Alternative History:Alternate Names
From Alternative History
You will find here alternate name for countries in OTL that could be used in alternate histories. These were either briefly used or proposed around the time of creation but discarded. Feel free to add entries but try to refrain from adding personal suggestions.
[edit] Argentina
- Rio de La Plata
- the Argentine, archaic English language name.
[edit] Armenia
- Hayastan or Hayk, Armenian names.
- Arministān (Persian), Ermenistan (Turkish).
- Somxet’i, Georgian name.
[edit] Australia
- Aussie, Aussieland, Oz, Ozzie, local informal names.
- New Holland, historical name for the continent of Australia.
- Terra Australis, original Latin name
[edit] Austria
- United States of Greater Austria was proposed in 1906.
- Ostmark (East March) - medieval name, and the name under Nazis.
[edit] Bangladesh
- East Pakistan, until 1971
[edit] Belarus
- Byelorussia, older variant of the name
- White Russia, literal translation
- Biela Rus’, in Old Slavic
[edit] Belize
- British Honduras, until 1973
[edit] Benin
- Dahomey, until 1975
[edit] Botswana
- Bechuanaland, until 1966
[edit] Burkina Faso
- Upper Volta, until 1984
[edit] Cambodia
- Khmer Republic, 1971-1975
- Kampuchea, 1975-1991
[edit] Canada
- Acadia, the French colony.
The names proposed for the Dominion formed in 1867:
- Albertsland (after Prince Albert).
- Albionora ("northern Albion").
- Borealia (from a latin word meaning north).
- Britannia
- Cabotia (after John Cabot, one of the early european navigator to land in modern day Canada).
- Colonia
- Efisga (a combination of the first letters of England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Aboriginal lands).
- Hochelaga (a name used on early map to represent a large part of modern day central Canada, also former name of Montreal).
- Norland
- Superior
- Transatlantia ("over the atlantic" from the british point of view).
- Tupona (an acrostic for the United Provinces of North America).
- Victorialand (after queen victoria)
In addition, "Kingdom of Canada" was the prefered name among Canadians. "Dominion" was chosen largely as a result of American objections.
[edit] China
- Zhonghua, Zhongguo, Chinese.
- Sin, Sinae, Hebrew and Latin respectively.
- Kina, Hina, Shina, variants of "China".
- Ser, Seres, the ancient Greek and Roman name for the north-western part of China; the word "silk" ultimately comes from it).
- Cathay (English), Cataya, Kitai (Latin), Kitad (Mongolian), Kitay (Russian), from the Khitan people who lived in Northern China, introduced by Marco Polo.
- Chuka, Chugoku, Kara, Morokoshi, Japanese names.
[edit] Central African Republic
- Ubangi-Shari or Oubangui-Chari (French), until 1958 (under the French)
[edit] Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- Zaire, in 1971-1997
[edit] Congo, Republic of the
- Middle Congo, until 1960
[edit] Colombia
- New Granada, until 1819
[edit] Colombia
- New Granada (Nueva Granada in Spanish).
- Gran Colombia Name of the federation of Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.
[edit] Côte d'Ivoire
- Ivory Coast, until 1985
[edit] Djibouti
- French Somaliland
- Afars and Issas, in 1967-1977
[edit] Ecuador
- Quito
[edit] Egypt
- Misr (Arabic), Masr (Egyptian Arabic)
- Kemet, Ancient Egyptian name.
[edit] Estonia
- Estland, Estlandia (Russian), older names of the territory.
[edit] Ethiopia
- Abyssinia name for the Ethiopian Empire which in OTL existed between 1270-1975.
[edit] Finland
- Suomi, Finnish name.
- Finlandia, Russian name.
- Finnia, Latin name.
[edit] France
- Gaul, Gallia - Roman name.
[edit] Georgia
- Sakartvelo (in Georgian).
- Gurj, Gurjistan (in Persian), Gürcistan (in Turkish) (the name "Georgia" is derived from the same source).
