有「葡萄牙的李维」之称的史学家若昂·德·巴罗斯（João de Barros）在1563年的里斯本出版了《亚洲旬年史之三（Terceira Décadas da Ásia）》，其第二卷第七章首次在西方介绍了「长城」的存在，但还没有与「伟大」等词直接关联在一起：
Este muro vem lançado em huma carta de Geographia de toda aquella terra, feita pelos mesmos Chijs, onde vem siduados todolos Montes, Rios, Cidades, Villas, com seus nomes escritos na letra delles, a qual mandámos vir de lá com Chij pera a interpretação della, e de alguns livros seus, que tambem houvemos...E o que sobre isso nos davam a entender era não ser per todo continuado, sómente haver entre os Chijs, e os Tátas huma corda de serras mui asperas, e em alguns passos estava este muro feito; mas agora que per elles o vimos pintado, fez-nos grande admiração.
此城，由前述中国人绘于中国全图之上，是图以汉字名山川、城邑，均由彼译出，并与它书并带至此（即里斯本）......关于此城，略有耳闻，向以为并非连续，然而竟是横亘于汉人、鞑靼人土地之间，依山而建之通路，且据此图，亦是完全连续的，实使人大为惊奇。
西班牙传教士胡安·冈萨雷斯·德·门多萨（Juan González de Mendoza） 1585年出版了西班牙文的《大中华帝国史（Historia de las cosas más notables, ritos y costumbres del gran reyno de la China）》。此书随后被陆续译为拉丁文、意大利文、法文、英文与德文，在西欧广为流传，影响甚大。下文引自该书1588年英译本的第二卷第一章，拼写与如今已略有出入。英语中第一次用「great wall」来称呼长城，应该就是1588年了：
The last king of the lynage of this woorthie Vitey, was called Tzintzon: this did make the mightie and great wall aforesaide. Finding himselfe to be greatly troubled with the king of Tartarie, who did make warre vppon him in many places of his kingdom, he did ordaine the making thereof, and for the furnishing of the same, he did take the third man of the countrie to the worke; and for that manie people did die in this tedious worke, by reason they went so farre from their owne houses, and in diuers climes cleane contrarie vnto that where as they were bred and borne: it grew that the king was hated and abhorred of all people, in such sort that they did conspire his death, which in effect they did accomplish and slew him, after he had reigned fortie yeares: and also his sonne and heyre, who was called Aguizi.
黄帝（Vitey）世系之末帝，名唤嬴政 （Tzintzon），乃营造前述壮观长城者也。盖鞑主于其疆多有滋扰，遂令营之，乃役黔首其五之三以为徭力。民人背井离乡，不习水土，多有劳死，于帝日有怨怼，乃谋革命，卌年竟功成，其子二世（Aguizi）亦被诛。
伏尔泰1764年出版的《哲学词典（Dictionnaire philosophique）》「古人与今人」词条提到「La grande muraille de la Chine 」，说明「长城」与「伟大」挂钩，在西方语言专名翻译中基本定型：
Les Chinois, plus de deux cents ans avant notre ère vulgaire, construisirent cette grande muraille qui n’a pu les sauver de l’invasion des Tartares... La grande muraille de la Chine est un monument de la crainte ; les pyramides sont des monuments de la vanité et de la superstition. Les unes et les autres attestent une grande patience dans les peuples, mais aucun génie supérieur.
中国人于主前二百年，即筑此长城，然终不能阻鞑靼入侵......中国万里长城为畏惧之碑，埃及金字塔实虚妄之识。此类仅证其民怀极大之忍耐，非有卓越之才。
乾隆五十九年访华的著名的英国使团正使马戛尔尼伯爵在其1793年9月5日的私人日志中提到「the Great Wall」，说明英语中「the Great Wall of China」已经成为「长城」广为流传的固定名称：
After breakfast we set out from Cou-pe-kiou in order to visit this celebrated wall which we had heard such wonders of, and after passing through the outermost gate on the Tartar side, we began our peregrination on foot, there being no other method of approach...If the other parts of the wall be similar to those which I have seen, it is certainly the most stupendous work of human hands, for I imagine that if the outline of all the masonry of all the forts and fortified places in the whole world besides were to be calculated, it would fall considerably short of that of the Great Wall of China.
朝食迄，发古北口以观长城，此城久负盛名，界汉鞑之地。过关门，地既崎岖，唯徒步就之......若此城全部于吾今所见之一部相近，则吾可断言举世著名之工程虽尽合一处，亦绝难与此中国万里长城之工相敌。
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