The name Togo means "by the water" or "behind the sea." It comes from the Ewe language, where "to" means "water" and "go" means "shore." At first, the name referred to a town called Togo, which is now known as Togoville. Later, the Germans used the name for the whole country. After the country became independent in 1960, its official name became République togolaise, which means Togolese Republic in English.