Mongolian City Name Generator
Steppe, Gobi and mountain town names
Generate Mongolian-style city, town and settlement names for steppe settings, novels and tabletop maps. The 500 names are built from real place-name elements, giving results like Altanbulag, Tsagaan-Uul, Khaany Khot and Gurvan Nuur.
About Mongolian city names
Mongolian place names are descriptive. Most pair a color or a good-omen word with a landscape feature, so a handful of elements lets you read half the map. The features used here include khot (city), bulag (spring), gol (river), nuur (lake), uul (mountain), khairkhan (a respectful word for a sacred mountain), tal (steppe), govi (desert), els (sand), davaa (pass), ovoo (cairn) and khudag (well). In front of them go colors such as tsagaan (white), ulaan (red), khar (black) and khökh (blue), or lucky words such as altan (golden), bayan (rich), erdene (jewel), mönkh (eternal) and delger (abundant). Altanbulag is "golden spring" and Tsagaan-Uul is "white mountain".
Numeral names count features: Gurvan Nuur is "three lakes" and Doloon Tolgoi is "seven hills". Names ending in -t or -tai mean "place with", as in Salkhit (windy) and Burgastai (with willows). Monastery and palace towns use khüree, khiid, süm and ordon, a reminder that many Mongolian towns grew up around monasteries. There are possessive phrases such as Khaany Khot ("the khan's city") and Goviin Üüd ("gate of the Gobi"), plus twin settlements marked züün (east), baruun (west) and shine (new).
This is not a gazetteer. The elements are so common that about one name in seven also belongs to a real district: Mongolia has several places called Jargalant and Bayan-Ovoo.
How to choose Mongolian city names
- Name the town after what a traveler would notice first: water in the Gobi (Gants Khudag, "lone well"), a pass in the mountains (Salkhit Davaa, "windy pass"), a monastery on the open steppe (Tsagaan Khüree).
- Keep khot, ordon and balgas for large or old places. Khot is a city, ordon a palace and balgas an old walled town or its ruins, while a small stop on a caravan road suits örtöö (relay station) or khudag (well).
- Use direction words for sister settlements on one map, such as Züün Khüree and Baruun Khüree on either side of a river, or Shine Khot built beside Khuuchin Balgas, the old town.
- Decide how you will treat ö and ü and stay consistent. If your map font drops the dots, drop them everywhere so Mönkh-Uul and Monkh-Uul never appear side by side.
- Say the name aloud before you commit. In this transliteration kh is a throaty h, close to the ch in Scottish loch, and doubled vowels such as the uu in nuur are simply held longer.
Frequently asked questions
What do the common endings in Mongolian city names mean?
Most endings name a feature of the land. Khot is city, bulag is spring, gol is river, nuur is lake, uul is mountain, tal is steppe and khairkhan is a respectful word for a sacred mountain. So Naranbulag reads as "sun spring" and Khökh Khairkhan as "blue sacred mountain".
Are these real Mongolian cities?
Mostly not. The names are combinations of real place-name elements, put together for fiction, games and worldbuilding. Because those elements are so common, about one name in seven, such as Altanbulag, Jargalant, Khujirt and Tariat, is also the name of a real district, and a few others match landmarks such as Eej Khairkhan and Tsagaan Suvarga. Use a proper map or gazetteer if you need an actual location.
How are the names in this list organized?
The list covers water names, mountain and rock names, steppe and desert names, city and fortress names, monastery towns, lucky names such as Jargalant and Ölziit, "place with" names such as Salkhit, numeral names such as Gurvan Nuur, possessive phrases such as Khaany Khot, and directional pairs. The generator shows random picks, and the full A to Z list sits at the end of the page.
Can I use these names for a fantasy steppe culture?
Yes, that is one of the main uses. Names such as Tenger Khot ("sky city"), Tömör Üüd ("iron gate") and Khaany Ordon ("the khan's palace") work well for a nomad empire in a novel or tabletop campaign. If your setting is only loosely inspired by Mongolia, you can drop the diacritics or the hyphens to make the names your own.
