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Thread: Geographical names
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2018-04-19, 01:23 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- Sweden
Geographical names
I am not used to asking for help, but I figured I would do it in this case to help save time and enery for myself.
I need some help figuring out names to put on a map. That is, names for towns, villages and hamlets. Names for forests, rivers, mountains, hills and whatnot. Basically I am trying to create a world and I need names for the geographical locations.
If you are feeling particularly creative, you can also come up with name suggestions for an adventurer's guild.
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2018-04-19, 01:42 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2014
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2018-04-19, 01:51 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2012
Re: Geographical names
I like to take English place name bits and stick them together in what I think is appropriate ways. A village by a river in the forest? Hartford. The only harbor on a stretch of rocky coast? Hardhaven. The terrain that port town sits in? Hard Downs.
It may not be the sound or feel you're going for. If not, consider using a dictionary for a language that has the sound you want. I find that Finnish makes for some interesting sounds that I don't immediately place (though I guess you're a lot mor likely to have players who would place Finnish - maybe try Hungarian or Basque). You can basically pick a word that has something to do with a place and use the translation of that word, perhaps slightly altered (they famously work silver in the Hopeat region, e.g.). It gives you a consistent sound.
As for the name of an adventurers' guild, I'd probably allude to some history. Something like the 'Legion of Seven' (as it was founded by seven survivors from the disastrously fated seventh legion), the 'Nail Swords' (because it was formed in the Rusty Nail tavern), or maybe something alluding to the attitude of the guild (like 'Gold Company' or 'Warhorse Stables').My D&D 5th ed. Druid Handbook
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2018-04-19, 02:15 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2016
Re: Geographical names
River wise I quite like the way the Rhine becomes the Rjin. And similarly the way the Brandywine has a confusing duel etymnology.
I think it's Ouse, Avon and Severn that are the british river rivers (I've seen more Avon's in names, but there are 2 Ouses). If you wanted to give the feeling of what it my feel like when newly named, you could perhaps have the Fastwater (or disguised hidden Fasvasa), Deepwater,
Penn Tor-mun-don Hill is apparently not quite as hill-hill-hill-hill as once claimed, but does give 5 prefixes/suffixes for hilly regions.
Combining with henge that gives Penhenge, Hengedon, etc...Last edited by jayem; 2018-04-19 at 02:16 AM.
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2018-04-19, 04:06 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- Sweden
Re: Geographical names
I want them to have English names, both with a pseudo-medieval and a fantasy feel. So "Westfield" is perfectly okay as a name, and so is "Goblin Hills".
Interestingly enough, I do intend for quite a lot of shores to be rocky, so Hardhaven is a pretty good suggestion. I was thinking one of the few larger cities would be called "Baytown".
Thank you for the link, I'm sure it will come in handy.
I also think some places are named after the person who discovered them or settled them, so I have to take that into account as well.
I never knew don referred to hills. Good to know!
The area is a continent that is quite newly re-discovered by humans, some centuries after a few terrible wars obliterated all civilization and made everyone avoid the place. So many places have been re-named recently, and as such names like "Fastwater" are perfectly good suggestions.
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2018-04-19, 04:52 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Location
- Bamako
Re: Geographical names
Here are some pieces for your puzzle:
List of generic forms in place names in the United Kingdom and Ireland
I've used it in the past and found it quite useful.
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2018-04-19, 04:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Location
- England
- Gender
Re: Geographical names
Originally Posted by JoeJ
In which case, I would like to recommend to you the suffixes of -wich, -ton, -ham, -thorpe and -shire. They're all peculiarly English ways of naming a place.
-wich comes from the old word for wood, as in a small forest. Norwich is the "north forest", Ipswich is "Ip's forest", and so on.
-ton is an old way of shortening 'town', -ham and -thorpe both for 'home' and -shire for an area not unlike what we would now call a district.
