| Name of Currency |
Country |
Meaning |
| Afghani |
Afghanistan |
derived from country name: "that belongs to or that is from Afghanistan" |
| Austral |
Argentina |
Latin:"Australis" - coming from the South, outhern, "Auster" - the South wind |
| Balboa |
Panama |
Vasco Nunez de Balboa - Spanish explorer who discovered the Pacific Ocean (1475-1519) |
| Bolivar |
Venezuela |
Simon Bolivar - Venezuelan statesman who revolted against Spanish rule, founded Bolivia in 1825 (1783-1830) |
| Cent, Centavo, Centime |
Many countries |
Latin: "centum" - a hundred, used in the meaning of "a hundredth" |
| Colon |
El Salvador, Costa Rica |
Cristobal Colon is the Spanish name of Christopher Columbus, explorer who discovered America (1451-1506) |
| Cordoba |
Nicaragua |
Francisco Fernandez Cordoba - Spanish explorer who discovered Yucatan (1475-1526) |
| Cruzado |
Brazil |
from the Portuguese verb "Cruzar: to bear a cross" - early Portuguese gold or silver coins that beared a cross on reverse |
| Cruzeiro |
Brazil |
from Portuguese word: "Cruz" - Cross |
| Dalasi |
Gambia |
A Gambian native name |
| Denar |
Macedonia |
derived from "Dinar" |
| Dinar |
Many countries |
Latin: "Denarius" - Silver Money |
| Dirham |
Morocco, UAE |
the origin is from Old Greek word "Drakhme" which came to Latin as "Drachma" meaning "a handful" |
| Dobra |
St.Thomas and Principe |
Portuguese: Fold, folding |
| Dollar |
USA and many other countries |
from 16th century German: "Thaler" a short for of Joahimsthaler, coin made from metal mined in Joahimsthal, a town now in Czech Republic |
| Drachma |
Greece |
Old Greek: "Drakhme" - "a handful" |
| Dram |
Armenia |
the origin is from Old Greek word "Drakhme" which came to Latin as "Drachma" meaning "a handful" |
| Euro |
European Union |
derived from Europe. This name was the winning choice in a contest in 1996, and was invented by a group of scholars in Spain. (with special thanks to Dr. Roberto Cacciamani) |
| Escudo |
Portugal, Cape Verde |
Portuguese: Shield displaying coat of arms; from Latin: Scutum |
| Forint |
Hungary |
from Italian word "Fiorino" - Florin |
| Franc |
France and other French speaking countries |
14th century French word derived from Latin phrase: Rex Francorum - King of the Franks, inscribed on 14th century francs. |
| Gourde |
Haiti |
A tropical American evergreen that produces large round gourds, also means "heavy" in French |
| Guarani |
Paraguay |
Indigenous people living in Paraguay and Bolivia |
| Gulden |
Holland, Surinam, Netherlands Antilles |
Dutch: Golden |
| Hryvna |
Ukraine |
A medieval Russian monetary unit (coin) equivalent to 10 kopeks |
| Inti |
Peru |
a regional word from Quechua, Peru |
| Koruna |
Czech Rep., Slovakia |
Czech: Crown, head from Latin "Corona" |
| Krone |
Scandinavian currencies |
Latin: "Corona" - Crown |
| Kroon |
Estonia |
Latin: "Corona" - Crown |
| Kuna |
Croatia |
Croatian : a small furred animal |
| Kwacha |
Malawi, Zambia |
from a native word in Zambia |
| Lempira |
Honduras |
Lempira is an Indian Chief who opposed the Spanish |
| Leone |
Sierre Leone |
derived from country name |
| Leu |
Romania, Moldova |
Romanian: "Lion" |
| Lev |
Bulgaria |
Bulgarian: "Lion" |
| Lira |
Italy, Turkey, Malta, San Marino |
Latin: "Libra" - "Scales" or "Pound" |
| Manat |
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan |
derived from the Russian word for coins "Manyeta" (spells as "moneta") |
| Mark |
Germany |
Old English: "Marc" is a unit of weight of precious metals perhaps from the marks on metal bars. |
| Markkaa |
Finland |
Most probably its etymology is the same as "Mark" |
| Mongo |
Mongolia (coins) |
Mongolian: "Mongo" - Silver |
| Naira |
Nigeria |
Altered from the word "Nigeria" |
| Pataca |
Macao |
Portuguese: "Paw" |
| Peseta |
Spain |
diminutive of Peso |
| Peso |
Many Spanish speaking countries |
Spanish: "Weight" |
| Pound Sterling |
England and many other countries |
Old English: "Pund" from Latin word: "Pondus" - Weight; Sterling is drived from old English word "Steorra" - Star, referring to a small star on early Norman pennies |
| Punt |
Ireland |
Irish Gaelic: Pound |
| Quetzal |
Guatemala |
Spanish: a bird; zool: Pharomachrus mocinno |
| Rand |
South Africa |
In Dutch, Rand is a kind of "Security Deposit" |
| Real |
Brazil |
Portuguese:
1) Royal,
2) Actual,
3) Real |
| Renminbi Yuan |
P.R. of China |
In Chinese "Renminbi" is the "People's currency"; "Yuan" is literally "Round Object" |
| Rial |
Iran, Oman |
Persian version of the Arabic word "Riyal" which is derived from the Spanish word "Real" |
| Riyal |
Many Arabic speaking countries |
derived from the from Spanish word "Real" |
| Ruble |
Russia, Belarus |
Russian: rubl "Silver Bar" from the verb "Rubit"- "to cut up" |
| Rufiyaa |
Maldives |
derived from "Rupee" |
| Rupee |
India, Pakistan, Nepal and others |
from Sanskrit word "Rupya" - Silver |
| Rupiah |
Indonesia |
derived from "Rupee" |
| Shekel |
Israel |
16th century Hebrew: any coin or money |
| Shilling |
UK (old), Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania etc |
from the Old English and Old High German verb "Scilling" - "to Divide" |
| Sol |
Peru |
Latin: "Solidus" - copper or silver coin |
| Som |
Kyrghyzstan |
Kyrghyz: Pure (gold) |
| Somoni |
Tajikistan |
named in the honour of Ismoil Somoni - the founder of the first Samanid (Tajik) State |
| Sucre |
Equador |
Antonio Jose de Sucre - South American liberator who revolted against Spain, first president of Bolivia (1795-1830) |
| Sum |
Uzbekistan |
pronounced as Som - Uzbek: Pure (gold) |
| Tenge |
Kazakhstan |
Kazakh (and also other Turkic languages): Balance, scales |
| Tolar |
Slovenia |
Most probably derived from the German word "Thaler" as the "Dollar". |
| Yen |
Japan |
from Chinese word "Yuan" - a round object |
| Zloty |
Poland |
Polish: Golden |
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