How to do you naming your locations?

[Kupotepo]

• I ask similar this similar question but the history cut out that I cannot view it anymore.
• I prefer creating name from different languages combination, so it sounds not boring. I guess.
• Do you use the real names inspiration for the towns, mountains, countries, seas, and the cities?
• Do you use an online name generator?
• Are using real names being close to home? [Would that be offensive to real names of historical locations ?]
• How do you name the towns, mountains, countries, seas, and the cities in your games?
• Many people said to create names by finding root words in Latin or Greek.
• Do you prefer to create a long name or a short name?
• Do you use a common word for naming?
• Do you twisted the real location name to use in your game correct?

Thank you.

 

[MushroomCake28]

Method 1: Take any word and add -ia at the end. If it sounds weird, choose another word and do the same. Example: Village of Hardia (I used that name in one of my games).

Method 2: Use a latin word that describes the place. For example, one of my swamp dungeon is called "Swamp of Palus", which is latin for swamp.

Method 3: Use a well known name for your location. Could be a legendary city like Pendragon, or something related to your location, like Rivendell for an elf valley.

 

[Zliryu]

Oh I usually come up with some names by combining things. Naming usually isn't that complicated and most of the time points out something nearby. I'm sure you made some kind of ancient language for that world of yours, so use it. If that town is near a river, name it Rivertown (let's say River means 'Arg' and town 'Ur' in that fake language, or a real one, so you get Argur for instance). The village in my game is called Planin, which comes from the Croatian word Planina, meaning mountain, as the village is just below one. To avoid same names you could use prefixes like big,small etc, or translate those too in a fake or real language aswell (let's say big means "Re" and small means "Lan", you get Reargur and Lanargur). You could go with something like that, or just name it something you feel that sounds right. Generators are a fast option I'd say, but I wouldn't use them for my own games.

 

[pasunna]

for me it come out of nowhere
when I younger I keep thinking about name all day
try to make supper meaningful name
but now I kind of lazy...
I just put that name that come first in my thought
because there are like ton of thing other than name need to do in my game...

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, thank you for your input.

Method 2: Use a latin word that describes the place. For example, one of my swamp dungeon is called "Swamp of Palus", which is latin for swamp.

It is a cool idea. Instead of using English for rock or swamp in your case, you used Latin words.

Method 3: Use a well known name for your location. Could be a legendary city like Pendragon, or something related to your location, like Rivendell for an elf valley.

Is it really alright to the real name of the location like Minneapolis? Nay, I will get to hot trouble from people.
Funny thing is Pendragon means "dragon; warrior" in Middle Welsh.

@Zliryu, thank you for your information.

Naming usually isn't that complicated and most of the time points out something nearby. I'm sure you made some kind of ancient language for that world of yours, so use it. If that town is near a river, name it Rivertown

I did not have an ancient language in my world. Do you have an ancient language in your world? That sounds creative. I am not old enough for Dungeons & Dragons and distract too by new animes.

Generators are a fast option I'd say, but I wouldn't use them for my own games.

Thank you for your opinion.

@pasunna, thank you for your input.

for me it come out of nowhere
when I younger I keep thinking about name all day
try to make supper meaningful name
but now I kind of lazy...
I just put that name that come first in my thought
because there are like ton of thing other than name need to do in my game...

That is true for a meaningful name and time management. I prefer to use a short name over a long name. I have to pronounce to make it is readable for a player or anyone in fact.

 

[MushroomCake28]

Is it really alright to the real name of the location like Minneapolis? Nay, I will get to hot trouble from people.

Yes you can use the names of real locations. Also, you can use existing invented names if there are no intellectual property attached to them. If you're too scared about IP, you could take only names from public domain works.

 

[FinalBossMan]

Often character names and name for locations just come to me. But if I'm having writers block, I like to look up ancient names or locations, stuff from the BC era, and possibly jazz it up a bit for a more modern-fantasy feel.

I rarely use the names of people or places I know; it just seems odd to me. I rather keep real life and my fantasy worlds separate (except for my cat, he's in everything I make).

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, nevermind. You do not get my joke. Minneapolis is right now an epicenter of the protesting in the US. It has a connotation. It is not a legal issue. Like if I name the city Wuhan and plague start there in my game. Could you imagine political comments?
How do you check which name is IP or not? Do you have a website for that? Thank you.

 

[MushroomCake28]

How do you check which name is IP or not? Do you have a website for that? Thank you.

Some countries do, but copyright is born from creating an artistic product, so it is protected by copyrights even if it's not registered. However, not all created names are protected by copyright. If you want to go with the public domain route, a work enters the public domain usually 50 years after the death of the author (the number can vary depending on the country, but it's usually 50 years).

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, since here, I would like to ask you something if you don't mind.

