During antiquity, the city of Vlorë, the homonymous county capital, was known as "Aulón" (, meaning channel or glen, and possibly a translation of another indigenous name). The city was founded as a Greek colony within the territory of Illyria. The Latin name is "Aulona", a Latinization of the Ancient Greek name. The medieval and modern Greek name was Αυλώνας /av'lonas/, accusative Αυλώνα /av'lona/, and is the source of the Italian name "Valona" and of the obsolete English "Avlona". During the Ottoman era, the Turkish "Avlonya" was also common.