# Why Is Everest Called Everest? Sagarmatha, Chomolungma and Peak XV

_Published 22 July 2026_

The highest mountain on Earth has several names, and the one most people know, Everest, comes from a man who never saw it.

**Quick answer:** the British Great Trigonometric Survey of India first called the mountain **Peak XV**. In **1865**, the Royal Geographical Society adopted the name **Mount Everest**, after **Sir George Everest**, a former Surveyor General of India. In Nepal it is called **Sagarmatha**, and in Tibet **Chomolungma**, often translated as "Goddess Mother of the World".

## Peak XV

In the 1850s, surveyors measuring the Himalaya from the plains of India realised that Peak XV was the highest mountain in the world. Its first published height, in 1856, was 29,002 ft (about 8,840 m).

## Mount Everest

The Surveyor General, Andrew Waugh, proposed naming the peak after his predecessor, George Everest, and the name was officially adopted in 1865. Interestingly, George Everest himself had objected, arguing that local names should be used.

## Sagarmatha

In Nepali, the mountain is **Sagarmatha**, often translated as "forehead of the sky". The national park around it is Sagarmatha National Park.

## Chomolungma

To Tibetans and Sherpas, it is **Chomolungma** (or Qomolangma), commonly translated as "Goddess Mother of the World".

## How high is it?

In 2020, Nepal and China jointly announced a height of **8,848.86 m**. See our [news report](/news/everest-new-height-announced-2020) and [Everest facts](/blog/mount-everest-facts).

## Frequently asked questions
### Who was Everest named after?
**Sir George Everest**, a former Surveyor General of India.

### When was the name adopted?
In **1865**.

### What is Everest called in Nepal?
**Sagarmatha**.

### What is Everest called in Tibet?
**Chomolungma**.

### What was Everest's survey name?
**Peak XV**.


Web page: https://himalayanhiking.com/blog/why-is-everest-called-everest