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All 500 Mongolian city names
A: 28 names
- Aduuny Tal
- Agui Khiid
- Alag-Erdene
- Aldarkhaan
- Altan Bürd
- Altan Örgöö
- Altan Süm
- Altan Tolgoi
- Altan-Ölzii
- Altan-Ovoo
- Altanbadrakh
- Altanbulag
- Altangol
- Altangovi
- Altankhairkhan
- Altankhangai
- Altannuur
- Altanshand
- Altanshiree
- Altantal
- Altantsogt
- Altanzürkh
- Amgalan Khot
- Amgalan-Uul
- Amgalant
- Arbulag
- Argalant
- Arvan Gurvan Ovoo
B: 55 names
- Baatar Khot
- Badrakh
- Baruun Khüree
- Baruun Örtöö
- Baruun Salaa
- Baruunkhangai
- Baruuntal
- Bat-Ölzii
- Bat-Öndör
- Batmandal
- Batsümber
- Battsengel
- Bayan Khüree
- Bayan-Ölzii
- Bayan-Öndör
- Bayan-Örgöö
- Bayan-Ovoo
- Bayanchandmani
- Bayandalai
- Bayangol
- Bayangovi
- Bayanjargal
- Bayankhairkhan
- Bayankhangai
- Bayanshand
- Bayanshiree
- Bayantal
- Bayantsogt
- Bayantümen
- Bayanzürkh
- Bayasgalant
- Bichigt Khad
- Bogd Khiid
- Bogd-Uul
- Bolor Khot
- Bolor-Uul
- Bolorbulag
- Bolornuur
- Bolort
- Bor Els
- Bugat
- Bugyn Am
- Bugyn Davaa
- Bugyn Khöndii
- Bulagtai
- Burgastai
- Bürged Orgil
- Bürgediin Am
- Bürgediin Khad
- Bürgedtei
- Burkhant
- Burkhant Khiid
- Buural Khairkhan
- Buyant
- Buyant Khüree
C: 17 names
- Chandmani
- Chandmani-Öndör
- Chonotoi
- Chonyn Am
- Chonyn Davaa
- Chuluun Baishin
- Chuluun Balgas
- Chuluun Güür
- Chuluun Kherem
- Chuluun Khot
- Chuluun Khudag
- Chuluun Nuruu
- Chuluun Shiree
- Chuluun Süm
- Chuluun Tolgoi
- Chuluun Üüd
- Chuluut
D: 35 names
- Dalan Mod
- Dalanbulag
- Dalanjargalan
- Davsny Zam
- Davst
- Davst Nuur
- Davst Tsaidam
- Deed Bulag
- Delgerdalai
- Delgerekh
- Delgergol
- Delgergovi
- Delgerkhaan
- Delgerkhairkhan
- Delgerkhangai
- Delgermörön
- Delgertal
- Delgertsogt
- Doloon Baishin
- Doloon Burkhan
- Doloon Khudag
- Doloon Nuur
- Doloon Tolgoi
- Dood Nuur
- Dorno Khot
- Dornotal
- Dörvöljin Balgas
- Dörvön Uul
- Dörvön Zam
- Dulaankhaan
- Dund Gol
- Dund Khüree
- Dund Örtöö
- Dund Salaa
- Duut Mankhan
E: 23 names
- Eej Khairkhan
- Ekh Nutag
- Elsen Khot
- Elst
- Enkhtal
- Erdene Khiid
- Erdene Khot
- Erdene Ordon
- Erdene Süm
- Erdene Tolgoi
- Erdene-Ölzii
- Erdene-Örgöö
- Erdene-Ovoo
- Erdenebüren
- Erdenegol
- Erdenegovi
- Erdenekhangai
- Erdenemandal
- Erdenenuur
- Erdeneshiree
- Erdenetümen
