Noord

Noord is the Dutch word for north. In geographic naming, it is commonly used to designate northern parts of places, districts, municipalities, or provinces. The term appears both as a standalone toponym and as a component of longer names, reflecting orientation or regional position.

The most prominent example is Amsterdam-Noord, a district of Amsterdam located on the northern bank of the IJ river. Amsterdam-Noord encompasses diverse neighborhoods and has become a significant area for housing, culture, and industry within the city. Beyond cities, Noord is embedded in the names of large administrative regions, such as the Dutch provinces Noord-Holland (North Holland) and Noord-Brabant (North Brabant). These names indicate their positions relative to other parts of the country and are widely used in maps and governance.

Noord also features in a variety of Dutch place names that describe northern sections of towns or regions, such as Noordoostpolder, a municipality in Flevoland, and Noordwijk, a coastal town in South Holland. In everyday use, Noord remains a productive toponym in the Netherlands, reflecting both language and geography.

In summary, Noord functions as both a descriptive term and a proper place-name element within Dutch-speaking areas. Its applications range from specific urban districts to province names and broader regional identifiers, illustrating how orientation informs toponymy in the Netherlands.