Mount Everest's Name: Honoring Sir George Everest, Not a "Western" Rename

Mount Everest does not have a separate "Western name." Its English name honors Sir George Everest (1790–1866), Surveyor General of India (1830–1843), who oversaw the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India.

Naming History

• 1856: Andrew Waugh (Everest's successor) calculated Peak XV at 29,002 ft (8,840 m).
• 1865: Royal Geographical Society officially named it "Mount Everest" over Waugh's objection (Everest preferred local names).
• Local names: Tibetan: Chomolungma ("Goddess Mother of the World"); Nepali: Sagarmatha ("Forehead of the Sky").

Why Not a Local Name?

Multiple local names existed; British India administration wanted a single, neutral label. Everest never saw the peak. The name stuck globally.

Modern Usage

• International: Mount Everest / Everest.
• China: 珠穆朗玛峰 (Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng) — from Chomolungma.
• Nepal: सगरमाथा (Sagarmatha).
• Both local names are official in their countries.

The mountain has one English name (honoring a surveyor) and two indigenous names (honoring the sacred). No "Western rename" occurred—the English name is the Western name.