In many languages, the name refers to Russian mountains. Contrastingly, in Russian, they are called ???????????? ????? (Amerikanskiye gorki, American hills). In the Scandinavian languages, the roller coaster is referred as mountain-and-valley railway.

In a fascinating linguistic twist, Russians call rollercoasters "американские горки" (amerikanskie gorki), which literally translates to "American Mountains." This is ironic because, in many other languages—including French (montagnes russes), Spanish (montaña rusa), and Italian (montagne russe)—the ride is called "Russian Mountains." This linguistic reversal stems from history: the earliest precursors to rollercoasters were 17th-century Russian ice slides, which were massive wooden structures covered in ice that people would sled down. When these "Russian Mountains" were exported to France and adapted with wheels for summer use, the name stuck in Western Europe. However, the modern, high-tech, looping rollercoasters we recognize today were largely developed and popularized in the United States, particularly at places like Coney Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When these modern versions were eventually introduced to Russia, they were seen as a distinct American invention, leading Russians to name them after their country of origin. Thus, while the world credits Russia for the concept, Russia credits America for the thrill-ride technology.