- Gruzia or Gruziya (in Russian, after Gurjistan).
- Vrastan (in Armenian)
- Colchis (in Greek), K'olxeti (in Georgian), ancient state in the Western Gerogia.
- Iberia (in Latin), ancient name of the central Georgian region.
- Kartli, Georgian name of the same region, after which currently whole country is named.
[edit] Germany
- Germania, the name in Latin.
- Deutschland, the name in German.
- Dutchland, English rendering of the name above, later applied to the Netherlands only. See also: Low Countries.
- Teutonia, alternative name in Latin, perceived as Latinate form of Deutschland.
- Alemannia, Allemagne, Almaniya etc., the names adopted in most Romance and Muslim languages.
- East Francia, a name for Germany during the Carolingian era.
- Saxony, one of the dominating states, whose name is applied to whole Germany in some Finnish languages.
- Prussia, the dominating state in the 19th century; the name was informally applied to the German Empire.
- Niemcy, Nimechchyna etc. (literally "the country of the mute"), the names adopted in most Slavic languages.
- Swabia, after an important ancient tribe, informal name in some South Slavic languages.
- Suðrvegr (i.e. "south way"), the name used by Vikings (opposite to Norway)
- Tedeschia, informal name in Italian (after tedesco, the adjective for "German").
- The Hunnic Empire, an ancient empire traditionally associated with the Germans.
- The Holy Roman Empire, the Union of the German states in the Middle Ages.
- Union of German Countries was proposed for a confederation in 1948.
[edit] Ghana
- Ashanti - kingdom occupying approximately same area as Ghana.
- Gold Coast former European name for Ghana, until 1975.
[edit] Guinea Bissau
- Portuguese Guinea, until 1974
[edit] Guyana
- British Guiana, until 1966
[edit] Indonesia
- Netherlands East Indies, until 1945
[edit] Iran
- Aryana, "land of the Aryans". Identical in meaning to "Iran".
- Persia
[edit] Ireland
- Éire, Irish name.
- Hibernia, Latin name.
[edit] Italy
- Apennine Peninsula, the one Italy is in.
- Graecia Magna, Latin name of the Greek colonies in southern Italy.
- Rome, Roman Empire, dominating state in ancient times.
- Sicily, Trinacria, Naples, dominating kingdom in southern Italy in 1130-1861.
[edit] Jordan
- Transjordan, in 1921-1946
[edit] Kiribati
- the Gilbert Islands, the name in English, "Kiribati" is corrupted version of this name
- Kingsmill Islands, Kingsmill Islands, older name of the islands
[edit] Latvia
- Courland, Kuršas (Lithuanian), Kurlandia (Russian and Polish), Kurland (German), Curonia or Couronia (Latin), a large historical region in present-day Latvia and Lithuania.
- Letland, Lettland, Lettonia (Latin).
- Livonia, Liflandia or Liflyandiya (Russian), Livland (Swedish), Inflanty (Polish), a duchy and later a Russian province in Latvia and southern Estonia.
[edit] Lesotho
- Basutoland
[edit] Lithuania
- Litva, Łotwa, in Slavic languages.
[edit] Low Countries
- Batavia, name derived from an old tribe that lived in the northern Low Countries. Historically used by the Dutch "Batavian Republic".
- Belgica, historical Latin province. Later used as Latin name for the Low Countries. After 1830 solely referring to the southern parts of which.
- Belgium, België, Belgique, Respectively the Anglicized, Dutch and French versions of "Belgica".
- Benelux, acronym of Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. First formally used in 1955.
- Dietsland, Dietschland, derived from a Middle Dutch word for "Dutch" that has fallen into disuse. Was popular among Dutch and Flemish National Socialists during World War II. Still used by right wing advocates of Greater or Whole Netherlandism.
- Dutchland, Thiogne, Anglicized and French versions of "Dietsland". See also: Germany.
