City Names That Start With X

Although no country name starts with the letter "X", both in English or other local languages, numerous cities and towns do. Most of these cities and towns are located in China, as well as two cities in Mexico, and one city in both Mozambique and Uzbekistan. Some of the cities whose names start with the letter "X" are highlighted below.

Examples of Cities that Start with the Letter "X"

Cities in China

More than 25 cities in different parts of China have names that start with the letter "X." The largest city is Xi’an, which has an estimated population of 5.9 million. Xi’an is the capital city of Shaanxi Province and is one of China’s oldest cities, as well as one of the country's Four Great Ancient Capitals.

Xianning, which is prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, is the second-largest city in China that starts with the letter "X." The city has an estimated  population of 2.4 million, and the majority of the population are Han people, while less than 5,000 identify as belonging to other ethnic groups.

Xiangyang is also a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province. It is the second-largest city in Hubei after Xianning, with an estimated population 2.2 million.

The sub-provincial city of Xiamen in the southeastern Fujian Province is divided into six districts and has an estimated population of 1.9 million. It connects the cities of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in the west and north, respectively.

Xintai is a county-level city located in the central part of Shandong Province. It is also a county-level division of the city of Tai’an.

Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in Henan Province that borders Zhengzhou to the northwest. It is the center of the Chinese tobacco industry and is also known for the manufacturing of wigs.

Other cities in China that start with the letter "X" include Xinghua, Xiantao, Xinyu, and Xinxiang. Each of these cities have a population of at least one million residents.

Cities in Mexico

Two cities in Mexico start with the letter "X." The city of Xalapa is the capital of the state of Veracruz, as well as the name of the surrounding municipality. The city’s name originated from the Nahuatl language, and means "sand" and "place of water." Xalapa is popularly referred to as the "Athens of Veracruz" because of the strong cultural influence from the local university, Universidad Veracruzana. The city has an estimated population of 388,000 residents.

The other city in Mexico beginning with the letter "X" is Xochimilco, which is one of the 16 boroughs in Mexico City. The borough is centered on the former independent city of Xochimilco and is divided into 18 neighborhoods.

Xai-Xai and Xo’jayli

Xai-Xai is the only city in Africa that starts with the letter "X." The city, which is located in southern Mozambique, was previously named João Belo. It is currently the capital of Gaza Province and has an estimated population of 116,000. Xo’jayli is a town in Karakalpakstan, which is an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan. It is located about 15 kilometers northwest of Nukus, which is the capital of Karakalpakstan.

Pronunciation of “X” in the Names of Chinese Cities

Given that most of the city names that start with the letter "X" do not come from the English language, the "X" is often not pronounced the same way as it would be in English. The pronunciation of the Chinese character is often written down using a Romanization system known as pinyin. Therefore, the "X" in the name sounds like something between "sea" and "she."