Dublin (English)

Where does "Dublin" come from?

The name Dublin originates from the Middle Irish term 'Dublind,' which combines 'dub,' meaning black, and 'lind,' meaning pool or pond. This descriptive title originally referred to a dark-watered tidal pool on the River Liffey. Over time, the name evolved into its modern English form and was adopted by numerous cities and towns across the globe.

Full etymology tree

• Dublin (English), 'The government of the Republic of Ireland.'
  • inherited Dublind (Middle Irish)
    • compound dub (Middle Irish)
    • compound lind (Middle Irish)

Updated June 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris