Cool and Unique City Names for Writers and Travelers

Unusual, Unique, and Cool City Names for Writers to Use in Stories

There are a lot of cities with cool names that dot our planet. Most of them are an average snapshot of a small town—the only difference being their weird or unusual name. Any writer knows that a city can be a character unto itself, and the better your character's name is, the more memorable they are, especially when that city or town is a real place.

This article is chock-full of unique town names that actually exist or once existed at some point in time. I've also included where the city is located in case you want to do more research on the actual destination (to make your story seem more real). I really hope you find an interesting name that you can use, and be sure to check back every once in a while since I plan to keep adding to the list. Thanks for taking a look.

Good City Names From Around the World

The first half of this article is dedicated to cities from all over the world, while the second half focuses on the names of cities and towns found in the United States.

City Names Starting With A

• Abasha (Georgia—the country, not the state!)
• Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
• Acapulco (Mexico)
• Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Check out the Ethiopian National Library to see old letters written by kings and princes.
• Akrotiri (Greece)
• Algiers (Algeria)
• Al Jahrah (Kuwait)
• Amman (Jordan)
• Amsterdam (Netherlands) The city's name derives from the fact that it grew around a dam in the Amstel river.
• Andorra La Vella (Andorra)
• Ankara (Turkey)
• Animas (Bolivia)
• Antigua (Guatemala)
• Assisi (Italy)
• Athens (Greece)
• Attopu (Laos)
• Auckland (New Zealand)
• Axim (Ghana)

City Names Starting With B

• Baghdad (Iraq)
• Balls Pond (London, England)
• Bangkok (Thailand)
• Barka (Oman)
• Battambang (Cambodia)
• Beijing (China)
• Beirut (Lebanon)
• Beltsy (Moldova)
• Berlin (Germany)
• Berne (Switzerland)
• Big Sandy (Tennessee, U.S.)
• Bitola (Macedonia)
• Bluefields (Nicaragua)
• Bodden Town (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) This village was named after a government leader named William Bodden.
• Bogota (Colombia)
• Bratislava (Slovakia)
• Bridgetown (Barbados)
• Brussels (Belgium) The Grand-Place is the main market square. Between March and October, you will find a daily flower market there.
• Bucharest (Romania) The Palace of Parliament is one of the largest buildings in the world and is a must see.
• Budapest (Hungary) A city with lots of parks and a lot of seasonal activities.
• Buenos Aires (Argentina)

City Names Starting With C

• Cairo (Egypt) Most people will want to visit the pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo, but leave plenty of time to explore the rest of the city.
• Calabar (Nigeria)
• Calydon (Aetolia) This was an ancient Greek city that took its name from the founder Calydon, son of Aetolus.
• Cannes (France) This city is known for its association with the rich and famous, as it's the annual destination for attendees of the Cannes Film Festival.
• Capellen (Luxembourg)
• Cape Town (South Africa)
• Caracas (Venezuela)
• Carthage (Tunisia)
• Casablanca (Morocco)
• Castletown (Isle of Man)
• Chittagong (Bangladesh)
• Cidra (Puerto Rico) Cidra is also known as the "Town of the Eternal Spring" due to its cool temperatures.
• Cologne (Germany) Back in Roman times, this city was called Colonia.
• Constantine (Algeria)
• Copenhagen (Denmark)
• Cork (Ireland)

City Names Starting With D and E

• Damascus (Syria) This is one of the oldest inhabited cities in history.
• Dangzai (Macau)
• Danisher (Turkmenistan)
• Darkhan (Mongolia)
• Delhi (India)
• Dori (Burkina Faso)
• Dresden (Germany)
• Dubai (United Arab Emirates) This global city is one of the main business hubs of the Middle East.
• Edinburgh (Scotland, UK)
• El Estor (Guatemala)

City Names Starting With F and G

• Fagatogo (American Samoa)
• Fairy Dell (Victoria, Australia) This is an unusual but beautiful name for a city or town.
• Faro (Portugal)
• Freetown (Sierra Leone) Freetown is a harbor city that is known for being the oldest capital founded by African Americans. It was formally established in 1792 by an abolitionist and a group of free Black people from various regions, including the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa.
• Geneina (Sudan)
• Geneva (Switzerland)
• Georgetown (Guyana)
• Ghent (Belgium)
• Giza (Egypt)
• Gore (Ethiopia) What a great name for a city or town in a scary movie!
• Gothenburg (Sweden)
• Greymouth (New Zealand)

City Names Starting With H–J

• The Hague (Netherlands)
• Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada)
• Hanoi (Vietnam)
• Havana (Cuba)
• Helsinki (Finland)
• High Rock (Bahamas) Here, you can relax in seclusion on white sandy beaches with clear, blue water that is perfect for snorkeling, fishing, and kayaking.
• Himera (Sicily) This was an ancient Greek city.
• Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China)
• Honolulu (Hawaii) This name means "a place of shelter."
• Innsbruck (Austria) This city is well-known internationally for its winter sports center.
• Islamabad (Pakistan)
• Istanbul (Turkey)
• Jakar (Bhutan)
• Jakarta (Indonesia)
• Jaww (Bahrain)
• Jerusalem (Israel)

