Mountain Names
Mountains have always carried big names — some honor gods, some describe a shape or color, and many preserve words from the Indigenous languages of the people who lived beneath them. This page gathers more than 100 mountain names: the tallest peaks on each continent, famous American mountains, great ranges, baby names that mean mountain or hill, and invented peaks for fantasy worlds.
Heights are rounded and given in feet. For the rest of the natural world, see our river names, forest names and ocean names; for strong, earthy baby names, try nature boy names.
The highest mountains in the world
All 14 of the world’s peaks over 8,000 meters are in the Himalaya and Karakoram of Asia. Here are the top ten, plus the story behind their names.
| Mountain | Height / location | Name meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Everest | 29,032 ft; Nepal–China | Named for surveyor George Everest; Tibetan Chomolungma, “goddess mother of the world” |
| K2 | 28,251 ft; Pakistan–China | Survey label “Karakoram 2”; also Chhogori |
| Kangchenjunga | 28,169 ft; Nepal–India | “Five treasures of the snow” |
| Lhotse | 27,940 ft; Nepal–China | “South peak” (of Everest) |
| Makalu | 27,838 ft; Nepal–China | Possibly from Sanskrit Maha Kala, a form of Shiva |
| Cho Oyu | 26,864 ft; Nepal–China | “Turquoise goddess” |
| Dhaulagiri | 26,795 ft; Nepal | “White mountain” |
| Manaslu | 26,781 ft; Nepal | “Mountain of the spirit” |
| Nanga Parbat | 26,660 ft; Pakistan | “Naked mountain” |
| Annapurna | 26,545 ft; Nepal | “Goddess of the harvests” |
The Seven Summits: highest peak on each continent
Climbing all seven is a famous mountaineering challenge (Everest is listed above).
| Mountain | Continent | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Aconcagua | South America (Argentina) | 22,838 ft; highest outside Asia |
| Denali | North America (Alaska) | 20,310 ft; Koyukon for “the high one”; federally renamed Mount McKinley in 2025 |
| Kilimanjaro | Africa (Tanzania) | 19,341 ft; a dormant volcano |
| Elbrus | Europe (Russia) | 18,510 ft; twin-coned volcano in the Caucasus |
| Vinson | Antarctica | 16,050 ft; named for US Congressman Carl Vinson |
| Mont Blanc | Europe (France–Italy) | 15,774 ft; “white mountain”; highest in the Alps |
| Puncak Jaya | Oceania (Indonesia) | 16,024 ft; also called Carstensz Pyramid |
| Kosciuszko | Australia | 7,310 ft; named after Polish hero Tadeusz Kościuszko |
Famous mountains in the United States
From volcanoes to granite domes, America’s best-known peaks. Several have Indigenous names; for more see Native American names.
| Mountain | State | Why it’s famous |
|---|---|---|
| Rainier | Washington | Glacier-covered volcano; Tahoma to local tribes |
| Whitney | California | Highest peak in the contiguous US |
| Shasta | California | Majestic lone volcano |
| Hood | Oregon | Portland’s snowy backdrop |
| St. Helens | Washington | Erupted in 1980 |
| Rushmore | South Dakota | Carved with four presidents |
| Pikes Peak | Colorado | Inspired “America the Beautiful” |
| Elbert | Colorado | Highest in the Rocky Mountains |
| Washington | New Hampshire | Famous for extreme winds |
| Mitchell | North Carolina | Highest east of the Mississippi |
| Katahdin | Maine | Northern end of the Appalachian Trail |
| Half Dome | California | Yosemite’s granite icon |
| Mauna Kea | Hawaii | Tallest from base to summit, about 33,500 ft |
| Mauna Loa | Hawaii | Largest active volcano on Earth |
| Grand Teton | Wyoming | Jagged peak of the Teton Range |
| Stone Mountain | Georgia | Huge granite dome |
| Longs Peak | Colorado | Popular fourteener |
| Baker | Washington | Snowiest ski area on record |
Famous and sacred mountains around the world
Peaks that are cultural icons, pilgrimage sites or the stuff of legend. Mythology fans should also see Greek god names.
| Mountain | Country | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Fuji | Japan | Sacred volcano and national symbol |
| Matterhorn | Switzerland–Italy | The classic pyramid peak |
| Olympus | Greece | Mythical home of the Greek gods |
| Sinai | Egypt | Where Moses received the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19–20) |
| Ararat | Turkey | Traditional landing place of Noah’s Ark (Genesis 8) |
| Kailash | Tibet | Sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bön |
| Eiger | Switzerland | Notorious north face, “Mordwand” |
| Table Mountain | South Africa | Flat-topped backdrop of Cape Town |
| Uluru | Australia | Sacred Anangu sandstone monolith (not strictly a mountain) |
| Vesuvius | Italy | Buried Pompeii in AD 79 |
| Etna | Italy | Europe’s most active volcano |
| Sugarloaf | Brazil | Pão de Açúcar above Rio |
| Ben Nevis | Scotland | Highest in the British Isles |
| Snowdon | Wales | Yr Wyddfa, Wales’ highest |
| Tai Shan | China | Most revered of China’s five sacred peaks |
| Zugspitze | Germany | Germany’s highest point |
| Chimborazo | Ecuador | Farthest point from Earth’s center |
| Fitz Roy | Argentina–Chile | Iconic Patagonian spires |
| Cotopaxi | Ecuador | One of the highest active volcanoes |
| Machapuchare | Nepal | “Fish tail”; never officially summited |
| Kinabalu | Malaysia | Borneo’s sacred granite giant |
| Aoraki | New Zealand | Also Mount Cook; the country’s highest |
| Popocatépetl | Mexico | Nahuatl, “smoking mountain” |
| Pico de Orizaba | Mexico | Highest peak in Mexico |
Great mountain ranges
Some of the world’s best-known ranges and the origins of their names.
