UNITED STATES BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 

PRINCIPLES, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES: DOMESTIC 

GEOGRAPHIC NAMES

By Donald J. Orth, Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic Names (emeritus) and 

Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and 

Domestic Geographic Names 

Reston, Virginia 1997 

 
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bruce Babbitt, Secretary 

UNITED STATES BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 

Joel L. Morrison, Chairman 

Larry N. Muncy, Vice Chairman 

Department of Agriculture Sterling J. Wilcox, member 

Roberta M. Quigley, deputy 

Department of Commerce Joel L. Morrison, member 

Curtis C. Loy, deputy 

Judith A. Ruotola, deputy 

Department of Defense Larry N. Muncy, member 

Darryl E. Crumpton, deputy 

Department of the Interior Richard E. Witmer, member 

David E. Meier, deputy 

Donovan B. Kelly, deputy 

Lathel F. Duffield, deputy 

Bernard C. Fagan, deputy 

Department of State Leo I. Dillon, member 

Angela M. Bottom, deputy 

Central Intelligence Agency R. David Wert, member 

James D. Schlichting, deputy 

Greg Boughton, deputy 

Government Printing Office Robert C. McArtor, member 

S. Jean McCormick, deputy 

Library of Congress Ralph E. Ehrenberg, member 

Robert M. Hiatt, deputy 

Ronald E. Grim, deputy 

Postal Service Robert G. Krause, member 

Robert J. Munley, deputy 

Executive Secretary to the Board 

and 

Executive Secretary for Domestic Names 

Roger L. Payne 

U.S. Geological Survey 
FOREWORD 

Confusion and controversy about geographic names and their applications to places and features 

led President Benjamin Harrison to establish the U.S. Board on Geographic Names in 1890. 

That early Executive Order was based on a recognition that conflict in naming geographic 

features were, in fact, a serious detriment to the orderly process of exploring and settling this 

country. A later decision, in 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt to extend the responsibilities 

of the Board to include standardization of all geographic names for Federal use was a wise and 

far-reaching decision that, coupled with the Harrison order, forms the foundation for the present 

organization of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names established in Public Law 80-242, signed 

by President Truman in 1947. 

The existence of a body of standardized geographic names widely available on a national basis, 

but related strongly to local usage, makes a large contribution to savings and efficiency in the 

operation of government, business and industry, communications, and education. The U.S. Board 

on Geographic Names is at the hub of a national network of State and academic geographic 

names authorities who are working hard and continuously to improve that body of names by 

approving new names in a responsible manner and changing or correcting existing names. 

The names of geographic features in the United States are a valuable reflection of the history of 

our country and its changing face. Names of Native American origin are found sprinkled 

generously across the face of the land. Strong traces of the national languages spoken by the 

early explorers and settlers are visible in many sections of the country with often an 

accommodation in pronunciation based on local usage. Frequently, geographic naming reveals 

the rough and brawling nature of the environment that greeted the westward expansion. It is in 

these ways and many others that geographic naming gives us a clear, exciting profile of the 

United States that is unmatched in any other medium. 

Richard E. Witmer Joel L. Morrison 

Chairman, Domestic Chairman, U.S. Board on 

Names Committee, U.S. Geographic Names 

Board on Geographic Names 

 
EXECUTIVE ORDER 

As it is desirable that uniform usage in regard to geographic nomenclature and orthography 

obtain throughout the Executive Departments of the Government, and particularly upon the maps 

and charts issued by the various Departments and bureaus, I hereby constitute a Board on 

Geographic Names and designate the following persons, who have heretofore co-operated for a 

similar purpose under the authority of the several Departments, bureaus, and institutions with 

which they are connected, as members of said Board: 

Prof. Thomas C. Mendenhall. United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, chairman. 

Andrew H. Allen, Department of State. 

Capt. Henry L. Howison, Light-House Board, Treasury Department. 

Capt. Thomas Turtle, Engineer Corps, War Department. 

Lieut. Richardson Clover, Hydrographic Office, Navy Department. 

Pierson H. Bristow, Post-Office Department. 

Otis T Mason, Smithsonian Institution. 

Herbert G. Ogden, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. 

Henry Gannett, United States Geological Survey. 

Marcus Baker, United States Geological Survey. 

To this Board shall be referred all unsettled questions concerning geographic names which arise 

in the Departments, and the decisions of the Board are to be accepted by these Departments as 

the standard authority in such matters. 

Department officers are instructed to afford such assistance as maybe proper to carry on the work 

of this Board. 

The members of this Board shall serve without additional compensation, and its organization 

shall entail no expense on the Government. 

 Benj. Harrison 

Executive Mansion 

September 4. 1890 

On March 18, 1890 key persons in several federal agencies concerned about the lack of 

geographic names uniformity on Government maps and other publications met at the invitation 

of Professor Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, Superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic 

Survey. After several meetings during which procedures and principles of name standardization 

were formulated, it was realized that the program would be more effective with broader support. 

The issue was taken to President Benjamin Harrison who agreed with the objectives of the 

Board. On September 4, 1890 he issued an Executive Order officially establishing the United 

States Board on Geographic Names. 

 
CONTENTS 

Chapter 1. Introduction 

U.S. Board on Geographic Names 

Characteristics of domestic geographic names 

National Geographic Names Database 

National Gazetteer 

National Digital Gazetteer 

Determining official names 

Domestic names decisions 

Spelling of geographic names 

Chapter 2. Domestic Geographic Names Principles 

Introduction 

Principle I: Use of the Roman alphabet 

Principle II: Names in local usage 

Principle III: Names established by act of Congress or Executive Order 

Principle IV: Names established by other authorities 

Principle V: One name for one geographic entity 

Chapter 3. Domestic Geographic Names Policies 

Policy I: Names being considered by Congress 

Policy II: Name changes 

Policy III: Commemorative names 

Policy IV: Wilderness Areas 

Policy V: Derogatory names 

Policy VI: Use of diacritical marks 

Policy VII: Name duplication 

Policy VIII: Use of variant names 

Policy IX: Long names 

Policy X: Names of Native American origin 

Chapter 4. Procedures and Guidelines 

Submitting name corrections and changes 

Submitting nonrecorded names 

Procedure for submitting corrections, changes, and nonrecorded names 

Proposing names for unnamed domestic features 

Guidelines for proposing names 

Procedures for proposing a name for an unnamed feature 

Canada-United States boundary names 

Water rights names 

Alphabetizing and sequencing rules 

 
Chapter 5. Editorial Guidelines 

Writing marks 

Abbreviations and number names 

Capitalization of geographic names 

Appendix A. Public Law 242 

Appendix B. Terms and definitions 

Appendix C. Domestic Geographic Name Report 

Appendix D. Foreign geographic names 

Appendix E. United Nations: International standardization 

Index 

 
Chapter 1 

INTRODUCTION 

It would be ideal if in everyday language all people were to use but one name for a given 

geographic entity with only one entity known by that name. In practice, the extent to which this 

ideal can be reached varies with time according to sociopolitical conditions, the mobility of 

people and their naming habits, and language flexibility. Confusion, uncertainty, and 

misunderstanding may occur when the name for an entity is spelled in different ways, when 

different names are used for the same place, when the same name is used for different places, or 

when a name is applied to a feature in an unexpected or different way from the general 

understanding of how it should apply. Standardization of the written form of a name and its 

application has become increasingly important during the last 100 years because of reference 

needs associated with the development of natural sciences; sophisticated transportation and 

communication systems; special land, mineral, and water rights; and highly accurate large-scale 

maps and charts. 

U.S. BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 

The systematic standardization of geographic names in the United States began late in the 19th 

century. After the American Civil War there was a surge of mapping and scientific reporting 

associated with the exploration, mining, and settlement of the western territories. Inconsistencies 

and contradictions among the many names, their spellings, and applications became a serious 

problem to mapmakers and scientists who required uniform, nonconflicting geographical 

nomenclature. As a result, President Benjamin Harrison signed an Executive Order on September 

4, 1890, establishing the United States Board on Geographic Names. The Board was given 

authority to resolve all unsettled questions concerning geographic names. Decisions of the Board 

were accepted as binding by all departments and agencies of the Federal Government. 

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt extended the responsibilities of the Board. In addition to 

adjudicating conflicts, it now had authority to standardize all geographic names for Federal use, 

including name changes and new names. 

The current period in the Board’s history began in 1947 when the Congress of the United States 

reorganized the Board by Public Law 80-242 (see Appendix A). The Board on Geographic 

Names, conjointly with the Secretary of the Interior, is directed to establish and maintain uniform 

geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government. The present Board operates without 

a budget and is made up of members and deputies from Federal departments and independent 

agencies, providing a broad spectrum of representation from most Federal programs concerned 

with the use of geographic names. All members of the Board and their deputies are employees of 

the Federal Government, and they serve without further compensation. Members and deputies 

are appointed by the heads of their respective departments or agencies for a 2-year term. The 

Chairman is appointed by the Secretary of the Interior on nomination by the Board. The officers 

of the Board are its Chairman, Vice Chairman, and its Executive Secretaries. The Chairman 

appoints either the Executive Secretary for Domestic Names or the Executive Secretary for 

Foreign Names to be the Executive Secretary to the Board. 
Special working committees are established by the Board as necessary. The Secretary of the 

Interior, upon recommendation of the Board, may establish advisory committees of recognized 

experts in their respective fields to assist in the solution or treatment of special problems. Current 

working committees include the Domestic Names Committee, Foreign Names Committee, 

Executive Committee, Publications and Publicity Committee, and advisory committees for 

Antarctic and undersea feature names. 

Since 1947, domestic names standardization has been carried out in the name of the Board by its 

Domestic Names Committee, which meets monthly. Consisting of members and deputies 

representing the Departments of the Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture and the Government 

Printing Office, Postal Service, and Library of Congress, it is responsible for standardizing the 

names of places, features, and areas within the 50 States and in other areas under the sovereignty 

of the United States. The Executive Secretary and staff support for the domestic names activities 

of the Board and names activities for Antarctica are provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, an 

agency in the Department of the Interior. 

From the beginning, in 1890, the Board developed principles of domestic names standardization 

that have stood the test of time. A primary principle is formal recognition of present-day local 

usage. To this end, the Committee and its supporting staff work closely with State geographic 

names authorities, State and local governments, and the general public in order to determine the 

choice, spelling, written form, and application of each name for official use. A list of State names 

authorities can be found in Authorities and Organizations Involved With Geographic Names:

United States, Canada, Mexico - 1989 published by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation 

with the Board on Geographic Names. See Appendix B for a list of terms and their definitions 

used by the Board in its standardization program. Members of the Board and of its staff also have 

represented the United States in various international programs to standardize names. Appendix 

E gives a brief history of international programs, including those in the United Nations. 

Foreign names standardization is carried out in the name of the Board by its Foreign Names 

Committee. The Committee’s members and deputies represent those Federal departments and 

independent agencies concerned with the use of foreign geographic names. The Executive 

Secretary and staff support for the foreign names activities of the Board, and the maintenance of 

records relating to names of undersea features are provided by the National Imagery and 

Mapping Agency in the Department of Defense (see Appendix D). 

