Ancient City Name Generator
Bronze Age capitals, lost cities and ruins
Generate ancient city names drawn from Sumer, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, the Indus Valley, China and Mesoamerica, plus invented names built on the same patterns. Ideal for historical fiction, archaeology-flavored adventures and fantasy worlds with a real-world feel.
About ancient city names
The oldest city names we know come from Sumerian clay tablets: Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Nippur and Lagash were already ancient when Babylon rose. Mesopotamian names are short, vowel-heavy and often built from a god's name or a compound like Dur- (fortress), Kar- (quay) or Bit- (house), as in Dur-Sharrukin, 'Fortress of Sargon'. Egyptian cities are usually known today by their Greek names (Memphis, Thebes, Heliopolis) but had native names like Waset and Iunu; Akhetaten means 'Horizon of the Aten'.
Greek city names lean on -polis, -eia and -os endings (Halicarnassus, Eleusis, Massalia), while Roman foundations follow a formula: Colonia, Castra, Forum, Aquae or Portus plus a founder or tribe, so Augusta Treverorum became Trier and Londinium became London. Persian names such as Pasargadae and Ecbatana reach us through Greek spelling; Indus Valley sites like Mohenjo-daro are modern labels because the script is undeciphered. Maya cities pair sounds like Tikal, Calakmul and Yaxha with hard consonants that feel unmistakably Mesoamerican.
This list mixes real archaeological sites with invented names that follow each culture's rules, so you can drop a plausible Akkadian fortress-town or Roman colonia into a story without it sounding like a fantasy cliché. It also covers Etruscan, Celtic, Arabian, Nubian and Pueblo sites. Pick a culture, note its typical prefixes and endings, and stay consistent across a region.
How to choose ancient city names
- Choose one culture per region of your map: a Sumerian-style Kar-Tashmet next to a Roman-style Portus Lunae feels wrong unless you are writing about a frontier where two empires met.
- Real cities changed names as they changed hands (Tadmor to Palmyra, Byzantium to Constantinople); giving your city an old and a new name instantly adds history.
- Use Roman formula words like Colonia, Castra and Aquae to name settlements founded by a conquering empire, and native-sounding names for the older towns beneath them.
- For a lost or ruined city, pick a name whose meaning has been forgotten in-world; characters arguing over what 'Ninurgal' meant is good texture.
- Check pronunciation: ancient names with awkward clusters (Xianyang, Çatalhöyük) are authentic but may need a simple in-story nickname for readers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the oldest city name in the world?
Eridu and Uruk in southern Mesopotamia are among the oldest named cities, with settlement going back past 4000 BCE; Jericho and Byblos are older as places but their names are attested later. Çatalhöyük and Göbekli Tepe are modern Turkish names for prehistoric sites.
How were ancient cities usually named?
Most were named after a patron god, a founder or ruler, or a landscape feature, often with a descriptive word attached: Dur-Sharrukin (Fortress of Sargon), Alexandria (Alexander), Heliopolis (City of the Sun), Aquae Sulis (Waters of Sulis).
Can I use real ancient city names in my fantasy novel or game?
Yes. Historical place names are public domain. Many authors use them directly, or lightly alter a real name (Ur to Urak, Susa to Susara) so it feels familiar without pointing to a specific real culture.
Why do many ancient cities have two different names?
Because we often know them through Greek or Latin sources: Egyptian Waset became Thebes, Persian Hagmatana became Ecbatana, and Semitic Tadmor became Palmyra. Modern archaeological sites may also carry an Arabic 'Tell' name that means 'mound'.
