Place names in India

Place names in India are usually in Indian languages. Other languages include Portuguese, Dutch, English and Arabic.

Since Indian Independence, several Indian cities have adopted pre-English names, most notably Chennai (formerly Madras), Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), Bengaluru (formerly Banglore) and Visakhapatnam (formerly Waltair).

Common place names[]

Most place names are named after prominent geographical features, such as rivers and lakes. Others are named after personalities such as kings or historical figures. Although Hindu history was a main influence, Islamic and Christian influences are present, particularly in central and northern India.

• -abad - "city" - from Persian ābād (آباد)
• garh - "fort, castle" - Hindi gaṛh (गढ़)
• nagar - "town" - from Sanskrit nagara (नगर)
• prayag - "confluence" - from Sanskrit prayāga (प्रयाग)
• -pore, -pur - "city" - from Sanskrit pūra (पुर)

Anglicized names[]

Some anglicized names have been officially changed to reflect native pre-colonial spellings. The names of the cities, towns, and villages are usually in Indian languages, while most street names carry English names. Examples: Washermanpet, George Town, Chennai

Variations[]

Certain names have variations in different languages. Oor/Ooru is a common Dravidian name which means a place, also known as Oor in Tamil and Malayalam, whereas it is called Ooru in Telugu and Kannada.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana[]

Common suffixes include, -ooru, -palli, -pudi, -peta, etc.