CHARACTERISTICS OF DOMESTIC GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 

Geographic names normally originate in and are influenced by spoken language. It is important 

to remember this fact because many people are concerned with written forms of names, 

including matters of spelling, capitalization, word form, and writing marks that may have little to 

do with the way names are spoken. Most geographic names are binomial in that they have two 

parts, denoting the specific and the generic: Middleton (middle town), Coal Hollow, or Sierra 

Nevada. The generic part tells the kind of place, feature, or area to which the name refers, and 

the specific part uniquely identifies the particular place, feature, or area. The generic part of the 

name is usually a single topographic term such as brook, hill, bay, peak, mesa, or lake; the 
specific part may consist of one or more words such as Grosse Roche, Jenny Lind, and Casale 

Campo di Carne. The binomial (two-part) form is strong, and in written usage often leads to 

combining words in the specific part of the name, such as Threemile Run and Redhill Gulch. The 

names of some features can be long, especially if that specific part is a prepositional phrase: 

Cliffs of the Seven Double Pillars, Foot of the Mountains Run, and Canon del Rajadero de los 

Negros. Some names have nonce (rare) generic forms; consider, for example, colorful American 

names such as Bald Alley (ridge), Butlers Toothpick (pinnacle rock), Titans Piazza (hill), and 

Devils Racepath (ridge). Among variations of the binomial form are oneword names that require 

a capitalized article: The Bend, La Pica, The Cape, The Nose, and The Maze. 

Single-word specific names such as Boston and Pinhook are common for populated places and 

some civil divisions; the kind of feature meant is implied by sentence context. 

Several names with the same generic word may be treated as a group in text with the generic 

word in plural form: “Calumet, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan Counties”; “Wisconsin and Illinois 

Rivers.” 

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC NAMES DATABASE 

The National Geographic Names Database is a part of the Geographic Names Information 

System (GNIS) and represents the primary source for identifying official names. The system is 

maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic 

Names. Over 2.5 million name records are currently in the database. These records include the 

names of natural features, populated places, civil divisions, areas and regions, and cultural 

features such as mines, churches, schools, cemeteries, hospitals, dams, airports, and shopping 

centers. All names in the database, except for variant names, are considered official for Federal 

use, by either Board policy or decision or under the procedures of the organization responsible 

for its administrative names. Information associated with each record includes the: 

• written form of the official or primary name 

• term identifying the kind of feature 

• location and, in some cases, extent of the feature by geographic coordinates 

• U.S. Geological Survey or other official base series map on which the feature can be located 

• elevation of the feature when appropriate 

• variant names and spellings for the same feature 

Information in the database can be retrieved, analyzed, and organized to meet general and 

specialized needs. Information about access to the National Geographic Names Database and 

available products may be obtained from the: 

Manager, GNIS 

U.S. Geological Survey 

523 National Center 

Reston, VA 20192-0523 

Tel.: (703) 648-4544 

Fax: (703) 648-4165 

 
NATIONAL GAZETTEER 

One product of GNIS is The National Gazetteer of the United States of America, which consists 

of a series of State and special listings of geographic names, present and past, used in the United 

States, and its territories and outlying areas. The series of publications, which will list over 3 

million names and associated information when completed, is being prepared and published in 

cooperation with the Board on Geographic Names. Its purpose is to provide the general public 

with a relatively complete reference to the names of places, areas, and features in the United 

States and to establish a national standard for the written forms of these names and their 

applications. Separate volumes of The National Gazetteer are identified by the name of the State 

or area covered along with the year it is published as part of the title. A single concise volume for 

the United States is available, listing about 42,000 names currently used for selected places and 

areas and major natural features. 

NATIONAL DIGITAL GAZETTEER (Compact Disc) 

Another product of GNIS is the National Digital Gazetteer which is a compact disc (CD-ROM) 

containing geographic names and associated information for the Nation. Also included is the 

necessary software to search, retrieve, process, and export the information. The disc will be 

updated annually. 

DETERMING OFFICIAL NAMES 

It is the policy of the Federal Government that only official domestic geographic names are to be 

used on Federal maps and in other publications. An official name is one in which the written 

form of that name and its application to the appropriate place, feature, or area are approved by 

the U.S. Board on Geographic Names or the appropriate administrative agency (see Appendix 

B). By law, the Board is responsible for all geographic names except those applying to offices or 

establishments of Federal agencies (see Appendix A, Sec. 1 and 7). Practically, however, the 

Board decides primarily on the names of natural features of the land, unincorporated localities, 

and populated places in the United States, and its territories and outlying areas. Unless asked to 

do so, the Board does not rule on the names of cultural features such as roads, streets, shopping 

centers, churches, schools, hospitals, and airports (see Principle IV). Borderline cases exist; for 

example, the Board determines the official names of reservoirs not formally named by Congress, 

but not the names of dams that form the reservoirs. The following statements define the Board’s 

procedures for establishing and maintaining uniform geographic name usage for 

Federal maps and other publications. 

The primary reference for official geographic names and their applications established by the 

Board on Geographic Names is the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). 

If a name has required a Board decision, it is listed with a decision year date (e.g. “BGN 1947”) 

or without a year date for names recognized as official by Board policy. However, all entries 

have equal official status. 
Pursuant to Public Law 80-242, geographic names not in GNIS must be submitted to the Board 

on Geographic Names for approval before they can be used on Federal maps, charts, and other 

publications. 

The purpose of this directive is to ensure that GNIS, the primary reference for official names, is 

kept current and as complete as possible. It is to everyone’s advantage that this procedure be 

followed faithfully. Most names submitted to the Board and reported to be in local use (see 

definition) will be processed and approved for inclusion in GNIS. Because of their use as an 

authoritative graphic reference, it is particularly important that all names published on the base 

series maps and charts be recorded and agree in written form and application with GNIS name 

records. 

The base series maps and charts are: 

l. Quadrangle maps (1:24,000 or 1:25,000 scale) of the National Topographic Map Series 

published by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Forest Service. 

2. Nautical charts of coastal areas and inland waters published by the National Ocean Service. 

3. National Forest Visitor maps published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 

4. National Park area visitor maps published by the National Park Service. 

These maps and charts are periodically revised, at which time the names and their applications 

are brought up to date in accordance with information in GNIS. 

Any conflicts noted in name usage among maps in the base series or between one of these maps 

and GNIS should be brought to the attention of the Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic 

Names, U.S. Board on Geographic Names, U.S. Geological Survey, 523 National Center, 

Reston, VA 20192-0523. 

GNIS is available interactively to Federal agencies, and up-to-date name information is also 

available by requesting current computer listings, and information on magnetic media. Special 

searches for names in specific areas or for specific kinds of features are performed upon request. 

Persons or organizations that do not have access to GNIS or do not have time to request GNIS 

information can use secondary sources for determining official geographic names. The most 

important of these secondary sources are: 

• The National Digital Gazetteer (Compact Disc) 

• The National Gazetteer of the United States of America 

• The base series maps and charts published by the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Forest 

Service, the National Ocean Service, and the National Park Service. 

These secondary publications are an important source of official name information and are 

current at the time of publication. Shortly after its organization by public law in 1947, the U.S. 

Board on Geographic Names created a Domestic Names Committee and a Foreign Names 

Committee. It delegated to each authority to render decisions on individual geographic names in 

the name of the Board, within their respective spheres of interest and within established 

principles, policies, and procedures. Therefore, decisions of either committee are decisions of the 
Board and become official after review and approval by the Secretary of the Interior. However, 

new principles, policies, and procedures and major name cases, or changes to any of these are 

normally taken to the full Board membership for review and approval before being submitted to 

the Secretary of the Interior. 

Domestic geographic name problems and proposals submitted to the Board are researched 

individually by the support staff for the Domestic Names Committee for all factors that may 

affect the decision process and are put onto a docket list. The Domestic Names Committee has 

identified several factors to be considered, along with its principles, policies, and procedures, 

when deciding on name problems and proposals. These factors and their definitions are here 

listed alphabetically: 

Established Usage 

A geographic name that has appeared consistently in written usage and/or has been expressed 

consistently in verbal usage, and that is supported by historical and/or current written materials 

and/or in folklore. 

Historical Usage 

A geographic name given and used during the early history of a place or feature; the name may 

be either obsolete or in current use. 

Legal Usage 

A geographic name that appears in a document generated as part of a legal procedure established 

by a government body; the document may either (1) establish the name, or (2) apply it 

incidentally in order to identify or locate an area, site, or feature important to the principal 

purpose of the document. This category includes “legislated usage,” which, because of its 

importance to the naming process, is given special recognition. 

Legislated Usage 

A geographic name established by a legislative body--local, tribal, State, or Federal. 

Local Usage 

A geographic name commonly and currently used for an entity, whether in verbal and/or written 

form, by persons having frequent enough contact with the entity to use the name on a regular 

basis. 

Unnamed Feature 

A geographic entity that is not known to have had a verbal or written name. 

Verbal Usage 

A name used by people when referring to a place, feature, or area in their own language as 

commonly spoken every day. 

Written Usage 

A geographic name in handwritten or printed form, for example, handwritten letters, diaries, and 

logs or names printed in newspapers or on maps or recorded in official, digital records. 
Each docket list is sent to cooperating Federal, State, and tribal agencies and to interested 

organizations and individuals about three months before the Domestic Names Committee 

meeting at which the list is to be considered. Reviewing the merits of each case, the 

Committee decides between conflicting names and approves or disapproves proposed names for 

unnamed features and name changes. Each decision is guided by existing principles and policies, 

and factors involving established, historical, legal, legislated, written, and verbal usage (see 

factors and definitions). Some actions are temporarily deferred to allow more time for State and 

local response or to obtain more information useful for making a decision. A record of the 

decisions at each monthly meeting is submitted to the Secretary of the Interior for review and 

concurrence. Name decisions of the Domestic Names Committee are decisions of the U.S. Board 

on Geographic Names and are entered into the National Geographic Names Database and 

published in decision lists. 

SPELLING OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 

The Board’s decisions establish standard spellings of geographic names for use by the Federal 

Government. When determining the spelling of names in the United States, the Board recognizes 

that geographic names, like other proper names, are not necessarily subject to the spelling rules 

that apply to other words in the English language. Although these standard spellings generally 

conform to rules of English, they may reflect historical spellings or forms commonly used or 

preferred by local citizens and may therefore include what appear to be grammatically incorrect, 

misspelled, improperly combined, or clipped words. 

 
Chapter 2 

DOMESTIC GEOGRAPHIC NAMES PRINCIPLES 

INTRODUCTION 

Public Law 80-242 (1947) instructs the United States Board on Geographic Names, subject to 

the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, to formulate principles, policies, and procedures 

with reference to both domestic and foreign geographic names; and to decide the standard 

names, their orthographies, and applications for official use. The following domestic geographic 

names principles reflect the underlying philosophy and primary guidelines used in national 

standardization since 1890. The Committee and the Board are guided by these principles when 

establishing policies and procedures and making decisions on domestic names. 

