The reason for naming Syrian cities with these names and their meanings
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1_ Syria:
A Syriac name derived from the word (Sir), which means master, and its feminine form is (Sara), and Syria means (the sovereign land or the land of masters or nobles). The name replaced the name (Aram) after the spread of Christianity and the attempt of the Christians to distinguish themselves from the pagans, so they called themselves the Syriacs (or Syrians). That is, the nobles, and the name “Aramaeans” remained to refer to the pagans.
There is more than one opinion on the origin of the word Syria.
2_ Raqqa:
Raqqa was established in 244 or 242 BC and was initially called Callinikos, after Seleucus I, the founder of the city, who was called by this name.
(Some say that the name goes back to the Greek philosopher Callinicos, who is believed to have died in Raqqa.)
Before Islam, Raqqa was called the homeland of “Anza bin Wael,” Mosul was called the homeland of “Rabi’a bin Wael,” and northern Syria was called the homeland of “Bakr bin Wael.”
3_ Damascus:
A Syriac word that means (irrigated house) or (irrigated land), due to the large number of springs and small rivers in the Ghouta of Damascus and its outskirts.
Its most famous river is (Barada), whose name also means (Baradad), meaning the son of the god, Haddad. He is the Lord of storms and rain in Syrian mythology.
There is no truth to the saying that says because they built it in Damascus, meaning they rushed.
As for the reason for calling Damascus “the Levant,” there are two opinions:
• The first opinion: in reference to Shem, son of Noah, when he descended there and settled there. The word Shem in Arabic and Syriac is pronounced “Sham,” by changing the “S” to “Shen.”
• As for the second opinion: Because of the large number of villages around it, it is like the number of moles on the body.
_ Aleppo :
Its original name (Halba) means white in Syriac because it was built of white limestone.
In another narration, the Prophet Abraham had a gray-haired cow and he was milking it, and the herald called out to the crowds, “Come, for Abraham had milked the gray-haired cow.”
Source: websites