- Erdenezürkh
- Erdeniin Khüree
G: 24 names
- Galbyn Govi
- Galt
- Galuut
- Galuut Nuur
- Gants Khad
- Gants Khudag
- Gantsmod
- Golyn Belchir
- Goviin Örtöö
- Goviin Üüd
- Gün Khöndii
- Gün Khudag
- Gurvan Belchir
- Gurvan Erdene
- Gurvan Gol
- Gurvan Khudag
- Gurvan Mod
- Gurvan Nuur
- Gurvan Süm
- Gurvan Suvarga
- Gurvan Tolgoi
- Gurvan-Ovoo
- Gurvanbulag
- Gurvansaikhan
I: 15 names
- Ikh Govi
- Ikh Khairkhan
- Ikh Khangai
- Ikh Khot
- Ikh Khotgor
- Ikh Nuur
- Ikh Ordon
- Ikh Örgöö
- Ikh Örtöö
- Ikh Tal
- Ikh-Bulag
- Ikh-Gol
- Ikh-Ovoo
- Ikhmörön
- Irvestei
J: 3 names
- Jargalant
- Jargalant Khairkhan
- Jimst
K: 58 names
- Khaany Balgas
- Khaany Kherem
- Khaany Khot
- Khaany Khüree
- Khaany Ordon
- Khadan Khoshuu
- Khadat
- Khadat Khiid
- Khailaast
- Khaluun Rashaan
- Khan Shiree
- Khan-Ovoo
- Khar Am
- Khar Khad
- Khar Kherem
- Khar Khoshuu
- Khar Nuruu
- Khar Örtöö
- Khar-Us
- Khas Tolgoi
- Khatan Khot
- Khatan Örgöö
- Khatan-Uul
- Khatanbulag
- Khatanmörön
- Khatny Ordon
- Kheremt
- Khishig-Öndör
- Khishigt
- Khökh Balgas
- Khökh Davaa
- Khökh Khad
- Khökh Khairkhan
- Khökh Nuruu
- Khökh Süm
- Khökh-Uul
- Khökhdalai
- Khökhnuur
- Khökhshand
- Khongor
- Khongor Els
- Khongor Tal
- Khongor-Bulag
- Khongor-Ovoo
- Khoyor Belchir
- Khoyor Gol
- Khüiten Orgil
- Khüiten-Gol
- Khüiten-Us
- Khüitenbulag
- Khujirt
- Khunt
- Khunt Nuur
- Khustai
- Khustain Davaa
- Khuuchin Balgas
- Khuuchin Güür
- Khuuchin Süm
M: 27 names
- Mandal
- Mandal-Ovoo
- Menengiin Tal
- Modon Güür
- Modon Khoshuu
- Modot
- Modot Davaa
- Mogoit
- Möngön Els
- Mönkh Khiid
- Mönkh Khüree
- Mönkh Nutag
- Mönkh-Amgalan
- Mönkh-Gol
- Mönkh-Us
- Mönkh-Uul
- Mönkhbadrakh
- Mönkhbulag
- Mönkhjargalant
- Mönkhkhaan
- Mönkhkhairkhan
- Mönkhkhangai
- Mönkhtal
- Mönkhtsogt
- Mösön Am
- Möst
- Myangan Mod
N: 30 names
- Naiman Nuur
- Naran Khot
- Naran Tolgoi
- Naranbulag
- Naranshand
- Nariin Am
- Nariin-Gol
- Narny Zam
- Narst
- Narst Nuruu
- Nogoon Bürd
- Nogoon Khöndii
- Nogoon Ordon
- Nogoon Tal
- Nogoonnuur
- Nomgon
- Nomgon Govi
- Nomin Tolgoi
- Nomyn Khiid
- Noyon Balgas
- Noyon Govi
- Noyon Khairkhan
- Noyon Khudag
- Noyon Örgöö
- Noyon Shiree
- Noyon-Uul
- Noyony Bulag
- Nüürst
- Nüürst Am
- Nuuryn Khot
O: 19 names
- Odon Khot
- Odon Nuur
- Ölzii Khiid
- Ölziit
- Ölziit Khüree