Principle I: Use of the Roman Alphabet--Official domestic geographic names are written in the 

Roman alphabet as normally used for writing the English language. Diacritical marks, however, 

may be added to names as specified in Policy VI: Use of Diacritical Marks. 

Principle II: Names in Local Usage--The underlying principle of the U.S. Board on Geographic 

Names for establishing official geographic names and their applications is recognition of presentday local usage or preferences. Exceptions occur when local spoken or written usage is in 

conflict with specific Board policy. In cases where local usage is conflicting or weak, wellestablished documented names and names with historical significance are given strong 

consideration (see Domestic Names Decisions). 

Principle III: Names Established by Act of Congress or Executive order--Geographic names 

and their applications specifically established by an act of Congress or Executive order are 

official by law. This does not apply to geographic names used incidentally in language of an act 

of Congress intended for other purposes, unless the language clearly indicates that naming is part 

of the intent of the act. 

Names established by an act of Congress or by Executive order may include any of the entities 

specified in Note 1, at the end of this chapter. If not named by act of Congress or Executive 

order, such entities generally are named by the administering agency under the authority of an 

act of Congress (see Principle IV). 

Principle IV: Names Established by Other Authorities--Certain categories of names only rarely 

are the subject of decisions by the Board, generally because they fall within the purview of other 

authorities. These are specified in Note 2, at the end of this chapter. The Board may, however, 

decide to rule on such names if necessary to settle conflicts between different agencies. 

Independent of whether decisions are rendered, the Board may include such names in lists it 

issues from time to time, as part of its responsibility to promulgate standard names for U.S. 

Government use. (See Sec. 5 of Public Law 80-242 in Appendix A.) 

Principle V: One Name for One Geographic Entity--The U.S. Board on Geographic Names 

identifies one name, spelling, and application as official for a geographic entity in the United 
States, and its territories and outlying areas. For certain entities a shortened version of the official 

name may also be used in Federal publications (example: State of Wisconsin and Wisconsin; 

City of Atlanta and Atlanta). 

END NOTES FOR CHAPTER 2 

NOTE 1 (See Principle III)

National Fish Hatcheries (Interior/Fish and Wildlife Service) 

National Forests (Agriculture/Forest Service) 

National Game Ranges (Interior/Fish and Wildlife Service) 

National Grasslands (Agriculture/Forest Service) 

National Historic Landmarks (Interior/National Park Service) 

National Historic Sites (Interior/National Park Service) 

National Marine Sanctuaries (Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) 

National Monuments (Interior/National Park Service) 

National Parks (Interior/National Park Service) 

National Recreation Areas (Agriculture/Forest Service and Interior/National Park Service) 

National Recreation Trails (Agriculture/Forest Service and Interior/National Park Service) 

National Scenic Trails (Agriculture/Forest Service/Interior/National Park Service) 

National Seashores (Interior/National Park Service) 

National Wild and Scenic Rivers (Agriculture/Forest Service and Interior/National Park 

Service) 

National Wildlife Refuges (Interior/Fish and Wildlife Service) 

Wilderness Areas (Interior or Agriculture) 

The names of some reservoirs also have been established by Congress. 

NOTE 2 (See Principle IV) 

The following categories of names generally are not the subject of decisions by the Board: 

Facilities, offices, establishments, and bounded areas of administration of Federal agencies--

Examples are Forest Service stations and ranger districts (Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service); military bases and reservations (Department of Defense); Coast Guard lighthouses and 

lifesaving stations (Department of Transportation); and post offices (U.S. Postal Service). 

However, the names adopted by these agencies apply to the facilities themselves, but not 

necessarily to similar names of adjacent communities or geographical features. Such names may 

be the subject of Board decisions. 

Facilities, offices, establishments, and bounded areas of administration of State and local 

governments--Examples are regional forest preserves, State parks, municipal buildings and 

parks, municipal airports, and public schools. 
Indian reservations--Names of these generally are specified in an act of Congress, a treaty, or an 

Executive order. 

Administrative geographic subdivisions (counties, cities, townships, and similar legally 

incorporated units)--These entities are created under State law, which typically prescribes 

procedures for establishing their names. Included are entities that generally have local selfgovernment such as cities, towns, townships, boroughs, villages, and plantations (in Maine); 

districts, precincts, and similar entities established as administrative subdivisions of larger units; 

wards of cities; and municipios, barrios, and similar entities in Puerto Rico and the outlying 

areas. The Board frequently promulgates current information on such names but renders 

decisions only in rare instances of conflict or ambiguity between established sources. 

Local transportation, communication, navigational, and water-management features-- 

Names of highways, streets, bridges, ferries, tunnels, airports, radio and television towers, buoys, 

artificial fishing reefs, dams, ditches, and canals that are constructed or administered by a 

government or quasi-government agency generally are named by the appropriate office. Only if a 

conflict arises does the Board become involved. 

Structures and other manmade features on private property--Examples are shopping malls, 

resorts, mines, oil rigs, churches, cemeteries and stations, stops, and sidings of railroads and 

other public transit facilities. As in the case of post offices, a railroad station name does not 

automatically apply to the adjacent community, whose name may be the subject of a Board 

decision. A Board decision also may be called for when several property owners are involved, or 

when a feature is no longer active (for example, an abandoned mine) if the correct name is in 

doubt. 

 
Chapter 3 

DOMESTIC GEOGRAPHIC NAMES POLICIES 

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names has formulated policies and procedures that deal with 

particular naming problems or issues. These policies have been developed over the past 100 

years to encourage and permit uniformity and objectivity in the decision-making process and to 

assist in national standardization. While most proposed geographic name situations and 

conditions will be addressed by these policies, there may be certain instances in which other 

factors must be considered to arrive at a suitable decision. 

POLICY I: NAMES BEING CONSIDERED BY CONGRESS

Geographic names and their applications specifically established by an act of Congress are 

official by law, and therefore, take precedence over decisions of the Board. Occasionally, a name 

or name-change proposal submitted to the Board becomes at the same time a matter of proposed 

legislation before Congress. To prevent confusion by possible conflicting action by the bodies, 

the Board adheres to the following policy: 

Policy 

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names will not render a decision on a name or its 

application if the matter is also being considered by the Congress of the United States. If 

Congress does not act on the proposed legislation by the end of its second session, the 

Board will not act on the case for 90 days after the beginning of the next session of 

Congress. If Congress formally declines to act on proposed naming legislation, the Board 

will wait 90 days before deciding on the case, unless new legislation is introduced during 

that period. 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

March 12, 1981 April 20, 1981 

POLICY II: NAME CHANGES 

Geographic names, as do other categories of proper names, perform an important reference or 

label function in language. Each name identifies a particular geographic feature, place, or area. 

This function requires a high degree of stability in the spoken and written forms of names and 

their applications. Consequently, changes in existing names should not be made without good 

reason. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names will consider every proposal involving a name 

change on an individual basis, and the merits of each case will be carefully evaluated. 

 
Definition 

“Name change” means formally changing the proper name of a place, feature, or area in the 

United States or its territories and outlying areas presently recognized by the U.S. Board on 

Geographic Names as official for use on Federal maps and in other Federal publications. The 

Board recognizes three classes of name changes: 

a. Those made to bring Federal official usage into agreement with well-established local usage. 

b. Those made to eliminate particular name problems as in cases involving derogatory names, 

name duplication, and names originally authorized on the basis of incorrect information. 

c. Those made at the request of persons or organizations, public or private, for commemorative 

or other reasons important to the proposer. 

Policy 

sec. 1 

General: The U.S. Board on Geographic Names does not encourage changes in official 

geographic names. It will not initiate changes in domestic geographic names except in rare 

cases such as those involving certain derogatory names and name duplications. All name 

change proposals are evaluated in cooperation with State geographic names authorities, 

Federal, State, and tribal agencies, local governments, other authoritative bodies, and the 

public. 

sec. 2 

Conforming to Local Usage: It is the policy of the Board to follow present-day local usage 

whenever possible. However, the Board will consider proposals to change official names 

that do not agree with well-established local usage or its applications. Considerations other 

than local usage may be overriding in certain individual cases. Factors such as Board 

policies, document usage, population density, and State, tribal and local governmental 

needs are always considered in Board decisions. 

sec. 3 

Derogatory Names: The Board has a firm policy prohibiting the inclusion of a word in an 

official geographic name considered by the Board to be derogatory to any racial, ethnic, 

gender, or religious group (see Policy V: Derogatory Names). 

Duplicate Names: Common names are often applied over and over again in the naming 

process. Where duplication leads to confusion, the Board encourages requests to change 

names in order to eliminate duplication (see Policy Vll: Name Duplication). 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

March 12, 1981 April 20, 1981 
POLICY III: COMMEMORATIVE NAMES 

Naming is a basic human tendency; just as a name helps to create a distinct identity for an 

individual, a geographic name helps distinguish one place from another. Naming geographic 

features after individuals is one way that settlers marked the land; one way they signified that 

their lives on it and their contributions to it were important. Commemorative naming gave them 

a sense of ownership, assured the continued remembrance of them and their deeds. Naming a 

river, a mountain or a valley helped create the familiar, often reminding them of another place, 

person, or time. 

Over the years the role of the Board has changed and grown. In a nation where numerous 

individuals are remembered for their accomplishments, the Board follows established principles, 

policies, and procedures to decide whose name may be applied to a natural feature for U.S. 

official maps and publications. In some cases, the Board may be able to suggest alternatives to 

geographic naming which might better commemorate the individual. 

Policy 

sec 1. 

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names will consider proposals for assignment of the names 

or nicknames of deceased persons to geographic features in the United States and areas 

under the jurisdiction of the United States. The Board will not consider names that 

commemorate or may be construed to commemorate living persons. In addition, a person 

must be deceased at least 5 years before a commemorative proposal will be considered. 

sec 2. 

The person being honored by the naming should have had either some direct and longterm association with the feature or have made a significant contribution to the area or 

State in which it is located. 

sec 3. 

A proposal commemorating an individual with an outstanding national or international 

reputation will be considered even if the person was not directly associated with the 

geographic feature. 

sec 4. 

All commemorative name proposals must meet the same basic criteria required of any 

other name proposal. 

 
Guidelines 

A proposal to commemorate an individual should contain evidence of local support for the 

proposed name and its application. Such evidence may be in the form of letters from local 

residents and administrative agency personnel and/or petitions containing original signatures of 

local citizens. 

In States with no official State names authority, approval must be obtained from local governing 

bodies such as the county commissioners or supervisors or the town selectmen. 

Past decisions by the Board have found “direct association” or “significant contribution” when 

the person being commemorated was a(n): 

• early or long-time settler - 20 or more years 

• developer of the designated feature 

• restorer or maintainer of the feature 

• donor of the land to State or Federal Government 

• person who played a large part in protecting the land for public benefit. 

