Kapernaum) | Kfar Naḥum | Hebrew | |
Talhum | Arabic | |||
Galilee | Galileen | Al-Jalīl | Arabic | |
HaGalil | Hebrew | |||
Jaffa | Jaffa | Yaffa | Arabic | |
Yafo | Hebrew | |||
Judea | Judeen | Yahudia | Arabic | |
Yehuda | Hebrew | |||
Nazareth | Nasaret | al-Nāṣira | Standard Arabic | |
al-Nāṣeriyye | Palestinian Arabic | |||
Natzrat, Natzeret | Hebrew | |||
Tiberias | Tiberias | Ṭabariyya | Arabic | |
Tverya | Hebrew |
Italy
Italy Italien | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Florence | Florens | Firenze | Italian | |
Genoa | Genua | Genova | Italian | |
Lombardy | Lombardiet | Lombardia | Italian | |
Naples | Neapel | Napoli | Italian | |
Padua | Padua | Padova | Italian | |
Rome | Rom | Roma | Italian | |
Sardinia | Sardinien | Sardegna | Italian | |
Sicily | Sicilien | Sicilia | Italian | |
Syracuse | Syrakusa | Siracusa | Italian | |
Tiber | Tibern | Tevere | Italian | |
Turin | Turin | Torino | Italian | |
Tyrol | Tyrolen | Tirolo | Italian | |
Venice | Venedig | Venezia | Italian | |
Venetia | Venetien | Veneto | Italian | |
Vesuvius | Vesuvius | Vesuvio | Italian |
Latvia
Latvia Lettland | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Livonia | Livland | Vidzeme | |
Courland | Kurland | Kurzeme | |
Latgale | Lettgallen | Latgale | |
Zemgale | Semgallen | Zemgale |
Lebanon
Lebanon Libanon | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Beirut | Beirut | Bayrūt | Arabic | |
Sidon | Sayda, Sidon | Ṣaydā | Arabic | |
Tyre | Tyros | Ṣūr | Arabic |
Mali
Mali Mali | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Timbuktu | Timbuktu | Tombouctou | French |
Morocco
Morocco Marocko | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Casablanca | Casablanca | Ed-Dah el-Biḍa | Arabic | |
Marrakesh | Marrakech | Murrākuš | Arabic | |
Tangier | Tanger | Ṭanjah | Arabic |
Netherlands
Netherlands Nederländerna | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Rhine | Rhen | Rijn | |
The Hague | Haag | Den Haag |
Norway
The (more or less, requires some knowledge of certain words) mutually intelligible Norwegian and Swedish languages have different spelling systems for the same sounds.
Newspapers in Sweden usually write all æ as ä or ae and all ø as ö, because of the lack of æ and ø on the Windows keyboard layout for Swedish, and historically because of the lack of them on Swedish typewriters. Apart from æ and ø, the Norwegian spelling is used in Sweden.
Examples include Askøy, Bodø, Bærum, Galdhøpiggen, Gjøvik, Hønefoss, Røros, Stjørdal, Tønsberg, Tromsø, Vadsø and Østfold, which are usually by media written as Asköy, Bodö, Bärum or Baerum, Galdhöpiggen, Gjövik, Hönefoss, Röros, Stjördal, Tönsberg, Tromsö, Vadsö and Östfold.
The Norwegian spelling with æ and ø is still often used. Swedish Wikipedia writes Norwegian place names using the original æ and ø.
Palestine
Palestine Palestina | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Bethlehem | Betlehem | Bayt Laḥm | Arabic | |
Beyt Leḥem | Hebrew | |||
Hebron | Hebron | Al-Khalīl | Arabic | |
Ḥevron | Hebrew | |||
Jericho | Jeriko | 'Arīḥā | Arabic | |
Yeriḥo | Hebrew | |||
Jerusalem | Jerusalem | Al-Quds | Arabic | |
Yerushaláyim | Hebrew |
Poland
Poland Polen | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Carpathians | Karpaterna | Karpaty | Polish | |
Gdańsk | Gdansk (Danzig) | Gdańsk | Polish | |
Masuria | Masurien | Mazury | Polish | |
Mazovia | Masovien | Mazowieckie | Polish | |
Pomerania | Pommern | Pomorze | Polish | |
Silesia | Schlesien | Śląsk | Polish | |
Szczecin | Stettin | Szczecin | Polish | |
Warmia | Ermland | Warmia | Polish | |
Warsaw | Warschau | Warszawa | Polish | Swedish now uses endonym |
Poznań | Poznan (Posen) | Poznań | Polish | |
Wschowa | Wschowa (Fraustadt) | Wschowa | Polish | |
Wrocław | Wroclaw (Breslau) | Wrocław | Polish |
Romania
Romania Rumänien | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Bucharest | Bukarest | București | |
Danube | Donau | Dunărea | |
Moldavia | Moldavien | Moldova | |
Wallachia | Valakiet | Țara Românească, Valahia |
Russia
Russia Ryssland | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Bashkortostan | Basjkirien | Bashkortostan | Russian | |
Caucasus | Kaukasien | Kavkaz | Russian | |
Chukotka | Tjuktien | Chukotka | Russian | |
Ingria | Ingermanland | Ingermanlandiya | Russian | |
Ingushetia | Ingusjien | Ingushetiya | Russian | |
Kabardino-Balkaria | Kabardinien-Balkarien | Kabardino-Balkariya | Russian | |
Karachay-Cherkessia | Karatjajen-Tjerkessien | Karachayevo-Cherkesiya | Russian | |
Karelia | Karelen | Kareliya | Russian | |
Khakassia | Chakassien | Khakasiya | Russian | |
