What connection do you and I have with Asia? Many of my clothes are made in China. Today I have eaten sushi from Japan and soy sauce from China. My Samsung phone is named after a Korean as I search for facts for my blog. Advertisements in the UK and USA newspapers are for martial arts from Asia.
Singapore Placenames
I lived in Singapore for many years and in Singapore many landmarks, streets and squares and hotels are named after Raffles. Raffles Hotel. Also several areas and railway stations and streets are named after British people from earlier eras. Raffles was buried in a church in Hendon, London.
You can buy a book on the origin of Singapore street names.
When Visiting Malaysia, from adjoining Singapore, I was told about the origins of names.
In the Philippines I was told that the country was named after Philip.
Indian Placenames
In India I noticed the Sassoon Docks in Bombay, which was renamed Mumbai. The docks were named after Sassoon who funded them. The Docks were his idea. The Sassoons were a famous family, who founded the Hong Kong an Shanghai Bank, HSBC. I remember reading Sassoon's poems about WWI and visiting the house and zoo associated with Sassoon in southern England.
That was just a tiny corner of India. Associated with the UK and worldwide through the Sassoon name.
Today, September 8th 2026, I used Ask Gemini for some more memorable place names in Asia. I find it is easier to remember names of cities or train stations if you associate them with the people they are named after.
Many major cities, regions, and geographic landmarks across Asia are named after historical figures, monarchs, military leaders, explorers, and national heroes:
Up popped useful results from the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Malaysia and UAE.
Major Cities & Capitals
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam): Formerly named Saigon, the country's largest city was renamed in 1976 in honor of Hồ Chí Minh, the revolutionary leader and prime minister/president of North Vietnam.
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia): Renamed in 1924, the name translates to "Red Hero," chosen in honor of Damdin Sükhbaatar, the founding leader of the Mongolian Revolution and national hero.
Faisalabad (Pakistan): Formerly Lyallpur (named after Sir James Lyall), the city was renamed in 1979 in honor of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who had close ties to Pakistan.
Islamabad (Pakistan): While meaning "City of Islam," several districts within the capital are named after famous historical leaders, such as the Faisal Mosque.
Davao City (Philippines) / General Santos City (Philippines): General Santos City was named after General Paulino Santos, a former Commanding General of the Philippine Army who spearheaded settlement in the region.
George Town (Penang, Malaysia): Capital of the state of Penang, named after King George III of Great Britain.
Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India): Named in honor of Captain Archibald Blair of the British East India Company, who established a colony there in 1789.
Provinces, States & Regions
Rizal Province (Philippines): Named directly after José Rizal, the national hero, writer, and polymath of the Philippines.
Quezon / Quezon City (Philippines): Named after Manuel L. Quezon, the second President of the Philippines, who established the city to replace Manila as the capital.
Jharkand / Telangana (India): While many Indian states take indigenous or linguistic names, Victoria Terminus / Victoria in Mumbai and various historic districts honor historic figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji (e.g., Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly Aurangabad, named after Aurangzeb and later Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj).
Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh): A famous coastal town and long beach named after Captain Hiram Cox, an officer of the British East India Company who served as a diplomatic superintendent.
Geographic Features & Islands
Mount Everest (Nepal/China border): Named after Sir George Everest, a Welsh surveyor and Surveyor General of India who oversaw the initial mapping of the Indian subcontinent.
K2 / Mount Godwin-Austen (Pakistan/China border): Also known historically as Mount Godwin-Austen, named in honor of Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen, an early surveyor and explorer of the region.
Sir Bani Yas (United Arab Emirates): An island named after Sheikh Yas, the founder and progenitor of the Bani Yas tribal confederation.
Barents Sea / Bering Strait (North Asia/Russia): Sea and strait bordering northern and eastern Asia, named after explorers Willem Barentsz and Vitus Bering.
