List of Hong Kong placename etymologies
The following is a non-exhaustive list of the etymologies of place names in Hong Kong.
| City | Language Origins | Meaning | Named for | Named by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria City | English | person | Victoria of the United Kingdom | |
| Kowloon | Chinese | geographic | nine dragons or nine hills | Emperor Bing of Song |
| Tsuen Wan New Town | Chinese | geographic | shallow bay | |
| Sha Tin New Town | Cantonese Chinese | geographic | sandy field | |
| Tuen Mun New Town | Literal Chinese | historic | military camp | |
| Tai Po New Town | Hakka Chinese | Big step | ||
| Yuen Long New Town | ||||
| Fanling | Powdery peak | |||
| Sheung Shui New Town | ||||
| Tseung Kwan O New Town | Chinese | General's Bay[1] | ||
| Tin Shui Wai New Town | ||||
| North Lantau New Town | Chinese | North Ragged Town | ||
| Aberdeen Harbour | English | bay named for a person | The 4th Earl of Aberdeen | |
| Cheung Chau | Chinese | geographic | long island | |
| Discovery Bay | English | History | ||
| Kennedy Town | English | person | Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy | |
| Kwun Tong | Chinese | government's pond | Koon Fu salt yards | |
| Lei Yue Mun | Chinese | carp's channel[2] | ||
| Ma Wan | Chinese | Horse Bay | ||
| Mui Wo | Chinese | thing | plum nest | |
| Peng Chau | Chinese | Flat Island | ||
| Sai Kung Town | Chinese | |||
| Sha Tau Kok | Chinese | sandy head point | ||
| Shek O | Chinese | place | rocky bay | |
| Shek Tong Tsui | Chinese | place | Stone Quarry Point [3] | |
| Sok Kwu Wan | Chinese | |||
| Stanley | English | person | Lord Stanley | |
| Tai O | Chinese | |||
| Yung Shue Wan | Chinese | Banyan Tree Bay |
References
- ^ "The Forgotten Geography of Hong Kong Place Names | Nature in the City". City Unseen. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ Chan, S.-H.; Ip, I.-C.; Leung, L. Y. M. (2006). "Negotiating culture, economics and community politics : the practice of Lei Yue Mun tourism in postcolonial Hong Kong practice of Lei Yue Mun tourism in postcolonial Hong Kong". Cultural Studies Review. 12 (2): 109. doi:10.5130/csr.v12i2.2339.
- ^ Farmer, Hugh (9 May 2024). "Quarrying and transportation of stone in Hong Kong, 1841 – The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group". The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group. Retrieved 29 June 2025.