Toponomy, or How to Name Places!

[Elterio Delgard]

I like to make a mini-language, just a few hundred words, making sure you have words for things like natural features, colors, Gods, common adjectives, etc. The you can convert your English names to more exotic-sounding names, but you have a pattern and a consistency you wouldn't have if you just made up random names.
For maximum consistency, you'd have to have some Religion, Culture, and History developed before you name most of your places.
Probably too much work for a quick map, but for a world you plan to spend a lot of time on, I couldn't imagine doing it any other way.

I agree, I did the same thing when naming geographical features on one of my map. What I also like to do is having a different way to name things with different civilizations in my world. With the Kastosian Empire, i just made random names with a tendency to use some combinations of letter more often than others. With the Assionian Empire, I made some words for their tongue in order to have a unique way of naming. With the Nalohosian kingdom, I just took names of cities in Britain and changed them. A variety helps also. However, naming is the part that annoys me the most... The ever ending struggle of "which name would be best" x.x