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All 1,000 ancient city names
A: 91 names
- Abdera
- Abydos
- Adab
- Adulis
- Afrasiab
- Aguateca
- Ahichchhatra
- Ai-Khanoum
- Aigosthena
- Ain Ghazal
- Akhetaten
- Akkad
- Akko
- Akragas
- Akrotiri
- Akshak
- Alaca Höyük
- Alalakh
- Alamgirpur
- Alba Longa
- Aleppo
- Alexandria
- Alexandria Arachosia
- Alexandria Eschate
- Altintepe
- Altun Ha
- Altyn-Depe
- Amaravati
- Amathus
- Ambracia
- Amisos
- Amphipolis
- Amri
- Amyclae
- Anau
- Anazarbos
- Andarig
- Angel Mounds
- Angkor Borei
- Aniba
- Ankyra
- Anshan
- Antinoopolis
- Antioch
- Antioch in Pisidia
A, continued
- Antipolis
- Anuradhapura
- Anyang
- Apamea
- Aphek
- Aphrodisias
- Apollonia Pontica
- Aquae Nervae
- Aquae Sabinae
- Aquae Sextiae
- Aquae Sulis
- Aquileia
- Arad
- Arausio
- Arbela
- Argishtihinili
- Argos
- Arikamedu
- Ariminum
- Arinna
- Arkaim
- Armavir
- Arpad
- Arrapha
- Arretium
- Artacoana
- Arwad
- Ashdod
- Ashkelon
- Ashkuma
- Ashur
- Aşıklı Höyük
- Aspendos
- Aspero
- Assos
- Asuka
- Athens
- Augusta Raurica
- Augusta Treverorum
- Augusta Vindelicorum
- Augustodunum
- Avaris
- Axum
- Ayodhya
- Azekah
- Aztalan
B: 46 names
- Babylon
- Bacchias
- Bactra
- Bad-tibira
- Balamha
- Balamku
- Bamiyan
- Ban Chiang
- Banawali
- Banpo
- Baraqish
- Barca
- Barygaza
- Batan Grande
- Becan
- Beersheba
- Begram
- Behdet
- Beikthano
- Beneventum
- Berenice
- Berytus
- Betatakin
- Beth Shemesh
- Bethel
- Beycesultan
- Bharhut
- Bhirrana
- Biskupin
- Bit-Halumi
- Bit-Zababu
- Bonampak
- Bononia
- Borsippa
- Bozrah
- Bracara
- Briganodunon
- Bubastis
- Bucephala
- Buhen
- Bukhara
- Burdigala
- Buthrotum
- Buto
- Byblos
- Byzantion
C: 79 names
- Cacaxtla
- Caere
- Caesarea
- Cahokia
- Cahuachi
- Cajamarquilla
- Calakmul
- Calleva
- Camulodunum
- Cancho Roano
- Cancuen
- Cantona
- Canyon de Chelly
- Capua
- Caral
- Carchemish
- Carnuntum
- Carteia
- Carthage
- Casa Grande
- Castra Marcia
- Castra Vitellia
- Çatalhöyük
- Çayönü
- Cempoala
- Cerro Baul
- Cerro de las Mesas
- Cerro Sechin
- Cerros
- Chaco Canyon
- Chaironeia
- Chalcatzingo
- Chalchuapa
- Chalcis
- Chalkedon
- Chan Chan
- Chandraketugarh
- Chang'an
- Chanhu-daro
C, continued
- Chankillo
- Charax Spasinu
- Chavín de Huántar
- Chengdu
- Chengziya
- Chersonesos
- Chetro Ketl
- Chicanna
- Chichen Itza
- Chios
- Chiripa
- Choga Mami
- Chogha Zanbil
- Cholula
- Choquequirao
- Chunchucmil
- Citânia de Briteiros
- Ciudad Perdida
- Clusium
- Co Loa
- Coba
- Colonia Agrippina
- Colonia Aurelia Vetus
- Comalcalco
- Conchopata
- Conimbriga
- Copán
- Corduba
- Corinium
- Corinth
- Cremona
- Crocodilopolis
- Croton
- Ctesiphon
- Cucuteni
- Cuicuilco
- Cumae
- Cydamus
- Cyrene
- Cyropolis
D: 36 names
- Dahan-e Gholaman
- Dainzu
- Daliang
- Dalverzin Tepe
- Damascus
- Danebury
- Dantapura
- Dazaifu
- Deir el-Medina
- Delos
- Delphi
- Demetrias
- Dendera
- Der
- Deva
- Dhar Tichitt
- Dholavira