A person’s death on or at a feature, such as in a mountaineering accident or plane crash, or the 

mere ownership of land or the feature, does not normally meet the “direct association” criterion. 

The Board urges careful review of an individual’s association with the intended feature, as well 

as the proposal’s consistency with other Board policies, before submitting the proposal. 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

April 22, 1986 May 27, 1986 

POLICY IV: WILDERNESS NAMES 

In the Wilderness Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-577, 78 Stat. 890) Congress established the 

National Wilderness Preservation System composed of federally owned areas to be administered. 

“... for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such manner as will leave them 

unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness, and so as to provide for the protection of 

these areas, the preservation of their wilderness character, and for the gathering and 

dissemination of information regarding their use and enjoyment as wilderness .... “ 

The act characterizes wilderness “as an area where the earth and its community of life are 

untrammeled by man [and] where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” 

Though wilderness designations are a modern invention, a fundamental characteristic of 

elemental wilderness is that features are nameless and the cultural overlay of civilization is 

absent. No wilderness is today totally free of placenames and cultural artifacts, but a goal of 

Federal wilderness area administration is to minimize the impacts and traces of people. 
Wilderness areas designated by Congress are managed to preserve their unique natural, scenic, 

educational, scientific, and primitive values. 

Policy 

sec. 1 

Within wilderness areas, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names will not approve proposed 

names for unnamed features, names in local use but not published on a base series map, or 

unpublished administrative names used by administering agencies, unless an overriding 

need exists, such as for purposes of safety, education, or area administration. 

sec. 2 

Name proposals commemorating persons are discouraged and will not be considered unless 

the criteria in Section 1 and the Commemorative Names Policy are met (see Policy Ill). 

sec. 3 

All new name proposals involving wilderness areas must meet the same basic criteria 

required of any other name proposal. These criteria also apply to names in areas being 

considered for possible designation by Congress as wilderness areas. 

Guidelines 

The administering Federal agency will review new name proposals and advise the U.S. Board on 

Geographic Names of its findings relative to overriding need. Final approval or disapproval will 

be made by the Board. 

Persons wishing to name an unnamed feature in a wilderness area should coordinate their 

proposal with the Federal agency responsible for the administration of the area. 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

April 16, 1985 July 21, 1985 

POLICY V: DEROGATORY NAMES

The guiding principle of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for the names of places, features, 

and areas in the United States and its territories is to adopt for official Federal use the names 

found in present-day local usage. An exception to this principle occurs when a name is shown to 

be highly offensive or derogatory to a particular racial or ethnic group, gender, or religious 

group. In such instances, the Board does not approve use of the names for Federal maps, charts, 

and other publications. 
The Board, however, is conservative in this matter and prefers to interfere as little as possible 

within the use of names in everyday language because attitudes and perceptions of words 

considered to be pejorative vary between individuals and can change connotation from one 

generation to another. Geographic names are part of the historical record of the United States, 

and that record may be either distorted or disrupted by the elimination of names associated with 

particular groups of Americans. Such unwarranted action by the Board could, in time, be a 

disservice to the people the process is meant to protect. 

Policy 

In the case of domestic geographic names, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names will not 

adopt a name for Federal usage that is determined by the Board to be derogatory to a 

particular racial or ethnic group, gender, or religious group. 

Guidelines 

Any individual or agency may request the Board to change a currently used name on grounds the 

name is derogatory or patently offensive. 

Requests for name changes should be in the form of an application to the Board including 

reasons why the present name should not be used. The requester must offer an alternative name 

as part of the application following Board guidelines for submittal of name proposals. 

Upon receipt of a request to change a derogatory name, the Board will investigate the 

background for the current name and will solicit from the appropriate State names authority that 

organization’s views on the proposed change, including any alternatives. 

In considering a change proposal, the Board will give careful consideration to all relevant 

factors, including the extent and distribution of usage, historical context, user perceptions and 

intent, and lexical meanings. 

The Board will not adopt a name proposal that includes the word “Jap” or the word “Nigger” 

whether or not it is in current local usage and regardless of by whom proposed. 

In the event of a name change, the prior form will appear in the permanent record as a variant. 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

June 23, 1983 July 28, 1983 

POLICY VI: USE OF DIACRITICAL MARKS 

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names has not customarily recognized accent or other diacritical 

marks as part of the spelling of geographic names in the United States (see Principle I). Such 

marks are almost never used in English, but they constitute part of the spelling in many other 
languages, including Spanish and French from which numerous placenames in the United States 

are derived. Most geographic names adopted from non-English languages have been assimilated 

into English usage, and therefore lack the diacritical marks that were included in the original 

spelling. In some cases, however, especially in the areas of the United States where Spanish or 

French are still spoken, there are names for which active local usage may indicate that diacritical 

marks should be included. Diacriticals may be especially important if their omission would result 

in a significant change in the meaning of the name in the parent language. 

In the past, the Board has sanctioned the use of a name form containing diacritical marks in a 

few exceptional cases. 

Policy 

The presence of diacritical marks will not necessarily bar approval of a geographic name 

by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names; each such name will be considered on a case-bycase basis. A spelling that includes diacritical marks will be approved if, in the judgment of 

the Board, there is substantial evidence of active local use, such as official records, maps, 

and signs, in the area where the feature is located. Names using special marks not normally 

found in the English language are considered variant names (see Principle I). 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

April 22, 1986 May 27, 1986 

POLICY VII: NAME DUPLICATION 

The role of geographic names in language is to provide unambiguous labels to identify 

geographical entities. Duplication of names within an area often causes confusion and 

misunderstanding. Name duplication, however, is common within a county, State, or Nation 

because naming is a natural process. While name duplication within a county or State is 

undesirable, well-established geographic names should not be changed unless there is strong 

public support for the change. 

Definition 

Name duplication occurs when two or more places or features of the same kind, relatively close 

to each other, have the same name in local or published usage. Name duplication does not occur 

when places or features of different kinds have the same name, such as a stream called Long 

Creek and a village called Longcreek or Long Creek. 

Policy 

sec. 1 
Names proposed for unnamed geographic features that duplicate another name in the State 

or nearby in an adjoining State will not normally be approved by the U.S. Board on 

Geographic 

Names. 

sec 2. 

The Board encourages efforts by State and local governments and local citizens to change 

or modify one or more duplicate names wherever ambiguity is likely to occur. Such name 

changes should be coordinated with the Board. 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

March 12, 1981 April 20, 1981 

POLICY VII: USE OF VARIANT NAMES 

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names was established to bring uniformity to name usage on 

Federal maps and in Federal documents. From its inception the Board has identified a single 

official spelling for each domestic geographic entity. For certain names of rivers and political 

subdivisions, both a long form and a short form are identified and either may be used (for 

example, City of Chicago or Chicago). 

A variant is any current or historical name or spelling for a geographic entity other than its 

official name. Known variant names and applications are specified in Board decisions. The 

Board disapproves the independent use of any variant, but a variant may be given in parentheses 

following the approved name. 

Policy 

sec.1 

In adopting a domestic geographic name, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names will 

identify one name, spelling, and application as official for a geographic entity. For names of 

political and civil divisions, either a long form or a short form maybe used. 

sec.2 

The Board does not allow the use of parentheses in an official name, but a variant in 

parentheses may be used after the official name if needed for purposes of clarity or 

reference. The independent use of any name other than the official name is not approved. 

Guidelines 
Use of a variant name in parentheses following an official name on a Federal map or chart or in a 

report is at the discretion of the author and the issuing agency. 

On a map or chart, a name in parentheses may appear either following the official name or below 

it. It should always be clear which name is the official one. The Board does not object to the 

listing of such variant names in a tabular or dictionary format in order to convey special 

information such as pronunciation, name origin, or word meaning. A statement explaining the 

purpose of the table or dictionary and why the names listed vary from official names should be 

included. 

An example of the use of variant names in this manner developed after a national system of 

scenic, historic, and recreation trails was authorized by Public Law 90-543 on October 2, 1968 

(amended November 10, 1978). These national trails may coincide in part with trails having 

well-established names that differ from the official names fixed by legislation. When this occurs, 

and there is a need to retain the older established name for reference or identification, it is 

recommended that the older name be shown in parentheses after the official name. Example: 

“Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (John Muir Trail).” 

Possible reasons for use of variant names include: 

a. To show an alternative name in current or recent local use. 

b. To show a former name that has been changed. 

c. To show a foreign name for a feature crossing an international boundary. 

d. To show a local name that applies only to part of a feature. 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

February 9, 1984 March 23, 1984 

POLICY IX: LONG NAMES 

Almost since its inception, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has expressed a preference 

against long and clumsily constructed domestic geographic names. Although the Board does not 

specifically define what constitutes an unacceptably long name, if the length of a name is such 

that it is difficult or cumbersome to use in written or spoken form, then such a name generally 

will not be approved by the Board. 

This statement deals with three specific categories of long names, as follows: 

a. Legislated names for reservoirs, dams, and other features, assigned to commemorate some 

individual and typically using his/her full name. These are termed “legislated feature names.” 

Examples include Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake (Georgia) and Bob Marshall Wilderness 

Area (Montana). If such names are assigned by an act of Congress, they are not subject to 

modification by the Board on Geographic Names. 

b. Names adopted to commemorate an individual, using more than the surname so as to make the 

referent person unmistakable. These names are distinguishable from category “a” because their 

motive is to avoid ambiguity. They are termed “full commemorative names.” Examples include 
Walter E. Long Lake (Texas), Claude Birdseye Point (Arizona), and George R. Stewart Peak 

(California). 

c. Names of stream forks or branches that might be regarded as incomplete without including the 

names of their main streams. These are termed “long stream names.” Examples include East 

Fork North Fork North Fork American River and North Fork of Middle Fork American River. 

Policy 

sec. 1 

For names of domestic geographic features established by a legislative body other than 

Congress, the Board on Geographic Names will follow its general policy relative to the use 

of personal names. Under that policy, the full name of a person as the specific part of a 

geographic name normally is not approved. 

sec. 2 

This policy also applies to proposals to use an individual’s full name to emphasize the 

commemorative intent of the name. Exceptions are occasionally made by the Board when a 

person’s full name, or parts of a full name, are short and euphonious or where the surname 

used alone would be ambiguous. 

sec. 3 

Names of tributaries will be approved by the Board as official names without reference to 

their parent stream, provided they are unambiguous and meet the Board’s other guidelines 

for approving a name. If a tributary name is deemed to be ambiguous without the name of 

its parent stream, the Board will consider (1) extending the name of the parent stream to 

the tributary or (2) requesting an alternative proposal. If neither of these alternatives is 

possible, the Board will consider including the name of the parent stream in the approved 

name of the tributary. 

Guidelines 

In reviewing legislated geographic feature names, the Board will consider adopting the full 

legislated name with selective underscoring to specify the surname portion (for example, John H. 

McClintick Dam). 

