Kiskun

Kiskun is a historical and toponymic term from Hungary that literally means “Little Cuman,” referring to the Cumans (kun) who settled in the Great Hungarian Plain. The name is commonly associated with the region known as Kiskunság, or Little Cumania, a historic part of the plains that was settled and organized under the Kingdom of Hungary.

Historically, the Cumans were invited to Hungary in the 13th century and were allocated land in the southern-central plain. The area was later organized into two administrative units often called Kiskunság (Little Cumania) and Nagy-Kunság (Great Cumania). These counties existed in the medieval and early modern periods as part of the kingdom’s local governance, before administrative reforms gradually dissolved them. In modern Hungary, the historical territory of Kiskunság falls largely within the counties of Bács-Kiskun, with portions extending toward Pest and Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok.

Geography and landscape are defining features of Kiskunság. The region lies in the Danube–Tisza Interfluve, characterized by flat to gently rolling terrain, sandy soils, and steppe-like habitats. The area supports a mix of agricultural land and nature reserves, including protected habitats that preserve the diverse flora and fauna of the Hungarian plain.

In contemporary use, the term persists in place names such as Kiskunhalas, Kiskunmajsa, and Kiskunfélegyháza, and is associated with the Kiskunsági National Park (Kiskunsági Nemzeti Park), established in 1975 to protect the region’s distinctive landscapes and ecosystems. The etymology reflects the historical presence of the Cumans in this tract of Hungary.