- Dibon
- Dilbat
- Dimini
- Djed-Nefer
- Djedu
- Dodona
- Dun Aengus
- Dunhuang
- Dur-Ashkanu
- Dur-Belitum
- Dur-Katlimmu
- Dur-Kurigalzu
- Dur-Sharrukin
- Dur-Yakin
- Dura-Europos
- Durovernum
- Dvaravati
- Dzibanche
- Dzibilchaltun
E: 40 names
- Ebla
- Eboracum
- Ecbatana
- Ed-Dur
- Edfu
- Edzna
- Ek Balam
- Ekallatum
- Ekron
- El Brujo
- El Mirador
- El Paraiso
- El Tajin
- Elea
- Elephantine
- Eleusis
- Emar
- Emerald Mound
- Emerita Augusta
- Emporion
- Eninkara
- Enkomi
- Ensérune
- Entremont
- Ephesus
- Eran
- Erebuni
- Eresh
- Eretria
- Eridu
- Erligang
- Erlitou
- Erythrai
- Eshnunna
- Eshtaru
- Esna
- Etowah
- Euesperides
- Eurymene
- Ezion-Geber
F: 8 names
- Fanum Voltae
- Faras
- Farmana
- Farnabad
- Fenghao
- Forum Julii
- Forum Valerii
- Fujiwara-kyo
G: 31 names
- Gabae
- Gades
- Galindo
- Gamla
- Ganweriwala
- Garama
- Gath
- Gaza
- Gebtu
- Gela
- Gelonos
- Gergovia
- Gerrha
- Gezer
- Ghirza
- Gibeon
- Girinagara
- Girsu
- Gla
- Glauberg
- Göbekli Tepe
- Godin Tepe
- Gonur Tepe
- Gordion
- Gournia
- Gravisca
- Gundeshapur
- Gungnae
- Gusu
- Guzana
- Gythion
H: 46 names
- Habuba Kabira
- Habur-Sar
- Hacilar
- Hadatu
- Hadrumetum
- Haft Tepe
- Hagia Triada
- Hagmatana
- Halicarnassus
- Halimedeia
- Halin
- Hamazi
- Hamoukar
- Handan
- Harappa
- Harran
- Hasanlu
- Hastinapura
- Hatra
- Hattusa
- Hazor
- Hebron
- Hecatompylos
- Hegra
- Heliopolis
- Hemudu
- Henen-nesut
- Hengistbury Head
- Herakleopolis
- Herculaneum
- Hermonthis
- Hermopolis
- Heshbon
- Heuneburg
- Hierakonpolis
- Himera
- Hippo Regius
- Hippos
- Hispalis
- Holmul
- Hovenweep
- Huanuco Pampa
- Huari
- Hupisna
- Hut-Sekhem
- Hwando
I: 21 names
- Ikonion
- Ilerda
- Ilion
- Imgur-Enlil
- Incahuasi
- Indraprastha
- Ineb-Hedj
- Ingapirca
- Iolkos
- Irqata
- Isca Dumnoniorum
- Ishmekum
- Isin
- Iskanwaya
- Itjtawy
- Iunet
- Iunu
- Iunu-Resu
- Ixkun
- Izamal
- Izapa
J: 14 names
- Jaina
- Jarmo
- Jemdet Nasr
- Jerf el-Ahmar
- Jericho
- Jerusalem
- Jezreel
- Jiaohe
- Jinsha
- Jinyang
- Jiroft
- Joppa
- Jotapata
- Joya de Cerén
K: 65 names
- Kabah
- Kadesh
- Kahat
- Kalhu
- Kalibangan
- Kallipolis Argea
- Kaminaljuyu
- Kamiros
- Kampilya
- Kanchipuram
- Kandahar
- Kanesh
- Kanpeten
- Kanyakubja
- Kapilavastu
- Kapisa
- Kar-Nannaya
- Kar-Tashmet
- Kar-Tukulti-Ninurta
- Karahan Tepe
- Karana
- Karashahr
- Karatepe
- Karystos
- Kassandreia
- Katane
- Kausambi
- Kaveripattinam
- Kawa
- Kazallu
- Keet Seel
- Keezhadi
K, continued
- Kerkouane
- Kerma
- Kesh
- Khemenu
- Khent-Hapi
- Khonkho Wankane
- Khotan
- Kilizi
- Kish
- Kisurra
- Kition
- Klazomenai
- Knidos
- Knossos
- Kohunlich
- Kolomoki
- Kolophon
- Kolossai
- Kom Ombo
- Korkai
- Kot Diji
- Kotosh
- Kroraina
- Kuaiji
- Kucha
- Kuelap
- Kumidi
- Kummanni
- Kuntur Wasi
- Kunulua
- Kushinagar
- Kutha
- Kyzikos
L: 35 names
- La Corona
- La Quemada
- La Tolita
- La Venta
- Labna
- Labraunda
- Lachish
- Lagash
- Lahun
- Lamanai
- Lambityeco