Proposals for adoption of full commemorative names are considered individually as part of the 

overall review of the appropriateness of the names. If the full name is approved to avoid 

ambiguity, selective underscoring will not be adopted to permit use of the surname portion of the 

name alone. 

If a stream name is approved that includes the name of the parent stream, only the full approved 

name may be used, not a shortened form that omits the parent stream name. 
Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

April 22, 1986 May 27, 1986 

POLICY X: NAMES OF NATIVE AMERICAN ORIGIN 

Geographic names derived from the languages of Native Americans are an important and 

integral part of the cultural heritage of the United States. As part of its standard review procedure 

for proposed names, the Board will consult with Federally-recognized tribes having an historic or 

cultural affiliation with the geographic location of the feature. In addition, the Board may consult 

with such other organized Native American entities as it finds may have an interest in the feature 

being proposed for naming. The following policy clarifies the Board’s position concerning the 

official use of names derived from Native American languages used in the United States, and its 

territories and outlying areas. 

Policy 

sec.1 

Official Use of Geographic Names Derived From Native American Languages. The U.S. 

Board on Geographic Names supports and promotes the official use of geographic names 

derived from Native American languages. To this end, the expert documentation of these 

names in current use is encouraged. The final selection, spelling, and application of the 

names for official use on Federal maps and other publications are based on policies and 

orthographic guidelines established by the Board. 

sec. 2 

Changing Established Geographic Names Derived From Native American Languages. The 

U.S. Board on Geographic Names generally will not consider proposals changing the 

spellings and/or applications of long-published, well-established geographic names of 

Native American origin in order to conform to current standards of spelling correctness 

and/or name referent accuracy. 

sec. 3 

Changing Established Geographic Names Derived From Non- Native Languages Within 

Areas of Native American Tribal Jurisdiction. 

a. Proposals to change widely known, long-published geographic names derived from nonNative American languages for major (primary) features within, or partly within, areas of 

Native American tribal jurisdiction rarely will be considered by the U.S. Board on 

Geographic Names unless such changes have extensive public support and are approved by 

appropriate State and tribal authorities.
b. Proposals to change published names derived from non-Native American languages in 

order to conform with local usage for other than major (primary) features within, or partly 

within, areas of Native American tribal jurisdiction will be considered by the U.S. Board on 

Geographic Names. Decisions affecting such name changes will be made in cooperation 

with tribal and State authorities. 

sec. 4 

Proposing Geographic Names for Unnamed Features Within Areas of Native American 

Tribal Jurisdiction. Proposals to name unnamed natural features (that is, features for 

which there are no published or local names in current use) within, or partly within, 

areas of Native American tribal jurisdiction must conform to established Board guidelines 

for such naming and be supported by the tribal government before being considered for 

approval by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. 

sec. 5 

Geographic Names of Native American Language Origin in Local Use Outside Areas of 

Tribal Jurisdiction. Unpublished geographic names used by Native Americans for places 

and features outside areas of tribal jurisdiction will be given appropriate consideration 

with similar unpublished non-Native American names for the same places and features. 

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, in each case, will decide on a name for official use 

according to routine decision criteria. 

sec. 6 

Proposing Geographic Names Derived From Native American Languages for Unnamed 

Features Outside Areas of Tribal Jurisdiction. Proposals to apply names derived from 

Native American languages to unnamed features (that is, without published or local names 

in current use) outside areas of tribal jurisdiction will be considered for approval by the 

U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Proposals of this kind: 

a. Must meet the requirements outlined in the Board’s guidelines for proposing names for 

unnamed features. 

b. Should be linguistically appropriate to the area in which each is to be applied (that is, in 

each case, the language from which the name is derived, is or once was, spoken in the area 

by a relatively permanent population). 

c. Must conform to the Board’s orthographic guidelines for the writing of Native American 

geographic names. 

sec. 7 

Generic Terms Recommended for Geographic Names Derived From Native American 

Languages. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names recommends the use of generic terms 

with names derived from Native American languages that are easily understood by the 

general public and are common to the areas in which the names are applied. This policy 

applies even though the Native American names may already contain generic elements. 
Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

April 18, 1996 August 15, 1996 

 
Chapter 4 

PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES 

SUBMITTING NAME CORRECTIONS AND CHANGES 

The National Geographic Names Database within the Geographic Names Information System 

(GNIS) contains the geographic names approved for use on Federal maps and charts and other 

publications. A correction or change to an official geographic name record in the database can be 

initiated by submitting the appropriate information to the Executive Secretary for Domestic 

Geographic Names, U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Such corrections or changes are 

generally based on discovered typographical errors or evidence that local or predominant 

published/legal usage is in conflict with the official record. Proposed changes must be submitted 

to the Board for review and approval before they can be used in Federal publications. 

 

The Board’s procedure for reviewing name conflicts includes submitting the cases to local, 

Federal, and State agencies, and where the conflict relates to a major geographic feature, it also 

includes publicizing it in the news media. This procedure alerts the agencies and the general 

public to the problem and solicits their comments and recommendations. Where a name conflict 

is associated with a feature on an international boundary with Canada or Mexico, the review 

procedure includes contact with appropriate Canadian or Mexican names authorities for their 

comments. 

In approving names for publication or official recognition, the key factor is to submit the 

requested correction or change to the Board well in advance of the publication date in order to 

allow adequate time for the correction or approval process. This leadtime can vary between 1 to 

6 or more months depending on the nature of the submittal. Typographical corrections, for 

example, can be made by the Board’s support staff in a few days while some controversial 

changes may take several months. 

Upon request, in emergency cases, the Board and its staff will attempt to expedite the review and 

approval process. If, however, approval is not received before a publication deadline, the name 

or names involved should be used as indicated in the database or left off maps and charts. 

SUBMITTING NONRECORDED NAMES 

A nonrecorded name is one that is not currently in the Geographic Names Information System 

(GNIS). It is a name recently collected and represented as being in local usage or in established 

publication or legal use. 

All such names are to be submitted to the Board on Geographic Names for review and approval 

before they may be used in Federal publications. These names generally will not be docketed and 

will be processed, approved, or rejected, in less than 30 calendar days. The person or agency 

submitting the names will be notified immediately of the actions taken. 
PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING CORRECTSIONS, CHANGES, AND NONRECORDED NAMES 

Proposals to change an official name, its spelling, or application can be made by submitting 

appropriate information to the Executive Secretary for Domestic Geographic Names, U.S. Board 

on Geographic Names. This can be done by letter, by using the standard Domestic Geographic 

Name Report (see Appendix C), or by established telecommunication or other procedures. All 

proposals should clearly identify the feature and include required evidence supporting the 

proposal. If the communication is by letter or report form, feature identification can be done by 

map annotation. Other procedures require identification by means of accurate geographical 

coordinates. The Board’s decision may differ in name, choice, form, spelling, or application from 

that recommended by the proposing agency or individual. However, all Federal agencies are 

required to accept the Board’s decision and to correct their maps and reports accordingly before 

publication, or, if already published, at the time the map or maps are next printed. 

Nonrecorded names and obvious typographical errors may be submitted by telecommunication 

methods or by annotated map or maps. Here again, clear identification of the feature is 

important. The information submitted or annotated on a map should indicate the source of the 

name (e.g. “local usage--8 people”; “county highway map, 1994”) or the nature of the 

typographical error. 

PROPOSING NAMES FOR UNNAMED DOMESTIC FEATURES 

Although the principal guide for determining domestic standard names is present-day spoken and 

written local usage, the Board realizes that there are occasional needs for reference or 

commemorative purposes to name features that are presently unnamed. The U.S. Board on 

Geographic Names does not initiate naming of unnamed domestic features, but is authorized to 

consider proposals for new names for use with Federal maps and publications, and for other uses. 

Any person or organization, public or private, may submit a name proposal to the Board for 

consideration. 

A new name will affect many people for a long time; thus it must be acceptable to local citizens, 

involved local, State, and Federal agencies, and other users. The Board’s responsibility is to 

evaluate each name proposal as to appropriateness, acceptability, and need (relative to the 

feature, its location, and the user community) before it is adopted. This is done in cooperation 

with State geographic names authorities, Federal, State, and tribal agencies, local governments, 

and the public. As a general policy, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names avoids excessive or 

needless naming of features. 

Guidelines for Proposing Names 

These guidelines apply only to features that have never been named. Names for features already 

established in spoken or written form among local citizens, even though the names do not appear 

on current maps, are given priority (see Policy II: Name Changes). A person who wishes to 

propose a name for an unnamed feature is expected to determine, to the best of his or her ability, 

whether the feature is actually unnamed. The best sources for locating unnamed features are 
large-scale maps and charts published by the Federal and State governments. U.S. Geological 

Survey topographic maps and National Ocean Service nautical charts, for example, can be found 

in most large map libraries. When considering a proposal to name an unnamed feature, the Board 

on Geographic Names is guided by the following policies and criteria: 

Recommended Kinds of Proposed Names: The U.S. Board on Geographic Names prefers 

imaginative names that are relatively distinctive provided they are not incompatible with the 

forms of other names existing in the areas in which they will be used. Names descriptive of 

topographic form or suggested by local history, folklore, or incident, or by associated natural life 

or other phenomena are preferred. This includes Native American and other ethnic names 

appropriate to the area in which the feature is located. 

Duplication of Names (see Policy VII: Name Duplication): A proposed name should not 

duplicate another name in the State or nearby in an adjoining State. 

Recommended Name Form: Proposed names are expected to perform useful service as proper 

names. They normally should be as short as possible and easily pronounced. Preferably, the 

pronunciation should be apparent from the spelling. Names that are complex and difficult to 

pronounce often are not accepted by users. 

Qualifying Words in Names: Use of qualifying or relational words (middle, upper, north, big, 

etc.), in the naming of features such as lakes, mountains, branches of streams, and canyons, 

should be avoided where possible. Proposed names should be distinctive. 

Generic Terms: When a proposed geographic name includes both a specific and generic 

element, the generic term (creek, cerro, ridge, lake, col, etc.) should be appropriate to the feature 

and should normally be consistent with generic terms already used and understood in the area in 

which the feature is located. 

Personal Names (see Policy Ill: Commemorative Names): A personal name proposed for a 

geographic feature will not be adopted unless it is determined to be in the public interest to honor 

the person or family for historical or commemorative reasons. To justify adoption by the Board, 

the person or family being honored should have been directly associated with the feature being 

named or have made a significant contribution to the area of the feature or the State in which it is 

located. Experience shows that local citizens and other name users often resent and even resist 

using names that commemorate people. Ownership of land should never in itself be sufficient 

grounds for honoring a person in a geographic name. Proposals honoring exceptional national or 

international figures also will be considered. 

The following established policies apply to all name proposals in which a personal name is used: 

a. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names will not adopt names that commemorate, or may be 

construed to commemorate, living persons. 

b. A person (persons) must have been deceased at least 5 years before a commemorative 

proposal will be considered. 

c. The full name of a person as the specific part of a geographic name normally is not approved. 

