Introduction

Naming is a basic human tendency; it

allows us to perceive the distinct

identities of people and places and

conveys those characteristics that make

them unique. The name of a geographic

feature can describe spectacular physical

attributes (such as the Grand Canyon or

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park),

indicate cultural or historical significance

(such as Washington Crossing on the

Delaware River), or commemorate a

worthy individual (such as the Hudson

River, named for Henry Hudson, the

explorer). Names have many different

origins, and regardless of the type of

name, they give us a greater familiarity

with our surroundings and a sense of

belonging to our environment.

Naming rivers, mountains, and valleys

after individuals was one way settlers

marked the land; it signified their lives on

these lands were important and, in

addition to being a point of reference,

usually satisfied the need for stability and

enhanced the general concept of sense of

place. Even today, naming geographic

features after individuals helps us to

recognize their special achievements and

contributions to the physical or cultural

landscape. However, what may be most

significant about the present commemorative naming decisions is their

permanence. It is important for us to

realize that the commemorative names

assigned today may last for centuries.

The U.S. Board on Geographic

Names

President Benjamin Harrison created the

U.S. Board on Geographic Names by

Executive order in 1890, and the Board

was restructured by Public Law in 1947.

The Board's mission is to encourage

uniform name usage to eliminate confusion and to promote consistency in the

adjudication of name decisions. The need

for such a Board became evident as the

American population expanded and

features were given multiple names.

Printed materials such as maps, journals,

and newspapers conveyed different

usage, and simply finding out what a

feature was called or where it was located

depended on to whom one spoke or what

source was used. Today the Board, which

is composed of representatives from

many Federal agencies, continues to

promote uniform name usage by

standardizing the spelling and application

of geographic names on all official maps

and publications.

The Board also is responsible for

collecting and standardizing names of

places outside the United States to meet

official U.S. needs. In these functions,

the Board collaborates with national and

international organizations. This fact

sheet, however, deals with

commemorative naming only in the

United States.

The following five principles have been

followed by the Board in national geographic name standardization for over

100 years:

1. The Roman alphabet is used as normally employed in the English language.

2. Precedence is given to names in local

usage.

3. Names established by Act of

Congress are official by law.

4. Names of political subdivisions,

bounded areas of administration, structures, and establishments—as determined

by the appropriate, responsible public or

private authorities—normally are

recognized as official.

5. One name, one spelling, and one

application are authorized for each

geographic entity.

Commemorative naming recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to a specific geographic area or

feature. The name of the city of Washington, D.C., depicted in this 1792 map, commemorates the first President of the United

States, George Washington.

Commemorative Naming in the United States

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Fact Sheet 158-99

November 1999
In addition, the Board's actions are

guided by the following policies:

1. Derogatory names or names that cause

confusion are unacceptable.

2. Duplicate names within a local

political jurisdiction are not normally

approved.

3. Within wilderness areas, unnamed

features remain unnamed, unless a name

is required for purposes of safety,

education, or area administration.

4. Ownership of land is not sufficient

grounds to justify Board approval of a

commemorative name.

Commemorative Naming Policy

In the United States, thousands of people

have contributed and will continue to

contribute to society in many different

ways. Many deserve to be honored. Such

recognition can take many forms,

including scholarships or charitable funds

established in an individual's name, a

commemorative plaque, or a donation to

support some aspect of the individual's

education, career, or recreational

interests. Commemorative naming of

geographic features is but one of many

options to consider when memorializing

individuals and their accomplishments.

Although the Board realizes that such

recognition may be desirable, it is neither

possible nor appropriate to approve every

commemorative naming proposal

submitted. To evaluate objectively the

increasing number of commemorative

requests received each year, the Board

uses the following principles, policies,

and procedures in making decisions:

Section 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

docketed for consideration.

Section 2—The person being honored by

the naming should either have had a

direct long-term association with the

feature or have made a significant

contribution to the area or State in which

it is located.

Section 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.

Section 4—All commemorative name

proposals must meet the same basic

criteria required of any other name

proposal.

Guidelines

A proposal to commemorate an

individual must contain evidence of local

support for the name and its application.

Such evidence can be letters from local

residents and administrative agency

personnel and petitions containing

signatures of local citizens.

Proposers must petition their State names

authority, as well as the Federal Board. In

States with no official State names

authority, approval must be obtained

from local governing bodies, such as the

county commissioners, supervisors, or

town selectmen.

The Board defines a "significant contribution" as an action(s) by an individual to

protect, restore, enhance, or maintain a

feature that produces substantial, longterm improvements.

The Board defines "direct long-term

association" as 20 years or more of

continued or periodic service to a feature.

However, some proposals that do not

meet this 20-year test can still be

approved under special circumstances.

Usually, an association of a significantly

shorter time period requires strong local

agreement on the importance of that

association. This agreement may take

the form of current local usage of the

name being proposed or a general sense

that the history of the area has been

enriched through the individual's

involvement with the feature.

A person's death on or at a feature, such

as in a mountaineering accident or plane

crash, or the ownership of land or the

feature, does not normally meet the

"direct association" criterion.

Ultimately, the decision on whether a

proposal meets the "direct long-term

association" or "significant contribution"

criterion rests solely with the Board.

Procedures For Submitting and

Reviewing a Proposal

1. Proposer should submit the name

proposal with proper documentation.

2. Proposer should obtain evidence of

local support for the proposed name in

the form of letters and petitions.

3. The Board, working through State

and local governing bodies, determines

whether the name is in the public interest

on the basis of appropriateness, acceptability, and need.

For More Information

For more information on commemorative

naming, contact:

Executive Secretary

Domestic Names Committee

U.S. Board on Geographic Names

U.S. Geological Survey

523 National Center

Reston, VA 20192

Phone: 703-648-4544

Fax: 703-648-4549

The Board urges proposers to consider

carefully an individual's association with

the identified feature and evaluate this

relationship on the basis of the policies of

the Board.

Because of these policy constraints on

naming geographic features, commemorative name proposals often cannot be

approved by the Board. When a proposal

is disapproved, it is usually because of a

failure to meet policy criteria rather than

being a negative reflection on an

individual's achievements.

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