For example, the city of Nottingham is the modern way of saying the 6th century place known as "Snott's Home", whereas Nottinghamshire is the area around Nottingham that shares the same local government.
-ton can also be short for 'stone', so if you have a place build on a hill or mountain, it might be named after the person who first discovered or climbed it - "Ilk's Stone" becomes "Ilkeston", for example.
So as a rule of thumb, pick a word, cut off the last two or three letters and add -ton, -wich, -ham, -thorpe or -shire to it and you're probably going to be fine.
So many places have been re-named recently, and as such names like "Fastwater" are perfectly good suggestions.~ CAUTION: May Contain Weasels ~
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2018-04-19, 01:45 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2016
Re: Geographical names
My fault it's Torpenhow.
Though Huntingdon is apparently the hill of Hunta (London is Lond-on), so maybe I wasn't totally loopy.
Bridge, Ford are obvious suffixes as in either Stamford-bridge.
Thwaite/Dale you get in northern clearing/valley.
Caster/Chester from roman settlements
Borough, a smaller unit than shire (no two places pronounce it the same)
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2018-04-19, 01:58 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2016
- Location
- Corvallis, OR
- Gender
Re: Geographical names
I pull them from reference languages for each culture--each name has a prefix, infix, and suffix with a combiner between each one:
[prefix][combiner][infix][combiner][suffix]
The english ones use elements from these sets:
"Prefixes": [ "aber", "craig", "mont", "" ],
"Infixes": [ "river", "ford", "brad", "carden", "white", "shep", "inver", "nath", "" ],
"Suffixes": [ "avon", "axe", "ay", "y", "beck", "dale", "holm", "lyn" ],
"Combiner" : "" (no space)
So a valid name might be Montbradholm (or something like that). I need to expand those out a bit though.
For other languages I tended to translate simple things like colors, "lake", "river", "mountain", etc into the reference language and use those.
So a welsh-based wood elf town might use
"Prefixes": [],
"Infixes": [ "valkoinen", "musta", "punainen", "sininen", "keltainen", "kulta", "hopea", "kultainen", "hopeinen", "oranssi", "sinipunainen", "vihreae", "harmaa", "ruskea" ],
"Suffixes": [ "vaeri", "metsae", "koti", "virta", "vuori" ],
"Combiner": " "
resulting in a name like Valkoinen Vaeri or Kulta Virta.Dawn of Hope: a 5e setting. http://wiki.admiralbenbo.org
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2018-04-19, 02:25 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2011
Re: Geographical names
We also name them pretty stupid things. Like naming a state after a fictional character, because why not?
Some sources of stupid names are:
1) The guy who discovered it got to put it onto a map and everyone else just copied it. Why does lake Disappointment or Useless Loop exist? Because the first guy didn't like the place.
2) Local stories or legends. Legendary figures can be plot hooks and lend their name to towns.
3) Shape of natural features. Your players will definitely remember a boob-centric name, through I suggest running a few though Old English as to be a bit more subtle than that mountain range. And yes, several boob-named mountains exist and are named as you'd think.
4) It's inhospitable. I think the Apocalypse Mountains and Death Valley are pretty descriptive names for these regions. Good for high level areas. Players might think twice about venturing into the Dragon Teeth mountains...For all of your completely and utterly honest needs. Zaydos made, Tiefling approved.
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2018-04-19, 02:29 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2016
- Location
- Corvallis, OR
- Gender
Re: Geographical names
I like this especially for geographic features (as opposed to settlement names). Although there are plenty of "stupid" town names out there.
I named one major lake "Lake Coinyin'--a corrupted form of the Irish "coinin", meaning rabbit. Because the shape of it looks kind of like a bunny.
