Liiva

Liiva is a toponym used in Estonia and also the Estonian word meaning sand. In Estonian, liiv is the noun for sand, and liiva is the partitive/genitive form, which makes the toponym plausible as a descriptor of sandy terrain. The name is applied to several settlements across the country, typically small villages or neighbourhoods, often located in or near sandy landscapes such as dunes or beaches. Because of its generic geographic origin, there is no single Liiva that dominates in prominence; instead, the name occurs in multiple counties and municipalities, with each Liiva having its own local history and administrative ties.

In toponymy, names derived from natural features are common in Estonia, and Liiva exemplifies how soil type or landscape can be preserved in place names over time. Modern references to Liiva typically appear in local registry, postal data, and geographical databases, where each Liiva is distinguished by its county or municipality.

The term also serves as a grammatical form of liiv in Estonian; outside of proper nouns, liiva is rarely used as a standalone lexical item in modern language beyond its grammatical function. The coexistence of Liiva as a common noun form and as multiple place names reflects the broader pattern of Estonian toponymy tied to the natural environment.