Naming the World: How to Choose Memorable Names for Places and Landmarks
- Charlotte Blandin
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Ever notice how some fictional place names just stick? Middle-earth, Gotham, Westeros, Hogwarts. These aren't just cool-sounding words; they feel like they’ve existed for a thousand years.
When you’re world-building, a place name is your first chance to tell a story without using a single line of dialogue. It’s a vessel for culture, a record of ancient wars, and a psychological anchor for your reader. But how do you move past "Generic Forest #4" and create something that resonates?
Let's dive into the science of toponymy (the study of place names) to help you name your world like a pro.
1. The Five Flavours of Names: George R. Stewart’s Secret Sauce
In his classic 1945 work, Names on the Land, historian George R. Stewart realized that humans don't just pull names out of a hat. Almost every place name on Earth falls into one of five categories. If your fictional map feels "fake," it’s probably because you’re only using one of these.
Descriptive Names: The "Tell it like it is" approach. People see a thing and name it exactly what it is.
Real World: Red River, Blue Mountains, Long Island.
Fictional: The Black Gate, The Lonely Mountain.
Possessive Names: This is about who "owns" the land or who got there first.
Real World: Pennsylvania (Penn’s Woods), King’s Landing.
Fictional: Stark’s Lookout, Grayson’s Folly.
Associative Names: Named after something nearby.
Real World: Mill Valley, Bridgeport.
Fictional: Shadowvale, Ironforge.
Incident Names: Something happened here, and nobody ever forgot it.
Real World: Cape Disappointment, Battle Creek.
Fictional: The Field of Broken Shields, Deadman’s Pass.
Commemorative Names: Honoring a hero or a "home" left behind.
Real World: New York, Washington.
Fictional: Talos City, Valyria.
Our Tip: Real maps are a messy mix. If every city on your map is named after a king (Commemorative), it’s going to feel like a museum. Add some "Muddy Creeks" and "Old Bridges" to make it feel lived-in.
2. Phonaesthetics: Why "K" is Sharp and "M" is Round
Believe it or not, our brains are hardwired to associate certain sounds with certain shapes. This is a linguistic phenomenon called Sound Symbolism.
In 2001, researchers Ramachandran and Hubbard conducted the famous "Bouba/Kiki Effect" study. They showed people a jagged shape and a rounded shape and asked which was "Bouba" and which was "Kiki." Almost everyone chose "Kiki" for the jagged one and "Bouba" for the round one.
How to use this in your story:
For Sharp, Rugged Terrain (Canyons, Spikes): Use "Kiki" sounds. Hard consonants like K, T, Z, and P feel dangerous. Karakorum, Skard, The Teeth.
For Flowing, Peaceful Terrain (Rivers, Vales): Use "Bouba" sounds. Soft vowels and liquids like L, M, N, and O feel safe. Oona, Lome, Mallow.
3. The "Palimpsest" Theory: Layering Your History
In the world of maps, there’s a concept called a Palimpsest. Originally, a palimpsest was a piece of parchment that was erased and written over, but you could still see the old text underneath.
Geography scholar J.B. Harley argued that maps are social constructions that reflect power. When an empire conquers a land, they rename the big flashy stuff (the Capital), but they rarely rename the small stuff (the rivers and hills) because the locals simply won't listen.
The "Harley Rule": If your world has been conquered before, keep the old language for the natural landmarks (Rivers, Forests) and use the new language for the man-made stuff (Forts, Cities). This shows a history of conflict without you having to write a single flashback.
4. "Phonetic Erosion": Why Humans are Lazy
Names change over time because humans like to take shortcuts. In linguistics, this is called Phonetic Erosion. We shorten words, blend syllables, and eventually, the original meaning gets "corrupted."
Take the real-world city of Oxford. Originally, it was Oxen-ford, literally a place where oxen crossed the water. Over 500 years, the "en" vanished and the words fused.
A Recipe for Your Own Names:
Start Literal: The Fortress of the High Sun.
Wait 200 Years: It becomes Highsun Fort.
Wait 500 Years: It erodes into Hyson or Hysun.
J.R.R. Tolkien was a master of this. He used his background as a philologist to create "eroded" names like Bree (which comes from a real-world Celtic word for "Hill"). It makes the world feel ancient because it suggests that people have been talking about these places so long they’ve forgotten what the original words even meant.
5. Names as a Narrative "Lie"
Finally, don't be afraid to use Narrative Toponymy to mess with your readers. Research shows that a name acts as a psychological "primer", it tells the reader how to feel before they even "get" there.
The Sincere Name: "Oakhaven" sounds safe. The reader expects warmth.
The Subverted Name: In George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, the most brutal event in the series occurs at a place called "The Twins." The name sounds balanced, symmetrical, and harmless, which makes the betrayal that happens there feel ten times more shocking.
Using a "safe" name for a "dangerous" place is a brilliant way to create irony and keep your readers on their toes.
The World-Builder’s Quick Checklist
The Test | Why It Matters |
The "Mouth-Feel" Test | Can you say it three times fast? If it’s a tongue-twister, your reader will skip it. |
The Distance Test | Do you have two places called "Derry" and "Berry"? Readers will get confused. Change the first letter. |
The Cultural Logic | Does the name match the language of the locals, or is it a "fossil" from a dead civilization? |
The "Bouba/Kiki" Check | Does a jagged mountain range have a "soft" name? If so, is there a story reason why? |
Conclusion
Naming your world is a delicate dance between historical logic and gut feeling. By using Stewart’s categories to vary your map, applying the Bouba/Kiki effect for phonaesthetics, and letting your names "erode" over time, you create a world that feels grounded and deep.
Remember: the best names don't just label a place; they tell its history.