Other regions have evocative names:
"The Sea of Grass" for a major plain region. "Moon's Vengeance" for a broken crater-land formed when a moon was pulled down to destroy an empire back in ancient history. "Jungle of Fangs" for a a jungle inhabited by a snake-obsessed culture. Etc.Dawn of Hope: a 5e setting. http://wiki.admiralbenbo.org
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2018-04-19, 03:00 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2014
Re: Geographical names
That melange sounds very English to people even slightly familiar with the country, though. And I don't know where in the world the OP is located*, but if the players are fluent in the English language many of those names will be understandable enough to make logical deductions about. For example, if there's an Upper Heyford then there's probably also a Lower Heyford, and maybe a Middle Heyford as well. (Not necessarily all in the present, though. Great Ormsby might well retain that name even if Little Ormsby was abandoned a century ago.)
(*edit: I just noticed that it's Sweden, so I won't assume the players are all fluent in English.)
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2018-04-19, 03:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Location
- Bamako
Re: Geographical names
I have a list of around 300 settlement names from a Anglosaxonish kingdom I was working on you could use. Feel free to let me know if you want it, but since it is in Excel and contains extraneous information it would take some effort to transpose it so I'd rather only do it if someone is actually interested. I might also have some other geographical names (rivers, provinces, regions) hanging around from the same setting.
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2018-04-19, 03:22 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- Sweden
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2018-04-19, 03:24 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- Sweden
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2018-04-19, 03:36 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2014
Re: Geographical names
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2018-04-19, 04:14 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
- Location
- SoCal
- Gender
Re: Geographical names
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2018-04-19, 04:30 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Location
- Bamako
Re: Geographical names
So as promised:
Metropolises: Wharton; Moreham
Large Cities: Aberley, Kingston, Leode
Small Cities: Bridgestow, Lothian, Berry, Fenley, Wolverton, Dull, Stowe, Dalham, Hazelwood, Lessig, Astholm, Brinkstow, Ganney, Sedgethwaite, Sherbrooke, Burwick, Lytmire, Mossford
Large Towns: Beverly, Dolburn, Eskermouth, Bournbrook, Berning, Thornwood, Lythurst, Hungrave, Haggerhowe, Garrinch, Wereham, Elmley, Chester, Ainfernley, Balford, Newdale, Mosstowe, Yell, Steading, Inness, Greenhold, Bingham, Mulley, Lam, Dunning, Kayberry, Dalewood, Spreckelborough, Lumley, Leighstone, Lytgarth, Barsing, Wetley, Woodhall, Beeching, Annesley, Axested, Mossley, Oldfield, Stillingburg, Ernsworth, Isingham, Elderdale, Hightree, Drummant, Thames, Horngill, Senwick, Swettenham, Woodhurst, Linga, Sumpter, Lewslink, Overruddy, Deeping, Runby, Gravelwood, Garlinge, Firth, Ferwick, Ridgebury, Acton, Merbrooke, Bearsden, Beechhurst, Bloomington, Westleigh, Redelham, Wildermire, Finleigh, Sidleham, Sherhurst, Twobrooks, Hotwells, Churlhold, Burnethwaite
