Nigeria (English)

Where does "Nigeria" come from?

The name Nigeria was coined in 1897 by British journalist Flora Shaw, who combined the suffix '-ia' with the name of the Niger River. The river's own name has a complex history, likely stemming from Tuareg roots meaning 'river of rivers,' though it was later influenced by the Latin word 'niger,' meaning 'black.'

Full etymology tree

• Nigeria (English), 'A country in West Africa, south of the country of Niger. Official name: Federal Republic of Nigeria. Capital: Abuja. Largest city: Lagos. Currency: naira (₦).'
  • compound Niger (English), 'A country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria. Official name: Republic of the Niger.'
    • inherited Ni-Gir (Ancient Greek)
      • inherited gher n-gheren (Tuareg)
    • influence niger (Latin), 'wan, shining black (as opposed to āter, dull black)'
  • suffix -ia (English), 'Used in forming placenames, especially of countries.'

Direct ancestors

• Niger (English)
• -ia (English)

Updated July 2026

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