List of Latin place names in the Balkans
This list includes countries and regions in the current common definition of the Balkans that were part of the Roman Empire, or that were given Latin place names in historical references.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.
Cities and towns in [Albania]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Amantia | Amantia |
| Antigonea | Gjirokastër |
| Antipatrea | Berat |
| Apollonia | Fier |
| Aulona | Vlorë |
| Buthrotum | Butrint |
| Bylis | Bylis |
| Dyrrhachium | Durrës |
| Lissus | Lezhë - Lyssos |
| Scodra | Shkodër - Shkodra - Scutari |
| Tyrana | Tirana |
| Valebona | Tropojë |
Cities and towns in [Bosnia and Herzegovina]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Aquae Sulphurae | Ilidža |
| Neuense | Neum |
| Pelva | Livno - Ludricensis |
| Saloniana | Mostar - Vitrinica |
| Salvia, Salvium | Glamoč |
| Serbinum, Servitium | Gradiška |
Cities and towns in [Bulgaria]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Abritum, Abrittus | Razgrad |
| Aetus, Astus, Idus, Aquilia | Aytos |
| Almus, Artanus | Lom |
| Anchialus | Pomorie |
| Apollonia Pontica, Appolonia Magna, Antheia, Sozopolis | Sozopol |
| Augusta Traiana, Augustra Trajana | Stara Zagora |
| Aurea | Zlatitsa |
| Bononia | Vidin |
| Copsis | Karlovo |
| Debeltum, Pyrgus | Burgas |
| Diocletianopolis | Hisarya |
| Dionysopolis | Balchik |
| Diospolis | Yambol |
| Durostorum | Silistra |
| Escus, Oescus | Gigen |
| Germanea | Separeva Banya |
| Magura Piatra, Regianum, Camistrum, Augusta | Kozloduy |
| Marcianopolis | Devnya |
| Melta, Praesidium, Caesaria | Lovech |
| Menebria, Mesembria, Metropolis Nova | Nesebar |
| Montana, Municipium Montanensium | Montana |
| Nicopolis | Nikopol |
| Nicopolis ad Istrum | Nikyup |
| Nicopolis ad Nestum, Neurocopia | Gotse Delchev, Nevrokop |
| Novae | Svishtov |
| Odessus¹ | Varna |
| Pautalia | Kyustendil |
| Peronticus, Agathopolis | Ahtopol |
| Ratiaria | Archar |
| Scaptopara | Blagoevgrad |
| Serdica | Sofia |
| Sexaginta Prista | Ruse |
| Stenimachus | Asenovgrad |
| Stipum | Ihtiman |
| Storgosia | Pleven |
| Trimontium, Philippopolis | Plovdiv |
| Ulpia Oescus, Palatiolum | Gigen |
| Valve | Vratsa |
Cities and towns in [Croatia]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Aenona | Nin |
| Aequum | Čitluk, near Sinj Split-Dalmatia County |
| Albona | Labin |
| Andautonia | Ščitarjevo near Zagreb |
| Aqua Balissae | Daruvar |
| Aqua Viva | Petrijanec near Varaždin |
| Aquama | Čakovec |
| Cibalae | Vinkovci |
| Epidaurus, Epidauros | Cavtat |
| Flanona | Plomin |
| Flumen | Rijeka, |
| Iadera | Zadar |
| Issa | Vis |
| Lopsica | Sveti Juraj |
| Marsonia | Slavonski Brod |
| Mursa | Osijek |
| Narona | Vid, near Metković |
| Neapolis-Aemonia | Novigrad |
| Nesactium | Vizače |
| Oneum | Omiš |
| Parentium | Poreč |
| Petina | Pićan |
| Pharus | Hvar |
| Piquentum | Buzet |
| Pola | Pula, Pulj |
| Ragusa | Dubrovnik |
| Rocium | Roč |
| Salona | Solin |
| Scardona | Skradin |
| Senia | Senj |
| Siscia | Sisak |
| Spalatum | Split |
| Tarsatica | Trsat |
| Tragurion | Trogir |
| Vegium | Karlobag |
Cities and towns in [Greece]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Acharnae¹ | Acharnes, Menidi |
| Aegina | Aegina |
| Agrinium¹ | Agrinio - Agrinion |
| Alexandropolis¹ | Alexandroupolis |
| Almyrus¹ | Almyros |
| Amphilochia¹ | Amphilochia |
| Amphipolis¹ | Amphipolis |
| Amphissa¹ | Amphissa - Amfissa |
| Argos¹ | Argos |
| Atalanta | Atalante - Atalanta |
| Athenae¹ | Athens |
| Berroea | Verroia - Berrea |
| Carystus¹ | Carystos - Carystus |
| Cenchreae¹ | Kechries - Cenchreae, near Corinth |
| Chalcis¹ | Chalkida, Euboea |
| Corcyra³ | Corfu |
| Corinthus¹ | Corinth |
| Delphi¹ | Delphi |
| Dodona¹ | Dodona |
| Eleusis¹ | Eleusis |
| Epidaurus¹ | Epidaurus |
| Gythium | Gytheion |
| Heracleium¹ | the port of Knossos, perhaps Amnisos, east of modern Iraklion, Crete |
| Isthmia¹ | Isthmia, slightly east of Corinth |
| Laurium, | Laurium - Laurion |
| Leucas | Lefkada - Lefkas - Leucas |
| Marathon, Marathonis¹ | Marathon |