Small Towns: Groomshold, Quickbrook, Searsted, Bourneham, Hall, Harris, Bexley, Sigwell, Newell, Cocklecreek, Sedgefield, Dellbrook, Sondull, Linden, Polway, Gynshaw, Lowe, Spirewood, Kiddering, Berngate, Hornst, Thainfernley, Oakley, Delve, Rudmere, Kinleigh, Twattham, Medley, Ramsted, Gammich-upon-Stilling, Leafsted, Herst, Highgate, Hope, Willham, Barnsley, Charford, Gynshawe, Waysted, Howe, Smalberry, Toddbrooke, Gravellow, Dunberry, Whitedown, Midstol, Lewes, Leysing, Mintwood, Lennerhall, Stanford, Eskerleigh, Bornwell, Lawbrooke, Sceate, Glemmore, Stemmire, Wardine, Walsted, Barefield, Leist, Hostall, Stobridge, Blooming, Becking, Yewfilly, Piddle, Hingermarton, Wiffleham, Barham, Grantree, Searley, Garbrooke, Lindsley, Tulling, Slurrey, Meade, Bernham, Auburn, Fossey, Rosthwaite, Dymmond, Dowham, Lower Pulley, Lockdale, Morrow, Yewbourne, Beechwood, Ashton, Earthwaite, Layne, Borliburn, Lowbrooke, Logansburg, Odingham, Slothwaite, Mareham, Lund, Brydon, Hosted, Sayner, Bradlyn, Leigh, Slickley, Hondall, Ossam, Fernley, Stowe on Howe, Oldham, Ammey, Cwerne, Brighton, Bentham, Hammych, Easning, Astam, Faireye, Emersley, Waylin, Wearmbury, Ham-upon-Hoare, Hawton, Herringham, Stowedale, Bastlyn, Moore, Finross, Raveley, Cobbe, Mirey, Bushford, Furrow, Slosted, Brytton, Sperhurst, Bendberry, Beckinstowe, Earnherst, Sennybrooke, Slough, Firleigh, Wolvering, Rockbury, Sandhall, Graemling, Salsted, Dolmoor, Cwabbey, Linsig, Thwaite, Sweabeham, Upwick, Upper Pulley, Delving, Beckwold, Lillmark, Deepingbury, Winderbourne, Rosevale, Stuffingham, Aydham, Weir, Newstoke, Woodfield, Bernethwaite, Mullewes, Sandley, Eastfield, Hythe, Meadingham, Millbrook, Starkley, Leekham, Slowbrook, Hightower, Trelling, Folkmere, Bloomingham, Thackerey, Ayding, Searinch, Burningbank, Trestarke, Anwinsted, Finstow, Anglestow, Wastowe, Foxthwaite, Rolling, Trebourne, Kylmoss, Highlew, Elmering, Newmeade, Delvinghurst, Bath, Brightpool, Loham, Lawkenberry, Lindenberry, Fawney, Roring, Gosangle, Kimmerling, Bromley, Starking, Kendalewood, Newhaven, Tredon, Sceating, Lothwaite, Kinnering, Browleigh, Waterfill.
Rivers: Aldring, Ayn, Ayworth, Berre, Blackwater, Dimming, Drome, Esk, Ferrow, Hoare, Leyne, Lyck, Meade, Meander, Millbrook, Mossburn, Redwater, Rupple River, Scealling, Scirring, Scynne, Senning, Sesmire River, Stilling, Tyre, Whitewater, Whitt (South Whitt & North Whitt), Wisring, Yrne.
Regions: Dalmeark, Falshire, Leighmarch, the Aynshires, Westmoreland, Eastmoreland, Burrowlands
Natural Regions: the Woodlands, the Yewfields (including Yewfield Uplands), Seamore Marshes, Greyling Hills, Leighland Hills, Berredale Forest, Lower Scealling Wetlands (including Rupplelands)
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2018-04-19, 04:49 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2016
- Location
- The Abyss
- Gender
Re: Geographical names
My advice is to name locations after what is there (ex. Volgograd in Russia, Cape Town in South Africa, or Angel Rock in New Mexico), the founder or another important person (such as the two continents of America, named after Amerigo Vespucci), if a place is built or visited for a reason, or around an industry, that could make the name (such as the multitude of bodies of water in New England named Mill River, or places with port as a suffix). It could also be named after the people who settled it (such as France or Afghanistan) or events that happened there (cant think of examples atm but these tend to be memorable names if you come up with a story behind them)
barbarian speak bold and never capital letter or second/first person pronoun just like comic man do!
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2018-04-20, 03:19 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- Sweden
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2018-04-20, 06:44 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Location
- Bamako
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2018-04-20, 10:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2010
- Location
- Dallas, TX
- Gender
Re: Geographical names
Here is a list of place names from the Domesday Boke, published in 1086.
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2018-04-22, 08:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2014
- Location
- Cleveland
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