Columbia: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance

Meaning
'[land] of Columbus' -- formed from the explorer's Latinized name plus a place-name suffix
Origin
Latin (from the explorer's Latinized name, Columbus)
Gender
Girl
Pronunciation
kuh-LUM-bee-uh

Columbia is a Latin (from the explorer's Latinized name, Columbus) girl's name meaning “'[land] of Columbus' -- formed from the explorer's Latinized name plus a place-name suffix”. It appears in 2 of our baby name lists.

Meaning & Origin of Columbia

Meaning: '[land] of Columbus' -- formed from the explorer's Latinized name plus a place-name suffix.

Origin: Latin (from the explorer's Latinized name, Columbus).

A common claim: Widely said to mean 'dove,' from Latin columba. Actually: That's one step removed from the truth -- Columbia is built directly from 'Columbus,' not from the word for dove; the 'dove' sense belongs to Columbus's own surname etymology, not to 'Columbia' itself.

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Columbia

kuh-LUM-bee-uhIPA /kəˈlʌmbiə/

Popularity of Columbia

Lists That Include Columbia

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