- Flanders, until the Dutch revolts the dominant region in the Low Countries. Often erroneously applied to the whole of the Low Countries. Unlikely candidate to be formally adopted as such without outside interference. Currently applied to the Dutch speaking halve of Belgium.
- Holland, dominant region in the Northern Netherlands after the Dutch revolts. Often erroneously applied to the whole of the Northern Netherlands. Unlikely candidate to be formally adopted as such without outside interference (e.g. the Napoleonic Kingdom of Holland).
- Lower Lotharingia, Lothier, early medieval name for the Low Countries, including parts of the German Rhineland and Palatinate.
- Netherlands, synonymous with "Low Countries". After 1830 solely referring to the Northern Netherlands. Translation of the original French phrase: Pays-Bas.
- Nederland, most often used Dutch language name for the Netherlands. Notice the fact that, contrary to usage in many other languages, the name is singular.
- Nederlanden, plural Dutch language name for the Netherlands. Often used in historical context to refer to the Low Countries as a whole or, more recently, to refer to the Netherlands, Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.
- Wallonia, name referring to the francophone part of the Low Countries.
[edit] Malawi
- Nyasaland, until 1964
[edit] Malaysia
- Malaya, until 1963
[edit] Mali
- French Sudan, until 1960
[edit] Mexico
- México or Méjico, the name in Spanish, after the name of the City of México-Tenochtitlan.
- Mēxihco ("Place where Mextli (god of the moon) lives" or "Place at the center of the Lake Moon") or Meshiko (rough rendering of the pronunciation into English), original name of city of México-Tenochtitlan in Nahuatl.
- Aztlán (in Spanish), Aztlān (in Nahuatl), the legendary ancestral home of the Nahua peoples, the name used by various Mexican nationalist and indigenous movements, also was applied to the lands ceded by Mexico to the United States.
- New Spain, until 1821
[edit] Moldova
- Moldavia, until 1991
[edit] Myanmar
- Burma, until 1988; many sources still refer to the country by this name.
[edit] Namibia
- South-West Africa
[edit] New Zealand
- Aotearoa, Maori name
[edit] Poland
- Polska, Polish name.
- Polonia, Latin name.
- Rzeczpospolita (Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów), Res Publica Serenissima (Latin), Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Polish-dominated union in 1569-1795.
[edit] Portugal
- Lusitania, after the Roman province.
- Olissiponia, after Olissipo, the Roman name of the city of Lisbon.
[edit] Russia
- Rus or Rus’, the oldest name (since pre-Christianity times).
- Ruscia or Ruthenia, Latinate forms of the oldest name.
- Urus, Oros, Urys, Orys etc., the name used by the Mongol and Tatar conquerors in 13th-15th centuries.
- Muscovy or Moscovia, the centralised principality/kingdom with the centre in Moscow since 14th century eventually conquering whole Russia, as opposed to the other Russian states.
- Great(er) Russia, Russia Magna or Russia Major (in Latin), Makra Rosia (in Greek), Velikorossia or Velikorossiya (in Russian), as opposed to other Russian nations (Ukraine ("Small Russia") and Belarus) in English, Latin, Greek, and Russian respectively.
- Black Russia, Russia Nigra, as opposed to Belarus ("White Russia").
- White Russia, Russia Alba, sometimes, probably as opposed to the areas occupied by the Poles and Lithuanians.
- Rossia or Rossiya, the name in Russian.
- Hyperborea, Scythia, antique names sometimes applied to Russia in poetry.
- Siberia, Sibir (in Russian), the name of the largest region of Russia (Asian part of Russia).
- The Soviet Union, the Soviets, the names of the Communist state that existed in Russia in the 20th century.
[edit] Samoa
- Western Samoa, until 1997
[edit] South Africa
- Suid-Afrika (in Afrikaans), Zuid-Afrika (in Dutch).
- Azania, term used in place of "South Africa" by some opponents of the white-minority rule.
