Równe

Równe is a Polish toponym meaning “even” or “level,” and it is used for several settlements in Poland as well as historically for a major city now known as Rivne in present-day Ukraine. The name reflects common Polish place-naming conventions that describe landscape or topography.

In Poland, there are multiple villages and small localities named Równe, located in various voivodeships. These places are typically rural and form part of larger administrative districts. The name’s recurrence across regions illustrates the broader pattern of descriptive names in Polish geography.

The most notable historical use of the name is for the city now called Rivne in northwestern Ukraine. In Polish-language sources and historical maps, the city has appeared as Równe. It served as an important locale within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later passed under different states through the partitions and changing borders of the region. Today Rivne is the administrative center of Rivne Oblast in Ukraine, and the Polish designation Równe appears mainly in historical or linguistic contexts.

Etymologically, Równe derives from the Polish adjective równy, meaning “even” or “level.” The name can reference a characteristic of the landscape or a perceived evenness of terrain noted by settlers and cartographers. In modern usage, Równe is recognized primarily as a historical and linguistic marker linking Polish and Ukrainian place-names.