City Names Starting With K

• Kandy (Sri Lanka)
• Kant (Kyrgyzstan)
• Karachi (Pakistan)
• Kathmandu (Nepal)
• Keflavik (Iceland)
• Kells (Republic of Ireland)
• Khiva (Uzbekistan) Khiva is home to the World Heritage Site Itchan Kala, a walled inner city with spectacular crenellations and gates.
• Khost (Afghanistan)
• Kiev (Ukraine)
• Killarney (Republic of Ireland)
• Kingston (Jamaica)
• Kolari (Finland)
• Kolding (Denmark)
• Kowloon (Hong Kong, China)
• Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) This city's name means "muddy river confluence," a literal description of its location. It carries the much prettier nickname "Garden City of Lights" and can also just be called "KL."
• Kukes (Albania)
• Kyoto (Japan)
• Kythrea (Cyprus)

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Strange City Names Starting With L

• La Serena (Chile)
• Leeds (England)
• Lima (Peru)
• Limerick (Republic of Ireland) I highly recommend taking a boat tour along the River Shannon.
• London (England)
• Lost (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) This is the name of a tiny village.
• Luxor (Egypt)

City Names Starting With M

• Madrid (Spain)
• Malaga (Spain) This is one of the oldest cities in the world that's had a continuous population living in it.
• Manila (Philippines)
• Macau (China)
• Maputo (Mozambique)
• Marbella (Spain)
• Maribor (Slovenia) This city is home to a grapevine that the Guinness Book of World Records has recognized as the oldest grapevine in the world (400+ years old).
• Maripa (Venezuela)
• Marrakesh (Morocco)
• Marseille (France)
• Mecca (Saudi Arabia)
• Merthyr Tydfil (Wales)
• Milan (Italy)
• Minas (Uruguay)
• Mogadishu (Somalia)
• Monte Carlo (Monaco) This city is home to the world-famous Casino de Monte-Carlo, which features a ballet company and an opera house in addition to the gambling rooms.
• Moto'otua (Samoa)
• Moscow (Russia)
• Mumbai (India)
• Munich (Germany)

City Names Starting With N and O

• Naifaru (Maldives)
• Nairobi (Kenya)
• Nakasi 9 1/2 Miles (Fiji) Also known as simply Nakasi, this is a suburb of the capital, Suva. The "9 1/2 miles" in its name describes how far it is from Suva!
• Nazca (Peru)
• Nazret (Ethiopia)
• Nord (Greenland)
• Odessa (Ukraine) This city is sometimes called the "Pearl of the Black Sea."
• Omoka (Penrhyn, Cook Islands) This is more of a village than a city.
• Oradea (Romania)
• Oran (Algeria)
• Orange Walk (Belize)
• Oxford (England)

City Names Starting With P–R

• Pagan (Myanmar)
• Palmira (Colombia)
• Perth (Australia)
• Pigg's Peak (Swaziland)
• Piti (Guam)
• Plymouth (Montserrat) Despite technically being the capital of this island, the city of Plymouth has been abandoned.
• Point-Noire (Congo)
• Port Royal (Jamaica)
• Positano (Italy)
• Prague (Czech Republic)
• Québec City (Québec, Canada)
• Quetzaltenango (Guatemala) This city is thought to be named after the resplendent quetzal, an incredibly colorful red-breasted bird with green iridescent feathers.
• Rakvere (Estonia)
• Rhodes Town (Greece)
• Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
• Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
• Road Town (Virgin Islands)
• Rome (Italy)
• Rotterdam (Netherlands)

Unique City Names Starting With S

• Sabaneta (Aruba)
• Saldus (Latvia)
• Salinas (Ecuador)
• Samara (Russia) This city's name was changed to Kuybyshev in 1935 and changed back to Samara in the early '90s.
• San Lorenzo (Paraguay)
• San Sebastian (Puerto Rico)
• Sao Paulo (Brazil)
• Sarajevo (Bosnia)
• Sarband (Tajikistan)
• Sekong (Laos)
• Seoul (South Korea) This metropolis hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, as well as co-hosting the World Cup in 2002.
• Shanghai (China)
• Shenzhen (China)
• Siazan (Azerbaijan)
• Šilutė (Lithuania)
• Sinpo (North Korea)
• Sisian (Armenia)
• Skien (Norway)
• Sliven (Bulgaria)
• Snug Corner (Acklins Island, The Bahamas)
• Sparta (Greece)
• Strasbourg (France)
• Stockholm (Sweden)
• Surat (India)