Where does “Kashmir” come from?

Kashmir derives from Hindi कश्मीर, from Sanskrit कश्मीर, itself from Sanskrit कश्यपमेरु, combining कश्यप and मेरु, ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian kaćyápas.

Ancestry of “Kashmir”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Hindi	कश्मीर	—
2	Sanskrit	कश्मीर	—
3	Sanskrit	कश्यपमीर	—
4	Sanskrit	कश्यप	a tortoise; having black teeth
5	Proto-Indo-Aryan	kaśyápas	—
6	Proto-Indo-Iranian	kaćyápas	turtle

Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian kaćyápas →

Kashmir — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer