The English word “China” ultimately comes from the name of an ancient Chinese state or dynasty, most likely Qin (秦), pronounced roughly “chin.”

The name travelled westward through trade and other contacts between Asia and the Mediterranean world, eventually becoming the European word China.

## The likely chain of transmission

## Qin (秦)

An ancient Chinese state; later the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE)

Sanskrit Cīna (चीन)

An ancient Indian name for China or the Chinese

Persian Čīn → European forms

Eventually English China, recorded in the 16th century

This is the traditional explanation, and it remains influential among scholars, although the precise origin is disputed. Sanskrit references to Cīna and the routes by which the name spread make the history more complicated than a simple direct borrowing from the Qin dynasty.

[image](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=https://journals.sagepub.com\&sz=32)

Samuel N. C. Lieu, 2024

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### What did the Chinese call their own country?

They have traditionally used 中国 (Zhōngguó), meaning approximately “Central State” or “Middle Kingdom.” The term has ancient roots, although its meaning and political use changed over time.

[image](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=https://en.wikipedia.org\&sz=32)

Wikipedia

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So the interesting twist is that China is probably an external name that developed through contact with other Asian peoples, rather than the original Chinese name for their own civilization.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5914186&forum_id=2#50198644)