In Classical Antiquity, the area was known as the "Rough Peninsula" (Greek: Χερσόνησος Τραχεία, Latin: Chersonesus Trachea).

In Slavic languages, its pronunciation does not vary by much: Ukrainian: Керченський півострів, Kerchenskyi Pivostriv; Crimean Tatar: Keriç yarımadası, Kerich Yarymadasy; Russian: Керченский полуостров, Kyerchyenskii Polu'ostrov.

The Kerch Peninsula is almost completely surrounded by water and only to the west connects with the rest of Crimea by the Isthmus of Ak-Monay which is only 17 kilometres (11 miles) wide (from the southern end of the Arabat Spit to the town of Primorsky (Khafuz), Feodosiya).

The length of Kerch Peninsula is over 90 kilometres (56 miles), from the western portion of Aqmanai Isthmus to the Fonar Cape.

The Kerch Peninsula, as well as surrounding areas such as Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and the Caspian Sea region (which encompasses the Caucasus and Central Asia) are home to many mud volcanoes.