Pechenga | Petsamo | Pechenga | Russian | |
Petrozavodsk | Petroskoj (Onegaborg) | Petrozavodsk | Russian | Endonym also used |
Priozersk | Kexholm | Priozersk | Russian | |
Saint Petersburg | Sankt Petersburg | Sankt Peterburg | Russian | |
Shlisselburg | Nöteborg | Shlisselbúrg (Шлиссельбу́рг) | Russian | |
Siberia | Sibirien | Sibir | Russian | |
Rostov-on-Don | Rostov vid Don | Rostov-na-Donu | Russian | Endonym also used |
Vyborg | Viborg | Vyborg | Russian | |
Zelenogorsk | Terijoki | Zelenogorsk | Russian | |
Kingisepp | Jama | Kingisepp | Russian | |
Sortavala | Sordavala | Sortavala (Serdobol) |
Russian Karelian Finnish |
|
Gogland | Hogland | Gogland | Russian | |
Rodsher | Rödskär | Ródsher (Родшер) | Russian | |
Moshchny Island | Lövskär | Moshchny | Russian | |
Seskar | Seitskär | Seskar | Russian | |
Sommers Light | Sommarö | Russian | ||
Kotlin | Reitskär | Kotlin | Russian | |
Bolshoy Tyuters | Tyterskär | Bolshoy Tyuters | Russian | |
Bolshoy Beryozovy Island | Storbjörkö | Russia | ||
Sestroretsk | Systerbäck | Sestroretsk | Russian | |
Maly Vysotsky Island | Trångsund | Russian | ||
Beryozovye Islands | Björkö | Russian | ||
Some of these names are not really exonyms in the strict sense of the word, as the places have been part of Sweden, some founded as such.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Saudiarabien | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Jeddah | Jeddah | Jidda | |
Mecca | Mekka | Makkah | |
Medina | Medina | Al-Madīnah | |
Riyadh | Riyadh | Ar-Riyāḍ |
Slovakia
Slovakia Slovakien | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Carpathians | Karpaterna | Karpaty | |
Danube | Donau | Dunaj |
South Africa
South Africa Sydafrika | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Cape Town | Kapstaden | Cape Town | English | |
iKapa | Zulu | |||
Kaapstad | Afrikaans |
Spain
Spain Spanien | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Andalusia | Andalusien | Andalucía | Spanish | |
Aragon | Aragonien | Aragón | Spanish | |
Asturias | Asturien | Asturias | Spanish | |
Basque Country | Baskien | Euskadi | Basque | |
País Vasco | Spanish | |||
Castile | Kastilien | Castilla | Spanish | |
Catalonia | Katalonien | Cataluña | Spanish | |
Catalunya | Catalan | |||
Galicia | Galicien | Galicia | Spanish | |
Pyrenees | Pyrenéerna | Pirineus | Catalan | |
Pirinoak | Basque | |||
Pireneos | Spanish | |||
Tenerife | Teneriffa | Tenerife | Spanish |
Switzerland
Switzerland Schweiz | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Rhine | Rhen | Reno | Italian | |
Rhein | German | |||
Rhin | French |
Syria
Syria Syrien | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Aleppo | Aleppo | Ḥalab | Arabic | |
Damascus | Damaskus | Dimashq | Arabic | |
Euphrates | Eufrat | Al-Furāt | Arabic |
Turkey
Turkey Turkiet | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Anatolia | Anatolien | Anadolu | |
Antioch | Antiochia | Antakya | |
Bosphorus | Bosporen | Boğaziçi/ İstanbul Boğazı | |
Cappadocia | Kappadokien | Kapadokya | |
Cilicia | Kilikien | Kilikya | |
Dardanelles | Dardanellerna | Çanakkale Boğazı | |
Edirne (Adrianople) | Edirne (Adrianopel) | Edirne | |
Ephesus | Efesos | Efes | |
Euphrates | Eufrat | Fırat | |
Gallipoli | Gallipoli | Gelibolu | |
Halicarnassus | Halikarnassos | Halikarnas | |
Istanbul (Constantinople) | Istanbul, Stanbul (Konstantinopel) | İstanbul (Kostantiniyye) | |
Thrace | Thrakien | Trakya | |
Tigris | Tigris | Dicle | |
Trabzon (Trebizond) | Trabzon (Trapezunt) | Trabzon | |
Troy | Troja | Truva/Troia |
Ukraine
Ukraine Ukraina | |||
---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes |
Danube | Donau | Dunai | |
Galicia | Galizien | Halychyna | |
Kyiv | Kiev | Kyiv |
United Kingdom
United Kingdom Förenade kungadömet/ Storbritannien | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
British Virgin Islands | Brittiska Jungfruöarna | British Virgin Islands | English | |
Great Britain | Storbritannien | Great Britain | English | Preferred name for the country |
Thames | Themsen | Thames | English |
Some historic area names beginning with British are translated, such as British Guyana into "Brittiska Guyana". British Columbia in Canada is nowadays kept.
United States
United States Förenta staterna/ Amerika | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
English name | Swedish name | Endonym | Notes | |
Name | Language | |||
Appalachian Mountains | Appalacherna | Appalachian Mountains | English | |
California | Kalifornien | California | English | |
Rocky Mountains | Klippiga bergen | Rocky Mountains | English | |
U.S. Virgin Islands | Amerikanska Jungfruöarna | U.S. Virgin Islands | English |