What is Domain Name Extensions? And what is its extension meanings?

Domain name is a name that identifies one or more IP addresses or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a particular Web site.

For example, the domain name google.com represents about a dozen IP addresses. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular Web pages. For example, in the URL http://www.road2webmaster.com/index.html, the domain name is road2webmaster.com.

Every domain name has a suffix that indicates which top level domain (TLD) it belongs to. There are only a limited number of such domains. There are several of them to choose from:

  • .com represents the word "commercial"
  • .net represents the word "network"
  • .org represents the word "organization"
  • .biz is used for small business Web sites.
  • .info is for credible resource Web sites and signifies a "resource" web site.
  • .mobi (short for "mobile") is reserved for Web sites built for easy viewing on mobile devices.
  • .us is for American Web sites and is the newest extension.
  • .cc was originally the country code for Coco's Keeling Islands.
  • .bz was originally designated as the country code for Belize, but is now commonly used by small business who can't get the name they want using the .biz extension. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.
  • .tv is for rich content/multi-media Web sites.
  • .vg is the country code for the British Virgin Islands. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.
  • .ws was originally designated as the country code for Western Samoa, but is now commonly used as an acronym for "Web sites." It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.
  • .name is the only domain extension specifically designed for personal use. It is commonly used for easy to remember e-mail addresses and personal web sites that display photos or personal information about an individual.
  • .co.uk is the country code for United Kingdom. The .co portion of the extension indicates the domain name is for commercial purposes (similar to a standard .com extension).
  • .org.uk is the country code for United Kingdom. The .org portion of the extension indicates the domain name is for an organization.
  • .me.uk is the country code for United Kingdom. The .me portion of the extension indicates the domain name is for an individual.
  • .de is the country code for Germany. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.
  • .eu is the country code for the European Union. Registration of .eu domain names requires registrants to meet one of the three eligibility requirements: have a registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the European Community; have an organization established within the European Community without prejudice to the application of national law; or be a natural person resident within the European Community.
  • .be is the country code for Belgium.
  • .cn is the country code for China. It may be registered by businesses, organizations and sole proprietorships from any country.
  • .com.cn is the country code for China.
  • .net.cn is the country code for China.
  • .org.cn is the country code for China.
  • .cn Regional names. There are 34 regional .cn extensions available, for example, .bj.cn. The .bj portion of the extension represents Beijing and the .cn represents China. These extensions may be registered by businesses, organizations and sole proprietorships from any country.
  • .tw is the country code for Taiwan.
  • .com.tw is the country code for Taiwan.
  • .org.tw is the country code for Taiwan.
  • .at is the country code for Austria.
  • .com.mx is the country code for Mexico.
  • .co.nz is the country code for New Zealand.
  • .net.nz is the country code for New Zealand.
  • .org.nz is the country code for New Zealand.
  • .gs is the country code for the South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands.
  • .tc is the country code for the Turks & Caicos Islands.
  • .ms is the country code for Montserrat.
  • .fm is the country code for Federated States of Micronesia, but is commonly used for FM radio.
  • .am is the country code for Armenia, but commonly used for AM radio.
  • .la is the country extension for Laos, but also used for Los Angeles, Louisiana or Latin America.
  • .us.com is an alternate domain for the United States
  • .uk.com is an alternate domain for the United Kingdom
  • .eu.com is an alternate domain for the European Union
  • .de.com is an alternate domain for Germany

Because the Internet is based on IP addresses, not domain names, every Web server requires a Domain Name System (DNS) server to translate domain names into IP addresses.

E-mail This Page print this pagePrint this page

Related Domain Names Article Categories:

How To Choose A Domain Name?

A domain name provides an identity to the business. While buying a domain name you need to note down the name of the website domain names and its nearest ones so that if you do not get that particular domain name...more

Getting the Right Domain Names

One of the most essential things that one must consider in building a site is choosing the right domain name for the site. A lot of reasons may be attributed to asking why the need for a better domain name... more

How to Transfer a Domain Name

A domain name transfer refers to a change of ownership of a domain name. Sometimes it is cheaper to renew a domain name by paying for a transfer...more

How to Change Domain Nameservers

There comes a time when you decide to either start a website or transfer a website from one host to another. You need to tell your domain name where to point to and change your Domain...more

Expired Domains - How to Check Used Domain Names

Some domain names expire simply because the owner forgets to renew them at the end of their registration term. Others get "dumped" because they can no longer succeed in the search engines. With such uncertainty...more