- Ömnö Khot
- Ömnödelger
- Ömnötal
- Öndör Davaa
- Öndör Khad
- Öndör Kherem
- Öndör-Ulaan
- Öndör-Uul
- Öndörshiree
- Örnö Khot
- Ovoot
- Ovoot Khad
- Övörkhairkhan
- Oyuut
R: 1 name
- Rashaant
S: 54 names
- Saikhan
- Saikhan Nutag
- Saikhan-Khairkhan
- Saikhan-Ovoo
- Saikhandulaan
- Saikhangovi
- Saikhankhangai
- Saikhantal
- Sain-Us
- Sainbulag
- Salkhiny Am
- Salkhit
- Salkhit Davaa
- Salkhit Khöndii
- Salkhit Tolgoi
- Sangiin Dalai
- Saran Nuur
- Sarnait
- Sergelen
- Shar Els
- Shar Govi
- Shar Khiid
- Shar Mankhan
- Shar Mörön
- Shar Ordon
- Shar Süm
- Shar Tal
- Shar Tolgoi
- Shar-Nuur
- Shavar Kherem
- Shavart
- Shilüüstei
- Shine Balgas
- Shine Khot
- Shine Khudag
- Shine Khüree
- Shine Nutag
- Shine Örgöö
- Shine Örtöö
- Shine Süm
- Shine Zam
- Shinebulag
- Shineshand
- Shireet
- Shonkhor-Uul
- Shonkhortoi
- Shonkhoryn Khad
- Shuvuut
- Sümber
- Sümber-Uul
- Sümbertsogt
- Sümiin Bulag
- Sümt
- Suvargat
T: 68 names
- Talyn Shand
- Talyn Üüd
- Tariat
- Tarvagatai
- Tavan Khad
- Tavan Ovoo
- Temeenii Govi
- Temeenii Khudag
- Temeet
- Tenger Khot
- Tenger Orgil
- Tenger-Uul
- Tengeriin Davaa
- Tengeriin Üüd
- Togoruut
- Tögrög Balgas
- Tolgoit
- Toli Khad
- Toli-Nuur
- Tömör Güür
- Tömör Kherem
- Tömör Nuruu
- Tömör Üüd
- Tömör-Uul
- Tömörbulag
- Tömörtei
- Torgon Zam
- Tsagaan Agui
- Tsagaan Baishin
- Tsagaan Balgas
- Tsagaan Khad
- Tsagaan Kherem
- Tsagaan Khiid
- Tsagaan Khöndii
T, continued
- Tsagaan Khot
- Tsagaan Khudag
- Tsagaan Khüree
- Tsagaan Ordon
- Tsagaan Süm
- Tsagaan Suvarga
- Tsagaan Tolgoi
- Tsagaan-Mörön
- Tsagaan-Uul
- Tsagaandalai
- Tsagaangol
- Tsagaangovi
- Tsainy Zam
- Tsast
- Tsast Davaa
- Tsast Khairkhan
- Tsast-Uul
- Tsengel
- Tsenkhergol
- Tsenkhernuur
- Tsetsegt
- Tsetsegt Tal
- Tsetsen Khüree
- Tsetsen-Bulag
- Tsetsenmandal
- Tsogt-Öndör
- Tümen Tal
- Tümen-Ovoo
- Tümentsogt
- Tungalag-Us
- Tungalaggol
- Tüshig
- Tüvshinshiree
- Tüvshintal
U: 18 names
- Ulaan Am
- Ulaan Balgas
- Ulaan Davaa
- Ulaan Els
- Ulaan Khairkhan
- Ulaan Süm
- Ulaan Suvarga
- Ulaan Tolgoi
- Ulaan-Khudag
- Ulaangol
- Ulaangovi
- Umard Khot
- Ünegt
- Urt Khöndii
- Urt Tal
- Urt-Gol
- Uulyn Khiid
- Uulyn Üüd
V: 1 name
- Vangiin Khüree
Y: 7 names
- Yamaat
- Yangirt
- Yarguit
- Yesön Erdene
- Yesön Khudag
- Yesönbulag
- Yolyn Khad