由於歷史的複雜，當代英文從城市、國家或地區的名稱中衍生出多種稱呼國家或種族群體的方式。而基於音韻學上的考量，在這些方法中，最佳的方法是將該地名的最後一個音節或整個地名的語體視為命名的重點，而其他的考量多少會有所影響。在諸多影響當中，命名所造成的辭意毀損通常是最不顯著的。

As a result of its complex history, Modern English has several different ways of deriving names of national or ethnic groups from the names of the cities, countries, or regions associated with them. Choice among these different ways is, to a great extent, made on the basis of phonological considerations having to do with the last syllable of the relevant place-name or with the overall phonological shape of the entire place-name, but other considerations may occasionally have an impact. Among these, derogation usually plays at most a very small role.