| Megalopolis¹ | Megalopolis |
| Megara | Megara, west of Athens |
| Mycenae | Mycenae |
| Naupactus | Nafpaktos |
| Nauplium¹ | Nafplion |
| Nemea¹ | Nemea |
| Nicopolis¹ | Nicopolis |
| Nova Ionia | Nea Ionia - New Ionia, Athens |
| Nova Ionia | Nea Ionia - New Ionia, Thessaly |
| Olympia¹ | Olympia |
| Olympias¹ | Olympias - Olympiada |
| Orchomenos¹ | Orchomenus |
| Paeania¹ | Paiania - Paeania |
| Patrae¹, Ares Patrensis | Patras |
| Phalerum | Phaleron - Faliron |
| Philippi | Philippi |
| Piraeus | Piraeus |
| Potidaea¹ | Potidaea - Potidaia |
| Salamis¹ | Salamis |
| Sparta¹ | Sparta |
| Tegea | Tegea, near Tripoli |
| Thebae | Theva - Thebes |
| Thermopylae¹ | Thermopylae |
| Thessalonica, Salonica¹ | Thessaloniki, Saloniki - Salonika, Makedonia |
| Tripolis | Tripoli |
| Troezen, Troezena¹ | Troezen |
| Uranopolis¹ | Uranopoli - some prefer Uranopolis |
| Zycanthus, Zacynthus¹ | Zante - Zakynthos |
Cities and towns in [Montenegro]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Acruvium | Kotor |
| Anagastum, Anderva, Anderba | Nikšić |
| Antipargal | Bar |
| Birziminium | Podgorica |
| Colchinium, Olcinium, Ulcinium | Ulcinj |
| Doclea | Duklja |
| Rhizon, Rhizinium, Risinium | Risan |
Cities and towns in [North Macedonia]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Lychnidus | Ohrid |
| Monasterium | Bitola |
| Scopium, Scupium | Skopje |
| Stibo, Estipium | Štip |
Cities and towns in [Romania]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Abruttus | Abrud |
| Aegyssus | Tulcea |
| Ad Aquas | Călan |
| Ad Mediam | Mehadia |
| Ad Pannonios | Teregova |
| Ad Stoma | Brețcu |
| Alburnus Maior | Roșia Montană |
| Altinum | Oltina |
| Ampelum | Zlatna |
| Angustia | Râșnov |
| Apulum | Alba Iulia |
| Arcidava | Vărădia |
| Arrubium | Măcin |
| Arutela | Călimănești |
| Bersobis, Berzobis | Berzovia |
| Brucla | Aiud |
| Calatis, Callatis | Mangalia, |
| Caput Stenarum | Boița |
| Carsium | Hârșova |
| Centum Putea | Surducu Mare |
| Cibinum | Sibiu, Sibiu County |
| Colonia Ulpia Traiana | Sarmizegetusa |
| Corona, Civitas Coronensis | Brașov, |
| Dierna | Orșova |
| Drobeta | Drobeta-Turnu Severin |
| Forum Novum Siculorum | Târgu-Mureș, Mureș County |
| Germisara | Geoagiu |
| Iassium | Iași |
| Media | Mediaș, Sibiu County |
| Micia | Vețel |
| Napoca, Claudiopolis | Cluj-Napoca |
| Noviodunum | Isaccea, Tulcea County |
| Porolissum | Moigrad |
| Potaissa | Turda |
| Praetorium | Copăceni, Vâlcea County |
| Resculum | Bologa |
| Romula-Malva | Reșca Dobrosloveni |
| Salinae | Ocna Mureș |
| Sucidava | Celei |
| Tapae | Poarta de Fier a Transilvaniei |
| Temesiensis | Timișoara, Timiș County |
| Tibiscum | Jupa, Caraș-Severin |
| Tomis | Constanța |
| Troesmis | Iglița |
| Ulmetum | Pantelimonul de Sus, Constanța County |
| Varadinum | Oradea |
Cities and towns in [Rumelia] ([Turkey])
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Adrianopolis | Edirne - Adrianople |
| Byzantium | Istanbul, Constantinople |
| Constantinopolis | Istanbul, Constantinople |
| Roma Nova | Istanbul, Constantinople |
Cities and towns in [Serbia]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Acumincum | Stari Slankamen - Slankamen |
| Bassianae | Donji Petrovci |
| Bononia | Banoštor |
| Burgenae | Novi Banovci |
| Cusum | Petrovaradin |
| Lederata | Rama |
| Naissus | Niš |
| Neoplanta | Novi Sad |
| Remesiana | Bela Palanka |
| Rittium | Surduk |
| Semendria | Smederevo |
| Singidunum | Belgrade |
| Sirmium | Sremska Mitrovica |
| Taurunum | Zemun |
| Ulpiana | Lipljan |
| Viminacium | Kostolac |
Cities and towns in [Slovenia]
| Canonical Latin Name : variant) | English Name - older name,, location |
| Ad Pirum | Hrušica |
| Aegida, Capris, Caput Histriae | Koper |
| Arae Postumiae | Postojna |
| Atrans | Trojane |
| Carnium, Carnioburgum | Kranj |
| Castra | Ajdovščina |
| Celeia | Celje |
| Emona, Aemona, Labacum | Ljubljana |
| Lithopolis | Kamnik |
| Longaticum | Logatec |
| Marburgum | Maribor |
| Nauportus | Vrhnika |
| Neviodunum | Drnovo |
| Poetovio | Ptuj |
| Pyrrhanum | Piran |