List of geographic acronyms and initialisms explained

This is a list of geographic acronyms and initialisms. That is, it's a list of the names of cities, towns, lakes, and other geographic places that are derived from acronyms. Acronyms are abbreviations formed by the initial letter or letters of the words that make up a multi-word term.

For the most part, the geographic names in this list were derived from three or more other names or words. Those derived from only two names are usually considered portmanteaus and can be found in the List of geographic portmanteaus. However, there are exceptions to this two/three rule in both lists, so it is more of a guideline than a hard-and-fast rule.

Regions

Countries

Provinces

Other regions

Populated places

Cities and towns

Places named after companies

Many of these places are former company towns.

Places named after people

Other places

Neighborhoods

Many of these names were the result of neighborhood rebranding, first in New York, and then in other cities. The names were mostly coined in imitation of Soho in Manhattan.

New York

Los Angeles

Denver, Colorado

Metropolitan and suburban areas

In other cities

Natural features

Bodies of water

Topography

Others

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Banzare Coast. 27 November 2018. Geographic Names Information Service. U.S. Geological Survey.
  2. Web site: Store Norske Leksikon. LoVeSe. 2023-01-24. snl.no. no.
  3. Book: Jenkins. Elwyn. Falling into Place: The Story of Modern South African Place Names. 2007. New Africa Books. 9780864866899.
  4. Book: Foscue. Virginia O.. Place Names in Alabama. 1989. University of Alabama Press. 9780817304102.
  5. Book: D'Artois Leeper. Clare. Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries. 2012. LSU Press. 9780807147382.
  6. Book: Kenny, Hamill. West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. The Place Name Press. 1945. Piedmont, WV. 2027/uc1.b3624093.
  7. Book: Krakow. Kenneth K.. Georgia Place-Names. November 1999. Winship Press. 0-915430-00-2. Third. Macon, Georgia.
  8. Book: Stewart. George R.. American place-names; a concise and selective dictionary for the continental United States of America. 1970. Oxford University Press. New York. registration.
  9. Book: Marden. Ernest G.. Community Place Names of Alberta. Marden. Austin. 2010. Lulu.com. 978-1897472170.
  10. Book: Gudde. Erwin Gustav. California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. 2010. University of California Press. 9780520266193.
  11. Book: Barry. Bill. Geographic Names of Saskatchewan. September 2005. People Places Publishing, Ltd.. 1-897010-19-2. Regina, Saskatchewan. registration.
  12. Book: Akrigg. G. P. (Philip) V.. British Columbia Place Names. Akrigg. Helen. 2011. UBC Press. 978-0774841702. Third.
  13. Book: Callary. Edward. Place Names of Illinois. October 2009. University of Illinois Press. 978-0-252-03356-8. Champaign, Illinois.
  14. Book: McArthur. Lewis A.. Oregon Geographic Names. McArthur. Lewis L.. 1992. Oregon Historical Society Press. 0-87595-237-2. 6th.
  15. Book: Hanson. Raus McDill. Virginia Place Names: Derivations, Historical Uses. 1969. McClure Press.
  16. Book: Rennick. Robert M.. Kentucky Place Names. 2013. University Press of Kentucky. 9780813144016.
  17. HAPYP. Cominco.
  18. HAPNJ. Domex.
  19. Book: Baker, Ronald L.. From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. October 1995. Indiana University Press. 978-0-253-32866-3. registration.
  20. Book: Morris. Allan. Florida Place Names: Alachua to Zolfo Springs. 1995. Pineapple Press, Inc.. 1-56164-084-0. Sarasota, Florida.
  21. Book: Barnes. Will Croft. Arizona Place Names. 2016. University of Arizona Press. 9780816534951.
  22. Web site: Bishop. Eliza H.. 2010-06-15. Latexo, TX. 24 December 2017. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
  23. Book: Canadian Board on Geographical Names. Place-names of Alberta. 1928. F. A. Acland, printer. Ottawa. 2027/mdp.39015070267029.
  24. Web site: Ochoa. Ruben E.. 2010-06-15. Mico, TX. 20 November 2017. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
  25. Book: Eaton. David Wolfe. How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. 1916. State Historical Society.
  26. Book: Rayburn. Alan. Place names of Ontario. 1997. University of Toronto Press. 0-8020-7207-0. Toronto.
  27. HAMGU. Norco, Saskatchewan.
  28. Book: Williams. Mary Ann Barnes. Origins of North Dakota Place Names. 1966. Bismarck Tribune. Bismarck, ND.
  29. Book: Knight. Victor M.. Vic Knight's Florida. 1993. Pelican Publishing. 9781455613595. 29.
  30. Book: Romig. Walter. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. 1973. Wayne State University Press. 9780814318386.
  31. Book: Meany. Edmund S.. Origin of Washington geographic names. 1923. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 2027/mdp.39015027074981.
