The World’s Highest Mountains, And What Their Names Mean

World’s Highest Mountains, and What Their Names Mean

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From the Himalayas to the Andes, mountains have inspired and awed us for thousands of years.

Humans have ascribed all sorts of mythologies and metaphors to these jagged geological features. But while Everest or Kilimanjaro may ring a bell, do you know the meaning behind their names?

Today’s infographic from Alan’s Factory Outlet sorts the world’s highest mountains by continent, and explains the detailed origins of their names.

A Mountain By Any Other Name

Out of the 70 mountains profiled, only 41 are actually considered mountains. The rest are technically either a massif or a volcano (or a dome in one instance).

A massif (French for ‘massive’) is produced when a hard, unbendable rock is pushed towards the surface. They can also be formed when magma hardens once it’s above ground. For the rest of this post, we’ll refer to mountains and massifs interchangeably.

The highest mountains on each continent are considered to be part of the Seven Summits. Mountaineer Richard Bass was the first to scale all seven summits in 1985—and the 55-year old did so in only one year.

The Highest Mountain on Each Continent

Name	Location	Height	Meaning of Name
Mount Everest	Nepal/ China, Asia	29,029ft (8,848m)	After Sir George Everest, former surveyor of India Nepali name (Sagarmatha): “Forehead of the Sky” Tibetan name (Chomolungma): “Goddess Mother of Mountain”
Aconcagua	Argentina, S. America	22,841ft (6,962m)	Various native words: “Comes from the other side”, “Sentinel of stone”, “White sentinel”, “white ravine”
Denali	Alaska, U.S., N. America	20,310ft (6,190m)	Native Koyukon Athabascan: ‘high’ or ‘tall’
Mount Kilimanjaro	Tanzania, Africa	19,341ft (5,895m)	Unclear, but some suggest it is a combination of Swahili 'Kilma' ("mountain") and KiChagga 'Njaro' ("whiteness")
Mount Elbrus	Russia, Europe	18,510ft (5,642m)	Derived from Iranian mythology for  legendary mountain ‘Avestan Hara Berezaiti’: “high watchtower”
Vinson Massif	Antarctica	16,050ft (4,892m)	After Carl G. Vinson, a congressman from Georgia who supported the Antarctic Exploration
Puncak Jaya	Indonesia, Asia/ Oceania	16,024ft (4,884m)	Sanskrit: "Victorious mountain"

Among these impressive peaks, two are technically volcanoes—Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and Mount Elbrus in Russia. Overall, it’s clear that a majority of their names have been influenced by the native languages in their surroundings.

The 10 Asian Giants

The highest mountains in the world are all in Asia, with nine of the ten highest found in the Himalayan range. Many of their names are derived from Sino-Tibetan languages, and some have mythological or religious influences.

Name	Location	Height	Meaning of Name
Mount Everest	Nepal/ China	29,029ft (8,848m)	After Sir George Everest, former surveyor of India Nepali name (Sagarmatha): “Forehead of the Sky” Tibetan name (Chomolungma): “Goddess Mother of Mountain”
K2	Pakistan	28,251ft (8,611m)	First surveyor labeled each mountain with a K and number. It has no local name due to its remoteness
Kangchenjunga	Nepal/ India	28,169ft (8,586m)	Lhopo: “Five treasures of the high snow”
Lhotse	Nepal/ China	27,940ft (8,516m)	Tibetan: “South peak”
Makalu	Nepal/ China	27,838ft (8,485m)	Sanskrit origin: “Big Black”, the name for the Hindu god Shiva
Cho Oyu	Nepal	26,864ft (8,188m)	Tibetan: “Turquoise goddess”
Dhaulagiri (*Massif)	Nepal	26,795ft (8,167m)	Sanskrit origin: ‘Dazzling, beautiful, white mountain’
Manaslu	Nepal	26,781ft (8,163m)	Tibetan: ‘Mountain of the spirit’ Sanskrit origin (Manasa): ‘intellect’ or ‘soul’
Nanga Parbat	Pakistan	26,660ft (8,126m)	Sanskrit origin: “Naked mountain”
Annapurna (*Massif)	Nepal	26,545ft (8,091m)	Sanskrit origin: “Everlasting food” Name of the Hindu goddess of food and nourishment, believed to reside in the mountain

The second-highest mountain, K2 in Pakistan, lacks a more flowery name because it isn’t visible by any locals due to its remote location.

Majestic North America

The highest peaks in this region are scattered across three countries, with five volcanoes, four mountains, and one massif. Denali in Alaska, U.S. boasts unique names across nearly seven different Indigenous languages.

Name	Location	Height	Meaning of Name
Denali	Alaska, U.S.	20,310 ft (6,190 m)	Native Koyukon Athabascan: ‘high’ or ‘tall’
Mount Logan	Canada	19,551 ft (5,959 m)	After Sir William Edmond Logan (Founder of Geological Survey of Canada
Pico de Orizaba	Mexico	18,491 ft (5,636 m)	Nahuatl: "Star mountain"
Mount Saint Elias	Alaska, U.S.	18,009 ft (5,489 m)	After Cape Saint Elias Tlingit: "Mountain behind icy bay"
Popocatépetl	Mexico	17,749 ft (5,410 m)	Nahuatl: "Smoking Mountain"
Mount Foraker	Alaska, U.S.	17,400 ft (5,304 m)	After an Ohio Senator, Joseph B. Foraker Dena'ina: "Denali's wife"
Mount Lucania	Canada	17,257 ft (5,260 m)	Named by the Duke of Abruzzi for the RMS Lucania (A ship he sailed from Liverpool to New York)
Iztaccíhuatl	Mexico	17,159 ft (5,230 m)	Nahuatl: "White woman"
King Peak	Canada	16,972 ft (5,173 m)	After Canadian surveyor and politician William King
Mount Bona	Alaska, U.S.	16,550 ft (5,044 m)	Named by the Duke of Abruzzi after his racing yacht

Mexico’s highest volcanoes also have a Romeo and Juliet-esque myth that links them. Popocatépetl (active volcano) and Iztaccíhuatl (dormant volcano) are presumed to be lovers, both of whom meet a tragic end. It’s said that the active volcano is avenging its beloved’s death to this day.

Far Beyond the Horizon

Traveling to the southernmost tip of the Earth, you might be surprised to learn that volcanoes even exist in Antarctica. Mount Sidley is the highest, dormant, snow-covered volcano found here.

The only dome on the entire highest mountains list is Dome Argus (13,428 ft or 4,093 m). This is the coldest place on the planet, dropping between -144°F to -133°F (-98°C to -90°C).

Dome Argus is also unique from another angle—it’s the only one on Antarctica with fabled origins, based off the Greek figure Argus, builder of the mythological hero Jason and the Argonauts’ ship. The remaining mountains here are named for scientists and supporters of various Antarctic expeditions.

Under Sea, and Outer Space

All these highest mountains are visible on land, but it’s possible that more secrets remain in the deep blue. The Hawaiian dormant volcano Mauna Kea doesn’t make this list due to its lower elevation above sea level, but it’s actually 33,500ft (10,200m) high from tip to peak—far taller than even Everest.

Everest is still really impressive, but it’s also only a fraction of the size of Olympus Mons, the highest mountain on Mars and in the solar system. New planets are also being discovered every year, presenting further possibilities.

Ultimately, this suggests we’ve not yet peaked at discovering the massive mountains which exist in—and out—of this world.