Names that mean “river”
27 fragments across 19 traditions carry this sense. They split 16 to 11 between opening and closing a name, which means it sits comfortably at either end.
River names across the traditions
¶They are spread across 6 different families, from creatures outward, which is the mark of a sense so basic that almost every tradition needs a word for it. No single tradition hoards it: none of them goes past 3 fragments.
Hal initial · duin final · Hala initial
- Halheth
Hal river + heth mist
river mist
- Halrin
Hal river + rin circle
river circle
- Halnan
Hal river + nan valley
river valley
- Kelduin
Kel green + duin river
green river
- Aelduin
Ael noble + duin river
noble river
- Orinduin
Orin mountain + duin river
mountain river
- Halariel
Hala river + riel crowned
river crowned
- Halawenna
Hala river + wenna blossom
river blossom
- Halamiril
Hala river + miril jewel
river jewel
Nahra initial · Nahira initial
- Nahradiel
Nahra river + diel of God
river of God
- Nahraseth
Nahra river + seth of the seal
river of the seal
- Nahrahod
Nahra river + hod of the splendour
river of the splendour
- Nahirarana
Nahira river + rana of the throne
river of the throne
- Nahiraiela
Nahira river + iela of God
river of God
- Nahirahela
Nahira river + hela of God
river of God
rann final · ranna final
- Rekkrann
Rekk reached + rann river
reached the river
- Mokkrann
Mokk mocked + rann river
mocked the river
- Gorrann
Gorr gored + rann river
gored the river
- Snarraranna
Snarra snarled + ranna river
snarled the river
- Thakkaranna
Thakka struck + ranna river
struck the river
- Raddaranna
Radda rode + ranna river
rode the river
Abo initial · abona final
- Abomagus
Abo river + magus market field
river market field
- Abomedion
Abo river + medion middle
river middle
- Abocunon
Abo river + cunon hound
river hound
- Cunoabona
Cuno hound + abona river
hound river
- Tarvoabona
Tarvo bull + abona river
bull river
- Tritoabona
Trito third + abona river
third river
potamos final · Potamo initial
- Astropotamos
Astro star + potamos river
star river
- Lithopotamos
Litho stone + potamos river
stone river
- Kallipotamos
Kalli beautiful + potamos river
beautiful river
- Potamophyle
Potamo river + phyle tribe
river tribe
- Potamoile
Potamo river + ile troop
river troop
- Potamohetaireia
Potamo river + hetaireia company
river company
gawa final · Kawa initial
- Rikugawa
Riku land + gawa river
land river
- Hikagawa
Hika light + gawa river
light river
- Tamagawa
Tama jewel + gawa river
jewel river
- Kawadani
Kawa river + dani valley
river valley
- Kawakura
Kawa river + kura storehouse
river storehouse
- Kawaue
Kawa river + ue above
river above
riviere final · flumen final
- Fidariviere
Fida faithful + riviere river
faithful river
- Virgineariviere
Virginea maidenly + riviere river
maidenly river
- Ferariviere
Fera wild + riviere river
wild river
- Puriflumen
Puri pure + flumen river
pure river
- Noviflumen
Novi new + flumen river
new river
- Nemoriflumen
Nemori grove + flumen river
grove river
bhanna final
- Mealabhanna
Meala honey + bhanna river
honey river
- Laoibhanna
Laoi chanted lay + bhanna river
chanted lay river
- Tuilebhanna
Tuile flood + bhanna river
flood river
Chuan initial
- Chuanqiang
Chuan river + qiang strong
river strong
- Chuansen
Chuan river + sen forest
river forest
- Chuande
Chuan river + de virtue
river virtue
Ea initial
- Eadale
Ea river + dale broad valley
river broad valley
- Eamill
Ea river + mill grinding house
river grinding house
- Eacaster
Ea river + caster roman fort
river roman fort
Flum initial
- Flumlandia
Flum river + landia land
river land
- Flumina
Flum river + ina land
river land
- Flumveld
Flum river + veld open country
river open country
ryn final
- Faeryn
Fae fate + ryn river
fate river
- Anaryn
Ana breath + ryn river
breath river
- Juniryn
Juni young + ryn river
young river
Riv initial
- Rivduna
Riv river + duna hill
river of the hill
- Rivnatha
Riv river + natha depth
river of the depth
- Rivmotha
Riv river + motha dusk
river of the dusk
Owen initial
- Owencroagh
Owen river + croagh stack
river stack
- Owenroe
Owen river + roe red
river red
- Owenmuine
Owen river + muine thicket
river thicket
Ryn initial
- Ryncrag
Ryn river + crag rock face
river rock face
- Rynwatch
Ryn river + watch outpost
river outpost
- Rynheath
Ryn river + heath heathland
river heathland
Fluv initial
- Fluvcorona
Fluv river + corona crown
river crown
- Fluvcatena
Fluv river + catena chain
river chain
- Fluvrupes
Fluv river + rupes cliff
river cliff
reka final
- Svetlareka
Svetla radiant + reka river
radiant-river
- Milenareka
Milena gracious + reka river
gracious-river
- Helgareka
Helga holy + reka river
holy-river
Afon initial
- Afonfelin
Afon river + felin watermill
river watermill
- Afongarw
Afon river + garw rough
river rough
- Afonbont
Afon river + bont bridge
river bridge
Riv initial
- Rivleaf
Riv river + leaf green blade
river green blade
- Rivreed
Riv river + reed marsh cane
river marsh cane
- Rivrune
Riv river + rune secret
river secret
Senses that travel together
Each of these shares at least two traditions with “river”. Senses that keep turning up in the same sets usually belong to one semantic field — the small vocabulary a naming tradition returns to again and again.
Corpus under CC BY 4.0 — every fragment above has a stable anchor, so you can cite one entry rather than the whole site.