How do countries get their names?

There are certain exceptions to the rule, like Mexico (thought to be named after an Aztec war god or to mean “child of the moon”) and Canada (which is named after Huron-Iroquois word for “village” or settlement). So, next time you’re at a party chock-full of etymologists, you’ll be sure to be the life of the party. Throw in this extra fact about how long it takes to read the whole dictionary, and they might just make you their queen.