Exceptions are occasionally made when a person’s full name, or parts of a full name, are short 
and euphonious. The Board recommends that a name proposal include a surname or given name 

alone with an appropriate generic term. The use of a person’s epithet, nickname, or title often 

provides a more interesting and enduring name, which may also be more readily accepted and 

used by the public because it is less flauntingly commemorative. 

Names in Wilderness Areas (see Policy IV: Wilderness Areas): It is the policy of the United 

States Board on Geographic Names not to approve new names within designated wilderness and 

proposed wilderness areas unless an overriding need exists, such as for purposes of safety, 

education, or area administration. The administering Federal agency will review new name 

proposals and advise the Board of its findings relative to overriding need. Final approval or 

disapproval will be made by the Board. Lands Administered by State and Local Jurisdictions: If 

the feature lies in lands administered by State, tribal, or local jurisdictions, the name proposal 

will be coordinated with the responsible jurisdiction (see Principle IV). 

Derogatory Names (see Policy V: Derogatory Names): The U.S. Board on Geographic Names 

will not adopt a name proposal that implies discrimination or is shown to be derogatory to a 

particular racial or ethnic group, gender, or religious group. This also applies to names 

considered obscene or blasphemous in a present-day cultural context. 

Procedures for Proposing a Name for an Unnamed Feature 

A proposed name for an unnamed feature must be approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic 

Names before it can be used on Federal maps or in other Federal publications. In each case a 

proposal (see Appendix C) must be submitted to the Board in writing along with the following 

information: 

a. Full form of the geographic name being proposed. 

b. Location and clear identification of the feature to be named. 

c. Reason for naming the feature. 

d. Origin or meaning of the proposed name. 

e. Basis of knowledge that the feature is unnamed. 

If the proposed name commemorates a person (persons), additional information is needed: 

a. Full name of each person. 

b. Birth and death dates of each person if known. 

c. A short biography of the person to be honored indicating his or her association with the feature 

or area. 

A map marked to show the exact delineation of the feature to be named is helpful. Preferably this 

should be a Federal, State, or county topographic map with appropriate grids and scales for 

measuring distances and determining precise locations. 

Board review of a proposal will be expedited if the proposer furnishes some evidence of local 

support for a proposed name. Such evidence may be in the form of: 

a. Letters from appropriate Federal, State, tribal, or local administrative authorities and State or 

tribal geographic names authorities. 

b. Petitions for the name signed by local residents. 
c. Newspaper clippings of articles and letters to the editor showing public awareness and 

endorsement of the proposed name. 

Without such evidence of support, final action on a proposal may take 3 to 6 (or more) months 

because the Board works closely with State geographic names authorities or committees and 

with interested Federal and State agencies and local citizens before deciding on a name. A name 

proposal for a feature on an international boundary may require additional time for processing 

because the Board will forward the proposal to the appropriate foreign names authority for its 

endorsement before taking any action. 

Proposals or inquiries may be directed to: 

Executive Secretary 

Domestic Geographic Names Committee 

U.S. Board on Geographic Names 

c/o U.S. Geological Survey 

523 National Center 

Reston, VA 20192-0523 

Tel: (703) 648-4544 

Fax: (703) 648-4165 

Approved by: Approved by: 

Board on Geographic Names Secretary of the Interior 

September 8, 1977 January 21, 1980 

 
THE TREATMENT OF NAMES OF GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES SHARED 

BY THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 

1. Coordination in the Naming of Trans-Boundary Features 

1.1 Mutual Benefit 

WHEREAS: the coordination in the naming of geographical entities on or across the United 

States-Canada boundary is of mutual benefit to the names authorities in both countries, and to 

mapping and surveying agencies; and 

1.2 Different Names and Different Spellings 

WHEREAS: the historical development of the United States and Canada has resulted in several 

different names or different spellings of the same names for geographical features along their 

mutual border; it is 

1.3 Preservation of Cultural Heritages and Histories 

Recommended: that, the different names, and different spellings of the same names, be respected 

by the appropriate names authorities in each country, in cases where such variances reflect 

differences in the cultural heritages and historical perspectives of the two countries. 

1.4 One Feature - One Name 

WHEREAS: it is practical, where culturally acceptable, for a single official name (specific and 

generic) to be considered for adoption by the United States and Canadian names authorities 

(state, federal, provincial, where appropriate) for the same entity; it is 

1.5 Mutual Effort in the Treatment of Names 

Recommended: that similar and effective policies and procedures for handling names of 

transboundary physical geographical features be established in both countries; and it is 

1.6 Cooperative Action 

Recommended: that, where a name is proposed for an entity that is unnamed on both sides of the 

boundary, that name must be submitted to and considered for approval by the appropriate names 

authorities; if local usage supports the proposal, official adoption of the same name may proceed 

in both countries. 

1.7 Established Name on One Side of the Boundary 

Recommended: that, where a geographical entity has an official name on one side of the 

boundary only, the appropriate names authorities in the other country should consider adoption 

of the same name, provided it is supported by local usage. 
1.8 Joint Adoption of Names, with Unofficial Use on One Side of the Boundary 

Recommended: that, where a geographical entity has a name in current but unofficial use on one 

side of the boundary, the appropriate names authorities in both countries should consider that 

name for adoption, after local consultation on both sides of the boundary. 

1.9 Multiple Names for a Single Feature 

Recommended: that, where a geographic entity has a different name in current, but not yet 

official, use on each side of the boundary, and the appropriate names authorities are unable to 

agree on a single name, the appropriate authority in each country either (a) may make its own 

name official, or (b) may decide not to make any name official at that time. 

2. Name Changing 

2.1 Name-Change Policy 

WHEREAS: it is highly desirable to retain established official names; it is 

Recommended: that, for purpose of conformance to strong local usage or citizen preference, or 

on special request with strong specific reasons, or mutual standardization, with local agreement a 

change of an official name may be considered by the appropriate names authorities in both 

countries. 

3. Generic and Feature Class Terminology 

3.1 Mutual Understanding 

WHEREAS: it is desirable for the mutual understanding of geographical terminology in use in 

each country, and for the facilitation of information exchange, to identify classes of named 

features, and to have available documentation explaining generic terms and feature classes; it is 

3.2 Exchange of Documentation on Terminology 

Recommended: that the appropriate names authorities in each country prepare and exchange 

documentation on terminology and generic terms used in their geographical names; and it is 

3.3 Automated Geographical Names Databases 

Recommended: that automated geographical names databases developed by names authorities in 

each country include appropriate information on generic terms and feature classes, for the 

purpose of data exchange. 
4. Implementation 

4.1 Agreement on Principles 

WHEREAS: representatives from the United States and Canadian names authorities have 

reached agreement on a number of principles for handling boundary name problems; and 

4.2 Agreement on Procedures 

WHEREAS: procedures as set out in Appendix A (not included in this publication) are required 

to implement the principles, it is 

4.3 Adoption 

Recommended: that actions be undertaken to carry out the recommendations. 

Approved by: Approved by: 

U.S. Board on Geographic Names U.S. Secretary of the Interior 

August 30, 1989 November 10, 1989 

Approved by: 

Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names 

August 11, 1989 

 
WATER RIGHTS NAMES 

In most Western States, the use of water is based on the law of appropriation. The essence is that 

a water right is acquired by diverting water from a natural source and applying it to beneficial 

use. In an attempt to provide a coordinated and integrated selection of rights to a common 

drainage system, the States have enacted statutory adjudication procedures. The names used for 

streams, ditches, canals, and reservoirs in adjudicated water rights records assume certain legal 

status. Generally, no rules apply to the choice of names used for feature reference in the records 

and, for this reason, some of the names are in conflict with Board on Geographic Names 

principles and policies. 

Guidelines 

The principles and policies of the Board on Geographic Names apply to adjudicated water rights 

names. These names must be approved by the Board before they are used on Federal maps and in 

other Federal publications. The Board normally will approve adjudicated water rights names that 

clearly are not in conflict with its principles and policies. For example, a commemorative name 

will not be considered for approval unless the person or persons for whom the feature is named 

have been deceased 5 years, or if the personal name already is used in another nearby or related 

feature name that is considered official. Water rights names that conflict with clearly established 

local usage will not be approved. 

Procedures 

The official reference for geographic names and their application is the Geographic Names 

Information System (GNIS). Names not in GNIS must be approved by the Board before they can 

be used in a Federal publication. 

ALPHABETIZING AND SEQUENCING RULES FOR GEOGRAPHIC 

NAMES 

The following rules are for alphabetizing and numerical ordering of geographic names in Federal 

files, listings, and gazetteers. These rules are not for the selection, application, or formatting of 

any particular geographic name. 

Name Format 

Before geographic names can be put into alphabetical/numerical order, they must be arranged in 

data entry format. The majority of geographic names in which the specific term is followed by 

the generic term are already in data entry format. 

Examples: Red River 

Big Rock Hollow 

1. Names of physical features in which a generic term precedes the specific term, however, are 

listed with the specific term first, followed by a comma, and then the generic term and any 

associated preposition and/or article. 
Examples: Adams, Mount 

Ann, Lake 

Woods, Lake of the 

Nevada, Sierra 

2. Names of populated places, administrative areas, and other cultural features are always listed 

in reading order. 

Examples: Lake Placid 

Mount Calvary 

3. In names of domestic physical features, both English and non-English initial definite articles 

are reversed. 

Examples: Capitan, El 

Drain, The 

Mesa, La 

Thoroughfare, The 

4. Names containing Arabic numerals are not always spelled out, and when not, any initial 

generic terms are left in reading order. 

Examples: Camp 22 

Canal 14 

Ditch 23 

School Number 14 

Township 33 

Alphabetizing Rules 

1. Spaces, hyphens, periods, apostrophes, diacritical marks, parentheses, bracketed labels, and 

underlining are all disregarded. 

2. Uppercase and lowercase letters are treated alike. 

3. Roman numerals are letters of the alphabet and are treated as such. 

4. Names containing both letters and Arabic numerals are treated as follows: 

a. Where the numerals are in initial position within a name, the sequencing is accomplished 

according to the numerical order of the number after the alphabetical sequencing of other names. 

A 

B 

C 

. 

. 

. 

Z 

1 Branch 

2 Creek 
23 River 

220 Town 

b. If a generic term precedes a numeral within a name, the sequencing is accomplished according 

to the order of the letters in the generic term and then according to the numerical order of the 

number after the alphabetical sequencing of other names. 

Camp Orinoco 

Camp Twenty 

Camp Yahoo 

Camp 22 

Camp 44 

Sequencing Rules 

1. Geographic names are sequenced by the alphabetical order of the letters which occur up to a 

comma, if present, or to the end of the name, if a comma is not present. 

2. Names with the same order of letters up to a comma are sequenced by the alphabetical order 

of the letters following the comma. 

3. Names with the same order of letters throughout the name are sequenced by the next 

subordinate level civil division. 

4. Names with the same order of letters throughout the name and next subordinate level civil 

division are sequenced by the numerical order of the feature’s latitude from lowest to highest. 

