Czechia or Czech Republic? Two names, both correct, one to pick

Few countries have argued so long about what to call themselves in English. The state that emerged on 1 January 1993 had a formal name, the Czech Republic, but no simple one-word form, and it took more than two decades for a short name to catch on. Every newcomer asks about it. The answer is shorter than the argument: both are correct.

Is Czechia the official name?

Yes, as the short name. The Constitution gives the state's name as the Czech Republic (Česká republika). The short form in Czech is Česko, and its English equivalent is Czechia. In 2016 the Czech authorities promoted Czechia formally and registered it with the United Nations for use in its geographic names databases. The long name remains the legal one, used in treaties, laws and on passports.

So the country has not changed its name. Czechia is to the Czech Republic what France is to the French Republic.

Where does the name come from?

The root is Čechy, the Czech word for Bohemia, and Češi, the Czechs. After 1918 the state was Czechoslovakia. When it split, the Czech side had a practical problem. The Slovaks had a one-word name, Slovakia, while the Czechs had only the two-word "Czech Republic". Česko had long existed as a short form in Czech, and it was recommended for general use in 1993.

The English equivalent, Czechia, was already in occasional use before the 2016 push. The country has form in naming rows: in 1990 Czechoslovakia had the so-called "hyphen war" over whether it should be written Czecho-Slovakia.

Where the English words come from

The English word Czech comes via Polish spelling of the Czech name Čech, which is also the name of the forefather in the legend that the medieval chronicler Cosmas of Prague wrote down. English writers once spelled the word in several ways, and the modern form settled only gradually. Bohemia has a different origin. It goes back to a Latin form of the name of an earlier people who lived in the area, long before Slavic settlement, and it is the word English has used for the land for centuries. Part of the confusion about names is that English inherited two words for what Czech has always treated as a single people and a single territory.

Why did it take so long to catch on?

Partly habit. Partly taste: some Czechs found Česko informal or ugly, and in English "Czechia" can look unfamiliar. A name that official documents did not require was easy to ignore. The 2016 push came from the government, which argued that a short name was useful for product labels, sport and international bodies.

Why a short name matters more than it seems

A country's short name turns up in places where the long one will not fit: on a football scoreboard, in a drop-down menu, in a headline with a 40-character limit, on a product that says where it was made. That is the practical case for Czechia, and it is why the government pressed it. International standards followed the same logic. The short name Czechia is recorded in the international country-code lists, alongside the code CZ that already identifies the country on internet domains, and the United Nations uses it in its geographic databases.

The long name still has the legal edge. A treaty, a contract or a residence permit refers to the Czech Republic, and a court will read it that way. Czechs themselves seem to treat the two as registers: Česko for conversation, Česká republika for the paperwork. That is a fair guide for an English speaker who needs a rule of thumb.

Which should you use?

It depends on the setting. In an official or legal document, use the Czech Republic. In a headline, a travel article, a business presentation or conversation, Czechia works and is increasingly common. EU institutions' style guidance lists Czechia as the short name (as of 2026; check the official source). If you want one rule, choose one and keep to it within a piece of writing.

Czechs themselves usually say Česko in conversation and Česká republika in formal speech. Foreigners who use either are understood. The demonym is simple: a person from the country is a Czech, and the adjective is Czech, whichever country name you pick.

Is the Czech Republic the same as Bohemia?

No, and the confusion is common. Bohemia is the western part of the country, one of three historic lands alongside Moravia and Czech Silesia. Calling the whole country Bohemia leaves out the other two, and Moravians notice. In Czech, Čechy means Bohemia specifically. The three lands are covered in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia explained.

What about other languages?

Most languages have a word for the country, and many are built on the same root. Germans say Tschechien for the short form and Tschechische Republik for the long one; the French say Tchéquie alongside République tchèque. English was slower than most to settle on a short form, which is why the question comes up so often among English speakers in Prague.

Slips to avoid

A few phrases mark the writer as new to the country. Czechian is not a word; the adjective is Czech. The Czech Republic is not the same as Czechoslovakia, which no longer exists. And Bohemian, as an adjective, refers to the historic land or to the Bohemian crown, not to the whole modern population. A person from Brno is a Czech and a Moravian, not a Bohemian.

If the language question matters to your work, check how the organisation you write for handles it and follow its style guide. Consistency within a document counts for more than the particular choice, and the reader will forgive either name before forgiving a switch halfway through a paragraph.

The same goes for place names. Prague, Vienna and Munich are English exonyms, and nobody objects. Czechia is the same kind of thing for the country as a whole: a familiar English form that helps the reader, as long as it is used consistently.

Czechia, Slovakia and the old state

Czechoslovakia was the common state that ended on 31 December 1992. Czechia and Slovakia are now separate countries, and both are EU members. The longer story, from Great Moravia to the present, is in short history of Czechia.

What to write

Look at the official documents you receive, such as a residence card or a contract: they use the long form. In your own English emails and writing, choose Czechia or Czech Republic and stick with it. If you are unsure in a formal context, the long name is always correct.

Frequently asked questions

Is Czechia the new name of the Czech Republic?

No. It is the short form, like France for the French Republic. The long name has not changed.

What does the passport say?

The long official name. Formal documents use the Czech Republic.

Is it rude to say Czechia?

No. It is understood and increasingly used. Some Czechs prefer the long form in formal settings, and few mind either in conversation.

What do I call a person from the country?

A Czech. The adjective is Czech, whichever country name you use.