- Lampsakos
- Larak
- Larsa
- Lefkandi
- Leontini
- Lepenski Vir
- Leptis Magna
- Leuke Kome
- Leukopyrgos
- Limonum
- Lindos
- Lindum
- Linzi
- Lokroi
- Londinium
- Los Millares
- Lothal
- Lubaantun
- Lucus Dianae
- Lugdunum
- Lukurmata
- Luoyang
- Lykopetra
- Lysimacheia
M: 63 names
- Machaquila
- Machu Picchu
- Madurai
- Magdalensberg
- Magnesia
- Mahishmati
- Maidanetske
- Maiden Castle
- Makimuku
- Malaca
- Malgium
- Malia
- Manching
- Mankisum
- Mantineia
- Marad
- Marakanda
- Maranga
- Marathon
- Marcahuamachuco
- Mareshah
- Mari
- Marib
- Masada
- Mashkan-shapir
- Massalia
- Matara
- Mathura
- Mayapan
- Mazaka
- Megalopolis
M, continued
- Megiddo
- Melantheia
- Melid
- Memphis
- Men-Ankhet
- Menat-Khufu
- Mendes
- Meroë
- Merv
- Mesa Verde
- Messene
- Metapontion
- Miletus
- Miran
- Mirgissa
- Mitla
- Mixco Viejo
- Mleiha
- Mogontiacum
- Mohenjo-daro
- Mont Lassois
- Monte Albán
- Monte Negro
- Motya
- Moundville
- Mtskheta
- Mureybet
- Musasir
- Musawwarat es-Sufra
- Muyil
- Muziris
- Mycenae
N: 41 names
- Nagar
- Nagarjunakonda
- Najran
- Nakbe
- Nakhon Pathom
- Nakum
- Nalanda
- Namazga-Depe
- Naniwa
- Napata
- Naqa
- Naqada
- Nara
- Naranjo
- Narbo
- Narmouthis
- Naukratis
- Naupaktos
- Nausharo
- Neapolis Ionia
- Nebelivka
- Nekheb
- Nekhen
- Nerebtum
- Nerik
- Nevalı Çori
- Nikomedia
- Nim Li Punit
- Nimrud
- Nineveh
- Ninmakh
- Ninurgal
- Nippur
- Nisa
- Nisibis
- Niya
- Nohmul
- Noviomagus
- Nubt
- Numantia
- Nuzi
O: 15 names
- Oc Eo
- Ocelis
- Ocmulgee
- Oea
- Old Sarum
- Olisipo
- Ollantaytambo
- Olympia
- Olynthos
- Opis
- Opone
- Orchomenos
- Oreithyia
- Ostia
- Oxkintok
P: 63 names
- Pacatnamu
- Pachacamac
- Pacopampa
- Paestum
- Palaikastro
- Palenque
- Pampa Grande
- Panjakent
- Panlongcheng
- Pantikapaion
- Panyu
- Paquime
- Paraetonium
- Parma
- Parsava
- Pasargadae
- Pataliputra
- Patavium
- Pax Julia
- Pecos Pueblo
- Pengcheng
- Per-Atum
- Per-Nebkha
- Per-Ramesses
- Per-Sopdu
- Pergamon
- Perinthos
- Persepolis
- Perusia
- Petra
- Phaistos
P, continued
- Pharos Kyme
- Pharsalos
- Pherai
- Phocaea
- Phylakopi
- Piedras Negras
- Pikillacta
- Pinara
- Pingcheng
- Pinson Mounds
- Pisac
- Pithekoussai
- Placentia
- Pola
- Poliochni
- Pompeii
- Portus Corvinus
- Portus Lunae
- Potidaia
- Poverty Point
- Pratishthana
- Priene
- Ptolemais Cyrenaica
- Ptolemais Hermiou
- Pueblo Bonito
- Pukara
- Pumapunku
- Purushanda
- Purushapura
- Pushkalavati
- Puye
- Pylos
Q: 12 names
- Qarnawu
- Qarqar
- Qart-Melek
- Qaryat al-Faw
- Qasr Ibrim
- Qatna
- Qattara
- Qohaito
- Qufu
- Quiahuiztlan
- Quirigua
- Qumran
R: 15 names
- Rabbath Ammon
- Ragha
- Rajagriha
- Rakhigarhi
- Rapiqum
- Raqchi
- Rathcroghan
- Ravenna
- Real Alto
- Rhapta
- Rhegion
- Rhodes
- Rio Azul
- Rio Bec
- Rome
S: 91 names
- Sabratha
- Sagala
- Sagalassos
- Saguntum
- Sais
- Sakwitz
- Salernum
- Salona
- Samaria
- Sambor Prei Kuk
- Samuha
- San Agustin
- San Bartolo