5. Names with the same order of letters throughout the name and with the same next subordinate 

level civil division and the same latitude are sequenced by the numerical order of the feature’s 

longitude from lowest to highest. 

 
Chapter 5 

EDITORIAL GUIDELINES 

WRITING MARKS 

Writing marks such as hyphens and apostrophes are occasionally used in domestic geographic 

names. Usage varies and care should be taken to use the standard form for a particular feature 

name. Hyphens are sometimes used in names consisting of a phrase (Hole-in-the-Wall, Go-to-it 

Creek) and in names having a dual-form specific (Clark-Mallard Ditch, Alma-Cassville Trail). 

Hyphens are generally not to be used to separate syllables in Native American names. 

Apostrophes suggesting possession or association are not to be used within the body of a proper 

geographic name (Henrys Fork: not Henry’s Fork). The word or words that form a geographic 

name change their connotative function and together become a single denotative unit. They 

change from words having specific dictionary meaning to fixed labels used to refer to geographic 

entities. The need to imply possession or association no longer exists. Thus, we write 

“Jamestown” instead of “James’town” or even “Richardsons Creek” instead of “Richard’s son’s 

creek.” The whole name can be made possessive or associative with an apostrophe at the end as 

in “Rogers Point’s rocky shore.” Apostrophes may be used within the body of a geographic name 

to denote a missing letter (Lake O’ the Woods) or when they normally exist in a surname used as 

part of a geographic name (O’Malley Hollow). 

ABBREVIATIONS AND NUMBER NAMES 

Names of States can be abbreviated or coded according to Government Printing Office standards. 

Other geographic names are not abbreviated in sentence context except that “Mount” and 

“Saint(e)” may be abbreviated as “Mt. “and “St(e).” On maps and other illustrations, the generic 

part of a name and also a few modifiers may be abbreviated (“Middle,” “North, “South,” “East,” 

“West,” “Left,” “Right,” “Saint,” or “Sainte”), but if space is available, it is preferable to spell 

them completely. 

Except in a few cases approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, numbers in names 

should be spelled. Arabic numerals are number symbols, not words. 

Fortynine and One Half Creek 

Fourmile Run 

CAPITALIZATION OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 

With some exceptions approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, most words 

considered part of a proper geographic name capitalized, including all adjectives, common 

nouns, and the definite article. 

Adams Apple Little Captain Island 

Alva B. Adams Tunnel Los Canos 
Big Hill Old Fundamental Church 

Big Hole Basin Pee Dee Ditch 

Cuchilla Buena Vista The Crooked Esses 

Dark Hollow Brook The Hogback 

Farm River Gut Upper Sulphur Creek 

Lac Arnois West Side Pond 

Exceptions to the rule of capitalization include articles and prepositions within multiple-word 

names. 

Alto de la Cruz Posta de Roque 

Canada de Ojo del Agua Red River of the North 

Fond du Lac Rock of Ages 

Gap in Knob Scarce of Fat Ridge 

Lake of the Ozarks Spread Eagle Chain of Lakes 

As noted earlier, when the generic part of a name is purposely omitted, as in “the Potomac,” “the 

Mojave, “and “the Atlantic, “the definite article preceding the specific name is not capitalized. 

Proper names of geographical entities such as regions, political divisions, populated places, 

localities, and physical features are capitalized in both the singular and plural. 

Allegheny Front Half Dome 

Andromeda Cone High Plains 

Atlantic Coastal Plain Isle of Pines 

Bighorn Basin Lower Town Landing 

Blue Ridge Middle Atlantic States 

Brady Soil Monarch Geyser 

Canal Zone Mount Rainier 

Central States Niagara Falls 

Catahoula Parish North Atlantic States 

Colorado Plateau North Slope 

Colville Guide Meridian Pacific Coast States 

Continental Divide Pine Ridge Reservation 

Dennison Township Potomac and James Rivers 

Driftless Area St. Stephens Base Line 

Eastern Shore Second Principal Meridian 

Fall Line Skyline Drive 

Fall Zone The Chute 

Far East (Asia) The South 

Front Range Tidal Basin 

Great Lakes Upper Peninsula 

Gulf Coast Washington Metropolitan Area 

 West Coast 

Qualifying words used in a general sense for parts of named areas are not capitalized. Care 

should be taken to prevent misunderstanding; for example, “western Virginia” or “the western 
part of Virginia” is preferable to “west Virginia.” In borderline cases, however, local residents 

and news media may consistently use a qualifying word to modify the meaning of an existing 

geographic name in order to refer to a part of a State or other area. The modifying word then may 

become part of the proper name, to be uniformly capitalized with the remainder of the name. 

East Tennessee Northern Virginia 

Greater New York (city) South Pacific (Ocean) 

New England Upstate New York 

North Atlantic (Ocean) Southern California 

 
APPENDIX A.--Public Law 242 

[Public Law 242--80th Congress] 

[Chapter 330--1st Session] 

[S.1262] 

AN ACT 

To provide a central authority for standardizing geographic names for the purpose of eliminating 

duplication in standardizing names among the Federal departments, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in 

Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior, hereinafter called the Secretary, 

conjointly with the Board on Geographic Names, as hereinafter provided, shall provide for 

uniformity in geographic nomenclature and orthography throughout the Federal Government. 

The Secretary may exercise his functions through such officials as he may designate, except that 

such authority as relates to the final approval or review of actions of the Board on Geographic 

Names shall be exercised by him, or his Under or Assistant Secretaries. 

sec. 2. There is hereby established a Board on Geographic Names, hereinafter called the 

Board. The membership of the Board shall include one representative from each of the 

Departments of State, War, Navy, Post Office, Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce, and from 

the Government Printing Office, and the Library of Congress. The Board may also include 

representatives from such Federal agencies as the Secretary, upon recommendation of the Board, 

shall from time to time find desirable, even though these agencies are in the departments 

otherwise represented on the Board. The members of the Board shall be appointed by the 

respective heads of the departments or independent agencies that they represent. Each member 

shall be appointed for a two-year term but may be reappointed to successive terms. The members 

of the Board shall serve without additional compensation. The Board shall nominate a Chairman 

to be appointed by the Secretary, and shall establish such working committees as are found 

desirable. 

sec. 3. The Board, subject to the approval of the Secretary, shall formulate principles, 

policies, and procedures to be followed with reference to both domestic and foreign geographic 

names; and shall decide the standard names and their orthography for official use. The principles, 

policies, and procedures formulated hereunder shall be designed to serve the interests of the 

Federal Government and the general public to enlist the effective cooperation of the Federal 

departments and agencies most concerned, and to give full consideration to the specific interests 

of particular Federal and State agencies. Action may be taken by the Secretary in any matter 

wherein the Board does not act within a reasonable time. The Board may make such 

recommendations to the Secretary as it finds appropriate in connection with this Act. 

sec. 4. The Secretary shall cause such studies and investigations to be made and such 

records to be kept as may be necessary or desirable in carrying out the purposes of this Act, and 

he shall provide a place of meeting and staff assistance to the Board. The staff shall be 

responsible to the Secretary, who shall prescribe its relations to the Board and the committees of 

the Board. The Secretary may establish from time to time, upon recommendation of the Board, 

advisory committees of United States citizens who are recognized experts in their respective 

fields to assist in the solution of special problems arising under this Act. 
sec. 5. For the guidance of the Federal Government, the Secretary shall promulgate in the 

name of the Board, from time to time and in such form as will carry out the purposes of this Act, 

decisions with respect to geographic names and principles of geographic nomenclature and 

orthography. The Secretary shall also furnish such additional information with respect to 

geographic names as will assist in carrying out the purposes of this Act. 

sec. 6. With respect to geographic names the pertinent decisions and principles issued by 

the Secretary shall be standard for all material published by the Federal Government. The United 

States Board on Geographic Names in the Department of the Interior created by Executive order, 

is hereby abolished, and the duties of said Board are transferred to the Board herein created, and 

all departments, bureaus, and agencies of the Federal Government shall refer all geographic 

names and problems to the said Board for the purpose of eliminating duplication of work, 

personnel, and authority. 

sec. 7. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as applying to the naming of the offices or 

establishments of any Federal agency. 

sec. 8. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to 

carry out the purposes of this Act. 

Approved July 25, 1947. 

 
APPENDIX B.--Terms and Definitions 

Decision 

Result of an act by means of which a domestic geographic name in controversy regarding its 

form or application is made official by the Board on Geographic Names or its Domestic Names 

Committee after review of case information developed by in-depth staff investigation of the 

name and/or its application. 

Decision Description 

Published information given for each domestic geographic name decision that describes the 

nature and location of the named geographic entity, and in some cases, the origin or meaning of 

the name. 

Domestic Geographic Name 

The proper name of a geographic entity in the United States, its territories, and outlying areas. 

Geographic Name 

A name applied to a geographic feature. It is the proper name, specific term, or expression by 

which a particular geographic entity is, or was, known. A geographic entity is any relatively 

permanent part of the natural or manmade landscape or seascape that has recognizable identity 

within a particular cultural context. A geographic name, then, may refer to any place, feature, or 

area on the earth’s surface, or to a related group of similar places, features, or areas. 

Guideline(s) 

Information provided to assist in understanding a principle, policy, or procedure. 

Official Name 

A geographic name, and its written form and application, approved or recognized as official by 

the Board for use throughout the Federal Government. An official name is established either by 

policy or decision of the Board on Geographic Names. 

Placename 

Same as Geographic Name. 

Policy 

A statement of regulation(s) relating to particular toponymic circumstances; used to guide and 

determine present and future decisions. 

Principle 

A fundamental doctrine that applies to all toponymic conditions that fall under its purview; used 

to guide and determine present and future decisions. 

Procedure(s) 

A set of instructions outlining steps to accomplish a particular goal such as submitting name 

proposals to the Board on Geographic Names or the application of geographic names to Federal 

maps, charts, and other publications. 
APPENDIX B.-- Terms and Definitions-- 

continued 

Revised Decision 

Result of an action of the Board on Geographic Names or its Domestic Names Committee to 

revise the selection, form, or spelling of a former decision. 

Revised Description 

Result of an action of the Board on Geographic Names or its Domestic Names Committee to 

revise the selection, form, or spelling of a former decision. 

Statutory Name 

A name made official by an act of the United States Congress. 

Toponymy (Toponymic) 

The study of or a reference to geographic names. 

Unofficial Name 

A geographic name not formally recognized as official by the Board on Geographic Names. 

Vacated Decision 

Result of an action of the Board on Geographic Names or the Domestic Names Committee to 

formally annul a former decision, such as when the named feature no longer exists or when it 

cannot be identified. 

Variant Name 

A name or spelling, once or currently used to refer to a particular geographic entity, other than 

the official name. 

 
U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey Domestic Geographic

Name Report

1. Use this form to recommend a feature

name or to suggest a name change.

