Toponomy, or How to Name Places!

[NeonKnight]

Yes, English surnames for the most part with commoners (Nobility was much different) was based on profession.

In the early dark ages, one only had a first or given name. Thus, a village was filled with many Johns, Williams, Roberts, Daniels, Isacs, Ians, etc. In order to differentiate them it became necessary to some how tell which was which. Thus to differentiate between two Johns, one who was a cooper (maker of Barrels), and the other who was a village baker, we had John the Cooper, and John the Baker.

If John the Baker from the villages of Leeds (Making this part up), was visiting in Umbridge, he would not be called John the Baker (as umbridge might already have a baker named John), he would then be called John of Leeds.

Over time a lot of the profession Surnames became the actual Surname, regardless of the person's eventual profession. Part of why in the English Speaking world we have a great many Smiths, Bakers, Archers, Coopers, Wrights, Tanners, etc.

And before one thinks this phenomenon was limited to the English, the Irish and Scots also had this to a degree (I am certain my Surname of Thomson resulted from a bastardization/shortening of Thomas's Son).

But this also happened with the French and Germans as well. For Instance, my mother is French, and her Maiden Surname was Boisvert. Bois is French for Wood, and Vert is French for Green, thus my mother's maiden name was the French form of Greenwood (likely resulting down the ages as From the Green Wood. Other surnames on my Morther's side of the family is Le Compte, or The Counter, so likely an accoutnant in times past.

Some interseting studies.

[Dogzilla]

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.

[Gamerprinter]

Its much the same for Japanese names. The town of Matsue, literally means Pine Tree. Kyoto means "capital", while Tokyo, is taking the "kyo" from the front of the word and moving it to the back, to mean capital on the opposite side - this is the literal translation.

My mother's maiden name is Shimizu, which means purest water. Her ancestors going back a thousand years were all doctors, some one way back when decided to use "purest water" as a means to improve the health of provincial lord, which helped cure him, thus the first Shimizu was named.

As someone mentioned in my May Challenge entry: Tanaka's Challenge, whom I chose to make "Tanaka" a lord's name was incorrect. As "Tanaka" means rice field worker - and a lord would never be named that, even though Tanaka is a very Japanese name.

Except for noble and samurai houses, whose names are generally different local plants, trees and flowers, the commoner's surnames are the place they are born. Often the word "no" appears between the surname and the personal name, which means "of". Thus Aki no Mori, means Mori of Aki.

In Japan the family is more important than the individual, thus the Surname comes first, then the personal name. Taira no Kiyomori is Kiyomori of clan Taira, and Taira means a specific flowering swamp plant. Thus Taira is a nobles name.

Strange, yet similar to western conventions.

GP

[Socks]

Its much the same for Japanese names. The town of Matsue, literally means Pine Tree. Kyoto means "capital", while Tokyo, is taking the "kyo" from the front of the word and moving it to the back, to mean capital on the opposite side - this is the literal translation.

I'm sorry to do this but that's just not correct. The Tokyo and Kyoto kanji are not the same. The To for Tokyo is East whereas the To and Kyo for Kyoto both mean capital. So, for Tokyo, the literal translation is Eastern Capital, while Kyoto is Capital Capital. They don't use the same word.

[Diamond]

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 do that as well. Just a simple lexicon, just enough to get me going. Then, as the map progresses and I find myself in need of new words, I add 'em in, making sure to check with consistency and 'feel' with the original group.

For maps which are based on real-world cultures or nations, like France or Italy, I've found a couple of random name-generators which are very useful:

http://direpress.bin.sh/tools/name.html

http://www.squid.org/rpg-random-generator

http://nine.frenchboys.net/

I'm sure these are very widely known amongst this community, but hey, I like 'em.

[Ascension]

Didn't know about frenchboys, will give that a look.

[SereneParadox]

I do that as well. Just a simple lexicon, just enough to get me going. Then, as the map progresses and I find myself in need of new words, I add 'em in, making sure to check with consistency and 'feel' with the original group.

For maps which are based on real-world cultures or nations, like France or Italy, I've found a couple of random name-generators which are very useful:

http://direpress.bin.sh/tools/name.html

http://www.squid.org/rpg-random-generator

http://nine.frenchboys.net/

I'm sure these are very widely known amongst this community, but hey, I like 'em.

Thank you so so so so so so so so sooooooooo much.

[Gidde]

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.

Holly Lisle did a great (drm-free e-)book on a simple way of creating a realistic language that if you're into spending a few dollars on, I found really useful. It's a great addition to my (rapidly expanding) worldbuilding library.

[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

[CAPace09]

I really like this idea. To me, it seems almost a cop-out to have English be the de facto language of a secondary world. It makes sense to have characters speak in English so that readers can understand, but place names should remain in a conlang.