- The Boer Republics: Transvaal, Orange Free State or Oranje Vrystaat, Stellaland, Utrecht, Waterboer's Land, Philippolis or Adam Kok's Land, Goshen, Griqualand, Natalia, the states created by the Boers and Griquas.
[edit] Spain
- Iberia, after pre-Roman inhabitants of the peninsula.
- Hispania, Latin name.
- Al-Andalus, Spain under Arabs.
- Castile, the largest kingdom until it united with Aragon.
- Asturias, León, Navarra, Aragón, other mediaeval kingdoms.
- Baetica or Hispania Baetica or Hispania Ulterior ("Farther Spain") (Southern Spain); Hispania Tarraconensis or Hispania Citerior ("Closer Spain") (North-East Spain); Gallaecia (North-West Spain), the names of the Roman provinces in Spain
- Visigothic Kingdom, covered most of the present-day Spain (418–721).
- Pyrenean Peninsula, alternative name of the peninsula.
- España, Spanish name.
[edit] Sri Lanka
- Ceylon, until 1972
[edit] Sweden
- Suecia, Latin name.
- Svea Rike
[edit] Tanzania
- Tanganyika and Zanzibar, two lands, whose unification created Tanzania.
[edit] Thailand
- Siam, until 1949
[edit] Tuvalu
- The Ellice Islands, until independence in 1978
[edit] United Kingdom
- Albion, name applied to Great Britain by Pliny the Elder. All the islands of Britain were known as "the Britanniae".
- Britain, Britannia.
- Great Britain
[edit] England
- Anglia, Latin name.
[edit] Northern Ireland
- Ulster, Uladh (in Irish Gaelic), after one of the four provinces of Ireland.
[edit] Scotland
- Caledonia, Latin name.
- Alba, Albania (in Latin), Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland.
[edit] Wales
- Cymru, Welsh name.
- Cambria, Latin name.
[edit] United States
- Vinland
- Columbia
- Fredonia
- Appalachia
- Amerigo Vespucci-land
- Usonia
- Gringoland
- Washingtonia
- USONA (United States Of North America)
- Hesperia ("Land of Evening/Sunset"), as one of the countries the Romans located beyond the Ocean).
- New England
[edit] Ukraine
- Ukrayina, the name in Ukrainian
- Small Russia or Small Ruthenia, Little Russia or Little Ruthenia, Malorossia (in Russian/Ukrainian), Mikra Rosia (in Greek), Russia Minor or Russia Parva (in Latin), Mala Rus’ (in Old Slavic), as opposed to Russia (Great Russia)
- Zaporozhia, Zaporozhzhya (in Ukrainian), Zaporozhye (in Russian) ("The land below the rapids (of the Dnieper River)"), the land of the Ukrainian Cossacks (south-eastern Ukraine).
- Rus’, self-name in the Middle Ages (shared with Russia).
- Galicia, Halychyna (in Ukrainian), the most influential Ukrainian principality in the middle ages; later the name of the Ukrainian region within the Austrian Empire, and a Ukrainian entity that existed during the German Occupation in 1941-1944 (north-western Ukraine).
- New Russia, Novorossia, Novorossiya (in Russian), Novorosiya (in Ukrainian), the land of the southern Ukrainian (formerly Crimean) lands, colonised by the Russian Empire in the 18th-19th centuries.
- Scythia, Sarmatia, after the names of the ancient peoples that dwelt in the region.
[edit] Vanuatu
- New Hebrides, until independence in 1980
[edit] Venezuela
- El Libertador, after Simón Bolívar the Liberator, proposed name.
- Klein-Venedig (Little Venice), failed German colony.
[edit] Western Sahara
- Spanish Sahara
[edit] Yugoslavia
- Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, in 1918-1929
- Serbia and Montenegro, in 2003-2006
[edit] Zambia
- Northern Rhodesia, until 1964
[edit] Zimbabwe
- Southern Rhodesia, until independence in 1965.
- Rhodesia, name used during white-minority rule in 1965-1979.