2 . For features on Federal lands,

coordinate requests with the agency

(U.S. Forest Service, National Park

Service, Bureau of Land Management,

etc.) for the administrative area in which

the feature is located.

3. On the reverse side of this form give

information on the local usage and

authority for recommended name.

4 . For more information about the

Geographic Names Information System

or the National Gazetteer program,

contact the U.S. Board on Geographic

Names at 703-648-4552.

5 . Return this form to:

Executive Secretary for Domestic 

Geographic Names

U.S. Geological Survey

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Reston, VA 20191-0523

Specific Area Covered:

Latitude: ____° ____' ____" N S Longitude: ____° ____' ____" W E Mouth End Center

Latitude: ____° ____' ____" N S Longitude: ____° ____' ____" W E Heading End

Section(s) Township(s) Range(s) Meridian Elevation f t . / m .

Type of Feature (stream, mountain, populated place, etc.):__________________________________________________________

Is the feature identified (including other names) in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)?

Yes No Unknown If yes, please indicate how it is listed: ________________________________________

Description of Feature (physical shape, length, width, direction of flow, etc.):

Proposed New Name

Application Change

Name Change

Other

Action Requested: Recommended Name

State

County or Equivalent

Administrative Area

Is the recommended name in local usage? Yes No If yes, for approximately how many years?

Maps and Other Sources Using R e c o m -

m e n d e d N a m e (include scale and date)

Maps and Other Sources Using Other 

Other Names (variants) Names or Applications (include scale and date)

Name Information (such as origin, meaning of the recommended name, historical significance, biographical data (if

commemorative), nature of usage or application, or any other pertinent information):
 May 1995 Revised March 2011

Copy Submitted By (name): Title Telephone (day) Date

Company or Agency Address (City, State, and ZIPCode)

Copy Prepared By (if other than above): Title Phone (day) Date

Company or Agency Address (City, State, and ZIPCode)

Is there local opposition to, or conflict, with the recommended name? Yes No (If yes, explain)

For proposed new name, please provide evidence that feature is unnamed: 

Additional information:

Authority for Recommended Name Mailing Address and Telephone Occupation Years in Area
APPENDIX D.-Foreign Geographic Names 

FOREIGN NAMES COMMITTEE 

Foreign names are processed by the Foreign Names Committee of the U.S. Board on Geographic 

Names, which is supported by an Executive Secretary and staff furnished by the National 

Imagery and Mapping Agency, U.S. Department of Defense. The basic policy for determining 

standard names in foreign countries that use the Roman alphabet is to accept as official the 

written forms of names recognized locally. Names in countries that do not use the Roman 

alphabet are converted (romanized) according to systems approved by the Board. The Board 

cooperates wherever possible with foreign governments to standardize foreign names for official 

U.S. purposes. 

DIACRITICAL MARKS 

Diacritical marks and special characters are essential to the spelling of foreign names. These 

characters, such as the tilde (cañon), dieresis or umlaut (Korcë , Nürnberg), barred O (Rerøs), 

macron (Kyūshū), cedilla (lace), right hook (Dąbrowa Gornicza), grave (Asnières), acute 

(Orléans), circumflex (Nîmes), superior dot (Skarżysko-Kamienna), and others, should be used 

as specified by the Board on Geographic Names. 

CONVENTIONAL NAMES FOREIGN 

For names of foreign countries, for features common to two or more countries having different 

languages, and for a few populated areas and natural features in foreign countries, the Board has 

also approved optional use of names that are traditional (conventional) with English- speaking 

nations, for example, “Italy (Italia), “ “Munich (München), “ “Jordan River (Mahr al Urdunn), “ 

“Pyrenees (Pirineos, Pyrénées). “ 

FOREIGN GAZETTEERS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS 

The official standard forms of foreign names have been published by the Board in more than 150 

gazetteers. Copies are on file at the Geological Survey libraries in Reston, Virginia; Denver, 

Colorado; and Menlo Park, California, and also in more than 600 Federal, State, university, and 

local libraries. These gazetteers as well as other publications, including a “Romanization 

Systems and Roman- Script Spelling Conventions,” may be purchased from USGS Information 

Services, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225. 

 
APPENDIX E. -- International Standardization

HISTORYOF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDIZATION 

Expansion of international activities in the 19th century was accompanied by a growing 

realization that various forms of communication and documentation relied on standard 

geographic references for accuracy. Geographic names had to be continually printed, copied, 

telegraphed, and written on maps and charts. Languages of the world, however, are recorded in 

different scripts. The number of speech sounds, and the number of ways of uttering and 

modifying them, is so large that no language contains them all, no person can use them all, and 

no traditional system of writing can represent them all. 

The First International Geographical Congress held in Antwerp in 1871 was the springboard for 

an effort to achieve worldwide uniformity in geographic names. This was followed in 1875 by 

the Universal Postal Union’s decision to adopt the Roman alphabet for writing post office names. 

In 1909, the International Map Committee set the standard for name usage to be applied on the 

International Map of the World series. 

UNITED NATIONS EFFORTS 

Current efforts to standardize geographic names for international use are mainly associated with 

the work of the United Nations. That organization was, and is, considered by most to be the 

logical place to coordinate and encourage international name standardization. In 1958, the 

Economic and Social Council of the United Nations passed a resolution requesting the Secretary 

General to draft a plan for achieving international uniformity. United Nations activities include 

sponsoring conferences and sessions of a group of experts in the interest of developing guiding 

principles for attaining uniformity in the name processing procedures and in the promotion of 

national standardization by all countries. 

PAN AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY (PAIGH) 

The Board sponsors a yearly, 2-week course in applied toponomy offered under the auspices of 

the Pan American Institute of Geography and History whose aims, among others, are to 

encourage, promote, and disseminate scientific studies of interest to the Americas in the 

disciplines of cartography, geophysics, geography, and history. This course provides a basis for 

the implementation by participating nations of programs for national standardization of 

geographic names, and includes instruction modules for fieldwork and automated data 

processing. 

 
KEYWORD INDEX 

Abbreviations 

Accent marks (see Diacritical marks) 

Act of Congress (see Statutory name) 

Addresses 

Administrative areas 

Agriculture, Department of 

Alphabetizing 

Alternate names (see Variant names) 

Antarctic feature names 

Apostrophes 

Application, name 

Appropriateness, name 

Approval process (see Research procedures) 

Area names 

Automated data processing 

Base series maps 

Board on Geographic Names, history 

Board on Geographic Names, organization 

Capitalization 

Case research procedures (see Research procedures) 

Changing names 

Commemorative names 

Commerce, Department of 

Compass direction modifiers in names 

Conflicts, name 

Congressional naming (see Statutory naming; Statutory name, definition) 

Conventional foreign names 

Dam names 

Decision(s), BGN 

Decision description 

Decision factors 

Decision, former (see Vacated decision) 

Decision lists 

Decision procedures 

Definite articles 

Definitions 

Derogatory names 

Diacritical marks 

Docket lists 

Domestic geographic name, definition 

Domestic Names Committee 

Domestic names decisions 

Domestic names, characteristics 

Duplication of names 

English language 
Eskimo names (see Native American names) 

Established usage 

Excessive naming 

Executive Committee 

Executive Secretary, Domestic Names 

Executive Secretary, Foreign Names 

Federal maps 

Federal publications 

Folklore names 

Foreign geographic names 

Foreign Names Committee (see Foreign geographic names) 

Foreign names publications 

French names 

Gazetteer, digital 

Gazetteer, domestic 

Gazetteer, foreign 

Generic part of a name 

Generic terms (see Generic part of a name) 

Genitive form names 

Geographical coordinates 

Geographic names database 

Geographic name, definition 

Geographic names, characteristics 

Geographic Names Information System 

Geographic names, spelling 

GNIS 

Government Printing Office 

Guide1ine(s) 

Harrison, President Benjamin 

Historical names 

Historical usage 

Hyphens 

Incident names 

Indian names (see Native American names) 

International boundary names 

Interior, Department of the 

Interior, Secretary of the 

International Geographical Congress 

International Map of the World 

International standardization (see United Nations) 

"Jap" in names 

Legal usage 

Legislated names 

Lexical meaning 

Library of Congress 

Living person policy 
Local support for proposal 

Local usage 

Long form names 

Long names 

Modifiers in names 

Name application (see Application, name) 

Name change, definition of 

National Digital Gazetteer (see Gazetteer, digital) 

Name duplication, definition 

National Gazetteer (see Gazetteers, domestic) 

National Geographic Names Database 

National Ocean Service 

National Park Service 

National topographic map series 

Native American names 

Nautical charts 

Needless naming 

News media 

Nicknames 

"Nigger" in names 

Nonce generic forms 

Nonrecorded names 

Numbers in names 

Official names 

Official name, definition 

One-name-one-feature rule 

Other name sources 

Pan American Institute of Geography & History (PAIGH) 

Parenthetical usage 

Pejorative names 

Personal geographic names (see Commemorative names) 

Plural forms of names 

Policies, domestic names 

I. U.S. Congress 

II. Name changes 

III. Commemorative names 

IV. Wilderness areas 

V. Derogatory 

VI. Use of diacriticals 

VII. Name duplication 

VIII. Use of variants 

IX. Long names 

X. Names of Native American 

Origin 

Policy, definition 

Possessive names (see Commemorative names; Genitive form names; Apostrophes) 
Postal Service 

Prepositions in names

Principle, definition 

Principles, domestic names 

I. Roman alphabet 

II. Local usage 

III. U.S. Congress 

IV. Other authorities 

V. One-name rule 

Printing marks (see Writing marks) 

Procedure(s), definition 

Promulgation of standard names (see Gazetteer; Decision lists; Foreign names, publications, 

Public Law 80-242) 

Pronunciation 

Proposing new names 

Publications and Publicity Committee 

Public Law 80-242 

Published usage 

Punctuation (see Diacritical marks; Writing marks) 

Qualifying words in names (see Modifiers in names) 

Recommended new names 

Relative position modifiers in names 

Relative size modifiers in names 

Reporting name information (see Submitting name information) 

Research procedures 

Reservoir names 

Revised decision, definition 

Revised description, definition 

Roman alphabet 

Roosevelt, President Theodore 

Secretary of the Interior 

Sequencing rules for names 

Short-form names 

Specific part of a name 

Spelling of geographic names 

Standardization, name 

Standard name (see Official name) 

State geographic names authorities 

State names 

Statutory name, definition 

Statutory naming 

Stream tributary names 

Submitting name information 

Tabular name lists 

Topographic maps 

Toponymy, definition 
Trail names 

Typographical errors 

Undersea feature names 

United States-Canada boundary names 

United Nations 

Universal Postal Union 

Unnamed features 

Unofficial name, definition 

Unpublished names (see Nonrecorded names) 

U.S. Board on Geographic Names 

U.S.D.A.Forest Service 

U.S. Department of Agriculture 

U.S. Congress (see Statutory naming) 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Vacated decision, definition 

Variant names 

Verbal usage 

Water rights names 

Wilderness act 

Wilderness areas 

Writing marks 

Written usage