This list includes countries and regions in the Iberian Peninsula (Latin Hispania) that were part of the Roman Empire, or that were given Latin place names in historical references.

Background Until the Modern Era, Latin was the common language for scholarship and mapmaking. During the 19th and 20th centuries, German scholars in particular have made significant contributions to the study of historical place names, or Ortsnamenkunde. These studies have, in turn, contributed to the study of genealogy. For genealogists and historians of pre-Modern Europe, knowing alternate names of places is vital to extracting information from both public and private records. Even specialists in this field point out, however, that the information can be easily taken out of context, since there is a great deal of repetition of place names throughout Europe; reliance purely on apparent connections should therefore be tempered with valid historical methodology.

Caveats and notes Latin place names are not always exclusive to one place – for example, there were several Roman cities whose names began with Colonia and then a more descriptive term. During the Middle Ages, these were often shortened to just Colonia. One of these, Colonia Agrippinensis, retains the name today in the form of Cologne.

Early sources for Roman names show numerous variants and spellings of the Latin names.

The modern canonical name is listed first. Sources are listed chronologically. In general, only the earliest source is shown for each name, although many of the names are recorded in more than one of the sources. Where the source differs in spelling, or has other alternatives, these are listed following the source. As an aid to searching, variants are spelled completely, and listed in most likely chronology.

Superscripts indicate: Latinized form of the Greek-derived name. Latinized form of the Asian-derived name via Greek. Altered Latinized form of the Greek-derived name.

Gibraltar

Canonical Latin name (source(s): variant(s)) English name (native language(s)) – older name(s), (other language(s)), location(s) Calpe (2PG3), Mons Calpe, Gibraltaria Gibraltar

Portugal Cities and towns

Canonical Latin name (source(s): variant(s)) English name (native language(s)) – older name(s), (other language(s)), location(s) Aeminium Coimbra Aquae Flaviae Chaves Arabriga Alenquer Arandis Garvão, a parish of Ourique Aretium Alvega Aviarium Aveiro Baesuris, Esuri Castro Marim Balsa west of Tavira Bevipo Alcácer do Sal Bracara Augusta Braga Brigantia Bragança Caeciliana (a Roman villa between Caetobriga and Malateca) Caetobriga Tróia, near Setúbal Calipolis Vila Viçosa Castra Leuca Castelo Branco Cilpes Silves Civitas Aravorum Marialva Castle, near Mêda Civitas Calabriga Monte do Castelo, Almendra Civitas Cobelcorum Almofala, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo Centum Cellae Colmeal da Torre, a parish of Belmonte Collipo S. Sebastião do Freixo – Golpilheira, Batalha Conímbriga Condeixa-a-Nova, south of Coimbra (the inhabitants of Conímbriga fled to nearby Aeminium, the ancient name of Coimbra, in 468) Conistorgis (location unknown in the Algarve or Baixo-Alentejo) Dipo Elvas Ebora, Ebora Cerealis, Liberalitas Julia Évora Eburobritium, Eburobrittium Óbidos Egiptania, Igaeditania Idanha-a-Velha Equabona Coina, a parish of Barreiro Guimaranis, Vimaranis Guimarães Ipses Alvor Lacobriga, Laccobriga Lagos Lamecum Lamego Lancobriga Fiães, a parish of Santa Maria da Feira Lorica Loriga, a parish of Seia Malateca Marateca, a parish of Palmela Metallum Vipascense Mina de Aljustrel, central Alentejo Mirobriga Celticorum Santiago do Cacém Mondobriga Alter do Chão Moron near Santarém Myrtilis Iulia Mértola Nabantia, Nabancia, Selleum, Sellium Tomar Olisipo, Olisipo Felicitas Iulia, Felicitas Julia Olissipo, Ulyssipolis, Ulisseia Lisbon (Lisboa) Ossonoba Faro Pax Iulia, Pax Augusta, Colonia Civitas Pacensis Beja Portus Alacer Portalegre Portus Cale Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto Portus Hannibalis Portimão Salacia Alcácer do Sal Scalabis Santarém Sirpe Serpa Sinus Sines Talabara Alpedrinha, a parish of Fundão Talabriga Marnel, near Águeda Tongobriga Freixo, Marco de Canaveses Tubucci Aurantes Abrantes Veniatia Vinhais Villa Euracini Póvoa de Varzim Vipasca Aljustrel Vissaium Viseu

