Toponymy facts for kids

Toponymy is the study of place names. Think about all the names of places around you: your town, a nearby river, a mountain, or even a street. Toponymy explores where these names come from, what they mean, how they are used, and the different types of names.

A toponym is simply the proper name of any geographical feature. This includes names for places on Earth, like continents, countries, cities, and rivers, but also names for things in space, like planets and stars!

The people who study toponymy are called toponymists. They are like detectives who uncover the stories behind place names. Toponymy is part of a bigger field called onomastics, which studies all kinds of proper names.

What Does 'Toponymy' Mean?

The word toponymy comes from two ancient Greek words: Ancient Greek: τόπος (tópos), which means 'place', and Ancient Greek: ὄνομα (onoma), which means 'name'. So, it literally means 'place name'.

The word toponymy started being used in English around 1876, especially in geography. Since then, toponym has become the common word among experts for a place name.

Types of Place Names

Place names, or toponyms, can be grouped into two main types:

• Geonyms: These are the names of all geographical features found on our planet Earth.
• Cosmonyms: These are the names of features found outside Earth, like planets, stars, and asteroids.

Here are some examples of geonyms you might know:

• Choronyms: Names of regions or countries (like "Europe" or "Canada").
• Econyms: Names of places where people live, such as houses, villages, towns, or cities.
  • Astionyms: Specifically, names of towns and cities (like "Paris" or "Tokyo").
• Hydronyms: Names of different bodies of water.
  • Potamonyms: Names of rivers and streams (like "Nile River").
  • Limnonyms: Names of lakes and ponds (like "Lake Superior").
• Oronyms: Names of mountains, hills, and valleys (like "Mount Everest").
• Urbanonyms: Names of elements within cities, like streets or squares.
  • Hodonyms: Names of streets and roads (like "Main Street").

And for cosmonyms, you might hear:

• Planetonyms: Names of planets and planetary systems (like "Mars" or "Solar System").
• Astronyms: Names of stars and constellations (like "Sirius" or "Ursa Major").

How Place Names Are Built

Place names can be simple or more complex:

• A simplex toponym is a name made of just one part. For example, "London" or "Nile."
• A composite toponym has more than one part. It usually includes a specific part that tells it apart from others, and a general part that describes what kind of feature it is. For example, "Tweed River" has "Tweed" (specific) and "River" (general). "River Road" is another example.

The Story Behind Place Names

For a long time, people have been curious about where place names come from. Early storytellers and poets often made up tales to explain the origins of names. Sometimes, these stories led to what we call folk etymology, where a false meaning was created for a name based on how it sounded.

In the 1800s, during a time of great exploration, many newly discovered places were named. Sometimes, mapmakers would choose names to honor famous people or show national pride. For instance, a German mapmaker named August Petermann decided to use names of explorers and supporters for new features, rather than common names like 'Victoria' or 'Smith'.

Place names can change over time. This happens because languages evolve, or because of political changes and new borders. For example, after countries gained independence from colonial rule, many chose to change place names back to their original local names, moving away from names given by the colonial powers.

Who Studies Place Names?

A toponymist is a scientist who works to officially recognize geographical names. They follow special rules and procedures developed with groups like the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN).

Toponymists don't just look at maps and old books. They also talk to local people to find out the names that have been used in an area for a long time. They record the exact name, how it's pronounced, and its history and meaning.

Studying place names helps us understand the history of a region. It can show how different groups of people settled in an area and even when they arrived. Toponymists help preserve a region's culture by keeping track of its place names. They often create databases and publications to share this important information, which can be found on maps, in geographic information systems, or even on online tools like Google Maps.

Naming Places to Remember People or Events

Sometimes, places are named to honor people or important events. This is called toponymic commemoration. In 2002, the United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names suggested that it's usually better to name places after people who have passed away, and that countries should have their own rules about how long after a person's death a place can be named after them. This helps avoid potential issues.

Naming streets can also be a way for communities or governments to remember important figures or mark new beginnings. For example, a street might be renamed to celebrate a new era or to move away from symbols of a past time. A famous example is the city of Saint Petersburg in Russia. Its name was changed to Petrograd in 1914, then to Leningrad after Vladimir Lenin passed away, and then back to Saint-Petersburg in 1991. These changes reflected big shifts in the country's history.

After the Greek War of Independence in the 1830s, many Turkish, Slavic, and Italian place names in Greece were changed to Greek names. This was part of an effort to strengthen the new Greek identity. Similarly, in countries that were once colonies, there's often a movement to change names given by colonial powers back to traditional local names.

In Canada, for example, there have been efforts to bring back traditional names that reflect the culture of Indigenous peoples. This process, sometimes called Indigenous mapping, helps Indigenous communities restore their heritage through place names.

Sometimes, different countries might disagree about the name of a place. For instance, there have been discussions about the name of the sea between Japan and Korea (the Sea of Japan naming dispute) and the gulf between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula (the Persian Gulf naming dispute). These disagreements show how important place names can be to national identity and history.

Official Groups for Place Names

Many countries have an official group called a geographic names board. This board is responsible for deciding the official names for geographical areas and features.

These boards make sure that place names are consistent and officially recognized. In some countries, like those with a federal system, individual states or provinces might also have their own boards.

Examples of these boards include:

• Geographical Names Board of Canada
• New Zealand Geographic Board
• United States Board on Geographic Names

People Who Study Place Names

Many experts have dedicated their lives to studying toponymy. These toponymists come from various fields like linguistics, geography, and history. Some well-known toponymists include:

• William Bright (American linguist)
• Margaret Gelling (English toponymist)
• George R. Stewart (American historian and toponymist)

See also

In Spanish: Toponimia para niños

Related concepts

Toponymy

Hydronymy

Regional toponymy

Other