# Why are there so many names for Germany, AKA Deutschland, Allemagne, etc.?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-names-for-germany-aka-deutschland-allemagne-etc/479280
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [December 30, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-names-for-germany-aka-deutschland-allemagne-etc/479280 "2008-12-30T21:23:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@alcansyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alcansyn)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-names-for-germany-aka-deutschland-allemagne-etc/479280/1 "2008-12-30T21:23:14Z")
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Hello Mr. Cecil,
Thank you so much for your forum about the many different ways in which different countries address Germany. I was really interested in this subject and now I feel more receptive to a more in depth research on this country and its lenguage.
I hope German will be my third lenguage.
The way I figure, I took me about 15 years to learn Español, 15 years to learn English, so I should be able to learn German in about the same amount of time.
Happy writings, 🙂
Syntia
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-names-for-germany-aka-deutschland-allemagne-etc/479280/2 "2008-12-30T21:54:50Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, Syntia.
A link to the column you’re commenting on is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [Why are there so many names for Germany, AKA Deutschland, Allemagne, etc.? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/443/why-are-there-so-many-names-for-germany-aka-deutschland-allemagne-etc)
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [December 31, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-names-for-germany-aka-deutschland-allemagne-etc/479280/3 "2008-12-31T02:35:58Z")
It would be interesting to know if any other country has as many names as Germany.
If Germany has the most names, the question then would be: why Germany? This Cecil didn’t really address.
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### Author:  [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)
#### Post date: [December 31, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-names-for-germany-aka-deutschland-allemagne-etc/479280/4 "2008-12-31T22:25:50Z")
Yes he did.
But if you want further clarification, it has something to do with the fact that there was no such nation-state as Germany until 1871. Before that, there were dozens of small German kingdoms, and before Napoleon, there were hundreds of tiny little kingdomlets that were kinda-sorta united under the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, whenever they felt like it.