  32. Web site: Hazelwood. Claudia. 2010-06-15. Saspamco, TX. 22 November 2017. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
  33. Book: Tarpley. Fred. 1001 Texas Place Names. 2010. University of Texas Press. 9780292786936. 148.
  34. Book: Van Cott. John W.. Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names : a Compilation. 1990. University of Utah Press. 9780874803457.
  35. Book: Bright. William. Colorado Place Names. 2004. Big Earth Publishing. 9781555663339.
  36. Web site: Garza. Alicia A.. 2010-06-15. Weslaco, Tx.. 23 November 2017. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
  37. Book: Moyer. Armond. The origins of unusual place-names. Moyer. Winifred. Keystone Pub. Associates. 1958. 2027/wu.89058322223.
  38. Book: Ramsay. Robert L.. Our Storehouse of Missouri Place Names. 1952. University of Missouri Press. 9780826205865.
  39. Book: Rayburn. Alan. Naming Canada: Stories about Canadian Place Names. 2001. University of Toronto Press. 9780802047250.
  40. Book: Boone. Lalia Phipps. Idaho place names : a geographical dictionary. 1988. University of Idaho Press. 0893011193. Moscow, Idaho.
  41. Book: Fitzpatrick. Lilian L.. Nebraska Place-Names. 1925. University of Nebraska Press.
  42. Book: Shirk. George H. Oklahoma Place Names. 1987. University of Oklahoma Press. 0-8061-2028-2. 48.
  43. Book: Savage. Tom. A Dictionary of Iowa Place-Names. 2007. University of Iowa Press. 9781587297595. revised.
  44. Web site: About Us. 13 March 2018. city of delmar.
  45. Web site: 8 April 2021. Village of Edmore. About.
  46. Book: Shirk. George H. Oklahoma Place Names. 1987. University of Oklahoma Press. 0-8061-2028-2.
  47. Web site: Helm. Phylena. 2010-06-12. Fastrill, TX. 30 January 2018. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
  48. Web site: Unusual place names. 30 November 2018. Landgate. Western Australian Land Information Authority.
  49. Book: Federal Writers' Project. South Dakota place-names, v.1-3. American guide series . University of South Dakota. 1940. 2027/mdp.39015027015455. Federal Writers' Project.
  50. Book: Temple. Robert D.. Edge Effects: the Border-Name Places. 2009. iUniverse, Inc.. 978-0-595-47758-6. 2nd. Bloomington, Indiana.
  51. Book: Geographic Board of Canada. Place-names of Manitoba. 1933. J. O. Patenaude, acting King's printer. Ottawa. 2027/mdp.39015027929515.
  52. Book: Gannett. Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. 1905. United States Geologic Survey. 2nd. Washington, DC.
  53. Web site: Brigham. Johnson. How Le Mars was Named. https://web.archive.org/web/20151201024503/http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3963&context=annals-of-iowa. dead. December 1, 2015. 18 November 2019. Annals of Iowa. State Historical Society of Iowa.
  54. Book: Julyan. Robert Hixson. The Place Names of New Mexico. 1996. UNM Press. 9780826316899. revised.
  55. Book: Chicago and North Western Railway Company. A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. 1908. 2nd.
  56. Book: Overman. William Daniel. Ohio Town Names. 1959. Atlantic Press. Akron, Ohio. 2027/mdp.39015015361465.
  57. Web site: The only Primghar in the World. 21 October 2017. A Brief History of Primghar, Iowa.
  58. Web site: Soda, TX. 21 October 2017. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
  59. HAMYP. Tako, Saskatchewan.
  60. Web site: Cashus Marshall Columbus Theodore Claybourn. 15 November 2018. Claybourn Genealogical Society.
  61. Web site: 2016-02-20. Wahjamega an Odd name with a Tragic History. 2020-10-19. Lost In Michigan. en-US.
  62. Web site: Savage. Cynthia. Okarche. 21 November 2017. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society.
  63. Web site: 2020-08-14. An Afternoon in Traverse City's NOBO District. 2020-11-12. www.traversecity.com. en-us.
  64. News: Howard . Hilary . 2008-09-09 . Louisville Neighborhood Becomes an Arts Area . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-08-19 . 0362-4331.
  65. Web site: Central SOHO. 23 February 2020. NeighbourGood London. Neighbourhood Development and Support, London ON.
  66. Web site: Three Bears Mountain. 3 April 2018. Bivouac.com. Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia.
  67. Web site: History of Lake Chaweva . Lake Chaweva Club . 16 November 2021.
  68. HAHWI. Emar Lake.
  69. HANXT. Owaa Lake.
  70. HAHIZ. Sareco Bay.
  71. Book: Upham. W.. Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance, v. 17. 1920. Minnesota Historical Society.
  72. Web site: Fasp Mountain. 3 April 2018. Bivouac.com. Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia.
  73. Web site: Isar Mountain. 3 April 2018. Bivouac.com. Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia.
  74. Web site: Veeocee Mountain. 3 April 2018. Bivouac.com. Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia.
  75. Web site: Wilkin. Jeff. Capital Region Scrapbook: Mohonasen's Class of 1960 looks back. 25 November 2019. The Daily Gazette. The Daily Gazette Co..