Washington
/ˈwɑːʃ.ɪŋ.tən/noun
A proper noun used for the U.S. capital, a U.S. state, and many places and institutions named after George Washington.
Did you know?Washington is ultimately an English place-name built from Old English elements, and its modern fame comes from George Washington, whose surname was originally inherited from a family name meaning “estate/settlement of the people of Wassa.”
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
Wassingatun
“the estate or settlement of Wassa’s people”
Middle English
ME
Washington
“a family name and place-name in England”
18th Century
English
Washington
“the surname of George Washington”
1790
English
Washington, D.C.
“the newly established federal capital of the United States”
Modern English
English
Washington
“the capital of the United States, a U.S. state, and a widely used proper noun”