QUOTE="MushroomCake28, post: 1070465, member: 75234"]
If you want to go with the public domain route, a work enters the public domain usually 50 years after the death of the author (the number can vary depending on the country, but it's usually 50 years)
[/QUOTE]
If I apply your legal expert's logic, ancient civilizations' towns, cities, and structures should copyright protection, right? Such as Inca, Aztec, Roman, Persian, Ancient Greek, Ancient Chinese, Maya, Ancient Egyptian, Indus Valley, and Mesopotamian.

May I use the Seven Natural Wonders Of The World name? Thank you for responding to tricky questions.
[I generate 8 new names now]

 

[MushroomCake28]

If I apply your legal expert's logic, ancient civilizations' towns, cities, and structures should copyright protection, right? Such as Inca, Aztec, Roman, Persian, Ancient Greek, Ancient Chinese, Maya, Ancient Egyptian, Indus Valley, and Mesopotamian.

You can use those names.

May I use the Seven Natural Wonders Of The World name?

Yes.

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, thank you. That is sweet and a good backup pool of naming.

@MushroomCake28, a fun fact: mount fuji is copyright own by the shine. Sorry for bothering you.

Are cities, states, and provinces names in US and Canada have copyrighted protection?

Are those statements true?
The common geographical terms and thus public domain. Just steer clear of anyone else's brand names, artwork, logos, special typestyle or slogans and you should be fine. For example "California" "California beaches" or "Redondo Beach, CA" or "California redwoods" is okay, but "California Golden Bears" or "California Dreamin'" is likely not.

 

[Lornsteyn]

I use sometimes names from people (movies or history) and search cities lists of different countrys and pick one which sounds good or change them a bit, oh and latin words of course.^^
In one project I had this mining town named Kolya, the lastname of a character of Stargate Atlantis.

 

[Kuro DCupu]

Personally, I don't like naming for just only reference.
The point of naming (especially naming things or location) is to describe their main trait.
You have freedom to name your character cause that would be their parent's fault. No one can blame it.
But for things like item, location, organization, etc, at least make it "soundly" relatable. This is also a way to express how I perceive things.

How I named things :
- Strongly think of its notable trait.
- Pick the first "sound" that came out of my mind.
- Google that name in case it was an existing language or already used.
- Tell a friend and see their reaction.
- Profit

Example of names I came up using that method.
- The Proud and Majestic Kingdom of Arthall
First thing I thought of what proud and majestic was an art gallery. A hallway full of arts.
- The Great Great Colosseum
Mentioned the "Great" twice to put emphasis on how great it is. It's also a tradition of that region to mention a characteristic twice to put emphasis on it with their tongue.
- Garrrland
The homeland of People of Garrr. See? I don't need to explain it and you already have an idea what kind of people they are by the name itself.

 

[Kupotepo]

@FinalBossMan, thank you for your input.
@Lornsteyn, thank you for input.
@Kuro DCupu, thank you for your time.

 

[Zliryu]

@Kupotepo yeah, made 11 languages for my books/games/universe (Ervenfell) by combining the three languages I speak, English, German and Croatian The alphabets are different on each and the result is great, for the most part (sometimes the words turn out to be too long because some German and Croatian words, for example if you change the alphabet to go from A B C to Ke Ur Om you already get the double amount of letters, and these two tend to have long words, especially German)

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, please help me clarify on this matter

Are cities, states, and provinces names in US and Canada have copyrighted protection?

Are those statements true?
The common geographical terms and thus public domain. Just steer clear of anyone else's brand names, artwork, logos, special typestyle or slogans and you should be fine. For example "California" "California beaches" or "Redondo Beach, CA" or "California redwoods" is okay, but "California Golden Bears" or "California Dreamin'" is likely not.

 

[MushroomCake28]

@Kupotepo Brands (trademarks) and copyrights are two different forms of intellectual property. They have different legal regimes. Cities DO OWN trademarks, but their name isn't copyrighted. Copyrights protect the right to use and exploit an artistic work. If the cities did have copyrights on their name (which I doubt they even can for most of them, you wouldn't be able to use them.

Trademarks protect the right of identification of an entity. It just means you can't pass yourself as the city or a representative of the city. For example, you can't use the city's official flag with whatever signature at the start of the game, or put it on a real life product, in a way that would make people think that product is manufactured, created, by the city. Trademarks are different from copyrights.

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, thank you for reminding me and answers the questions. I am forgeting that trademarked are protected by copyright law. The first reason is to prevent fraud and misrepresenting. Second, create a distinctive of business brand. Plus, logo needs coloring, designing, and drawing. It take energy more than writing a word or two.
I appreciate your confirmation of validation.

 

[MushroomCake28]

I am forgeting that trademarked are protected by copyright law.

Nononono, trademarks are protected by trademark laws, and copyrights are protected by copyrights laws. Two different regimes. City names are usually protected by trademark, but not by copyrights.