| Range | Where | Name origin |
|---|---|---|
| Himalaya | South Asia | Sanskrit, “abode of snow” |
| Andes | South America | Possibly Quechua anti, “east” |
| Rockies | North America | From the Rocky Mountains’ rugged look |
| Alps | Europe | Possibly Latin albus, “white” |
| Appalachians | Eastern US | From the Apalachee people |
| Sierra Nevada | California | Spanish, “snowy saw-toothed range” |
| Cascades | Pacific Northwest | After the cascades of the Columbia River |
| Pyrenees | France–Spain | From the mythical Pyrene |
| Atlas | North Africa | The Titan who held up the sky |
| Urals | Russia | Divide between Europe and Asia |
| Carpathians | Central Europe | Possibly from the Carpi tribe |
| Karakoram | Pakistan–China | Turkic, “black gravel” |
| Tian Shan | Central Asia | Chinese, “heavenly mountains” |
Baby names that mean mountain or hill
Solid, grounded names for children. Browse names that mean strength and names that mean earth for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | Mountainous | Spanish / Latin |
| Bryn | Hill | Welsh |
| Ben | Mountain (Scottish Gaelic beinn); also short for Benjamin | Scottish / Hebrew |
| Dunstan | Dark stone hill | Old English |
| Yama | Mountain | Japanese |
| Sierra | Mountain range | Spanish |
| Alpina | Of the mountains | Latin |
| Brynmor | Great hill | Welsh |
| Tor | Rocky peak | English / Cornish |
| Hilton | Hill town | English |
| Parvati | Daughter of the mountain | Sanskrit |
| Girish | Lord of the mountains (Shiva) | Sanskrit |
| Monte | Mountain | Italian / Spanish |
| Montgomery | From Mont Gomery, “Gumarich’s mountain” | Norman French |
| Craig | Rock, crag | Scottish Gaelic |
| Carrick | Rock, cliff | Irish / Scottish Gaelic |
| Shailaja | Daughter of the mountain (an epithet of Parvati) | Sanskrit |
| Girija | Born of the mountain | Sanskrit |
Fantasy mountain names
Invented peaks for novels and campaigns, plus a few famous fictional mountains for reference. Pair with kingdom names and dwarf names.
| Name | Style / vibe | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Frostspire | Icy, lonely | Frozen northern wastes |
| Emberpeak | Volcanic | Dragon lairs |
| Stormcrown | Wild, windy | Giant strongholds |
| The Grey Teeth | Jagged, grim | Orc borderlands |
| Skyreach | Soaring | Monastery peaks |
| Ironback | Hard, mined | Dwarf kingdoms |
| Thunderhold | Booming | Sky-god temples |
| Mount Doom | Tolkien’s volcano in Mordor | Reference only |
| Lonely Mountain | Erebor, from The Hobbit | Reference only |
| Throat of the World | Tallest peak in Skyrim | Reference only |
Tips for using mountain names
- Respect original names. Many peaks have Indigenous names now used officially again — Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) and Aoraki (Mount Cook), for example. Using them honors their history.
- For baby names, look at roots. Welsh bryn, Gaelic beinn, Spanish sierra and Japanese yama all mean mountain or hill.
- Place names make bold first names. Everest, Denali, Shasta and Sierra are already used for children in the US.
- For fantasy maps, combine a weather or material word (frost, ember, iron) with a shape (spire, crown, teeth, hold).
- Use them for pets, too. Big dogs suit big mountains: Rainier, Everest, Kilimanjaro (“Kili”). See our dog names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the tallest mountain in the world?
Mount Everest, at 29,032 feet above sea level. Measured from base to summit, Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller (about 33,500 feet), but much of it is underwater.
What are the Seven Summits?
The highest peak on each continent: Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (Europe), Vinson (Antarctica) and either Kosciuszko or Puncak Jaya (Australia/Oceania).
What names mean mountain?
Montana, Sierra, Bryn, Brynmor, Ben (Gaelic beinn), Yama (Japanese) and Parvati (“daughter of the mountain”) all carry mountain meanings.
What does Denali mean?
Denali comes from the Koyukon Athabaskan language and means “the high one” or “the tall one”. It became the official US name in 2015; the federal government switched back to Mount McKinley in 2025, though Alaska and most climbers still say Denali.
What is the most famous mountain in the US?
Mount Rainier, Denali, Mount Rushmore and Mount St. Helens are among the best known.