Rivers Fl. Fluvius (Latin), R. Rio (Portuguese)

Roman name Modern name Minius Fl. R. Minho Limia Fl. R. Lima Tamaca Fl. R. Tâmega Durius Fl. R. Douro Vacua Fl. R. Vouga Monda Fl. R. Mondego Tagus Fl. R. Tejo Calipus Fl. R. Sado Ana vel Anas Fl. R. Guadiana Nabantius Fl. R. Nabão

Mountains

Roman name Modern name Herminius Mons Serra da Estrela, its former name meant the Mountains of Hermes. Lunae Mons Serra de Sintra, its former name meant the Mountains of the Moon.

Spain Cities and towns

Canonical Latin name (source(s): variant(s)) English name (native language(s)) – older name(s), (other language(s)), location(s) Abdera Adra, Andalusia Acinipo Ronda la Vieja, near Ronda, Andalusia Allabo Alagón, Aragon Arunda Ronda, Andalusia Asturica Augusta Astorga, León Baelo Claudia Bolonia, a village near Tarifa, Andalusia Baetulo Badalona, Catalonia Barcino Barcelona, Catalonia Baria Villaricos, Andalusia Beligio Belchite / Azuara / Azaila, Aragon Bilbilis Calatayud, Aragon Flavium Brigantium probably Betanzos, Galicia Bursao Borja, Aragon Caesaraugusta Zaragoza, Aragon Calagurris Calahorra, La Rioja Carthago Nova Cartagena Colonia Clunia Sulpicia Clunia, Burgos Colonia Victrix Iulia Lepida / C. V. I. Celsa Gelsa / Velilla de Ebro, Aragon Complutum Alcalá de Henares, Madrid Contrebia Belaisca Botorrita, Aragon Corduba (2PG3) Córdoba Dertusa Tortosa, Catalonia Egara Terrassa, Catalonia Emerita Augusta Mérida Flaviobriga Castro Urdiales, Cantabria Gades Cádiz, Andalusia Gerunda Girona, Catalonia Granata Granada Hispalis (2PG3) Seville Iacca Jaca, Aragon Ilerda Lleida, Catalonia Iluro Mataró, Catalonia Iria Flavia Iria Flavia, Galicia Labitolosa La Puebla de Castro, Aragon Legio VII Gemina León Lucentum Alicante Lucus Augusti Lugo, Galicia Matrice Madrid Malaca (2PG3) Málaga Minorisa Manresa, Catalonia Numantia Soria Oiasso Oiartzun, Basque Country Pompaelo, Pampalona, Pampelona Pamplona, Navarre Salmantica Salamanca Segeda Belmonte de Gracián / Mara, Aragon Tarraco Tarragona, Catalonia Toletum Toledo Tude, Tyde Tui, Galicia Turiaso Tarazona, Aragon Urci Almería, Andalusia Valentia Valencia Virgis Berja

See also Chemical elements named after places (several element names employ Latin place names) List of Celtic place names in Portugal List of Latin place names used as specific names

References In order of likely publication:

PNH: Pliny (Gaius Plinius Secundus), Naturalis Historia; book "PNH" chapter (that is, "37PNH81" instead of the usual "N.H.xxxvii.81"). PG: Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus), Geographia; book "PG" chapter (that is, "2PG3" instead of the usual "II.3"). Ptolemy wrote in Greek, so names are transliterated back into Latin to reveal the original form. HLU: Hofmann, Johann Jacob (1635–1706): Lexicon Universale GOL: The standard reference to Latin placenames, with their modern equivalents, is Dr. J. G. Th. Grässe, Orbis Latinus: Lexikon lateinischer geographischer Namen des Mittelalters und der Neuzeit (1861), an exhaustive work of meticulous German scholarship that is available on-line in the second edition of 1909. To use it, one must understand German names of countries, as they were in 1909. The original was re-edited and expanded in a multi-volume edition in 1972.

External links Grässe, Orbis Latinus Grässe, Orbis Latinus Hofmann: Lexicon Universale Place Names of Europe Pliny the Elder: the Natural History Ptolemy: the Geography