Place names are an important part of everyday life.
By encapsulating sets of ideas and experiences they serve as shorthand for distinct geographic areas. It is seldom, however, that one stops to consider how places were named, and what those names originally designated. Because naming is one of the first activities associated with populating a new place, place names can serve as rich cultural and historical information sources. This study explores the perception of the natural landscape, as indicated by the place name Fairview. The place name Fairview is especially suited for this study because it provides a large number of instances to analyze.