For my part I've always tended to name things from first where they are (IE River) and then from the circumstances of their geography or function. My capital city in my homebrew campaign setting is named "Riverhewn" because of the fact that the island it sits on was "hewn" from the two rivers that surround it. I've always preferred "simple" names that can be pronounced although I have been "guilty" of using long and complex names to ancient ruins or anything Elven...