Naming a Geographic Feature

Sept. 18, 2022, 2:06 p.m.

We have a little fishing cottage in the Chesapeake littoral region. There are a combination of creeks, rivers and other waterways all throughout the area. This place we have happens to be on a terrain feature that is somewhat significant, yet it remains nameless. The terrain feature is what I would call something between a "point" and a penninsula that extends out into the water (i.e. surrounded on three sides by water). Here in Virginia we also call these "necks."

I find myself describing the location of where we live to local service providers, watermen and others in this fairly roundabout and ambiguous way. I typically describe the location relative to nearby creeks, rivers, other waterways, land masses, roads and points-of-interest that is never quite the same. Basically, some people know some features and others not. This process typically involves some back-and-forth and questions and answers as some people know some of the reference points, but not all of them. We will eventually arrive on a rough understanding of where things are, but it is rarely an easy conversation. It seems to me that a formal name would go a long way in describing where we live.

My aim here is to walk through the steps and some additional considerations that I pick up while researching how to name a terrain feature in our state (VA). I plan to go through these steps, so I will update as I pick up new things along the way.

The Process

The following steps are a consilidated list of what is required to name a new terrain feature:

Complete The Board on Geographic Names Domestic Names Committee Proposal Form
Save the PDF File using the following naming convention: STATE_GeographicName (e.g. "NC_ParadisePoint.pdf")
Send the completed form to the board...
- Email the completed form to BGNEXEC@usgs.gov w/ "STATE_GeographicName" in subject line
- Send via snail mail to address in the application form
The state names authority will review the final proposal and will send a recommendation to the USGS Geographic Names Board and will consider the following
- Is there an already existing name for the feature?
- What is the historical origin of the existing name?
- What is the historical justification for the proposed name?
- Is the proposed name in local usage?
- Do local leaders, residents and businesses support the proposed name?
The USGS Geographic Names Board then places the application on the agenda for the federal-level review meeting

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