Country names aren’t permanent. Political change, decolonization, and a desire to reclaim indigenous identity have all led a number of countries that changed their name in recent decades.
Notable Country Name Changes
- Eswatini — formerly Swaziland, renamed by royal decree in 2018 to use its indigenous name and avoid confusion with Switzerland
- Turkey → Türkiye — officially requested the UN and international bodies use “Türkiye” starting in 2022, partly to distance the country’s name from the bird and negative English idioms
- Myanmar — formerly Burma, renamed by the ruling military government in 1989; the change remains politically contested, and some governments and organizations still use “Burma”
- Czechia — adopted as the short-form name for the Czech Republic in 2016
- North Macedonia — formerly simply “Macedonia,” renamed in 2019 to resolve a long-running naming dispute with Greece
- Cabo Verde — the country requested international use of its Portuguese name instead of the English “Cape Verde” starting in 2013
- Historical examples: Zaire became the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ceylon became Sri Lanka, Persia became Iran, Siam became Thailand, and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe
See current names and data for all of these countries on our Rankings page.
Why Countries Rename Themselves
Name changes typically fall into a few categories: reclaiming an indigenous or precolonial name after independence (Ceylon to Sri Lanka, Rhodesia to Zimbabwe), resolving a diplomatic dispute with a neighboring country (North Macedonia and Greece), or a political rebranding by a new government (Burma to Myanmar). Some, like Türkiye’s recent change, are aimed simply at controlling international perception and avoiding unwanted associations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Swaziland change its name to Eswatini?
Swaziland’s King Mswati III announced the name change to Eswatini in 2018 to mark 50 years of independence and to use the country’s indigenous name rather than a name assigned during British colonial rule.
Is it still correct to call Myanmar “Burma”?
Both names are used today — “Myanmar” is the name recognized by the United Nations, while some governments and organizations continue to use “Burma” due to the contested legitimacy of the military government that introduced the change.
Why did Turkey change its name to Türkiye?
Turkey requested international bodies use “Türkiye” starting in 2022 to better reflect the country’s own spelling and pronunciation and to avoid the unrelated English meanings of the word “turkey.”
Compare any of these countries using our Compare tool.
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