- San Jose Mogote
- San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan
- Sanam
- Sanchi
- Sannai-Maruyama
- Sanxingdui
- Sapinuwa
- Sardis
- Sarepta
- Sarnath
- Satricum
- Sayil
- Scythopolis
- Sebaste
- Sebennytos
- Sechin
- Segesta
- Segobriga
- Seibal
- Seleucia
- Selinous
- Semna
- Seorabeol
- Serdica
- Sesebi
- Sesklo
- Sha-Duri
- Shabwa
- Shaduppum
- Shahdad
- Shahr-e Sukhteh
- Shechem
S, continued
- Shibaniba
- Shijiahe
- Shiloh
- Shimao
- Shortugai
- Shouchun
- Shravasti
- Shubarum
- Shubat-Enlil
- Shuruppak
- Si Thep
- Side
- Sidon
- Sigiriya
- Sinope
- Sippar
- Sirkap
- Sirwah
- Sisupalgarh
- Siwa Ammonium
- Skara Brae
- Smyrna
- Snaketown
- Soknopaiou Nesos
- Soleb
- Sopara
- Sounion
- Sparta
- Spiro
- Spitakana
- Spoletium
- Stabiae
- Stageira
- Staré Hradisko
- Stradonice
- Su Nuraxi
- Sumhuram
- Sumur
- Surkotada
- Surrentum
- Susa
- Sutkagen Dor
- Suvarnagiri
- Sybaris
- Syene
- Syracuse
T: 104 names
- Ta-Seti Nekhen
- Taanach
- Tadmor
- Tagara
- Takalik Abaj
- Talianki
- Tambo Colorado
- Tamralipti
- Tamrapuri
- Tamtoc
- Tanagra
- Tanais
- Tanis
- Taosi
- Taras
- Tarbisu
- Tarhuntassa
- Tarquinia
- Tarracina
- Tarraco
- Tarsos
- Taucheira
- Taxila
- Tayasal
- Tayma
- Tazumal
- Tebtunis
- Tegea
- Teishebaini
- Tell Abu Hureyra
- Tell al-Ubaid
- Tell Arpachiyah
- Tell Hassuna
- Tell Qarnath
- Tell Ushmar
- Tenayuca
- Teopantecuanitlan
- Teotenango
- Teotihuacan
- Tepe Gawra
- Tepe Hissar
- Tepe Sialk
- Tepe Yahya
- Tergeste
- Termessos
- Termez
- Terqa
- Teuchitlan
- Teyuna
- Thaj
- Thasos
- Thebes
T, continued
- Thera
- Therapneia
- Thespiai
- Thessarion
- Thinis
- Thonis-Heracleion
- Thyateira
- Tiberias
- Tierradentro
- Tikal
- Til Barsip
- Timna
- Tipasa
- Tipon
- Tiryns
- Tirzah
- Tissamaharama
- Titelberg
- Tiwanaku
- Tjaru
- Tlapacoya
- Tlatilco
- Toletum
- Tolosa
- Tombos
- Tomebamba
- Tomis
- Tonina
- Topoxte
- Toprak-Kala
- Tosali
- Tra Kieu
- Tralleis
- Trapezus
- Traprain Law
- Tre'r Ceiri
- Tres Zapotes
- Tripuri
- Troy
- Tucume
- Tula
- Tulum Zama
- Tunip
- Tureng Tepe
- Tusculum
- Tushhan
- Tuttul
- Tutub
- Tuwanuwa
- Tuzigoot
- Tyre
- Tyuonyi
U: 15 names
- U Thong
- Uaxactun
- Ugarit
- Ujjain
- Ullastret
- Umma
- Ungjin
- Ur
- Ur-Ilum
- Uraiyur
- Urkesh
- Uruk
- Urumash
- Utica
- Uxbenka
V: 28 names
- Vaishali
- Valabhi
- Valentia
- Vani
- Varakhsha
- Varanasi
- Varna
- Veii
- Venusia
- Verona
- Verulamium
- Vesontio
- Vesunna
- Vetera
- Vicus Albanus
- Vidisha
- Vilcashuaman
- Viminacium
- Vinča
- Vindobona
- Vindomora
- Vindonissa
- Viracochapampa
- Viroconium
- Volsinii
- Volubilis
- Vulci
- Vyadhapura
W: 5 names
- Wanggeom-seong
- Waset
- Wilusa
- Wiryeseong
- Wupatki
X: 10 names
- Xanthos
- Xiangyang
- Xianyang
- Xinzheng
- Xochitecatl
- Xois
- Xpuhil
- Xuchang
- Xultun
- Xunantunich
Y: 12 names
- Yagul
- Yanshi
- Yarkand
- Yaxchilan
- Yaxha
- Yaxnohcah
- Yaxuna
- Yeha
- Ying
- Yohualichan
- Yoshinogari
- Yueyang